PSALM 42 - DESPERATE DROUGHT, FEARFUL FLOODS, HEARTFELT HOPE

PSALMS 42-43

INTRODUCTION: The title of Psalm 42 indicates that it is a song of or for the sons of Korah. This does not necessarily mean that they wrote the psalm. One of them might have been exiled from the temple temporarily and written it or it could indicate that is was written for them to perform. The sons of Korah were the lead worshippers and lived on the temple grounds. Numbers chapter 16 details the rebellion led by Korah and God’s judgement resulting in his death. The sons of Korah were actually the descendants of his father Kohath. The grace of God is evident in the fact that the sons of Korah later ministered as lead worshippers in the temple. They were composers of songs and minstrels for the Lord.

Psalm 42 and 43 may have originally been one psalm since 43 has no title and the psalms surrounding it do and the same chorus is used in both psalms. Both are classified as laments. The psalmist gets very real with God about his negative emotions, his spiritual depression but gives himself a stern reprimand and a pep talk in the chorus.

PSALM 42

DESPERATE DROUGHT,

FEARFUL FLOODS,

HEARTFELT HOPE

Psalm 42:1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

Susan: In the same way that the deer thirsts for water, the psalmist thirsts for God. He is parched for God’s presence.

Susie: The psalmist is in a spiritual dry spell, feeling that he is far from God. David expressed this same thirst in Psalm 63:

Psalm 63:1-3 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

Susie: Sometimes a person may feel that they are alone in going through the valleys in their spiritual journey. However, there are other people who were very close to God who experienced spiritual drought.

·     Moses asked the Lord to take his life rather than leave him charge of the complaining Israelites (Numbers 11:14-16)

·     King David wrote several psalms dealing with his feeling of being far from God. One example is Psalm 38.

·     The entire book of Job chronicles the struggles of a man who lost everything but his life and that seemed to be hanging on by a thread.

·     Elijah had just won the victory over the prophets of Baal but was still feeling like he was the only prophet who stood for the Lord (1 Kings 19:10-15).

Susan: If you are experiencing spiritual drought, you are not alone. Some of God’s choice servants were right there with you!

Psalm 42:2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

Susie: The psalmist longs to be in the presence of God and still describes God as “living” meaning active, available, and still powerful.

Susan: Whoever the author is, he is longing for the right things. He is thirsting for the only one who can quench his spiritual thirst. He is crying out to the living God who is the living water.

John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Susie: When we trust in the Lord, His Holy Spirit flows through us like a river:

John 7:37-38 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Psalm 42:3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

Susan: The psalmist feels utterly despondent.

Susie: This man admits to God that he is literally weeping in despair.

Susan: He is feeling wrung out and completely overwhelmed because of the taunts of his enemies.

Susie: His enemies, thinking they have him backed into a corner, shout out, “Where is this God you brag about?”

Susan: They had no idea they were treading on thin ice. When you mess with God’s kids, you are really assaulting Him.

Susie: Even though the psalmist is in dire straits and emotionally spent, he continues to hope in God through his tears.

Psalm 42:4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

Susan: He longs for days gone by when he was light of heart and singing praises.

Susie: He pours out his soul to God with hope to rejoice again. If this was written by one of the sons of Korah, he is longing to lead out in worship again, not from obligation but from a heart filled with joy. 

Susan: He is fighting for his intimacy with God in the midst of the turmoil and duress of fighting for his sense of well-being. He wants to back in rhythm, marching to God’s heartbeat.

Psalm 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

Susie: Psalms 42 and 43 have this repeated chorus.

Susan: The psalmist reprimands himself. He asks himself why he is feeling desolate and anxious.

Susie: He does not try to hide or sugar-coat his feelings. He admits that he is troubled deep within himself. But then he moves his gaze to God and gives himself a pep talk. Oh, that we in the modern church could learn to be this honest with ourselves and others rather than being like Eleanor Rigby who was “wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door.” (Old Beatles song).

Susan: The author does not put on a mask. He is truly transparent and absolutely authentic. His true hope is in God and God alone. He tells himself he will lift up, exalt, praise the God that he knows. He has an expectation that God will, at some point in the future, quench his season of drought.

Susie: By faith, he looks forward to the day when he will praise God for His deliverance from these enemies and from his condition of spiritual drought.

