Psalm 141: Haiti Quake Aftermath

Haiti was struck with a massive, 7.0M quake. 200,000 or more were killed.

Psalm 141

Theoretical Time:

  • 13000-12-27 DH 22:7:10 AA
  • 2010-01-13 15:54:00 TMMT
  • 2010-01-13 13:33:06 GMT
  • 2010-01-13 08:33:06 EST

26 Psalms 141


1Yahvah, I cry to you; make haste to answer me; give ear to my words and accept them.
2Let my prayer be set forth before you as incense, and the gift of my hands as the evening sacrifice.


3Set a watch, Yahvah, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips,
4so that my heart may not incline to evil things, and practice wicked works with men who work iniquity; do not let me eat salt with them.


5Let the righteous teach me and reprimand me; do not let the oil of the wicked anoint my head, since my prayer has been against their evils.
6When their judges are stopped by a strong hand, they will hear my words; for they are sweet.
7Like the plowshare that scatters the land, let their bones be scattered at the mouth of the grave.


8I have lifted up my eyes to you, Yahvah Master; I have trusted in you; do not reject my soul.
9Keep me from the hand of the proud, for they have set traps for me.
10Let the wicked together, fall into their own nets, while I will pass over.

Haiti

This is the first Psalm after the Haiti Quake. The timing is the morning after, while the quake had struck the previous day in the late afternoon.

At this point the people are digging out, and have spent their first night in the streets. No real relief has begun.

Matches

The nation of Haiti was in effect beginning to cry out to God, verse 1.

The religion of Haiti, a unique combination of Voodoo and ancestor worship, had apparently brought on God's wrath. Pat Robertson was in the news at this point for claiming the country had done a deal with the devil. (Theological crap, but the essence is a match to verses 3 and 4.)

The country of Haiti lost many of its leaders in the quake. The national palace was destroyed, many other government officials were killed. The text of the Psalm uses the words "their judges" who are stopped by a strong hand. (Verse 6.)

There would eventually be a massive rush to find and bury the dead in order to stop disease from breaking out. At this day the bodies are being piled along the streets as they were found in buildings, which were in many ways like graves. (Verse 7.)

The hope from disasters like this is that the people will finally turn to God. This is mentioned in verse 8.

There is a hint in verse 9 of traps being set. This may turn out to be a trap in a sense that Haiti gets occupied.

By Phil Stone
Revised 13000-13-11 (2010-01-27)