Psalm 42 • My Soul Thirsts for God
Summary
TLDRIn this teaching on Psalm 42, the speaker emphasizes the significance of communal worship in the Old Testament, contrasting it with the personal relationship with God experienced by Christians today. The psalmist's deep sorrow stems from feeling separated from fellow believers and enduring relentless trials, yet he encourages himself to trust in God's eventual deliverance. The lesson explores how believers, even in the darkest times, should cling to faith and expect God's goodness, grounded in the promise of Romans 8:28, that all things work together for good for those who love God.
Takeaways
- 📖 The speaker introduces the divisions of the Psalms, mentioning that Psalm 42 starts Book 2, covering Psalms 42-72.
- 🙏 The session begins with a prayer, asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as they delve into Psalm 42.
- 👥 Psalm 42 reflects the cry of a person separated from communal worship, longing to be back with fellow believers.
- 🏞️ The psalmist in Psalm 42 appears to be located in the northern region of Israel, yearning for Mount Zion and Jerusalem.
- 🎶 The psalmist remembers leading worship with a throng of people, expressing sorrow over being unable to participate in communal worship.
- 🌊 Psalm 42 uses the metaphor of waves crashing to describe the psalmist's feelings of being overwhelmed by troubles and emotions.
- 😞 The psalmist admits to feelings of abandonment, depression, and confusion, questioning why God seems distant during trials.
- 💡 Despite deep emotional turmoil, the psalmist speaks to his soul, encouraging himself to put hope and trust in God.
- 🕊️ In the New Testament, worship becomes decentralized, with Jesus stating that true worshipers will worship in spirit and truth, not tied to specific locations.
- 💪 The speaker encourages those going through hardship to expect God’s deliverance and reminds them of the biblical promise in Romans 8:28 that all things work together for good.
Q & A
What is the significance of Psalm 42 in the context of the Psalms' divisions?
-Psalm 42 marks the beginning of the second division of the Psalms, which covers from the 42nd to the 72nd Psalm. These divisions are ancient and predate the oldest Old Testament manuscripts, indicating their importance in the structure of the Psalms.
Who is credited with writing Psalm 42 and what is its theme?
-Psalm 42 was written by the sons of Korah. The theme revolves around the psalmist's deep longing for God and the communal worship, expressing a sense of separation and a plea for God's presence amidst trials.
What does the phrase 'as a deer pants for flowing streams' in Psalm 42:1 symbolize?
-The phrase symbolizes the psalmist's intense thirst and longing for God, comparing it to a deer's desperate need for water, highlighting the depth of the psalmist's spiritual desire.
Why is the location significant in the Old Testament context as discussed in the script?
-In the Old Testament, location was crucial for worship as it was centered around the Ark of the Covenant, typically found in the tabernacle or temple in Jerusalem. The psalmist's longing for Mount Zion and Jerusalem reflects this geographical significance.
How does the New Testament perspective on worship differ from the Old Testament as mentioned in the script?
-The New Testament presents a decentralized view of worship, emphasizing spiritual connection over geographical location. Believers are considered the temple of the Holy Spirit, and worship can occur wherever two or more are gathered in the name of Jesus.
What is the significance of the question 'where is your God' in the context of Psalm 42?
-The question 'where is your God' is posed by adversaries to challenge the psalmist's faith during his trials. It reflects a common doubt that arises when believers face suffering and is a test of their trust in God's presence and power.
What does the psalmist mean when he says 'deep calls to deep' in Psalm 42:7?
-The phrase 'deep calls to deep' is a poetic expression of the psalmist's overwhelming feelings of being engulfed by troubles, much like waves crashing over him, indicating a sense of being overwhelmed and drowning in his sorrows.
How does the psalmist address his own feelings of depression in Psalm 42?
-The psalmist addresses his feelings of depression by directly speaking to his soul, questioning why it is cast down and in turmoil, and then exhorting it to put its hope in God, expressing a commitment to trust in God's provision despite his emotional state.
