Today's Reading: Psalm 42 & Jonah 2:1-9
Deep calls to deep... What exactly does that mean? I've often heard this phase used in songs or poetry and I've always wondered what exactly was the writer referring to, so when I learned that I was assigned to write on Psalm 42 today, I decided it was time to research this psalm to find out its meaning!
I truly believe for us to get the utmost from our study in the psalms this year, we need to gather as much information as we can from Hebrew scholars, for it is their wisdom that will bring more life to the psalm for us. That being said, I want to start with a bit of the back ground to this psalm and you can tell me later if you concur.
The psalm begins:
__Book II - Psalm 42-72
There are actually five books included in the Book of Psalm and we have now already completed the first book! (I hope that makes you feel accomplished!) Book 1 ends with this important refrain, “Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel—From eternity unto eternity, Amen and Amen.”(Psalm 41:14). This refrain or some form similar will close out each of the books of psalm with Psalm 150 being just one big blessing to God. (Pretty neat, huh?)
__For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.
I previously shared that the term Maskil probably comes from the Hebrew verb (sakal), which means, “to understand.”
Here's an interesting note I hadn't shared before:
"Typically, this has been seen either as a liturgical term or a musical tune or beat to which this psalm would be sung. Some scholars have thus understood these Maskils to be memory verses and others have suggested that it is simply a designation for wisdom literature put to music" _(The Preacher's Study emphasis mine)
(Since I've been trying to put more Scriptures to memory, I thought that was pretty neat that they too put verses to music in order to remember them better.)
Psalm 42 was written by the "Sons of Korah". The sons of Korah were leaders of the tabernacle and because it is mentioned how he “used to go to the house of God . . . with shouts of joy” (verse 4), and also writes as if he is east of the Jordan River (verse 6), and he hears the taunting of an enemy (verse 10), it is believed that the writers of this psalm were accompanying King David as he was driven from Jerusalem by his rebellious son Absalom (2 Samuel 15).
As David and those faithful to him fled for their lives, they are looking back in sadness at their home of Jerusalem. Psalm 42 is essentially a record of their thoughts during that time of exile and the longing they feel in their hearts for home and all that is familiar to them.
I found this description in Handfuls on Purpose for Christian Workers and Bible Students and thought it summed up the phase beautifully: “The deep of man’s need calleth unto the deep of God’s fulness; and the deep of God’s fulness calleth unto the deep of man’s need. Between our emptiness and His all-sufficiency there is a great gulf. . . . Deep calleth unto deep. The deep mercy of God needs our emptiness, into which it might pour itself. . . . Nothing can fully meet the depth of our need but the depth of His Almighty fulness” (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971. Vol. 8, p. 11.)
Have you ever experienced that sense of longing?
We can understand the meaning of deep calls to deep when we recognize that our needs are great, but the riches of God are greater. Our wisdom and understanding is finite, but His knowledge and judgments are infinite and unsearchable (Romans 11:33–34). The height, breadth, and depth of God’s resources are without measure and I personally believe God purposely takes us through periods like that to show us not only our need, but His riches and ability to meet ALL our needs.
How amazing is it to know that He seeks us out? He searches our innermost being. He desires us, wretched sinners that we are. When we had/have no desire for Him, He still pursues us. His breath gives us life; His Spirit awakens our soul. He gives us the ability to see His beauty and love in ways that are only possible through Him.
In the depths of the sons of Korsh's despair, they found help in the depth of God’s goodness, and they were able to say in conclusion, “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again—my Savior and my God!” (Psalm 42:11).
Time to Reflect:
Can you recall a time in your past when God answered your deep, heart-felt longing? Perhaps the situation hadn't changed at that time, as in the case of this psalm, but being reminded of God's care, compassion and His involvement made all the difference?
Are you quick to pour your heart out to God, or are you one who keeps it suppressed too long?
I hope you'll come share on WitW and brag on our Father and Savior a bit today.
Let's Pray:
O Father, deep calls to deep so my heart longs to answer your call to go deeper and more intimate in my relationship with You. I can actually thank You for the times of loneliness and despair, for even then I am never alone, and now I realize that it is in those seasons when I grow to know and love You more. Forgive me for the times when my thoughts turn inward and I grow sorrowful and depressed, and help me to run to You right away. Help me to remember You are always there calling me deeper. In Your precious Son's name I pray. Amen.
Blessings,