Transcript

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 42 ERV; Ch. 43 NKJV; Ch. 44 CEV

Podcast Introduction

This is Psalms Wednesday, and we’ll read Chapters 42-44. I’ll I’m calling this episode ˆAre You Thirsty?”

Comments on Psalms 42-44

Introduction to Psalm 42

This is the first psalm of Book Two of Psalms. There are certainly differences between books one and two. One difference is the Hebrew word for God. Commentator James Montgomery Boice wrote, “According to Franz Delitsch, in book one the name Jehovah occurs 272 times and Elohim only 15. But in book two, Elohim occurs 164 times and Jehovah only 30 times.”  

In Book One, David is the author of all but four of the 41 psalms, with those four having no attributions. In Book Two, which contains 31 chapters, David wrote eighteen, Asaph and Solomon each wrote one, the sons of Korah authored seven or eight, and three have no attribution.

The title of Psalm 42 is “To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah”. Who were the sons of Korah?

They were Levites from the tribe of Kohath, and according to 1 Chronicles 20:19 they “…stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high…” in the temple, so it appears that they were part of what we might call the worship band.

Introduction to Psalm 43

This psalm has no title, and there is no indication of who the writer is. G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “This psalm is either a part of the previous one or is closely connected with it.” As a matter of fact, many ancient Hebrew manuscripts have Psalms 42 and 43 combined into just one psalm. 

Introduction to Psalm 44

This psalm’s title is “To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation Of the sons of Korah.”

The writers speak of a time of defeat for the nation, and they ask God to deliver them, to rescue them. We don’t know the specific time it was written.

Thoughts on Psalms 42

More years ago than I care to remember, I was an apprentice carpenter. The first job I was on was building condominiums in Palm Desert, California. Palm Desert is next door to Palm Springs. So as you might think from the name of the town, Palm Desert is indeed in the  Southern California desert. And as luck would have it, this project was in the summer. I looked up the temperatures in July and August 1978, the year I had this job. Most every day the temperature reached 110 degrees. We would begin our day’s work at 5 am, if memory serves, when the temperature was only about 85, but once the sun came up, the mercury would quickly rise.

Verse 1 and 2 in the NLT more accurately captures the author’s meaning than our translation today, the ERV. It says, “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. 2I thirst for God, the living God.”

This verse is inextricably tied in my mind to my time as a carpenter’s apprentice in Palm Desert. I know what it’s like to long for fresh, cold water. 

And there have been times in my life where I felt that, spiritually, I was in a desert. Separated from God. Of course, when I feel a disconnect from God, it’s my fault, because God doesn’t change….He certainly didn’t go anywhere. If someone drifted away, I’m the drifter. But God is faithful. He lets me do what I do. And as a good Father, He lets me feel the consequences of my wandering ways. And without fail, I begin to thirst, I begin to long for His presence again. 

I recently told you about, and asked you to pray for my son who has declared that he is now an atheist. The fervent and ongoing prayers of LeeAnn and I for him are that he would experience this same longing for God that the authors of this psalm wrote about, and that I myself have experienced. A deer is driven by thirst to that cool stream of water. My prayer is that my son will be driven to the refreshing arms of a loving God.

Is there anyone in your life like this? Don’t give up praying for them. 

I prayed for my dad for many, many years. I began praying for him when I became a Christian as a teenager, and it wasn’t until about thirty years later that my dad finally surrendered to the Lord just before he died. So don’t ever give up praying for your loved ones who don’t know the Lord. LeeAnn and I will be praying for our boy until we see him return to the Lord or until our last breath. 

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Transcript

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Transcript corrected by Sister Denise

Psalms 42-44: Are You Thirsty? (LSOYB S13E102)

[TEASER – 0:00]
Spiritually, I was in a desert.

[INTRO S13E102 – 0:10]
Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring One Year Bible, formerly the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. It’s the same show just a different title. Podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is a daily podcast where, yes, we are reading through the entire Bible in a year. This is Psalms Wednesday, and we’ll read chapters 42 through 44. I’m calling the episode “Are You Thirsty?” As always with the Psalms before each one, I’ll have an introduction for you. And then afterwards, I’ll have some comments. Since this is Wednesday, we will have a time of prayer today.

Now, before we get to the reading, let’s pray.

Our heavenly Father, Lord, we love you so much. And we thank you for this wonderful time around your Word. I pray that you would bless us as we read and that you would teach us I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

All right, let’s begin.