Psalm 42:6-7 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

Susie: The psalmist names the mountains from which the rivers that flowed through Israel originated and colorfully describes their descent as a torrent. He may have been living there in exile. Poetically, he is saying that God has sent him trouble upon trouble in wave after wave. Perhaps Horatio Spafford had this psalm in mind when he penned the song “It Is Well with My Soul” even while mourning the loss of his children at sea. You may want to listen to the song here:

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?hsimp=yhs-att_001&hspart=att&p=it+is+well+with+my+soul+by+whitley+phelps#id=6&vid=12112861343237f8fb05e6a2fef5060b&action=click

Psalm 42:8 Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

Susan: Despite his intense despair, the psalmist expresses confident faith that the Lord will wash over him in lovingkindness—love, mercy, and grace.

Susie: The psalmist remembers that the Lord is with him both day and night. He affirms the hope that he will sing praises again, the Lord’s song filling his heart and mouth.

Susan: The psalmist is having an ongoing conversation, prayer, with God who is his very life.

Susie: Jesus taught the truth that real life is found in Him because He is life.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Psalm 42:9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

Susan: The author of this psalm is very plain-spoken with God. He was having a difficult time reconciling the waves of despondency he was experiencing with the relationship he had with the almighty God. The reality of the two things going on at the same time were a struggle in his humanity. He does not try to keep anything under wraps because he knows that God knows his thoughts anyway. Therefore, he might as well be forthcoming.

Susie: Yes. And even though he feels forsaken by God at that moment, he still refers to the Lord as his Rock. A rock was a solid place where a stronghold could be built, a place to be able to launch a powerful defense.

Susan: A rock would be a place where one could find safety and security.

Susie: Jesus is the Rock of our salvation.

Psalm 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

1 Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Susie: The enemies in this psalm were most likely physical, human enemies although they are unnamed. However, we all have an Enemy who whispers in our ear that God has forsaken us or even that we should question the existence of a loving God. Satan sometimes uses people to propagate his lies (think of Job’s “friends”) and other times just uses our own thoughts. We need to take this honestly before God as did the psalmist.

Psalm 42:10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?

Susie: Children chant, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” NOT true. The psalmist says the taunting words of his enemies defaming his God were like jabbing a sword directly into his bones.

Susan: His enemies maligned and berated him for the mere sport of it like bullies in the schoolyard. They were breaking him down insult by insult toward both him and his God, who is the Lord Almighty.

Susie: They were trying to get inside his head and make him doubt the very source of his strength, the Rock, the Lord.

Susan: They tried to make him doubt the ability of his Strong Tower to keep him safe.

Psalm 61:3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Psalm 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Susie: The chorus is repeated at the end of Psalm 42. He reminds himself that although his emotions are all over the place, his God can be counted on to bring him out victorious.

QUESTIONS

1.               What was the occupation of the sons of Korah?

2.               We named some people whose stories of spiritual depression are found in the Bible. Can you think of others? List few with the Bible reference of their story. Helps may be found at www.biblegateway.com or www.biblehub.com.

3.               Who is the Living Water that quenches spiritual thirst?

4.               What do the psalmist’s enemies say to taunt him?

5.               What happy memory does the psalmist recall in verse 4?

6.               Psalm 42:5 & 11 are the chorus to this song. The psalmist confronts his emotions. How does he tell himself to combat these feelings of abandonment?

7.               The psalmist is in spiritual drought, yet he is flooded with sorrow and trials. Describe a time when you were overwhelmed by cares. How were you rescued from the distressing waves?

8.               The psalmist calls God “my rock” in verse 9. Explain how Jesus is like a rock. 

PSALM 141 - PASSIONATE PRAYER FOR PROTECTION

PSALM 141

PASSIONATE PRAYER

FOR PROTECTION

INTRODUCTION: The occasion for David’s lament is not known. Although he is distressed over snares set by his enemies, he expresses confident trust in the Lord.

Psalm 141:1 Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.

Susie: This is an urgent prayer.

Susan: David is sending up an S.O.S. to the Lord. He was in an intensely desperate situation.

Susie: Many of David’s psalms begin with praise, singing, expressions of worship. But in this one, he cuts right to the chase that he needs the Lord’s assistance immediately.    

Psalm 141:2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Susan: David’s situation called for emergency prayer rather than waiting for the morning or evening times of offering incense and prayer.

Susie: Incense emits a pleasant fragrance when burned and was symbolic of the people’s prayers being pleasing to God. David asks that his prayers be pleasing to the Lord.

Psalm 141:3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

Susie: David’s enemies often slandered and taunted him. They hurled insolent, defaming words as sharp as arrows, trying to make him look bad in front of his army and subjects.

