(ATTENTION READER: There is music embedded into this post, I encourage you to read with your speakers on low volume.)
If the book of Psalms is, as some have spoke of it, a mirror of holy and passionate affections spilled from the heart into words upon scrolls, then this psalm in particular deserves, as much as any one psalm, to have the same description attached to it. Psalm 42 begins book 2 of the Psalter, compiled directly after a wisdom psalm that echoes the desire for holiness and loyalty to YHWH as Lord.
Here, the introduction to the 2nd Book of the Psalter, Psalm 42 is focused upon the longing of one to be in the presence of God.
Psalm 42 is known
in Christian circles mostly for its opening line. Martin Nystrom
famously wrote the chorus, "As the Deer" in 1981, and it immediately
became a favorite praise song to be sung in churches across the United
States. I saw it fitting to add to this post as an extra effect, the song playing is an instrumental version of Mr. Nystrom's song.
The Psalm itself however was written by the Sons of Korah. The first of many of these psalms.
The Korahites became doorkeepers and custodians for the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 9:19–21; 1 Chronicles 2.) However, the most remarkable thing to note about the sons of Korah is that during the time of King David, they became the great leaders in choral and orchestral music in the tabernacle. Heman the Korahite had a place of great importance as a singer, along with Asaph (a Gershonite) and Ethan or Jeduthan (a Merarite). These individuals played an important role in the thanksgiving services and pageantry when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem. David formed an elaborate organization for song, instrumental music, and prophesying through these men.
Spurgeon writes in his Treasury of David regarding this first Psalm of the Sons of Korah:
And so let us read the words:
If the book of Psalms is, as some have spoke of it, a mirror of holy and passionate affections spilled from the heart into words upon scrolls, then this psalm in particular deserves, as much as any one psalm, to have the same description attached to it. Psalm 42 begins book 2 of the Psalter, compiled directly after a wisdom psalm that echoes the desire for holiness and loyalty to YHWH as Lord.
Here, the introduction to the 2nd Book of the Psalter, Psalm 42 is focused upon the longing of one to be in the presence of God.
Psalm 42 is known
in Christian circles mostly for its opening line. Martin Nystrom
famously wrote the chorus, "As the Deer" in 1981, and it immediately
became a favorite praise song to be sung in churches across the United
States. I saw it fitting to add to this post as an extra effect, the song playing is an instrumental version of Mr. Nystrom's song.The Psalm itself however was written by the Sons of Korah. The first of many of these psalms.
The Korahites became doorkeepers and custodians for the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 9:19–21; 1 Chronicles 2.) However, the most remarkable thing to note about the sons of Korah is that during the time of King David, they became the great leaders in choral and orchestral music in the tabernacle. Heman the Korahite had a place of great importance as a singer, along with Asaph (a Gershonite) and Ethan or Jeduthan (a Merarite). These individuals played an important role in the thanksgiving services and pageantry when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem. David formed an elaborate organization for song, instrumental music, and prophesying through these men.
Spurgeon writes in his Treasury of David regarding this first Psalm of the Sons of Korah:
It is the cry of a man far removed from the outward ordinances and worship of God, sighing for the long loved house of his God; and at the same time it is the voice of a spiritual believer, under depressions, longing for the renewal of the divine presence, struggling with doubts and fears, but yet holding his ground by faith in the living God. Most of the Lord's family have sailed on the sea which is here so graphically described. It is probable that David's flight from Absalom may have been the occasion for composing this Maskil.
And so let us read the words:
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
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 must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
In this poem the sons of Korah are expressing their desire to have a newly kindled and excited gracious desire, gracious hopes and fears, joys and sorrows, but here they are struggling... there is an angst building within them. From the opening lines we understand that they are struggling for God, reaching out for His presence, longing to be within the Temple courts.
Perhaps they are panting like a deer because of being pursued by evil, just as a deer would be panting as it tried to flee from its predator. I like to think of the Psalmist writing in a sense that sin is pursuing them and he is panting to run away from it, but sin is wanting him much like it desired Cain when he killed his brother Abel. (See Genesis 4:7)
Perhaps though it was an enemy nation attacking and the Korahites were desiring God's presence to know what to do next.
Or the Sons of Korah were just eager for more of God's presence, no matter the situation at hand.
We can pull meaning for our own lives no matter what the true context was behind the scenes; because it truly encompasses the emotions of multiple scenarios and points us in one direction: devotion and a longing for YHWH.
I love this psalm for more than just its opening lines however. It is flooded with imagery and metaphor that is used to speak about our relationship with God, more fully our personal relationship with Jesus.
Notice, the writer uses the phrase "my God"; this is a very personal psalm, like a private journal entry that we get to read, we are seeing the heart behind the writer. He continues using "my" as he talks to his own soul, wondering why he is so downcast within him... which we see is because of his longing. He feels separated from his God because he is separated from the Temple courts.