Outlines
🙏 Introduction to Psalm 42 and Beginning of Book 2
The speaker introduces Psalm 42 and explains that it marks the beginning of Book 2 of the Psalms. The divisions of Psalms are ancient, older than the oldest Old Testament manuscripts. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding these divisions and begins with a prayer asking for God’s wisdom and grace during their study. Psalm 42 is attributed to the sons of Korah and expresses a deep spiritual longing, symbolized by the imagery of a deer panting for water, reflecting the psalmist’s soul yearning for God.
🏞️ Longing for Worship and Reflection on Separation
The psalmist describes his anguish over being separated from communal worship. He reminisces about leading processions to the house of God with joy and celebration. The speaker explains that in the Old Testament, geographical location was crucial for worship, unlike today where worship can happen anywhere. The psalmist feels the pain of being distant from Mount Zion, the central place of worship, and longs to be reunited with fellow believers.
🏛️ Shift from Physical to Spiritual Worship
The speaker contrasts Old Testament worship, centered around the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem, with New Testament worship, where believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well is highlighted, emphasizing the transition to worship in spirit and truth, regardless of location. The speaker notes that believers today feel connected through Christ, even when worshipping with strangers, unlike the geographically-bound worship of ancient Israel.
🌊 Overwhelmed by Waves of Trouble and Taunting
The psalmist feels overwhelmed by waves of trouble, comparing his struggles to being engulfed by roaring waterfalls. The imagery portrays a sense of helplessness, as the psalmist feels distant from God and taunted by his adversaries, who ask, 'Where is your God?' The speaker reflects on how suffering often leads to questions about God’s presence and love, especially from unbelievers. Despite knowing where his God is, the psalmist grapples with feelings of abandonment and relentless hardship.
⚡ The Power of Waves and Ongoing Trouble
The speaker uses a personal anecdote about encountering powerful ocean waves to illustrate the psalmist’s experience of being overwhelmed by constant troubles. Just as ocean waves can catch someone off guard, the psalmist feels as though trouble comes in continuous waves, making it hard to regain footing. The speaker empathizes with the feeling of being battered by one difficulty after another, likening it to being tumbled in the surf, losing all sense of direction and stability.
💔 Emotional Turmoil and Cry for Deliverance
The psalmist acknowledges the deep emotional toll of his trials, admitting to feeling abandoned by God. He repeatedly questions why his soul is downcast, struggling with depression and despair. Despite these dark feelings, the psalmist encourages himself to hope in God and anticipates future praise, clinging to his faith that God will deliver him. The speaker highlights the importance of speaking faith over one’s own soul, even when struggling with emotional or spiritual darkness.
🕊️ Encouraging Hope and Trust in God's Deliverance
The psalmist challenges his soul to trust in God, despite overwhelming despair. He expresses a faith-filled expectation that he will once again praise God, declaring God as his salvation. The speaker encourages believers to adopt this same attitude, exhorting one another to expect God’s deliverance, even in the darkest moments. The speaker reinforces this with the promise of Romans 8:28, which assures that all things work together for the good of those who love God, providing a firm foundation for hope.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Psalm 42
💡Sons of Korah
💡Spiritual separation
💡Communal worship
💡Hope in God
💡Waves and breakers
💡Emotional depression
💡Temple of the Holy Spirit
💡Deep calls to deep
💡Where is your God?
Highlights
Introduction to Psalm chapter 42 and the transition from Book 1 to Book 2 of the Psalms.
Discussion on the historical divisions of the Psalms and their significance.
Prayer for guidance and insight from the Holy Spirit during the study of Psalm 42.
Psalm 42 is attributed to the sons of Korah, setting the context for the psalm's authorship.
The psalmist's deep longing for God, depicted through the metaphor of a deer longing for water.
Expression of the psalmist's emotional state, with tears as his constant companion.
Reflection on the communal worship experience and the psalmist's yearning to lead in praise.
The geographical and spiritual disconnection of the psalmist from the house of God.
The psalmist's remembrance of joyful worship in contrast to his current state of sorrow.
The challenge of faith when faced with the question 'Where is your God?' during trials.
The psalmist's internal dialogue with his soul, encouraging hope in God despite his circumstances.
The psalmist's recognition of his emotional turmoil and his call to hope in God.
The poetic description of the psalmist's troubles as waves overwhelming him.
