MESSAGE 3 - PSALMS OF THE SONS OF KORAH. PSALM 42 Part 3
Ron Ferguson ronaldf@aapt.net.au
Let us read the last section of the Psalm –
Psa 42 v 7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls. All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. Psa 42:8 The LORD will command His loving-kindness in the daytime and His song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of my life. Psa 42:9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” Psa 42:10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Psa 42:11 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance, and my God.
We are considering verse 8. Sometime in the 2nd half of the 1800s C H Spurgeon gave a message one night titled “Songs in the Night” which took well over an hour. It is one of his most famous sermons. Here is the opening part –
“No one says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night.” [Job 35 v 10]
Elihu was a wise man, very wise, though not as wise as Jehovah, who finds order in confusion; therefore Elihu, being very puzzled at seeing the afflictions of Job, studied him to find the cause of it, and he very wisely hit upon one of the most likely reasons, although it did not happen to be the right one in Job's case. He said within himself - “Surely, if men are tested, and tried, and extremely troubled, it is because, while they think about their troubles, and distress themselves about their fears, they don’t say, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night?’” Elihu's reason was right in the majority of cases. The great cause of the Christian's distress, the reason for the depths of sorrow into which many believers are plunged, is simply this - that while they are looking around, on the right hand and on the left, to see how they may escape their troubles, they forget to look to the hills where all real help comes from; they don’t say, “Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night?” We will, however, leave that question, and dwell on those sweet words, “God my Maker, who gives songs in the night.”
The world has its night. It seems necessary that it should have one. The sun shines in the day, and men go out to their labours; but they grow weary, and nightfall comes, like a sweet blessing from heaven. The darkness draws the curtains, and shuts out the light, which might prevent our eyes from slumber; while the sweet, calm stillness of the night permits us to rest on our beds, and there forget for a while our cares, until the morning sun appears, and an angel puts his hand on the curtain, and draws it open once again, touches our eyelids, and commands us to rise, and proceed to the labours of the day.
Night is one of the greatest blessings men and women enjoy; we have many reasons to thank God for it. Yet night is, to many, a gloomy time. There is “the pestilence that stalks in darkness;” there is “the terror by night;” there is the dread of robbers and of sudden disease, with all those fears that the timid know when they have no light with which they can discern objects. It is then they imagine that spiritual creatures walk the earth; though, if they really knew the truth, they would find it to be true, that - “Millions of spiritual creatures walk this earth, unseen, both when we sleep and when we are awake,” and that at all times they are all around us - not more by night than by day.
Night is the time of terror and alarm to most men and women. Yet even night has its songs. Have you ever stood by the seaside at night, and heard the pebbles sing, and the waves chant God's glories? Or have you never risen from your bed, and opened your bedroom window, and listened? Listened to what? Silence - except now and then a murmuring sound, which seems like sweet music. And have you not imagined that you heard the harp of God playing in heaven? Didn’t you conceive, that the distant stars, those eyes of God, looking down on you, were also lips of song - that every star was singing God's glory, singing, as it shone, its mighty Maker, and his lawful, well-deserved praise? Night has its songs. We don’t need much poetry in our spirit, to catch the song of the night, and hear the planets and stars as they chant praises which are loud to the heart, though they are silent to the ear - the praises of the mighty God, who holds up the arch of heaven, and moves the stars in their courses.
Man, too, like the great world in which he lives, must have his night. For it is true that man is like the world around him; he is a little world; he resembles the world in almost every thing; and if the world has its night, so has man. And we have many a night - nights of sorrow, nights of persecution, nights of doubt, nights of bewilderment, nights of anxiety, nights of oppression, nights of ignorance - nights of all kinds, which press upon our spirits and terrify our souls. But, blessed be God, the Christian can say, “My God gives me songs in the night.”
It’s not necessary to prove to you that Christians have nights; for if you are Christians, you will find that you have them, and you will not need any proof, for nights will come quite often enough. I will, therefore, proceed at once to the subject; and I will speak this evening on songs in the night, their source - God gives them; songs in the night, their subject - what do we sing about in the night? Songs in the night, their excellence - they are enthusiastic songs, and they are sweet ones; songs in the night, their uses - their benefits to ourselves and others.
Psa 42 v 9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
The tender care that God provides through faith is not being claimed, and is unknown. The writer now questions the Lord. He still does not understand why he should be so oppressed by the enemy, and by circumstances, and resorts to addressing God, and wants to know why God would abandoned him. Why has God forgotten me, so he had to go around in mourning with his enemies persecuting him. What a joyless, miserable existence! God, who had been so steadfast in the past as his Rock, now seemed so distant in the present. Do you remember last time we quoted from Barnes who spoke about self pity? How often do we hear questions like, “Where was God when I needed Him?” “Once I thought it was real but God does not care, or even exist.”