There is also this growing straining angst that the psalmist is building. We go from no water, with a deer panting for it to an image of deep waters calling out to deep waters.
It is as if nothing is good enough for the psalmist.
We go from God being our provider and our close friend, the one who directs love and sings a song over us to the psalmist asking why God had abandoned him? It is raw with emotion.
Nothing is satisfying enough for the Psalmist. There is a DEEP longing for more. The son of Korah wants nothing more than the full presence of God.
I guess I have to ask... why not us?
Why are we so easily satisfied?
Why do we not have this longing for the presence of God, like the psalmists do?
I have written on this subject before from Philippians 3, but when I open the Psalms, specifically Psalms 42 and 63, it is so clear.
We have gotten lax in our pursuing of Jesus.
It isn't like we have to go to a temple 5 times a day in order to be close to Him, through Jesus we have the Spirit of the Living God Tabernacle-ing or dwelling within us; yet we don't pursue Him nearly like the ancients of old did. We don't speak this way anymore. We don't pray these kinds of prayers. We don't live lives of worship.
Our souls aren't disturbed.
And I am as guilty as anyone.
Sure, some do. But as a culture, our Christianity is so angst-less, it is so un-moving, so un-stirring.
I long for the days when my generation with one voice longs for God, His presence, His power, and His glory. A great way to begin is with this Psalm:
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
In this poem the sons of Korah are expressing their desire to have a newly kindled and excited gracious desire, gracious hopes and fears, joys and sorrows, but here they are struggling... there is an angst building within them. From the opening lines we understand that they are struggling for God, reaching out for His presence, longing to be within the Temple courts.
Perhaps they are panting like a deer because of being pursued by evil, just as a deer would be panting as it tried to flee from its predator. I like to think of the Psalmist writing in a sense that sin is pursuing them and he is panting to run away from it, but sin is wanting him much like it desired Cain when he killed his brother Abel. (See Genesis 4:7)
Perhaps though it was an enemy nation attacking and the Korahites were desiring God's presence to know what to do next.
Or the Sons of Korah were just eager for more of God's presence, no matter the situation at hand.
We can pull meaning for our own lives no matter what the true context was behind the scenes; because it truly encompasses the emotions of multiple scenarios and points us in one direction: devotion and a longing for YHWH.
I love this psalm for more than just its opening lines however. It is flooded with imagery and metaphor that is used to speak about our relationship with God, more fully our personal relationship with Jesus.
Notice, the writer uses the phrase "my God"; this is a very personal psalm, like a private journal entry that we get to read, we are seeing the heart behind the writer. He continues using "my" as he talks to his own soul, wondering why he is so downcast within him... which we see is because of his longing. He feels separated from his God because he is separated from the Temple courts.
There is also this growing straining angst that the psalmist is building. We go from no water, with a deer panting for it to an image of deep waters calling out to deep waters.
It is as if nothing is good enough for the psalmist.
We go from God being our provider and our close friend, the one who directs love and sings a song over us to the psalmist asking why God had abandoned him? It is raw with emotion.
Nothing is satisfying enough for the Psalmist. There is a DEEP longing for more. The son of Korah wants nothing more than the full presence of God.
I guess I have to ask... why not us?
Why are we so easily satisfied?
Why do we not have this longing for the presence of God, like the psalmists do?
I have written on this subject before from Philippians 3, but when I open the Psalms, specifically Psalms 42 and 63, it is so clear.
We have gotten lax in our pursuing of Jesus.
It isn't like we have to go to a temple 5 times a day in order to be close to Him, through Jesus we have the Spirit of the Living God Tabernacle-ing or dwelling within us; yet we don't pursue Him nearly like the ancients of old did. We don't speak this way anymore. We don't pray these kinds of prayers. We don't live lives of worship.
Our souls aren't disturbed.
And I am as guilty as anyone.
Sure, some do. But as a culture, our Christianity is so angst-less, it is so un-moving, so un-stirring.
I long for the days when my generation with one voice longs for God, His presence, His power, and His glory. A great way to begin is with this Psalm:
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
-----
Nathan Bryant
Christ's Kingdom is bigger than our causes.
Christ's Kingdom is bigger than our boundaries.
Follow him on Twitter: Follow @nathanpbryant
Nathan's Website
Follow him on Twitter: Follow @nathanpbryant
Nathan's Website
I love how you wrap up your reflection with a call to pursue God with the kind of longing we see from the psalmist here. The truth is that we are satisfied with lesser things. Unfortunately, it make take a crisis like the psalmist is facing for us to recognize our need for God. Let's hope not...but it that's what it takes.
ReplyDelete