The psalmist's admission of feeling forgotten by God amidst his suffering.
The importance of expecting God's deliverance and maintaining faith during times of depression.
The biblical promise in Romans 8:28 as a foundation for expecting God's goodness.
Encouragement to speak faith and expectation to others who are struggling with depression.
Transcripts
Psalm chapter 42 and I want to remind
you of something and I'll put this up on
the screen for you this is the five
divisions of the Psalms which I've been
showing you last week we finished Psalm
chapter 41 which is was the end of book
1 and that now we begin book 2 you know
we're not exactly sure when these
divisions were made in the Psalms but
they are old they're older than our
oldest Old Testament manuscripts
actually and so in other words we find
those book divisions in them and and so
anyway we're beginning this this the
second division which covers the 42nd
through the 72nd Psalm and let us begin
with prayer Heavenly Father as we dig
into your word tonight we'll allow the
ministry of your Holy Spirit to move
mightily among us we give you this time
and we ask you to fill it with your
presence your wisdom and insight and we
ask Lord that your grace would cover our
hearts to be able to receive and apply
in Jesus name Amen
psalm 42 was written by the sons of
korah we're gonna read through it and
you're gonna see why we did one of the
songs that we did tonight verse one as a
deer pants for flowing streams so pants
my soul for you O God my soul thirsts
for God for the Living God when shall I
come and appear before God my tears have
been my food day and night while they
say to me all the day long
where is your God these things I
remember as I pour out my soul how I
would go with the throng and lead them
in procession to the house of God with
glad shouts and songs of praise a
multitude keeping festival why are you
cast down O my soul and why are you in
turmoil within me hope in God for I
shall again
my salvation and my God my soul is cast
down within me therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and from Hermon
from Mount Mazar deep calls to deep at
the roar of your waterfalls all your
breakers and your waves have gone over
me by day the Lord commands his
steadfast love and at night his song is
with me a prayer to the god of my life I
say to God my rock why have you
forgotten me why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy
as with a deadly wound in my bones my
adversaries taunt me while they say to
me all the day long where is your God
why are you cast down O my soul and why
are you in turmoil within me hope in God
for I shall again praise him my
salvation and my god well this is an
interesting Psalm Psalm chapter 42 is
the psalm or I should say a cry in this
Psalm of a man who has been separated
from his fellow believers and from the
communal worship of God it would be kind
of like if you and I were cut off from
the body of Christ maybe living in a
place where there were no other
believers or or or maybe on a bed of
sickness where we couldn't gather
together with believers in the Lord and
we learned from verse 6 here that the
psalmist is seems to be located in the
northernmost region of Israel at that
time in and around Galilee and Mount
Hermon but his heart longs to be on
Mount Zion and in Jerusalem where
worship is is going on in fact you'll
look again with me in verse 4 if you
would please and he says these things I
remember as I pour out my soul how I
would go with the throng and lead them
in procession to the house of God with
glad shouts and songs of praise and a
multitude keeping festival so he's
thinking back on his time spent with
other believers who
together with this man worship the Lord
together in Israel and he's longing to
be back with them now you and I are
gonna look at this differently and the
reason we're gonna look at this
differently and we might even read these
words and kind of go what's the big deal
I mean where are you happen to be
located well you got to remember back in
the Old Testament location was an
absolutely enormous matter where you
were located where you went to worship
where you gathered with God's people
that was everything and and and we know
that that the worship of Israel was
always centered around the Ark of the
Covenant and that was either in the
tabernacle or the temple and for most of
its time it was in the city of Jerusalem
which was considered to be the chosen
city where God's people came and
collectively worshiped the Lord well
that's not something that you and I
think about a whole lot we don't think
about location we don't think about
going somewhere necessarily to worship
because we can we can worship where ever
you know believers get welled we can
worship alone but we can but wherever
believers come together we are together
with the body of Christ doesn't matter
really if we even know them personally I
don't know if you've ever been traveling
and stopped during your travels at a
church maybe you just kind of just went
through the yellow pages or Google to
church or something and thought well
we're gonna pick this one and we're
gonna go to this church here today and
you walked into a church and completely
unknown to everybody there and yet you
felt a sense of connectedness to those