Susan: David asked the Lord to be the door-keeper of his lips to restrain his vocabulary from degrading to the level of his enemies.

James 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

Susie: David knew he was incapable of taming his speech himself, so he asked the Lord to keep him from opening his mouth in any inappropriate way.

Psalm 141:4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.

Psalm 141:4 (VOICE) Don’t allow my deepest desires to steer me toward doing what is wrong or associating with wicked people or joining in their wicked works or tasting any of their pleasures.

Susan: David makes the request of the Lord the He help him to remain pure and righteous before Him.

Susie: This reminds me of how Jesus instructed His disciples to pray in what is known as “The Lord’s Prayer.”

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Susie: He asked the Lord to keep him from even sampling tidbits of temptation.

Psalm 141:5 Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.

Susie: Sometimes a true friend must tell us the truth in love even though it hurts. It may momentarily feel like a slap in the face, but if we are wise we will realize. . .

Susan: . . . it was said out of kindness and sincere concern.

Ephesians 4:14-15 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Susie: The most faithful friends are honest with us in order to promote our spiritual welfare.

Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Susan: David prayed that he would have the wisdom to listen to godly counsel. This would not be hitting him with a personal attack, but instead would be a loving corrective measure to discipline and disciple him for the purpose of making him better. We do not use words to tear down, but to build up. We are not called to be a demolition crew but a restoration team.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

Susie: Proverbs contains a warning for those who continually refuse to listen to a friend who corrects them:

Proverbs 29:1 (VOICE) The one who remains defiant after repeated reprimands will suddenly be shattered, and there will be no remedy for him.

Susie: David is praying for the overthrow of his enemies, for calamity to seize them.

Psalm 141:6 When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

Susan: David prayed that His enemies meet with destruction.

Susie: He gives the example of seeing their leaders thrown off a cliff onto the rocks below.  Not that he says “when” not “if”. He is confident in God’s ability to win the battle for him.

Susan: After their defeat, the wicked would realize David’s words had been authentic, acceptable, and pleasing to the Lord. His words would reverberate in their ears reminding them they should have listened to him.

Psalm 141:7-8 Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth. But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.

Susie: David says he and his men are about as able to win against this enemy as scattered bones are able to defend themselves. This also alludes to what some enemies did, denying the dead even a decent burial.

Susan: David realizes his army is deficient against this formidable foe. However, David’s true confidence is in the Lord alone and the Lord’s army.

Susie: David understood the truth that the battle belongs to the Lord.

Proverbs 21:31 (VOICE) No matter how well you arm for battle, victory is determined by Him.

Psalm 141:9-10 Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.

Susan: David asks that the Lord protect him from falling into the enemy’s trap. Instead he asks that the ungodly fall into it themselves.

Susie: In reading the history of Israel in the Old Testament, we see that God over and over protected them even to the point of having the enemies turn on each other in confusion. David knew God was able and willing to protect him and the nation of Israel. See Judges 7:19-25 and 2 Kings 7 for example.

QUESTIONS

1.               David prayed for urgent relief. Tell about a time you implored God to act immediately on your behalf.

2.               What did burning incense symbolize in Jewish worship?

3.               What did David ask the Lord to set a watch over?

4.               Psalm 141:4 might be a good prayer to start the day. Write it in your own words.

5.               Journal about a time someone spoke the truth in love to you or that you had to tell a difficult truth to a friend.

6.               What fate did David want for the wicked?

  

PSALM 32 - TRANSGRESSION, CONFESSION, FORGIVENESS, TRANSFORMATION

PSALM 32

TRANSGRESSION, CONFESSION,

FORGIVENESS, TRANSFORMATION

INTRODUCTION: On a timeline, Psalm 32 should follow Psalm 51. Therefore, it would still relate to David’s repentance after sinning with Bathsheba and having her husband, Uriah the Hittite, murdered. David is recalling what he has learned about sin, confession and forgiveness and teaching those truths to others. David uses three words for sin. According to the notes in the John MacArthur Study Bible:

transgression…sin…iniquity. Three key OT words for sin occur, viewing it respectively as rebellion, failure, and perversion.

Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Susan: Blessed has the connotation of contented and at peace, fulfilled.

Susie: Blessed is the exact opposite of how David felt before he confessed his sin and repented. God’s forgiveness removes the weight of guilt on our shoulders.

Susan: By removing the weight and pressure of sin, God enables you to be able to live with Him in the totality of relationship for which you were created. Intimate relationship with God is the essence of what Adam and Eve had in the garden before the fall, before their disobedience.

