BOOK II - CHAPTERS 42-72
[There
are a few differences between the collection of psalms of Book II as compared to Book I. David
is the only known psalmist in Book I (there are 4 unattributed
psalms). In book Book II, other psalmists make their appearance.
David is considered the author of 18 of the 31 psalms in Book II.]
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PSALM
42 – “The Sad Psalmist”
(A
Maskil of the sons of Korah)
[The above superscription, “A Maskil of the sons of Korah”, appears in the titles of eleven psalms. The Korahites were Levites from the family of Kohath. According to 1 Corinthians 9:17:24; 26:1-19, the Korahites were the gatekeepers in the temple and in David's time they were apparently in charge of temple worship. (2 Chronicles 20:19)]
The author is not given, but many reputable scholars believe David to be the author. Others date this psalm to the period of the Babylonian exile and suggest it was authored by a Jewish prisoner.
Whoever wrote this beautiful, angst-filled song, was apparently far away from Jerusalem and unable to attend the Jewish worship festivals. He was forlorn and depressed, missing the fullness of God's presence that he found in the temple. Within this psalm are three cycles of lament and hope.
To set the mood, let's listen to a favorite Christian song inspired by Psalm 42:
Vs. 2 –
The psalmist longs to appear before God at his appointed times in
the tabernacle and the temple, according to Jewish ritual and custom.
Vs. 3 –
Again, with the profuse tears! These psalmists were very intent on
showing the depths of their grief and sorrow. If God truly collects all
our tears... He needed a bucket for this guy.
“Sorrow is always a sense of lack.
The sorrow of bereavement is the sense of the loss of a loved one.
The sorrow of sickness is the lack of health.
The ultimate sorrow is the sense of the lack of God.
This was the supreme sorrow of the singer.”
(G. Campbell Morgan)
Vs. 4 –
This verse is likey in remembrance of the holidays and feasts that
marked the Jewish calendar (i.e. Passover / Pentecost) which were
packed with people and exhuberant celebratiion.
Vs. 5 – In this verse and verse 11, the psalmist confronted his own soul and gave himself a good talking to. The same questions and responses of this verse are also repeated in verse 11 and in Psalm 43:5.
Vs. 7 – By calling the the metaphor of waves crasing over him, “YOUR breakers and YOUR billows”, the psalmist acknowledged God's sovereignty, even during his despair and dejection. The Bible clearly tells us that God often sends us trials to test and/or benefit us. (Psalm 66:10-12; Romans 5:3-5; Hebrews 12:1-13; James 1:2-4)
Vs. 8 – God's Faithful Love (hesed / chesed); Also, note the poetic parallels with the words “song” and “prayer”.
Vs. 9 – Even in his depression, the possessive and intimate way the psalmist refers to the Lord as “my Rock” (and in other verses “my Savior”, “my God”), clearly illustrates a personal relationship was already in place. This gave him a familiar refuge in a time of despair.
💛NUGGET: "A crisis does not make a person, a crisis reveals a person. In a
time of trial, you turn to what you trust. An alcoholic turns to the
bottle. An addict turns to drugs. A worldly person turns to the
world’s wisdom. A Christian should turn to the Lord." (Steven J. Cole)
Vs. 11 –
The song ends with a repetition of verse 5. The solution was for the
psalmist to put his hope in God and continue to praise Him through
the storm.
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PSALM
43 - “Light and Truth”
There is
no title for this psalm. Because of this, many believe that Psalms
42 and 43 were originally composed as one psalm. There are also
identical questions and responses given in each of these psalms. In this study, we
will consider them as separate psalms that are linked by a shared
problem: Spiritual Depression. Consider Psalm 43 as “Spiritual
Depression, Part Deux”.
A marked difference in this psalm and the previous is that this psalmist is seeking vindication. He is unashamed to share his confusion with God. As one commentor stated: “The author starts by sharing what he DOES know (verses1-8), and then shares about what he DOESN'T know (verses 9-25).
Vs. 1 – Note the poetic parallels with the phrases “unfaithful nation” / “deceitful
and unjust person”.
Vs. 3-4 – As in Psalm 42, the psalmist longs to be led back to the temple and places a rush order for LIGHT and TRUTH to be delivered to:
- God's Holy Mountain
- God's Dwelling Place
- The Altar of God
💛NUGGET:
What
is one way we can plug in to God's Light and Truth? His Word. If we
study our Bible and meditate upon His Word, God will lead us to His
dwelling place, filled with His LIGHT
and TRUTH.
Vs. 5 – “Why, my soul, are you so dejected?” (Again, talking to himself and asking the same question that was asked by the Psalm 42 psalmist.)
💛NUGGET: At the end of the song, the psalmist's circumstances had not changed, but his attitude had. In the NKJV the last line reads, “The help of my countenance...”. In Hebrew, the word “help” is literally “salvation”.
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PSALM 44 - “Shepherdless Sheep”
(A
Maskil of the sons of Korah)
Psalm 44 was written during a time of oppression and defeat for Israel. The psalmist and worshipers called out to God for rescue, believing that they had been faithful to Him and did not understand His rejection of them in a time of need. In the song, the worshippers are careful to acknowledge all the ways God has blessed and favored Israel in the past, even when they were unfaithful.
Vs. 6 - Speaking on behalf of Israel, the psalmist assured God that their faith was in His power, not in their own strength or military skill.
Vs. 11 – The imagery of sheep (also in verse 22), is connected to the idea that the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23 should protect His sheep; instead the Israelites were unprotected and defeated.
