Abstract:
The COVID-19 global pandemic and its consequent outcomes have
caused immense suffering and distress in every community and at
all levels of life worldwide. Theological and religious communities
raise the question about God’s involvement in the causes of and
healing from this horrendous misery and grief. These questions
become paradigmatic of how God is involved in suffering and how
the supplicant could experience deliverance through interaction
with God, whilst situated in the midst of such a crisis.
Exegetic contemplation on Ps 13, a well-known lament song,
provides an exemplary experience of a psalmist in a severe lifeendangering context. An exposition of the text—its historical, cultic
and literary contexts—and the genre of ‘lament’ brings insight into
the Yahweh-believer’s interaction. Without pretending to provide
answers to enigmatic forms of suffering, this article shows how
Yahweh-believers in ancient Israel understood and reacted to
suffering. Human suffering is indeed in need of the ‘face’ and ‘eyes’
of Yahweh to experience healing and redemption.