[INTRO TO PSALM 42 – 1:05]
Psalm 42 is the first psalm of Book Two of the book of Psalms and there are certainly differences between Books One and Two. One difference is the Hebrew word for “God.” Commentator James Montgomery Boice wrote, “According to Franz Delitsch, in book one, the name Jehovah occurs 272 times and Elohim only 15. But in book two, Elohim occurs 164 times and Jehovah only 30 times.”

In Book One, David is the author of all but four of the forty-one Psalms with those four having no attributions. In Book Two, which contains thirty-one chapters, David wrote eighteen, Asaph and Solomon each wrote one, the sons of Korah authored seven or eight, and three have no attribution.

The title of Psalm 42 is “To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah”. So who were the sons of Korah?

Well, they were Levites, from the tribe of Kohath. And according to 1 Chronicles 20:19, they “…stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high…” They did this in the temple. So it appears that they were part of what we might call the worship band.

[PSALM 42 (ERV) – 2:18]
Psalms, chapter 42.

(1) Like a deer drinking from a stream,
I reach out to you, my God.
(2) My soul thirsts for the living God.
When can I go to meet with him?
(3) Instead of food, I have only tears day and night,
as my enemies laugh at me and say, “Where is your God?”

(4) My heart breaks as I remember the pleasant times in the past,
when I walked with the crowds as I led them up to God’s Temple.
I remember the happy songs of praise
as they celebrated the festival.

(5-6) Why am I so sad?
Why am I so upset?
I tell myself, “Wait for God’s help!
You will again be able to praise him,
your God, the one who will save you.”
In my sadness I say, “I will remember you from here on this small hill,
where Mount Hermon and the Jordan River meet.”
(7) I hear the roar of the water coming from deep within the earth.
It shouts to the water below as it tumbles down the waterfall.
God, your waves come one after another,
crashing all around and over me.

(8) By day the Lord shows his faithful love,
and at night I have a song for him—a prayer for the God of my life.
(9) I say to God, my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I suffer this sadness that my enemies have brought me?”
(10) Their constant insults are killing me.
They never stop asking, “Where is your God?”

(11) Why am I so sad?
Why am I so upset?
I tell myself, “Wait for God’s help!
You will again be able to praise him,
your God, the one who will save you.”

[INTRO TO PSALM 43 – 3:56]
Psalm 43 has no title and there’s no indication of who the writer is. G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “This psalm is either part of the previous one or is closely connected with it.” As a matter of fact, many ancient Hebrew manuscripts have Psalms 42 and 43 combined into just one psalm.

[PSALM 43 (NKJV) – 4:17]
Psalms, chapter 43.

(1) Vindicate me, O God,
And plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!
(2) For You are the God of my strength;
Why do You cast me off?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
(3) Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your tabernacle.
(4) Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.
(5) Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.

[INTRO TO PSALM 44 – 5:03]
The title of Psalm 44 is “To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah.”

So this was written by the sons of Korah. And they speak of a time of defeat for the nation, and they asked God to deliver them to rescue them. We don’t know the specific time this was written, so it could apply to any of them.

[PSALM 44 (CEV) – 5:24]
Psalms, chapter 44.

(1) Our God, our ancestors told us
what wonders you worked
and we listened carefully.
(2) You chased off the nations
by causing them trouble
with your powerful arm.
Then you let our ancestors
take over their land.
(3) Their strength and weapons
were not what won the land
and gave them victory!
You loved them and fought
with your powerful arm
and your shining glory.

(4) You are my God and King,
and you give victory
to the people of Jacob.
(5) By your great power,
we knocked our enemies down
and trampled on them.
(6) I don’t depend on my arrows
or my sword to save me.
(7) But you saved us
from our hateful enemies,
and you put them to shame.
(8) We boast about you, our God,
and we are always grateful.

(9) But now you have rejected us;
you don’t lead us into battle,
and we look foolish.
(10) You made us retreat,
and our enemies have taken
everything we own.
(11) You let us be slaughtered
like sheep,
and you scattered us
among the nations.
(12) You sold your people
for little or nothing,
and you earned no profit.

(13) You made us look foolish
to our neighbors;
people who live nearby
insult us and sneer.
(14) Foreigners joke about us
and shake their heads.
(15) I am embarrassed every day,
and I blush with shame.
(16) But others mock and sneer,
as they watch my enemies
take revenge on me.
(17) All this happened to us,
though we didn’t forget you
or break our agreement.
(18) We always kept you in mind
and followed your teaching.
(19) But you crushed us,
and you covered us
with deepest darkness
where wild animals live.