Vs. 13-16 – In regard to these verses Charles Suprgeon said, “It seems that from mocking the people of God, the adversaries advanced to reviling God himself, they proceeded from persecution to the sin which is next of kin, namely blasphemy.” The writer used almost every Hebrew word for ridicule to describe the shame of Israel:
- Object of reproach
- Mockery
- Ridicule
- Joke
- Laughingstock
- Disgrace
- Shame
- Taunting
- Scorn
- Reviled
Vs. 22 – This verse is quoted by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:35-36 to believers who were persecuted for their faith in Jesus.
💛NUGGET: No matter how much shame and disgrace a Christian may have to bear, nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus. We are more than conquerors in Him, albeit suffering conquerors.
Vs. 23 – Shouting at an Omnipresent God to wake up takes a lotta nerve. Or maybe a lotta grace...? There is, however, a precedent for a Sleeping Savior in the NT (Luke 8:22-25; Mark 4:38).
Vs. 26 – The psalm ends with a request for God to redeem his people for the sake of his steadfast love.
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PSALM 45 - “Royal Wedding Song”
(A
Maskil for the sons of Korah)
[The superscription describes this song as: “according to 'The Lilies'” and “A love song”. “The Lilies” may refer to a known tune during this time or perhaps the general beauty of the composition. Some have linked it to a six-stringed instrument known as the Shoshannim. It is a Royal Psalm and was written to be sung at a royal Hebrew wedding.]
Vs. 1 – A song for a king. As a song sung in Jerusalem, this would refer to a king in the line of David.
Vs. 2 – Excessively flattering lyrics... you think?
Vs. 4 – “... in the cause of truth, humility and justice.” Humility was a trait specific to a God-loving Israel, whereas other kings of the ancient world saw it as a sign of weakness.
Vs. 6-7 – The psalmist is now referring to God as King, seated on His eternal throne. These verses are cited in Hebrews 1:8-9, as proof that Jesus the Son is superior to the angels. And then comes this confusing phrase in verse 7: “therefore God, your God has annointed you...”. Wait a minute! How can this King - who IS God - be annointed BY God?
"The words of these two verses together are incomprehensible unless they are understood to refer to the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Only He can be called God and at the same time, the Father as His God." (James Montgomery Boice)
Vs.
10-15 – The attention is now turned to the bride. It is made clear that her loyalty must now change from her "father's house”
to her husband, the king.
Vs. 16-17 – The king is addressed in a final wish for an unending dynasty that will be praised forever.
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PSALM 46 - “A Mighty Fortress”
(A song
of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth)
[“Alamoth” also occurs in 1 Corinthians 15:20 as a type of song designation.]
We are not given the setting of this psalm, but many scholars relate it to when King Hezekiah was surrounded by the army of Assyria, led by King Sennacherib. Psalm 46 was clearly written out of a circumstance of extreme adversity from which God gave deliverance (2 Kings 18-19; 2 Chronicles 32; Isaiah 36-37). Psalm 46 shows us that when troubles come, God is sufficient to get us through.
Martin Luther, the great reformer, was deeply inspired by this psalm to write his hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is our God.” During his ministry, Martin Luther was threatened with opposition, excommunication, danger and death from the pope and his supporters. He wrote about Psalm 46: “We sing this Psalm to the praise of God, because God is with us, and powerfully and miraculously preserves and defends His church and His word, against all fanatical spirits, against the gates of hell, against the implacable hatred of the devil, and against all the assaults of the world, the flesh, and sin”.
The psalm is divided into into three sections (separated by “Selah”):
- 46:1-3: God is Our Refuge
- 46:4-7: God is The Stronghold of Jerusalem
- 46:8-11: God is The Lord of Armies
Vs. 1 –
This song begins not with a crisis, but with praise for God's
provision. And He doesn't just
help from a distance, He is a very “present” help. He is near.
(This verse is engraved on Martin Luther's tombstone.)
Vs. 4 – “There is a river...” the image is significant because Jerusalem is one of the few ancient cities that was not built on a river. There are only a few small streams. But scripture looks forward to a day when a mighty river will flow from the temple of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 47:12; Revelation 22:1).
Vs. 5-6 – The river also represents the presence of the Lord... “God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved”. He is the Living Water and can topple nations with a lift of his voice.
Vs. 7 - “The Lord of Hosts” (Yahweh Saboath). This title acknowledges God's power and strength and reminds us that He is the commander of armies. “In fact, the conception underlying the name is that of the universe as an ordered whole, a disciplined army, a cosmos obedient to His voice.” (Alexander Maclaren)
Vs. 10 - “Be still and know that I am God.” James Montgomery Boice has a wonderful interpretation for the context of this verse: “In this setting, ‘be still and know that I am God’ is not advice to us to lead a contemplative life, however important that may be…. It means rather, ‘Lay down your arms. Surrender, and acknowledge that I am the one and only victorious God.’” Surrender to Him.
Vs. 8-11 – God is in control of war and peace. The Lord of Armies is with US.
💛NUGGET: During an earthquake a few years ago, the inhabitants of a small village were alarmed by the quake, but also surprised at the calmness and apparent joy of an old woman whom they all knew. At length one of them asked her, “Are you not afraid?” “No,” she replied, “I rejoice to know that I have a God who can shake the world.”
VIDEO: VERITAS - A Mighty Fortress is Our God https://youtu.be/JhU2PB7jdZ0
READING FOR TOMORROW: Chapters 47-51
LINK TO READING PLAN:
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