people because you had something in
common and that was Jesus but there's
something else going on different in the
New Testament sort of an idea the Bible
says that we are the temple of the Holy
Spirit
whereas there used to be a temple that
existed in Jerusalem and there was the
Ark of the Covenant and there went on
the worship and administration's of the
priests and so on and so forth today
it's quite different isn't it you and I
are a a temple individually of the Holy
Spirit and so worship goes on wherever
two or more are gathered the Lord has
promised his presence in a dynamic way
and
and and worship happens in it and it
overflows and it's a it's a beautiful
thing but it was a very different sort
of a thing in in the Old Testament days
but Jesus actually interestingly enough
talked about the fact that worship would
be kind of decentralized if you will do
you remember his conversation with the
woman at the well in Samaria and as soon
as Jesus began to speak to this woman in
such a way as for her to recognize that
he was someone special she perceived him
to be a prophet she immediately began to
talk to him about one of the age-old
arguments between Jews and Samaritans
and that was where to worship let me put
it on the screen so you can be reminded
of it it's from John chapter forty forty
John chapter four doesn't go up to 40
and and verse 20 and she says here our
fathers worshiped on this mountain but
you say that in Jerusalem is the place
where people ought to worship jesus said
to her woman believe me the hour is
coming when neither on this mountain nor
in Jerusalem will you worship the father
the hour is coming and is now here when
the true worshipers will worship the
father in spirit and truth right for the
father is seeking such people to worship
Him so today our connection with God's
people is on a spiritual level but in
the Old Testament it was on a
geographical level they came together in
that way and it is quite apparent
through this psalm that this individual
is going through some kind of painful
trials that is keeping this individual
from being connected with the rest of
God's worshiping community and it's so
painful that some people are even asking
him where is your God I don't know if
you've ever had that question posed to
you by an unbeliever who was watching
your suffering
you know pain and difficulty have always
produced a challenging environment for
people to embrace and put their faith in
God because pain causes us to wonder if
God is who he says he is and he's a God
of love who is also all-powerful why is
there so much pain and why is there so
much suffering in this world and so that
sometimes causes people to challenge us
with the question so where is your God
in the midst of all of this and that can
be a very difficult thing because when
you're going through a difficult season
and someone is challenging you about the
presence of God related to that I mean
you're probably already dealing with
your own issues and temptations and
challenges about you know where is God
even the psalmist would cry out and say
Lord you know why have you abandoned me
why have you kind of let me go sort of
and you'll kind of see that here in fact
the psalmist repeats the same haunting
question in verse 10 look with me again
in your Bible he says as with a deadly
wound in my bones my adversaries taught
me now they're actually taunting him
with the question where is your God well
the psalmist knows where his God is but
even so even though he knows where his
God is he admits to some pretty dark
feelings related to the things that he's
going through look at verse 7 verse 7 is
highly poetic but he says deep calls to
deep at the roar of your waterfalls all
your breakers and your waves have gone
over me now that's an interesting sort
of a poetic way of saying I'm in over my
head I'm drowning in the in the sea of
my trouble and it's like the the waves
are just continuing to crash against my
life and bring pain and difficulty I
don't know if you have you played in the
in the the waves of the ocean before
there there
force to be reckoned with you have to be
very careful when you go to the ocean
for the very first time you need to is
only helpful if someone's there to
school you a little bit on the power of
the waves because the very first time
Sue and I ever I don't know if it was
your first time it was my first time
seeing the ocean when we went to the
Atlantic Ocean actually and my uncle and
aunt we were very young we were in our
early 20s in fact I'm not even sure you
were even 20 yet but because we got
married very young but I was 4 she was 2
he's kidding but but my uncle took us
out to the ocean and and he was telling
us you know how to be careful and the
very first thing we came upon was an
ambulance out at the on the beach a girl
had been picked up by a wave and slammed
down on the beach and dislocated her hip
and it was a very painful sort of a
situation but that was good but it was
kind of good for us I hey I'm sorry to
you know prosper over her pain but it
allowed us to kind of have a healthy
fear of the water and so I learned that
when you're out wading in those waves
you've got to either jump up and follow
the the breaker you know and let it kind
of take you back or you have to dive
