Psalm 42 Series

Summer in the Psalms

Psalm 42 :The Dark Night of the Soul

Pastor Jefferson M., Williams

Chenoa Baptist Church

7-18-2021

A Near Death Encounter

Have you ever been so sad that you just wanted to give up? Maxine and I had an experience with someone last weekend that was in that very place of hopelessness. Let me explain.

We were driving back from Bloomington on 66 when we noticed a car stopped across the road about a mile away. At first, we thought it might be a police car blocking the road. But then we noticed a young man standing in front of the car. Then the car turned around into our lane…and floored it!

The car was headed straight for us in our lane. Neither of us could wrap our minds around what was happening. The car wasn’t moving. It was going to hit us head on. I screamed, “She’s gone to hit us” multiple times and then, and Maxine experienced this as well, everything went to into slow motion.

Maxine swerved and, at the very last second, the car veered into the other lane, missing us by inches.

We stopped and asked the young man if he knew what was going on. He said that the girl driving the car was his girlfriend and her mother had told her she should kill herself.

That’s what had happened. We just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was trying to commit suicide but she would have taken us out with her. I’m thankful that she obviously changed her mind at the last second.

You may wonder how a person could be so hopeless that they would want to run into another car head on. I don’t feel any judgement toward her. In fact, I tried all week to find her. I wanted to her that I’ve been there and that there is hope when there seems to be no hope at all.

According to the CDC, suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 44 in 2019.

According to the National Health Interview Survey in 2020, the percentage of adults who experienced any symptoms of depression was highest among those aged 18–29 (21.0%), followed by those aged 45–64 (18.4%) and 65 and over (18.4%), and lastly, by those aged 30–44 (16.8%).

5.8% of men and 9.5% of women will experience a depressive episode in any given year.

This morning, we are going to look at psalm that was written by someone experiencing deep sadness. They are depressed, discouraged, downcast, and they are grasping for hope in the dark night of the soul.

Maybe that’s you today or it described someone you know or love. My prayer is that God would use His Word to bring hope to hopeless and to bring light to the darkness.

Turn with me to Psalm 42.

Prayer.

Background

Who wrote the psalm? The author is listed as the “Sons of Korah.” In Book 1 of the Psalms (1-41), David is the author of 37 of them and the other four are anonymous. In Book 2, (42-72), there are multiple authors including Asaph, Solomon, the Sons of Korah.

Who is Korah? I’m glad you asked. He led a rebellion against Moses and God actually had the earth open under his feet and swallowed him alive. You can find that story in Numbers 16.

The descendants of Korah became part of the Levitical priesthood, specifically temple musicians. It is one of these musicians that wrote this Psalm.

Technically, it is a “maskil.” This word meaning isn’t clear but it’s something like a skillfully written piece of art to convey wisdom.

This is a brutally honest Psalm with graphic imagery and heart wrenching cries of anguish to God.

Let’s play a quick game of true or false.

People who love God can get very depressed. True

Martin Luther’s wife once dressed in all black and went about mourning. Martin asked her who died. She responded, “By the way you’re acting, God did.”

Charles Spurgeon, one of the greatest preachers of the last 500 years, wrote, “Depression was a horror of great darkness where the light of God was continually lost to me.”

William Cowper is considered one of the founders of the English Romantic Movement and wrote several famous hymns like “Oh for a Closer Walk with God,” “God moves in mysterious ways” and “There is a fountain filled with blood.” William was in and out of mental institutions and attempted suicide multiple times.

There are people who have brain chemistry issues that can cause them to be depressed. [I’m one of them one]

Taking medicine for depression shows a lack of faith. [I take medicine]