Psalm 32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

Susan: God relieves us of the deadly weight of our sin when He forgives us and we receive that gift of forgiveness.

Susie: For Christians, God imputed our sins onto Jesus and nailed them to the cross. We sometimes take that weight back by harboring a sin rather than confessing it and allowing God to cleanse us from it.

Susan: When we have trusted and surrendered our lives to Jesus, God does not see our sin. He sees us through the filter of Christ’s finished work on the cross.

Susie: In order to be happy, content, at peace we simply need to confess and genuinely repent of our wrongdoing, trusting Jesus to do the work of making us right with God.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 32:3-4 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

Susan: When David was trying to keep his sin hidden, it caused him great distress . . .

Susie: . . . even to the point of feeling physically ill and older than his years. The conviction of what he had done weighed heavily on his mind.

Susan: David felt dried up, spent as if working in the summer heat. I wonder if God had not pressed so heavily upon him, if David would have repented as quickly.

Psalm 32:5 I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Susan: When David recognized the gravity of the transgression he had exacted toward God, he was breaking under the weight of it. Then he ceased trying to hide from God and became transparent before the One who sees everything anyway.

Susie: When David threw himself on God’s mercy, God in His lovingkindness forgave him. David had a marvelous understanding of the blessing that occurs when guilt is lifted and God’s love shines through.

Psalm 32:6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

Susan: Do not put off confessing sins and let them pile up. Do not confess everything in one fell swoop once or twice a year as if God is a cosmic slot machine pouring out forgiveness on your timetable. Do not use the Lord as an emergency room doctor. He is supposed to be our intimate friend, and we should talk with Him daily. There is an empty space that should only be filled with God. Many people are trying to fill that spot with addictive behaviors rather than keeping short accounts with God in order to maintain our intimate friendship with Him.

Susie: It is not that God hides from us. However, if we continually hide from Him, we find it increasingly difficult to connect to Him in prayer. Confession needs to be a moment by moment occurrence in order to prevent building up walls between us and the Lord. Those who maintain their relationship with God will not be overwhelmed by literal floodwaters or waves of temptation and trial.

Psalm 32:7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

Susan: David felt secure in the arms of his God.

Susie: Like a small child buries her face in her mother’s side when a stranger speaks to her, we can run to God as our refuge and protection, our hiding place.

Susan: David felt surrounded by an army of praise leaders. Later in Israel’s history, King Jehoshaphat had the singers lead the army into battle singing songs of praise (2 Chronicles 20:20-22).

Susie: Many of the psalms are “songs of deliverance.” David’s trust was in God’s ability to protect and provide for him and the nation of Israel.

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

Susan: After learning about forgiveness and its personal application, David moves to discipling others.

Susie: We can read David’s promise to teach others about confession and forgiveness in Psalm 51:

Psalm 51:13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You.

Psalm 32:9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

Susie: David, in a picturesque way, is telling the people not to be stubborn.

Susan: Cooperate with God. He sees and knows what is best for you, what is going to bring you into full bloom, to mold you into the purpose He has for you, that He may be glorified through you.

Psalm 32:10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.

Susan: For the wicked there will be sadness and trials.

Susie: The wicked may seem to prosper for the moment . . .

Susan: . . .but in the scope of eternity, their suffering will be extremely long – forever.

Psalm 37:7-11Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Susie: By contrast, those who trust in the Lord, who lift their prayers to Him, will have peace no matter what their circumstances.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Psalm 32:11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Susan: When we trust in God and rely on His wisdom to guide us in the safety of His direction, we have abundant joy.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Susie: Our joy does not depend upon our outward circumstances but on the deep hope we have because of Jesus and on the sovereignty of God to work even “bad” things for our ultimate good.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Susan: Our joy depends on the strength of our relationship with God. That relationship is strengthened when we hang our certainty on Jesus’ righteousness.

Susie: Our ability to rejoice in all circumstances comes from time spent with the Lord by reading His word, praying, and worshipping Him.

Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Psalm 119:143 Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

QUESTIONS

1.               What do the words transgression, sin, and iniquity each mean?

2.               What does blessed mean?

3.               What do we need to do in order to feel content and at peace?

4.               How did David feel before he repented and confessed his sin? Have you ever felt that way?

5.               How often should we confess our sins?

6.               Who is our hiding place, our place of security?

7.               As David taught others, he told them not to be like a horse or a mule. What did he mean by that?

8.               Do circumstances have to be perfect for a Christian to be at peace? Why or why not?

9.               Upon what does our joy depend?