Psalm 42 Sermon Notes

Psalm 42  

Down But Not Out

Sermon Notes

July 23, 2017

Lynchburg, Virginia

EXHORDIUM

         In this Psalm, we see a godly man with a tormented soul. Does that seem contradictory to you? Is the Christian life all about peace and happiness and joy? If so, then what do we make of a cast down soul that is calling upon God? Do we judge rightly? Do we answer him or her as we should?

         There are clear answers in this Psalm. There is good counsel for the cast down soul. But the answer must come from the Lord. It is important for us to think correctly but we are not merely creatures of thought. We are humans with emotions and feelings. God made us that we and it is very good. But these very good emotions and feelings ought not to be the rudder that guides us. We must pursue what we know to govern how we feel. This is not easy. Sometimes, we are unable to even get there.

         When that is true, we must call upon God and ask Him and expect Him to act. If your soul is cast down, then God must lift you up through the power of His Holy Spirit. He can do this and He will do this. Hope in God that you might again praise Him with rejoicing.

EXEGESIS

Psalm 42 To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah.

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. ² My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

         Does your soul seek God? Do you search for Him like a panting deer searches for water? What does it mean to be languishing for water and so to understand a soul languishing for God?

         Two cow elk on a dessert sagebrush mountain. These cows will eventually appear before the watering hole. They will find rest for their weary souls. Thus, we are to seek the presence of God to give water to our thirsty souls.

³ My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

         A godly man is not without great sorrow. David pours out his tears day and night. He desires the living waters of God’s presence and spirit but he keeps experiencing a drought. The only water in sight is his own tears. In such a state, he seeks God. He pours out his heart to the almighty. He seeks God until he finds Him.

⁴ When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

Here is a man suffering in depression, a man who is at his wit’s end. His heart is sore pressed. He knows what he ought to do and yet it does not bring relief. He remembers going up with the worshipping people of God to the Tabernacle. They are singing with the voice of joy and praise. They keep the Sabbath. They worship and fellowship because serving God is with joy and singing. He remembers that but is not currently experiencing it. He longs for it.

He knows this does not make sense. Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted within me? Among such a people and in the presence of a holy God, he desires and expects that his soul would be lifted up, exalted. He expects that he would have the peace of God but instead, a troubled heart. Instead, he is down, as a man who does not have the hope of God.

Note, that his mind is doing all right. He knows what is true. He knows that he must be among God’s people. He knows that the voice of joy and praise is right and good. So, he continues with them. He does what he knows is right and good even though he does not feel the benefits. He goes with what he knows instead of with what he feels. ⁵

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

The power of self speech- David talks to himself. He is cast down but does not know exactly why. He imagines praising God among the people with joy and praise. This is part of the Christian imagination that we call faith. Matthew Henry mentions that the battle here is between sense and faith.

David’s sense is telling him there are reasons to be cast down and disquieted. Perhaps it is again the persecution of Saul. Or Absalom’s rebellion. Or, many other troubles that David encountered. His soul would be justly burdened under such circumstance. But it may also be that his soul is cast down for no good reason. He should be happy and yet he is disquieted. We have known this.

In such a situation, it is important to pray and seek God. It is also important to talk to yourself, talk to your soul. Why are you feeling this way? Do you not know that Jesus died on the cross for your sins? Why are unsettled? Do you not know that God works all things for good for His people? Why do you fear about the future? Do you not know that God knows all things and holds your future in the palms of His hands? Yes, but what might happen to me, only God knows. True, but do you not know that God is kind and gracious Father who does all things well?

6  O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. ⁷ Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

In the previous section, he talks to himself. Why are you cast down, O my soul. It is a good practice but it did not bring relief. He strives higher. He seeks God.

O God, my soul is cast down. It does no good to lie to yourself or to God. If it is not well with your soul, then talk to your soul and talk to God about it.

David is in the land of Jordan, of the Hermonites at the hill of Mizar. He is distant from God in body and soul. But he has not stopped remembering God’s kindness, God’s majesty, God’s intimate care of him.

