Psalm 29:4
a harrowing ordeal
Thou hast brought forth, O Lord, my soul from hell: thou hast saved me from them that go down into the pit. (Psalm 29:4 DR)
In this verse the Psalmist recounts a time of despair in which he was delivered, of such profound significance to him that he likens it to having died and been brought back to life. He had abandoned all hope and already counted himself among those in the grave, but through God’s intervention was brought out of his despondency and restored to hope and confidence.
David had experienced many such moments, and the Psalmist (whether him or someone else) brings to mind the emotions of these times. David had been a man on the run, pursued by King Saul who wished to take his life as a potential usurper of the throne. David was practically forced into exile among his people’s enemies and was in constant danger among both countrymen and foes. All this had been a dramatic turnaround from when he had the king’s confidence and had been hailed by the people as a savior of Israel after many successful military campaigns.
One can only imagine how the bitterness of exile must have seemed to invalidate that day—perhaps now only vaguely remembered— in which the prophet Samuel anointed him as future king of Israel, chosen by God to lead His people. How much of a cruel joke this must have seemed when he was forced to act insane among the Philistines to keep his head attached to his body.
Yet God’s promises to him were made good, and the bitterness of disappointment and unfulfilled hope gave way a reborn confidence when his exile was over and he assumed the throne and was given rest from his enemies. This resurrection in his spirit was no less real than if it had been in his body, for he had been delivered from the depths of despair and brought into the light of life.
It is this very real, concrete experience which provides the bedrock for the prophetic import of this verse, which looks beyond the experience of one man and typologically applies to our Lord and his resurrection. David could describe his internal experience as being brought down to hell and left in the grave, but this is consummated in Christ who after death descended into hell—as the Creed says—and delivered the captives from their bondage.
In the eastern Church the harrowing of hell—in which Christ is depicted literally pulling Adam and Eve out of their graves—is a typical icon of the Resurrection, and in respect to this Psalm provides a fitting recapitulation that extends over all of salvation history and undergirds it all. In prophetic voice the Psalmist gives witness to the resurrection, of which Christ is the first fruits, as St. Paul says:
But now Christ is risen from the dead, the firstfruits of them that sleep: For by a man came death, and by a man the resurrection of the dead. And as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:20-22 DR)
The Psalmist’s exultation in his deliverance thus is a prophetic witness of Christ’s victory over death, as well as a perpetual promise of deliverance for those who trust in him:
I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell… The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity. (Melito of Sardis)
In this animation I was thinking of the story of Jesus walking on the water and rescuing Peter from drowning, which I thought would be a fitting illustration.
I found a great image from an old medieval miniature and cut out the figures in Photoshop, as well as some of the waves. In After Effects I brought in the figures and rigged them up with the Puppet Tool and created the animation. I then brought in the waves (which come from the same miniature) and layered them to give the scene some depth.
The rest was pretty straightforward and just a matter of getting the animation the way I wanted it to look. In the background I found a nice abstract texture and used loopFlow on it to give it some movement so as to make the whole scene feel a little more chaotic and thus help to buttress the main animation.
Enjoy.
Thou hast brought forth, O Lord, my soul from hell:
thou hast saved me from them that go down into the pit.
(Psalm 29:4 DR)
View a higher quality version of this gif here: