Transcript

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 42 ERV; Ch. 43 NKJV; Ch. 44 CEV

Podcast Introduction

This is Psalms Wednesday, and we’ll read Chapters 42-44. I’ll I’m calling this episode ˆAre You Thirsty?”

Design: SWS and Steve Webb | Photo: Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Comments on Psalms 42-44

Introduction to Psalm 42

This is the first psalm of Book Two of Psalms. There are certainly differences between books one and two. One difference is the Hebrew word for God. Commentator James Montgomery Boice wrote, “According to Franz Delitsch, in book one the name Jehovah occurs 272 times and Elohim only 15. But in book two, Elohim occurs 164 times and Jehovah only 30 times.”  

In Book One, David is the author of all but four of the 41 psalms, with those four having no attributions. In Book Two, which contains 31 chapters, David wrote eighteen, Asaph and Solomon each wrote one, the sons of Korah authored seven or eight, and three have no attribution.

The title of Psalm 42 is “To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah”. Who were the sons of Korah?

They were Levites from the tribe of Kohath, and according to 1 Chronicles 20:19 they “…stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high...” in the temple, so it appears that they were part of what we might call the worship band.

Introduction to Psalm 43

This psalm has no title, and there is no indication of who the writer is. G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “This psalm is either a part of the previous one or is closely connected with it.” As a matter of fact, many ancient Hebrew manuscripts have Psalms 42 and 43 combined into just one psalm. 

Introduction to Psalm 44

This psalm's title is "To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation Of the sons of Korah."

The writers speak of a time of defeat for the nation, and they ask God to deliver them, to rescue them. We don't know the specific time it was written.

Thoughts on Psalms 42

More years ago than I care to remember, I was an apprentice carpenter. The first job I was on was building condominiums in Palm Desert, California. Palm Desert is next door to Palm Springs. So as you might think from the name of the town, Palm Desert is indeed in the  Southern California desert. And as luck would have it, this project was in the summer. I looked up the temperatures in July and August 1978, the year I had this job. Most every day the temperature reached 110 degrees. We would begin our day’s work at 5 am, if memory serves, when the temperature was only about 85, but once the sun came up, the mercury would quickly rise.

Verse 1 and 2 in the NLT more accurately captures the author’s meaning than our translation today, the ERV. It says, “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. 2I thirst for God, the living God.”

This verse is inextricably tied in my mind to my time as a carpenter’s apprentice in Palm Desert. I know what it’s like to long for fresh, cold water. 

And there have been times in my life where I felt that, spiritually, I was in a desert. Separated from God. Of course, when I feel a disconnect from God, it’s my fault, because God doesn’t change….He certainly didn’t go anywhere. If someone drifted away, I’m the drifter. But God is faithful. He lets me do what I do. And as a good Father, He lets me feel the consequences of my wandering ways. And without fail, I begin to thirst, I begin to long for His presence again. 

I recently told you about, and asked you to pray for my son who has declared that he is now an atheist. The fervent and ongoing prayers of LeeAnn and I for him are that he would experience this same longing for God that the authors of this psalm wrote about, and that I myself have experienced. A deer is driven by thirst to that cool stream of water. My prayer is that my son will be driven to the refreshing arms of a loving God.

Is there anyone in your life like this?