He seeks God but the waves of disquietude and trouble will not stop. The depths of the sea are against him. Like breakers that pound, they push him down and go over him. David ascribes this churning sea unto the Lord.

It is important to understand this. As one saint said, the devil may have brought the trial, but the Lord sent it. Trials come in many forms, sickness, lost jobs, rebellious children, wicked co-workers, or persecutors. But we are not left to chance.

When things happen in our lives that challenge us, we should take stock, ask the Lord to examine us, confess sins, repent, call upon the Lord. We should do all of that. But we should also ask the question, “What is the Lord doing?” What is He teaching me? What is the godly purpose of this trouble, this sin, this depression, this unsettlement? What is God doing in me? For me? For the kingdom of God? For His own glory?

You may not receive complete answers to those questions? The Lord may not tell you why or show you why. But you are likely to see a glimmer of the answer and sometimes that is enough. But you should at least seek answers.

⁸ Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

He appeals to God’s character. The Lord, whose billows crash over him also shows him lovingkindness. In the day, he experiences God’s lovingkindness. In the night, the peace of song returns to him. He prays to God and knows that God is for him.

Do you see the struggle? It is between sense and faith. Things are happening to him but he reminds himself of what he knows of God’s character. He reminds himself that he belongs to God. He knows that he is in the midst of troubles but that he has a Father in Heaven. This Father is a loving and kind heavenly Father. He knows that and reminds himself of this truth, even if he does not feel it to be so at the time.

David reminds himself. That is well and good. We should also remind one another. Furthermore, when reminded, we should acknowledge that this is true and that we know it to be true, even if we do not currently feel it to be true. If you stick with what you know, it will prevent you from running with what you feel.

He also reminds himself that God is his life. Others may seek to harm him or bring him down. He may be betrayed and dishonored by men but what is that to serving the One who truly is his life? What is that to you? Do you believe that God really is your life? Our very breath depends upon Him. Furthermore, He numbers the very heads of our head and takes note of us to every detail of our lives. Think on this as you despair, or fear or struggle, or sense that God has departed. He has not.

⁹ I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? ¹⁰ As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?

David knows that God is his rock. If he hopes anywhere else, his hope will crumble. But God is a rock. However, David feels abandoned by God. O God, I am all alone. Where is my strength and my steadfastness? It is not in myself. It is in You, O God, my rock. But where are you? I cannot feel Your presence. I am sad and of a low countenance. I feel as if my life were flowing through a timeglass like shifting sand. Return to me as the Rock of Gibraltar.

My enemies have the upper hand. The peirce my soul with reproaches. They realize that You have left me and taunt me. Where is your God, now?

Have you felt those taunts? We speak of blessing. We speak of God providing for our every need, food, shelter, clothing, spouse, children. For those who belong to God, there is abundance of blessing. This is true. And compared to the lives of those who utterly forsake God, we have great joy in earthen vessels.

But the Christian life is not all about blessing, adequate money, kids who do exactly what we want them to do, friends who love and admire us, people who fully understand us. That is not a realistic life, nor is it the Christian life. God is in control and it is His desire to bring glory to His name through us. One of the main ways He does so, is through suffering and trial. If we want to be like Jesus, we have to live like Jesus, which means we have to suffer. We experience deprivation, persecution, misunderstanding, the betrayal of friends, the envy of family members. God is using this all to His glory in us.

We need to know this truth so that when the emptiness of these struggles sets it, we are reminded to talk to our souls about what we do know about God. We need to not only talk to our souls, but bow ourselves before our God and kind Father and seek His favor.

EXHORTATION

¹¹ Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Again, he speaks to his soul, asking a question,  and he tells his soul the answer.

Hope in God. I shall praise Him. My health is in the Lord. My help is from God. I shall hope in Him until I praise Him. I shall hope in Him until my proper feelings return. I shall speak to my soud and pray to my God until His lovingkindness again assures me of His love. Until then, I shall wait upon Him.

Where else will I turn? If He is my life, then I must turn to Him for life. My soul will again be at peace. My soul will again rejoice. Why? Because I hope in God, my Savior.