New music: Sons of Korah – Man of Sorrows

We find, in the Psalms, a deep joy that subsists in deep sorrow. The psalmist was always a man of joy because he was first a man of sorrows. He sowed in tears and reaped with joy (Psalm 126:5). Perhaps the most important thing for us today then, is not the pursuit of happiness, but the pursuit of sadness. The psalms invite us to share in the joy of God by first sharing his grief. It is a grief he bore most visibly in Jesus Christ who “was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities.” In this age sorrow and joy belong together and it cannot be otherwise. If we anaesthetize the sorrow, we forfeit the joy.

Man of Sorrows – the latest Album from Sons of Korah, like all we have released before, is an invitation to venture into deeper places of divine sorrow and divine joy.

I’ve listened to all the tracks on this new album and found them positively stunning. There’s a great deal of sadness in these songs, especially the 3 songs from Psalm 88. If there is a single hopeless psalm, it is psalm 88. No joy, no redemption, just grief.

As the group mentioned, we cannot sweep away the sorrow, because sorrow juxtaposes the joy found in in the Scriptures. Just is God is a God of mercy and justice, the human experience is both joy and sadness. One extreme without the other is lacking. And for those of us who are weeping or grieving, these sorrowful psalms identify with us and grieve with us. It is no mistake that God allowed for them to become part of the Scriptures.

Friends, I know you’ll love this album — even the sorrowful psalms! Please consider supporting Sons of Korah as we do here on the station: download the Sons of Korah app and purchase their music. You can also give to Messiah’s Music Fund, which is distributed each month to all artists on Chavah, including Sons of Korah.

Enjoy, friends!