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Psalm 88:14-15. "O Lord, why doest thou cast me off? Why doest thou hide thy face from me? Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer thy terror; I am helpless."

 

These pleas come from Heman, one of the "sons of Korah", who is credited with this psalm. Korah led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16:1-3), for which he and his followers' punishment was being swallowed up by the earth, along with their whole households. (Numbers 16:31-33). However, Korah had some sons who were not part of his rebellion, and it is the descendants of those sons who are the "sons of Korah" referenced in opening to the psalm, with Heman, the author, being one of them.

 

This psalm is one of deep suffering without resolution, other than crying out to God. This pain speaks, I think, to the idea of generational curses or suffering. Korah had given himself over to evil and was greatly punished for it, but the descendants of his innocent sons did not share in his wrongdoing. Nonetheless, they feel the effects of Korah's sin, even all these years later, as Heman exemplifies. He feels cast off, abandoned, and suffers from terrors and anxiety. He feels close to death, and his soul is filled with troubles. (Psalm 88:3). What Heman, as a "son of Korah," is feeling are the lingering effects of Korah's sin.

 

Sin affects us physically, mentally, and spiritually. Great sin leaves an imprint on our very being, and on the world, an imprint that is handed on to future generations, just as Original Sin was. Like children born to a drug addicted mother who suffer withdrawal symptoms themselves, Korah's descendants are experiencing the very real after-effects of his rebellion.

 

I think many of our youth today are feeling much like Heman felt. They feel lost and abandoned, anxious, full of troubles and terrors, and they don't know where to turn (because unlike Heman, they don't have God in their lives to cry out to). They are suffering the effects of our sin, and our failure to properly hand on the faith. The generation before mine is the one that ushered abortion and birth control into our country. There is no denying that these sins have caused seemingly irreparable harm to the human family. My generation is not off the hook, either, since we took those great evils and, instead of rejecting them, built society around their availability. I can't imagine what the youth of today must be feeling knowing that they were most likely "planned" and, if not, could easily have been aborted. I can't imagine wondering, even subconsciously, why my parents chose to have me, and how many potential brothers and sisters they chose not to. I can't imagine watching the generations above me lead such selfish lives, not seeming to care about what they are leaving the next generation as long as they (the elders) are protected and cared for. Children became commodities and accessories with the prevalence of family planning. They became dehumanized and expendable by the adoption of abortion. Is it any wonder the ones who were conceived and survived are confused, helpless, and anxious?

 

All of this sounds very depressing, but I think we can see and feel that God is beginning a correction right now. God hears the cries of Korah's sons and ours. He is coming to their rescue, I am certain. Unfortunately, there is more to go through until things start improving, and my generation and the one above me need to have a true change of heart if we are going to be part of the improvement.