Psalms 42 - Introduction

Psalms 42: PSALMS 42-72. THE SECOND, OR EXODUS BOOK*. ISRAEL. 42-49. CONCERNING ISRAEL''S RUIN. 50-60. CONCERNING ISRAEL''S REDEEMER. 61-72. CONCERNING ISRAEL''S REDEMPTION. 42-49. ISRAEL''S RUIN. 42-43 THE RUIN AND OPPRESSION REALIZED (Psalms 42:9; Psalms 43:2). NO HELP FROM MAN. IT OPENS WITH CRYING AND TEARS AS EXODUS DOES. (Cp. Exodus 2:23; Exodus 3:7; Exodus 6:9.) 44 THE CRY FOR HELP TO THE DELIVERER AND REDEEMER (vv. Psa 42:23-26). 45 THE DELIVERER PRAISED. ANSWER TO THE CRY. 46 THE HELP OF THE DELIVERER. (Cp. Psalms 48:8) 47 48 THE DELIVERER PRAISED. (Cp. Psalms 48:8 with Psalms 44:1.) 49 THE RUIN, AND NEED OF REDEMPTION REALIZED. NO HELP FROM MAN (v. 7), ONLY FROM GOD Psa 42:15). 50 60. ISRAEL''S REDEEMER. 50 GOD SPEAKS TO HIS PEOPLE. HE BREAKS THE SILENCE AS IN Exodus 3:4. Cp. Hebrews 12:25; Hebrews 12:26. 51 TRANSGRESSION. CONFESSED AND FORGIVEN. 52 53 54 55 TRANSGRESSORS. UNCONFESSED AND DESTROYED. 56 57 58 59 60 GOD''S PEOPLE SPEAK TO HIM OF ISRAEL''S REDEEMER AND HIS WORK:TELLING OF DEATH AND RESURRECTION (MICHTAM. Appdx-65. XII). 61 72. ISRAEL''S REDEMPTION. 61 62 63 64 ISRAEL WAITS FOR DELIVERANCE "FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH", WHICH IS THE WORK OF GOD ALONE (Psalms 64:9). 65 ZION WAITS FOR HER BLESSING. 66 67 PRAISE PROMISED. THE TROUBLE REMEMBERED (Psalms 66:10). 68 THE ANSWER TO 61 67. GOD ARISES. "BLESSED BE GOD" (v. 35). 69 THE KING WAITS FOR DELIVERANCE (v. 14) FROM SUFFERINGS, SHAME, AND SORROW. (THE TRESPASS OFFERING) 70 THE KING WAITS FOR DELIVERANCE. "MAKE HASTE". 71 PRAISE PROMISED (vv. Psa 42:22-24). THE TROUBLE REMEMBERED (v. 20). 72 THE ANSWER. THE KING BEGINS. "BLESSED BE THE LORD GOD" (v. 18). THIS WAS ALL HIS DESIRE (2 Samuel 23:5). THE REDEEMED NATION BLESSED, AND. BLESSING TO ALL NATIONS. * EXODUS is the Greek and is the name given to the book by the Septuagint Translators as descriptive of its chief eventthe going out of Israel from Egypt. But the Hebrew title for it is (ve''elleh shemoth), "AND THESE ARE THE NAMES." The Book is thus called because it begins with the names of those who came into the place whence they were redeemed and delivered from their ruin and oppression. It is indeed the book of " the NAMES "; for not only does the Lord speak so pointedly of knowing Moses "by name" (Psalms 33:12; Psalms 33:17), but Moses asks by what Name he is to speak of the God of their fathers to the Israelites (Psa 3:13), and the Lord reveals His Name (Psa 3:14, Psa 3:15); while in Psalms 6:3; Psalms 33:19; Psalms 34:5, He further proclaims it. So, again, of the "Angel" that was sent before the People (Psa 23:20), Jehovah said, "My Name is in Him" (Psa 23:21). Moses speaks to Pharaoh in the Name of Jehovah (Psa 5:23); and Pharaoh is raised up "that My Name may be declared throughout all the earth" (Psalms 9:16). It is in this book that we first have the third Commandment concerning the Name of the Lord (Psalms 20:7). Bezaleel is said to have been "called" by name (Psalms 31:2), whereas. different phrase is used of Aholiab (Psalms 31:6) both here and in 35:30 and 34. It is in Exodus also that we have the particular instructions as to the engraving of the names on the shoulder-stones of the ephod (Psa 28:9-12), and on the breastplate stones (15-21), which were strictly carried out (Psa 39:6-14). Thus "the names of the sons of Israel" were borne before the Lord with the Redeeming Blood in the Holy of Holies. Moreover, these names appear at the beginning of Exodus, in connection with the RUIN; and at the end in connection with the REDEMPTION "before God in the Sanctuary"; while we have the Name of the REDEEMER proclaimed and celebrated throughout, "The LORD is His name" (Exodus 15:3). Exodus is therefore the Book of REDEMPTION:and Redemption is individual and by name. It is the book in which the REDEMPTION of the People is first mentioned:" Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the People which Thou hast REDEEMED:Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation." (Exodus 15:13). The Title " Exodus " also occurs in Luke 9:31 (rendered " decease " in A. V. and R.V.), where it is the subject of which Messiah spake with Moses and Elijah on "the holy mount". This subject was His REDEMPTION work, viz. the "exodus which He should accomplish at Jerusalem", which was the great Antitype of that accomplished by Moses. The types of Exodus are also types of Redemption. The Divine title JAH (see Appdx-4. III), the. concentrated form of Jehovah, occurs for the first time in the Book of Exodus (Psalms 15:3); and it occurs also for the first time in the Psalms in this second or Exodus Book (Psalms 68:4). In this second Book of the Psalms we find the subject-matter corresponding with that of Exodus. Like the other books, its teaching is dispensational. In the Genesis Book, Man is the central thought; in this Exodus Book, it is the Nation of Israel around which the counsels and purposes of God are centered. It opens with the " cry " from the depth of the Ruin and Oppression, as Exodus does; and it ends with the King reigning over the redeemed Nation (Psalms 72), brought "again the second time" from the four corners of the earth (Isaiah 11:11); as it was brought the first time from Egypt; and, at length, made. blessing to all the families of the earth. Of the Divine names and titles:Elohim occurs 262 times (two of them with Jehovah), El 14 times, and Jehovah only 37 times. Note the references to Sinai, Miriam, and other events in Exodus in this second Book. Psalms 42 and 43 are linked together by. recurring question and answer. See the Structure (p. 759). As Ps, 32 is the Sin Offering and Psalms 40 the Burnt Offering, so Psalms 69 is the Trespass Offering.