(20) We did not forget you
or lift our hands in prayer
to foreign gods.
(21) You would have known it
because you discover
every secret thought.
(22) We face death all day for you.
We are like sheep on their way
to be slaughtered.

(23) Wake up! Do something, Lord!
Why are you sleeping?
Don’t desert us forever.
(24) Why do you keep looking away?
Don’t forget our sufferings
and all our troubles.
(25) We are flat on the ground,
holding on to the dust.
(26) Do something! Help us!
Show how kind you are
and come to our rescue.

[COMMENTARY – 7:36]
I’ve got some thoughts today on Psalm 42. A long time ago, it seems like another lifetime more years ago than I care to remember, I was an apprentice carpenter. The first job I was on was building condominiums in Palm Desert, California. Palm Desert is next door to Palm Springs, so as you might think from the name of the town, Palm Desert is indeed in the Southern California desert. And as luck would have it, this project was in the summertime. I looked up the temperatures in July and August of 1978, the year I had this job, and most every day the temperature reached at least 110 degrees. We began our day’s work at 5am. If memory serves when the temperature was only about 85. But once the sun came up, the mercury would take off.

Verse 1 and 2 in the New Living Translation more accurately captures the author’s meaning than our translation today of chapter 42, the Easy-to-Read Version. The NLT says, “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God.”

Well, Beloved, this verse is inextricably tied in my mind to my time as a carpenter’s apprentice in Palm Desert. I know what it’s like to long for fresh, cold water.

And there have been times in my life when I felt that, spiritually, I was in a desert separated from God. Of course, when I feel a disconnect from God, it’s my fault because God doesn’t change. He certainly doesn’t go anywhere. If someone drifted away, I’m the drifter. But God is faithful. He lets me do what I do. And as a good father, he lets me feel the consequences of my wandering ways. And without fail, I begin to thirst. I begin to long for his presence again.

I recently told you about and asked you to pray for my son who has declared that he is now an atheist. The fervent and ongoing prayers of LeeAnn and I for him are that he would experience this same longing for God that the authors of this psalm wrote about and that I myself have experienced. A deer is driven by thirst to that cool stream of water. My prayer is that my son will be driven to the refreshing arms of a loving God.

Is there anyone in your life like this? Don’t give up praying for them.

I prayed for my dad for many, many years. I began praying for him when I became a Christian as a teenager. And it wasn’t until about 30 years later that my dad finally surrendered to the Lord just before he died. So don’t ever give up praying for your loved ones who don’t know the Lord. LeeAnn and I will be praying for our boy until we see him return to the Lord, or until our last breath.

[LIFESPRING FAMILY HOTLINE – 10:32]
What are your thoughts? Call the Lifespring Family Hotline at +1-951-732-8511. You can also comment at comment.lifespringmedia.com and you can always email me at st***@*************ia.com. I do read every comment, and there’s a good chance I’ll play your audio comment or read your comment right here on the show.

Tomorrow is Poetry Thursday, and we’ll read Job 29 and 30.

[SUPPORT THE SHOW – 10:57]
I have someone to thank today. Anonymous sent in $25 with this note: “In memory of Diamond.” You might be familiar with Diamond and Silk. They became popular in 2016 for their political commentary videos. They were sisters. And Diamond, whose name was Lynnette Hardaway, passed away this past Monday at the age of just 51 with no cause of death given publicly as I record this. We’ll talk a bit more about this in our prayer segment today. Thank you so much, Anonymous, for the donation. God bless you.

[PRAYER REQUESTS AND PRAISE REPORTS – 11:42]
We have several prayer requests today and this segment will be a bit longer than normal. From Anonymous. This person wrote, “Prayers for Lynnette Hardaway better known as Diamond from Diamond and Silk. Calling her death ‘really bad news for Republicans,’ Former President Donald Trump said this on his Truth Social platform, ‘Our beautiful Diamond of Diamond and Silk has just passed away at her home in the state she loved so much, North Carolina.'”

