Psalms 89:38
But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.
Psalms 89:38: "But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed."
This verse voices a lament of perceived divine distance and anger toward the king, the anointed one (the Davidic line). The psalmist voices the pain of feeling abandoned when the covenant seems suspended, and God’s favor appears to have shifted from the ruler. In the historical setting, the Davidic king’s fortunes rise and fall with political fortunes, and the people’s sense of covenant loyalty can turn to crisis when the throne seems compromised. The language of “cast off,” “abhorred,” and “wroth” conveys deep emotion—rejection, anger, and distress—yet it sits within a broader arc that includes divine faithfulness and mercy. The psalmist does not flippantly abandon faith but expresses the raw struggle of living within a covenant relationship that feels strained. This is a cry that honest faith can bring before God, naming pain while still clinging to the larger hope of God’s purposes.
Theologically, this verse dramatizes the tension between human experience and divine promise. It acknowledges that even within God’s holy plan, there can be seasons of perceived forsakenness, which Jesus himself experiences in the crucifixion narrative. It also foregrounds God’s anointed—anticipating the messianic expectation—whose status and favor might appear precarious in times of political peril. The tension invites readers to trust God’s larger redemptive purposes even when visible signs suggest divine anger or abandonment. In Christian interpretation, these verses invite meditation on Christ who bears the ultimate sense of abandonment on the cross, yet in that act fulfills God’s redemptive plan. The passage thereby clarifies that human experience of God’s seeming absence does not negate God’s faithfulness.
When you feel cast off or ignored by leaders, church, or family, this verse gives voice to your pain while inviting you to bring it to God. Name the feeling—anger, disappointment, fear—and then anchor yourself in God’s faithfulness that transcends momentary emotions. Practical steps: express honest prayers to God about your pain, but also seek faithful communities that remind you of God’s steadfast love. In leadership or parenting, reflect on times when you may have “cast off” someone by your actions or neglect, and seek to restore trust with humility and mercy. This verse can fuel a commitment to justice and mercy toward the vulnerable who feel abandoned. The aim is not a stoic denial of pain but a posture that holds pain in the light of God’s enduring faithfulness.
Cross-References: Psalm 22:1-2; Psalm 44:9-10; Isaiah 49:14-15; Mark 15:34; Lamentations 3:25-26