June 21, 2007

Psalms 40-45
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1. (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
3. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
4. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5. Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
6. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
7. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
8. I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
9. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.
10. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
11. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
12. For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.
13. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.
14. Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.
15. Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.
16. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.
17. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

1. (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
2. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
3. The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
4. I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.
5. Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?
6. And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.
7. All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.
8. An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
9. Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
10. But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.
11. By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
12. And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.
13. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

1. (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?
3. My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.

1. Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
2. For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3. O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
4. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
5. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

1. (To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil.) We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.
2. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.
3. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.
4. Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.
5. Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
6. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
7. But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.
8. In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
9. But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.
10. Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.
11. Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.
12. Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.
13. Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
14. Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.
15. My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,
16. For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.
17. All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.
18. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;
19. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.
20. If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;
21. Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22. Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
23. Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.
24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25. For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
26. Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.

1. (To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves.) My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
3. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.
4. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
5. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.
6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
7. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
8. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
9. Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
10. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house;
11. So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.
12. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.
13. The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.
14. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.
15. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace.
16. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.
17. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.

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Psalm 42 is yet another great song of comfort in times of distress. David must have been weeping for quite some time for he says that his tears have been his meat day and night (3). Perhaps he has been unable to eat because of his sorrow as well. He is in such agony of spirit that he can not control his emotions. He says in verses 5 and 11 that his soul is cast down and disquieted within him. The expression "cast down" means to be depressed, and "disquieted" means to be in a commotion or tumult. The psalmist's condition is such that his thoughts are running wild through his head, and the end result is that he is becoming very discouraged about his present situation. Undoubtedly many of us have felt this way at one time or another. We seem unable to think about what we should, and our minds race with thoughts of impending doom. The unsaved world doesn't help, for they mock our condition, challenging whether or not our God is capable of solving our problems (3) and ridiculing us for putting our confidence in a God Who would allow such a tragedy to befall us.

David opens the psalm by stating that he is panting after God. Perhaps this refers to his desire for God to intervene on his behalf, or perhaps it simply means that he has a great desire for the Lord. Either way, we see that David's focus is placed in the right Person. He is thirsty for Jehovah, as a man who suffers dehydration in the desert would thirst for a cup of cold water. When a man is truly parched, there is nothing else that can suffice besides a drink. Conversation, entertainment, or even a bite to eat are far from his thoughts. He must have water, and he must have it now. This is David's view of God, and should be ours as well. Do we thirst for God? The Beatitudes pronounce a blessing upon those who "hunger and thirst after righteousness" (Matt 5:6). Would we qualify? Is the presence of God more valuable to us than anything else, and would we be willing to sacrifice all to have Him? David certainly would have.

David is reminded in verse 4 of better times. He remembers going to the House of God and praying and praising there. He remembers times when the multitudes were with him, and they worshipped the Lord together. Apparently those days seem to be gone, and David seems to be standing alone. Yet David comes to the conclusion that there is no need for him to be depressed, for God is still God. The same God that he worshipped in the House of God is his Hope for the future (5). Men may change, and their affections for both us and the Lord may be fickle, but the Lord is ever the same. If He was worthy of joy and praise before, He still is today. He will help David simply by His countenance. Have you ever been in an uncomfortable situation and found relief by seeing a familiar, smiling face? This is what David is saying - simply seeing the face of God through the eyes of faith is enough to keep him going. Is simply knowing that God Is enough for us?

In spite of his heartaches, David knows that the Lord will care for him. In verse 8 he speaks of God's lovingkindness and His song in the night. He feels like the Lord has forgotten him (9), but yet he knows in his heart that this is not the case, for even in his questioning of God he still refers to Him as his Rock; the One Who will shield him, protect him and raise him up above his enemies. He knows that the Lord still loves him, and will be gracious to him because of that love. He knows that even though the darkness may fall, leaving him without light or companionship, the Lord will still give him the joy in his soul that will allow him to sing praises unto God. Thus, he concludes by raising the same questions that he did earlier in the song: "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me?" There is no reason for David to be gloomy, for God is still on the throne, and He will provide whatever he needs.

Trials are real, and it's easy to get discouraged. When those times come, remember who God is, what He has done in the past, and trust in what He will do in the future.

Pastor Dr. Mark J Montgomery