Beloved, I don’t talk about politics per se on the show. When the day’s reading brings up a topic that happens to coincide with something that our culture is grappling with, I talk about it, giving what I believe to be what the Bible says about that topic. And of course, I have political opinions. But I don’t think you listen to the show to hear those. You listen to hear the Word of God. So my comment on Diamond’s death is that since I believe that Diamond professed to love the Lord, we should rejoice that she’s with him now. As the Apostle Paul said, “For a believer to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” If she followed Jesus in this life, right now she is in the best possible place. And regardless of whether you agree or disagree with her politics, it’s always hard to lose a loved one, especially at a young age. We should pray for her family and her friends that they would feel God’s loving comfort and will be drawn closer to him.

This is a time when we’re reminded that we do not know how long our life will be. None of us are guaranteed a long life or even our next breath. Some people think that they’ll, quote, sow their wild oats, unquote, while they’re young, and then, quote, get right with God, when they’re old, and preferably at the last possible moment. But, Beloved, that’s a bad plan. Not only can death come very, very quickly with no warning and giving you no time to make that decision. But to do that is to rob yourself of the incomparable, inexpressible blessings of following and serving him now. Being a Christian is not just about getting “fire insurance.” It’s about having a relationship with God. And to deliberately put off having that relationship is robbing yourself of the relationship that you were created to have. I was 35 years old when the Lovely Lady LeeAnn and I were married. And I have often said to her, “I wish we were married sooner so that I could have had many more years with you.” And I’ve heard some people say the very same thing about coming to the Lord when they were older. They say I wish I had given my life to the Lord when I was younger so that I could have served him sooner.

Oh, Beloved, if you’re listening to me right now, and have not made the decision to ask Jesus to be your Savior and your Lord, why put it off? Why wait? The Bible says that “today is the day of salvation.” You can be assured that you will spend eternity with Jesus. But more than that, you can have a friendship, a peace, a relationship with him now. All you have to do is ask him. Ask him to forgive your sins. Ask Him to be your Lord. Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him and he with me.”

Beloved, he won’t barge in. You have to ask him. Settle it now. Don’t wait. Invite him in. If you’d like to do that, I’m going to lead you in a prayer where you’ll do that. Pray with me, either silently in your heart or out loud. Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I’ve broken your commandments and fallen short of your standards. Right now I turn from that sin and ask you to come into my life. Be my Lord, my Savior, my friend, my God. I put my faith in Jesus Christ, in Him alone, to save me from my sins. Thank you for loving me and calling me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Beloved, if you prayed that prayer and meant it, I am so happy for you. Congratulations, you have begun a new life. You truly are a new person. The Bible says, “Behold, the old has gone, the new has come.”

And I have a Bible that I would love to send to you at no charge. It’s called the New Believer’s Bible, and it has hundreds of notes in it that will help you to get started as a new Christian. It’s a New Testament in a very easy-to-understand translation, the New Living Translation. If you’ll email me at st***@*************ia.com, and tell me you prayed with me to accept Jesus, I’ll mail it to you right away. Just let me know in the email where to send it. And I won’t put you on a mailing list or share your information with anyone. This is only so that I can send this New Believer’s Bible to you. It’s right here in my studio waiting for you to ask for it – st***@*************ia.com.

Okay, back to the prayer requests, sorry for the side trip. But I really felt led to have that conversation.

This call came in on the Lifespring Family Hotline.

[JOHN FROM CANADA – 17:03]
“Steve it’s John from Canada here. Thank you so much for your show today on the Corinthians. As you went through prayer time today, I was reminded that I should call in, and this call may not be as organized or succinct as I’d like ’cause I’m driving but I have a couple cousins that I’d like to pray for. One, his name is Josh, recently committed suicide. And so prayers for his, his family, my aunts and uncles, and family. And it’s because of COVID we haven’t seen much of that side of the family for quite some time.

And then I learned just recently that another cousin, Emily, is apparently considering that same option, which is horrible, and talking in that direction and her parents are seeking help for her and we’re praying for her. So we pray that Emily would see value in her life and, and know that God has placed her here for a reason. She grew up in a Christian family. I do not know if she still attends church or if she’s a believer or not. But prayers for her.

And lastly, another cousin (yeah, lots of family stuff over the last few weeks) that I chatted with over Christmas and, and asked if they had found that a good church and they basically told me they don’t believe in God. And I, I know she was raised in a… in a church family and I don’t know whether she ever made a decision, but it’s clear that they’re no longer a part of it. So we’ve been praying for her as a family.

