Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

• He paid back his enemies- “ …so I can pay them back!” (10) • He triumphed over his enemies- “ I know that you are pleased with me, for you have not let my enemy triumph over me.” (11) • His life was preserved- “ You have preserved my life because I am innocent:”(12) • He is in the presence of God- “ …you have brought me into your presence forever.” (12

The writer seemingly cannot make his praises ‘big enough’ to worship and bless the great God of Israel. For all the amazing prayers, songs and inspired thoughts of the previous 41 psalms he sings:

“ BLESS THE LORD, (Yahweh) THE GOD OF ISRAEL, WHO LIVES FOREVER FROM ETERNAL AGES PAST.

AMEN AND AMEN!”

BOOK ll: EXODUS

PSALM 42: AS THE DEER Breaking the Cycle of Discouragement

A worship leader who has been exiled from the public expression of worship and is struggling with discouragement writes this psalm. Like the Jordan River that finds its source in the mountains of Her- mon, the writer rediscovers their source of joy in the unfailing love of God. They begin with famished thirst for the Lord and end with waterfalls of God’s presence sweeping over them. Psalm 42 and 43 are tra- ditionally thought of as one poem that is divided by the verse that is repeated 3 different times (Ps. 42:5, 11; 43:5) “ Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in god! I will praise him again- my Sav- ior and my God!”

I SEARCHING FOR THE STREAMS - 1-5 II SINGING HIS SONGS - 6-11 III. THE SOURCE OF ALL MY JOY - 43:4

This is the first psalm in the Second Book of Psalms; (42-72) that corresponds to the Book of Exo- dus. In the First Book of Psalms (1-41), the dominant name for God was ‘Yah’ or ‘Yahweh’ used 272 times. In this Second Book, the dominant name for God is Elohim, used 164 times 1 . Unlike the First Book where David calls upon Yahweh to deliver him from his enemies, the Second Book focuses upon the Tabernacle and the glory of the Lord (Elohim) that is revealed there.

INTRODUCTION:

“ For the choir director: A Psalm of the descendants of Korah.”

Korah was one of the chiefs of the tribe of Levi who led a rebellion against Moses in Numbers chap- ter 16. He accused Moses of “ taking too much authority upon himself.”(Num. 16:3) Dathan and Abiram joined him from the tribe of Rueben as well as 250 additional leaders. He was a worship leader who had a serious problem with authority; “ …Korah had stirred up the entire community against Moses and Aaron, and they all assembled at the Tabernacle entrance.”(Num. 16:19) God wanted to destroy the en- tire community but Moses interceded for them and God said: “ Then tell all the people to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”(Num. 16:24) The Lord judged the unrepentant Levite: “ The earth opened up and swallowed the men, along with their households and the followers who were stand- ing with them, and everything they owned.”(Num. 16:32) Fire devoured the additional 250 leaders and the rebellion ceased.

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