Psa 42 v 10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
Do you remember the connection with verse 3? How it would hurt if someone shattered your bones! We don’t even want to think about it. Well that is how the psalmist was hurting. He was reviled by opponents and belittled by the enemy. Again he recounts his plight and he is hurting because his enemies took advantage over him, and such is their attack, that it has badly wounded him. ‘The bones,’ in the language of Hebrew poetry, is a term that means the whole physical organism of the living man, bones being the framework of it. They are the seat of pain; and mental torture affects the body. One thing about spiritual depression and constant attack, is that it seems to have no solution. Usually there is no one you can turn to except God. When you do that, you may plead with all your fervour for God to answer. Also you may be critical and questioning of God as we have in this psalm. Poor us – only creatures of the dust! So much can affect us, and more so as we see that day approaching when the Deliverer will come from heaven to claim His ransomed Bride.
Psa 42 v 11 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance, and my God.
This verse is like a chorus in this psalm and in the next Psalm. Do you remember verse 5? He questions himself, and his soul, for the reason he is in this state of despondency. The disturbed soul could not answer. When we reach that state of a miserable human being, then the only solution must be found outside of ourselves. The writer knew the solution. It was simple, but difficult. Never fear, for God gives grace, and grace gives hope. Hope in God, is the victory. Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him. He is my help.
Asaph was a man who wrote the odd psalm and his best known one is Psalm 73. In that psalm he recounts his personal battle with envy, which was displayed towards those who were very well off and lived luxuriously, and seemed not to have a care in the world. He was really affected by it, and he let it eat away at him, while the rich ate immensely. He wrote of his own position and this is what he details - Psa 73 v 13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence, Psa 73:14 for I have been stricken all day long and chastened every morning. Psa 73 v 16 When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight. Asaph was also taken in hand by God so that he was taught the correct perspective. That made all the difference. God’s perspective on things is our hope. Hope will never make us ashamed. Asaph then wrote this pivotal verse - Psa 73 v 17 “Until I came into the sanctuary of God, then I perceived their end.” God is the perspective, the beginning and the end. Our understanding of life won’t be found in the world, but in the presence of the living God.
The verse, 42 v 11 ends with this wording from the NASB - the help of my countenance and this from the NIV - my salvation and my God. Literally, that word “salvation” means, “the salvation of my face”. When men and women get right with God and gets converted, the whole mountain of sin is removed and you can see it on their faces. The Lord changes the person; gives that one a whole new outlook, even a whole new look.
To end these thoughts in the Psalm, I want to speak a little on despair and care. Remember, when in despair and despondency, it seems so natural to be self-recriminatory and self-focussed, and self absorbed – despondent and cast down. The devil’s devices are to focus on own failings, our sins, even going back some decades, that may still leave us with the consequences of those failings. This is not God’s way. Where a mistake has been made, way in the past, or the recent past, that mistake should be recognised and a bold new walk with the Lord continue from that point of recognition. When the devil comes with accusations of things past, for he is “the accuser of the brethren”, then our response is to say, “They are under the blood”, or “God has buried them forever”. We may well recall the failings and despair that David encountered in the episode with Bathsheba. There were months of despair, more than nine months for him to live with that guilt and carelessness, yet it seems through that time, he did not repent of the evil of adultery, if not rape and murder. When it was put right, resulting in the 51st psalm, David, from that point, continued his walk with God. We do not say the consequences did not remain, or that his testimony was unblemished, but surely this is one of the greatest exhibitions of the grace of God to one of His very own.
Psalm 51 v 12 is the request to restore the joy that he had lost through sin –“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.” In this case, sin had robbed joy and would cause despondency and depression. Verse 14 – his tongue will sing joyfully of God’s righteousness – “Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, You, God of my salvation. Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.” David’s inner self had become a mourning as at a funeral. The most telling statement from this portion of the psalm for the current situation, is verse 8 – “make me to hear joy and gladness.” His was an enduring turmoil and sadness for 9 months because of his sin.
David was taken from the depths of despair to resume singing his praises to God. We can only presume that during those nine months he was haunted by the remembrance of the sins committed, and that was the work of God to bring him under conviction, and then to repentance. But after that, any remembrance of those failures was the work of the devil to destroy a vibrant testimony, to cause despair and guilt for sins which had already been forgiven. The evil one will stir our remembrance like a murky sea producing all the anguish possible. Old sins and failures will be resurrected and we find ourselves sitting in a pool of our own weaknesses. That is not to be so. We are to call to remembrance all the mercies of the Lord, all the times of his blessings, all the times he has stood alongside to help. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever. They are the precious remembrances we are to have of Him. We must recall his faithfulness, His love and his care. In faithfulness we see Him walking through the pages of His word. Israel was continually going off the rails in the wilderness pilgrimage, but their Redeemer was always there to shunt them back on the rails again. His faithfulness contrasted their sinning and faithlessness.
