Thirsty Souls
Psalms 42:1-43:5
October 20, 2004 PM
Introduction:
Have you ever been homesick?
While these two psalms are separate, they make up a single poem. The poet was a person of deep faith who was living in exile at the headwaters of the Jordan River near snow capped Mount Hermon, north of the Holy Land. While he could pray to the Lord, he sincerely missed the opportunities for worship at the Temple in Jerusalem. We need the closet of private prayer (Matt. 6:6),
Matt 6:6
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (NIV)
but we also need to experience the presence of God in corporate worship (Acts 2:1-4).
Heb 10:25
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (KJV)
The two psalms taken together have three sections, each of which concludes with a refrain (42:5,11; 43:5).
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
The poet gave vivid expression to his longing for God and the experience of public worship.
I. Longing of my soul (vs 42:1-5)
II. Overwhelming of my soul (vs 42:6-11)
III. Restoring of my soul (vs 43:1-5)
Read Psalms 42:1-43:5
To the chief musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah
MASCHIL
Maschil may have been a term referring to a psalm sung at an annual festival, and accompanied by a special kind of music.
(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary) (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
Korah
The Levite who, along with Dathan, Abiram, and On of the tribe of Reuben, led a revolt against the leadership of Moses and Aaron
Korah apparently was jealous that Aaron held the position of high priest. The Reubenites were the descendants of Jacob’s eldest son. They thought the responsibility for leading Israel should rest with their tribe rather than the Levites. The four ringleaders gathered 250 leaders of the congregation, publicly charging Moses and Aaron with abusing their power. They claimed that all members of the congregation should have equal access to the Lord.
Moses placed the dispute in the hands of the Lord, directing Korah and his company to bring containers of incense as an offering to the Lord. Korah complied with this and went with his congregation to the door of the tabernacle where the Lord appeared, threatening to "consume them in a moment"
Apparently some of the descendants of Korah survived to become ministers of music in the tabernacle during the time of David <1 Chr. 6:31-37>. (from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary) (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
1 Chr 6:31-33
31 These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD after the ark came to rest there. 32 They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them. 33 Here are the men who served, together with their sons: From the Kohathites: (NIV)
I. Longing of my soul (vs 42:1-5)
A. Thirsting for God’s Presence (vs 1-3)
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
Thirst for God (42:1-5) As the deer thirsts for flowing streams in times of drought, so the psalmist longed for the living God, who never fails to satisfy (vv. 1-2). Overwhelmed by his depression and surrounded by scoffers, he thirsted for the comfort of God’s presence. As the stream quenches the deer’s thirst, so God’s steadfast love brought joy and praise to the psalmist’s lips (Rev. 21:6; 22:17).
Rev 21:6
6 He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. (NIV)
Rev 22:17
17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. (NIV)
The poet was so homesick for God that he lost all appetite-tears were his only food. Scoffers taunted him, asking, "Where is your God?" (v. 3). Recall the sarcasm hurled at Jesus on the cross (Matt. 27:43). He could have called ten thousand angels.
During WWI, driving up from Beersheba, a combined force of British, Australians and New Zealanders were pressing on the rear of the Turkish retreat over arid desert. The attack outdistanced its water carrying camel train. Water bottles were empty. The sun blazed pitilessly out of a sky where the vultures wheeled expectantly.
"Our heads ached," writes Gilbert, "and our eyes became bloodshot and dim in the blinding glare...Our tongues began to swell...Our lips turned a purplish black and burst." Those who dropped out of the column were never seen again, but the desperate force battled on to Sheria. There were wells at Sheria, and had they been unable to take the place by nightfall, thousands were doomed to die of thirst. "We fought that day," writes Gilbert, "as men fight for their lives... We entered Sheria station on the heels of the retreating Turks. The first objects which met our view were the great stone cisterns full of cold, clear, drinking water. In the still night air the sound of water running into the tanks could be distinctly heard, maddening in its nearness; yet not a man murmured when orders were given for the battalions to fall in, two deep, facing the cisterns."
He then describes the stern priorities: the wounded, those on guard duty, then company by company. It took four hours before the last man had his drink of water, and in all that time they had been standing twenty feet from a low stone wall on the other side of which were thousands of gallons of water. From an account of the British liberation of Palestine by Major V. Gilbert in The Last Crusade, quoted in Christ’s Call To Discipleship, J.M. Boice, Moody, 1986, p. 143.
John 4:13-14
13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (NIV)
B. Worshiping in God’s Presence (vs 4)
4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.
The psalmist recalled happier days when he had been in the pilgrim’s procession going up to the house of God for worship. Those were times of joy and thanksgiving-festive occasions (v. 4).
C. Coming into God’s Presence (vs 5)
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and 6 my God.
II. Overwhelming of my soul (vs 42:6-11)
A. Distance from God’s Love
Feeling Overwhelmed (42:6-11) The author found himself in the north, away from Jerusalem. The sound of the waterfalls or cataracts was like thunder. He thought of the depths of the sea and felt overwhelmed by his depression (v. 7).
6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon-- from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
B. Times of God’s Love
In the dark night of his soul, the Lord gave him a night song (v. 8).
8 By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me-- a prayer to the God of my life.
C. Calling for God’s Love
God was still his rock-his source of strength and security. Even so, he felt deserted at times (v. 9).
9 I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"
His enemies were still taunting his faith (vv. 3,10).
10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
The refrain occurs a second time (v. 11).
11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (NIV)
III. Restoring of my soul (vs 43:1-5)
A. Standing in God’s Strength
The psalmist asked God to defend him and deliver him from the ungodly (v. 1).
1 Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men. 2 You are God my stronghold.
B. Walking in God’s Light
The silence and absence of God were at times unbearable (v. 2).
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?
3 Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
He prayed for God to send his light and truth, benevolent messengers, who would bring bim to the "altar of God" again with great joy (v. 4).
C. Going to God’s Altar
4 Then will I go to the altar of God, to God,
my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.
This time the refrain emphasized hope and became a shout of triumph (v. 5)1 May we all thirst for a vital relationship with God and meaningful worship of God.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,