under it and let it roll over you
otherwise you get caught in it and to be
caught in a breaker it's a very
frightening experience because it'll
just take you to the shore head over
heels and drop you there and and you're
a sandy mess you know basically after
it's through with you and this is kind
of what I think about I think about that
and it happened to me a few times I I
dove successfully under several breakers
and then I got I didn't dive deep enough
one time and I got caught in it and
suddenly I just felt myself literally
tumbling over and over lost my sense of
up and down and and it just deposited me
on the the shore kind of spitting and
sputtering and and I remember thinking
about that as as the psalmist is
speaking here about all of your breakers
and your waves have just rolled over me
and I'm just
I'm helpless I'm just helpless have you
ever been in a situation where it feels
like trouble comes in waves not just one
wave but many waves like ongoing waves
and is and you you've barely gotten
yourself put back together from the last
wave and you get hit with another one
and and then you're sputtering and
stammering and disoriented and another
wave hits you and I'm talking about
waves of trouble waves of difficulty
this is what the psalmist is talking
about deep calls to deep almost as if
the waves are speaking to one another
and and collaborating to come and make
my life miserable one after the other so
he's basically saying my troubles have
hit me repeatedly and I'm in over my
head and I've lost my footing I'm not
sure which end is even up anymore he
also admits to feeling abandoned look at
verse 9 I say to God my rock why have
you forgotten me and all these things
together the relentless pursuit of
trouble hitting time after time after
time and the feelings of abandonment and
being forgotten by the Lord and come
together and cause any one and it
certainly does this individual to fall
into an emotional depression look at
verse 11 why are you cast down O my soul
and why are you in turmoil within me
you'll remember earlier in the Psalms
that this was the same approach that
David took and that was speaking to his
soul at a time of great difficulty and
depression and you have to remember to
the human soul is made up of your
emotions your will and your intellect
and now he realizes how depressed he is
and so he challenges his soul saying why
you downcast and then he exhorts his
soul saying hope in God or put your
trust in God and notice the statement of
faith that follows that I shall again
praise him my salvation and my god it's
interesting isn't it how the psalmist
encourages his own heart speaks to his
heart why are you so bummed out
why are you so depressed why are you so
down you know put your hope in God put
your hope in him and then that that word
of faith I will yet praise the Lord
that's difficult to do when you're in a
deep dark depression isn't it I mean to
speak to your soul and to have anything
good to say you know because you know I
don't know about you but when I'm
feeling low and I don't struggle with
depression but like anybody else I think
I probably have my dips and and then
that sort of thing but it's like when I
when I've gotten that way it's like all
of life is bad like you're you're
looking at life through cloudy lenses
and there's nothing that's good
nothing's good and and and you might be
looking at things that are even
unaffected by your troubles but they're
not good anymore nothing's good because
of your depression and when nothing is
good or at least you see nothing that is
good it's very challenging to say
anything positive let alone speak to
your own soul trust in the Lord I will
yet praise Him my salvation and my God
and I and I love the fact that the
psalmist tells his heart his soul to
expect the Lord to bring him through
this time what some now we should be
saying that to each other at the very
least right that's what you and I should
be saying to somebody who is drowning in
depression
we should say listen I want you to
expect the Lord to bring you through
this time I want you to have an
expectation of God's deliverance and
goodness I know you can't see it right
now I know that everything you look at
right now is ugly and and grim but
expect the Lord's goodness here's the
question
the psalmist is saying that to his soul
expect the Lord's deliverance here's a
question I have for you do you and I
have any reason to do that I encourage
you just now to say that to someone
who's going through depression but do
you have a biblical leg to stand on in
other words is there a promise in God's
Word on which you can stand related to
that exhortation there is and you know
it it's in Romans chapter eight verse 28
let me put it on the screen for you and
we know I love the force of that that
for those who love God all things work
together for good for those who are
called according to his purpose and that
is why you and I can have an expectation
and then why we can encourage others to
have an expectation of the goodness of
the Lord because there's a promise in
God's Word that you and I can stand on
and we need to stand on it especially
during those times when the breakers the
problems the troubles are hitting us one
after the other
you
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