What a beautiful picture! "At night His song is with me." Even when things appear dark around us, God places a song in our hearts. This psalm, as is so common in the book, reminds us that God is worthy of our trust no matter what struggles we may face.
Structure
Psalm 42 and 43 are very likely one psalm and they appear in some Hebrew manuscripts as one psalm. There are four reasons for believing they should be seen as one psalm:
- The three repetitions of the refrain - the last of which is in psalm 43.
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. Psalm 42:5
- The 17 verse lines.
- The 17 uses of the word Elohim, a Hebrew word for "God."
- The 11 x 17 (187) words in the psalm.
Why the use of the number 17? Because 17 is a numerical number derived from the word "YHWH", which means "God." And so, even though the psalmist feels distant from God, His presence is woven throughout the psalm. God is always present, even when we cannot feel Him.
For a more detailed explanation please read Dr. C.J. Labuschagne's General Introduction to Logotechnical Analysis. Isn't it amazing how truly complex the psalms are?
Psalm 42-43 is also the beginning of Book II of the psalms and the first of the eleven Korahite psalms (psalms attributed to the Sons of Korah), seven of which occur in Book II.
I Thirst for God
Psalm 42:1-5
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God. Psalm 42:1
The psalm begins with a very familiar verse. The psalmist longs to experience the presence of God as he once did. He remembers joyfully worshiping God -
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. Psalm 42:4
But now "tears have been my food" and men are asking "Where is your God?"
Have you ever been at a point where you could no longer feel God's presence? Where God seems so far away that you wonder where He is? What is the psalmists answer to this dilemma? This is where the repeating refrain comes in:
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. Psalm 42:5
His Song Is with Me
Psalm 42:6-11
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you Psalm 42:6
It is precisely because of his sadness that He must remember God. When we feel the most depressed is when we must turn our attention to remembering God's work in our lives. It is at this point that we come to the central verse:
By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life. Psalm 42:8
Even though the psalmist feels overwhelmed by life he still recognizes God's love is with him. We may not always feel or see God's presence in our lives but we know that He is there - His song of love is still playing even if we cannot always hear it clearly.
This section ends with a repetition of the refrain - "...put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him..."
Lead Me Back to You
Psalm 43
Send me your light and your faithful care,
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell. Psalm 43:3
The psalmist's request is that God would lead Him back to the place where he can once again enjoy God's presence. What a great prayer to repeat whenever you feel far from God! God please lead me back to you. Let me once again rejoice in You.
The psalm ends with one final repetition of the refrain - "...put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him..."
Application
Trust in God no matter what happens because He will never fail you in the end. Continue to trust and continue to praise because His song of love is still playing in your live. It may be temporarily drowned out by the turmoil and waves of your trial, but God is still singing His song and you will once again enjoy the pleasure of His presence.
This post is part of a series on the Psalms.
by Jerry Wyrick, President of Worship Arts Conservatory