His love was seen in the willingness to share Himself with His earthly people and to grant them the means to be partakers of His redemption. They could draw near to partake in that love and get to know the depths of God. We recall Abraham here, who through his lifetime, grew in his understanding of the character of God through the revelations of the divine names and purposes. The Lord’s care was amply manifested time and time again in relations with His people. We recall the mercy to Moses, the overshadowing care for Joseph, the provisions for Israel in the pilgrim journey (the defeat at the Red Sea, the manna and the Law), the silent yet powerful care for Mordecai and his people, the care for all those whose faith was planted in their God. Two beautiful parallel verses ought to burn themselves into our behaviour as regards the care of God for us. One is found in Psalms and the other in Peter.
Psalm 8 v 4 What is man, that You take thought of him, and the son of man, that You care for him? 1Pet. 5:7 casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.
These are the things we should remember. This is the strength of our souls and only the ministry of God’s word will effect a change. Remember the mercies of God are seen in two ways – firstly, through experience, and secondly, the word’s testimony to God’s care for his saints. Matthew Henry has a way of wrapping things up in a careful way and these are his comments of the second half of this Psalm – 42 v 6-11 “The way to forget our miseries, is to remember the God of our mercies. The psalmist saw troubles coming from God's wrath, and that discouraged him. But if one trouble follows hard after another, if all seem to combine for our ruin, let us remember they are all appointed and overruled by the Lord. The writer regards the Divine favour as the fountain of all the good he looked for. In the Saviour's name let us hope and pray. One word from Him will calm every storm, and turn midnight darkness into the light of noon, the bitterest complaints into joyful praises. Our believing expectation of mercy must quicken our prayers for it. In the end, his faith caused him to be conqueror, by encouraging him to trust in the name of the Lord, and to stay himself upon his God. He adds, “And my God”; this thought enabled him to triumph over all his griefs and fears. Let us never think that the God of our life, and the Rock of our salvation, has forgotten us, if we have made His mercy, truth, and power, our refuge. Thus the psalmist strove against his despondency: at last his faith and hope obtained the victory. Let us learn to check all unbelieving doubts and fears. Apply the promise first to ourselves, and then plead it to God.”
When I started this Psalm I said I would deal with it from the position of a man away from God writing of his experience after he was restored to his previous fellowship, and therefore we close these thoughts with the opening of the Psalm when all the troubles and separation are in the past. Let us concentrate on these words - Psa 42 v 1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. Psa 42:2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
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The following poem is one of mine and is suitable for this message.
HAS WARMTH OF NEARNESS CHANGED TO COOLNESS ?
Have you entered straits of greyness, in your Christian walk,
Where the things of God have cooled and at them now you balk?
Former joys have dissipated like a rained-out cloud;
Songs of praise and hymns to God no longer sing aloud;
No desire for communion with the Lord your God;
Recognising not the road where formally you trod.
Then realise this; things are amiss.
The former days are lost in haze.
When did depart that faithful heart,
To sever strings of godly things?
Prayer has lost its vital link once faithfully maintained.
Gone from you that strong desire we once knew ingrained.
When you raised a ready voice that reached to God on high,
We all knew the glow of that when you to God drew nigh.
Prayerful voice and joyful strains know now a withered state.
To the saints of God, I fear, you scarcely now relate.
Please note this friend, it’s not the end.
That’s not the way you have to stay.
With all entailed, God has not failed.
Turn from this track; there’s a way back.
When you are from God estranged, how can you know His peace?
Must your soul remain cast down, for God’s love does not cease.
Occupied, your life is now, perhaps with lesser things.
Nothing though will mask the fact; your soul with disquiet rings.
Learn that one away from God knows ling’ring misery.
All that’s substituted, is in self-willed energy.
You have a choice – lament . . . rejoice?
So rise up now - to God then bow.
In misery, there’s no pity;
Deflated life just makes for strife.
Where commences then the path, that leads from this sad state;
From depression and despair to the full joyful gait?
Recall of God’s blessings past, of mercies He has shown:-
Dwell on them, retrace your steps, and understand what’s flown.
Turn to God in sole dependence; let your heart be soft;
Give God opportunity to carry you aloft.
You wrongly tacked - off you tracked,
To your own way one fateful day.
Recall His face then full of grace.
When you believed, and Christ received.
God commands His lovingkindness to the distraught soul;
Bathes him in refreshing mercy; calls him to be whole.
Songs of praise there will arise, as songs sung in the night.
Burdens lifted from the heart; priorities set right;
Steps regain their joyful vigour in the pilgrim walk;
Blesséd things of God will occupy his time and talk.
His gentle hand helps you to stand;
To rise again from failure’s pain.
Joy’s song you’ll sing; the night will ring;
New peace arrived - a walk revived.
If you find yourself depressed or cast down in your soul;
If despair has overtaken and has filled your bowl;
Those great blessings from the past, and God’s sweet dealings there,
Are the goad and crook you need to move back to God’s care.
Songs of joy will fill the night, and prayer will rise, not wane.
Christian fellowship will be renewed to you again.
Distress may come, with life then glum -
Look up above; our God is love.
Recall the past; He’s held you fast -
His hand please heed; He’ll meet your need.
••• All Rights Reserved 1998 Ronald E Ferguson •••
