Walk Of Life – Day 25, August 2022 – Thoughts From The Book Of Psalms

Psalm 42 – Joy Or Sorrow, Put Your Hope In The Lord

The second book of psalm consists of thirty psalms out of which eight were written by sons of Korah, eighteen by David, one by Asaph, one by Solomon and two psalms are unattributed. This Psalm is a maskil of the sons of Korah, the Levites. The Kohathites were responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain and everything related to their use (Numbers 3:31). They were also responsible for guarding the thresholds of the Tent (1 Chronicles 9:19) and to conduct worship in the temple of the LORD. The musicians from Korah’s sons were Heman and his fourteen sons mentioned in 1Chronicles 25:4,5.

Longing to be in the Temple of God

• Through this psalm one can understand that the sons of Korah were away from the temple of the Lord where they used to serve joyfully. They are praising God from the land of the Jordan,the heights of Hermon, from Mount Mizar which connects them to King David who settled at Mahanaim in the mountain of Gilead in the east country of Jordan when he had fled from Absalom. It is unclear if some of the sons of Korah accompanied David during his exiles or they merely shared in their King’s sorrow.

However, it tells us that the psalmists soul longs to be in the presence of God just like a deer who runs for a long distance without any water and is in an urgent need of water for its survival.

Suffering for having faith in God

• Their situation worsens as they are surrounded by discouraging people who were taunting them saying, “Where is your God?”. They were made a mockery of, as one who is forsaken of God, on account of their trust in the faithfulness of the promises.
• Though they were downcast, they remembered the cheerful past of celebration in the presence of God. They took courage in the hope that a morning will dawn after the night of affliction when the God of redemption will show his loving-kindness and will deliver his faithful children from their sorrowful state.

Suffering is inevitable

• As children of God, you are commanded to share the goodness of God to your friends of other faith. When things go against you, often you might find yourself surrounded by people who would taunt you saying, where is your God now? Has he forgotten you? Is he not able to deliver you?
• If you are in such situation, just remember that on the cross when Lord Jesus was suffering the people, the soldiers and one of the criminals taunted him saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” Luke 23:34. To this Lord Jesus did not retaliate nor responded but submitted his spirit to the will of God for He put his trust in the Living God who was able to raise him up to become the Eternal King.

Triumph after suffering

• Just as God was able to glorify Christ after suffering at the cross, the church will also be glorified through Lord Jesus at his second coming. Just like the psalmists who longed to be in the temple of God, you too should be readily waiting like the five virgins who were waiting for the bridegroom. For you do not know the day or the hour Lord Jesus will return to take his children home.

So, instead of being downcast or disturbed, let’s praise God like the sons of Korah for giving you hope of eternal life through Christ Jesus, the Lord and Saviour of the whole world.