So those are the things in my heart. And lastly, I know that timing-wise won’t be out before we leave, but prayer works in all directions. We are attempting to visit some family in the US, leaving tomorrow. And as you might be aware, the Biden Administration still has a ban on unvaccinated entry. And so we do not know whether we will be allowed to get in or not. We have heard from other people that some have been successful, some have not. It all depends on the border guard. And so we’re praying for a good border experience that we’ll be able to get across the border and be able to see family. It’s been almost four years since they closed the border. Maybe not 4 years. What is it? March 2020, so 3 years. So it’s been, it’s been a long time. And so we are praying that we’re going to be able to get in but I’m also praying that I would be calm, and whatever the answer is, that it’s God’s will whether we go or whether we stay. So, thank you Steve for all you do.

[PRAYER REQUESTS AND PRAISE REPORTS (CONT;D) – 19:40]
Well, John, thanks so much for calling in. It’s good to hear your voice. I’m so sorry for the loss of your cousin, Josh. Such a tragedy to lose someone to suicide. I’m so sorry. And to know that Emily is considering the same thing is such a heartbreak. We’ll pray that she comes to realize that she is loved and does have value and a future. Suicide is a permanent answer to a temporary situation. And to have family members that have walked away from God is, as you know, something I’m all too familiar with. Of course, by the time you hear this, you will already know what happened at the border. But like you said, prayer works in all directions, because God is outside of time. For us, time is linear, past, present, and future but for God, all time is Now. There is no past, present, and future. So we will pray that it went according to his will. Okay, let’s pray.

Our heavenly Father, oh, how we love you. We are so thankful for your loving care. We thank you that you’re faithful to your promises and that you never change. We thank you that there’s nothing beyond your ability. We thank you that you’re just and righteous and merciful. We thank you that you called us and that you’ve made it possible for us to have a relationship with you, because of your precious Son, Jesus.

Lord, we lift up the family of Lynnette Hardaway better known as Diamond. The heartbreak they must be feeling now has got to be great. And we ask that you would comfort them now. Hold them in your loving arms, Lord, and we pray that you would use this time to draw them close to you. We thank you for her life and for the fact that we know that she is with you if she did indeed trust you as her Savior.

And we pray for Josh’s family. Oh, Father, they need you now. Help them to remember the good times with him and not how those times came to an end. Father, give them strength. Give them your peace that passes all understanding. Then for Emily, Lord, I pray that you will open her eyes to the truth that you love her. I pray that she gets good and effective counseling and that you would lead her parents to the right place. Show Emily that as long as she holds on to you there is hope. And not just pie-in-the-sky hope. But the reality that in you is everything she needs.

For Jon’s family members and for my son and for the family members of all who are listening right now who have either turned their backs on you or who have never trusted you. I pray that the scales would fall from their eyes and that their hearts would be quickened. I pray that they would develop a thirst that only you can satisfy, a thirst to know you. I pray that the reality of who you are would become undeniable. Help them to see you, Lord, through the words of trusted friends or through whatever means necessary to cause them to fall on their knees and call on you. Lord, you made each person to be unique. And you work with each one of us according to that uniqueness. So I pray that whatever way will be the most effective, you will accomplish your will in their lives. We trust you, Lord because you have proven over and over and over again that you are trustworthy. And you love these people who do not yet know you. So we place them in your care now and pray that they will come to know you.

Lord, I thank you for each one listening right now for the Lifespring family. Bless them, Lord, I pray that we would walk closely with you and that you would help us to please you, to do what you would have us to do more faithfully each day. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Beloved, our next time for sharing praises and prayer requests will be Sunday. Let me know what God is doing in your life or how the Lifespring family can pray for you. Go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com.

[OUTRO S13E102 – 23:46]
I would love to hear from you. Call the Lifespring Family Hotline at 951-732-8511 or go to comment.lifespringmedia.com or send me an old-fashioned email at st***@*************ia.com. It doesn’t have to be anything special. My goodness, you could just say, Hi.

My thanks to Kirsty – and by the way, I still need someone to raise their hand and say “Yes, Steve, I’ll help with the newsletter.” And I thank Denise, Michael Haner, and Scott Snider. God bless each of you.

And until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. Thank you for inviting me into your day. I do not take that privilege for granted. I hope to see you tomorrow right here. My name is Steve Webb. Bye.

[LIFESPRING MEDIA PROMO – 24:31]
Lifespring Media bringing the message of hope, love, and good news since 2004.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai