Een preek voor elke dag · Geloofstoerusting

Ds. A. Th. van Olst | Ook na Pasen klinkt ons klagen en vragen: hoelang nog?! | Psalm 89: 47-52

·40 min·2 clips

Ds. Van Olst identifies that Psalm 89 uses the word 'But' at verse 39 to pivot into thirteen consecutive 'You have done this' phrases — turning the psalm from praise into a formal accusation directed at God.

1. Ds. A. Th. van Olst delivers a sermon on Psalm 89:47–52 for the Dutch congregation 'Een preek voor elke dag,' preached on the eve of Dutch Memorial Day (4 May) and Liberation Day (5 May). 2. The preacher is identified only by title and name; the episode is a solo sermon with no guest. 3. The central thesis is that Psalm 89 models a faith that does not suppress grief or confusion but brings formal lamentation — even accusation — directly to God, and that this posture is valid after Easter as much as before. 4. Ds. Van Olst opens by noting that 4 and 5 May belong together: Liberation Day cannot be celebrated without first reckoning with the cost, including 55 million total WWII dead and 6 million Jewish victims. 5. A book described as the diary of a Jewish doctor who survived Auschwitz is cited as an illustration: one personal story captures the horror more than an abstract number of millions. 6. The question 'How could this happen in Christian Europe — where from the church councils the gospel sounded?' is posed as the live theological problem Psalm 89 addresses. 7. Psalm 89 divides into two halves: verses 1–38 celebrate God's covenant faithfulness and the promise that a son of David will rule; at verse 39 the single word 'Maar' (But) pivots the psalm into a formal complaint. 8. The preacher counts thirteen consecutive 'U hebt' (You have done this) phrases in Psalm 89:39–46, distinguishing this as aanklacht (formal indictment) rather than mere klacht (lament). 9. He argues the psalmist's formal accusation arises from faith: it is because he believes God is sovereign that he holds God accountable — 'I believe that you are behind it. But precisely that belief brings me into such a corner.' 10. Ds. Van Olst rejects the wall-tile spirituality of 'do not complain, but bear and pray for strength,' citing Lamentations 3's 'You have become for me a lurking bear' as evidence that Scripture itself uses stronger language than polite prayer. 11. The sermon applies Psalm 89's 'How long?' to contemporary suffering — wars in Ukraine, Israel-Gaza, and the African continent — as occasions for the same lament. 12. The figure of Dietrich Bonhoeffer is introduced as a historical embodiment of Psalm 89:51 ('bearing the reproach of the anointed in one's innermost'): he led the Bekennende Kirche, warned the world about Nazism from America, returned to Germany saying 'I want to follow Jesus to the cross,' and was executed for joining the plot against Hitler. 13. A theologian named 'Ruhle' is cited at verse 52 with the observation that the Christian church has itself contributed to the reproach against Christ through internal conflicts, disunity, and lukewarmness. 14. Ds. Van Olst asks whether the Dutch church responded sharply to the Nazi occupation and whether today's church would respond sharply at a similar crossroads — implying the answer is uncertain. 15. He cites Hebrews 2 ('we do not yet see that all things are subject to him, but we see Jesus') as the New Testament's own acknowledgment that Christ's rule is not currently visible in the normal sense. 16. 'Seeing Jesus' in the midst of unanswered questions is described as a gift of the Holy Spirit, not of argument or evidence. 17. The sermon ends by recovering the psalm's first half: because the Son of David is on the throne and will come to judge rightly, the congregation can go on 'from generation to generation making the faithfulness of the Lord known,' singing even while asking 'How long?' 18. The tone is meditative and dialogical — Ds. Van Olst addresses his congregation directly ('Herken je die vraag?', 'Do you actually know God?') and oscillates between exposition and pastoral address. 19. Best suited for Dutch-speaking Reformed or Protestant Christians who observe Memorial Day theologically and engage seriously with lament as a category of prayer and faith. 20. Likely not for listeners seeking cheerful Easter devotionals, non-liturgical Christian content, or English-language preaching.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Een preek voor elke dag