Psalm 42:1–11; 43:1–5

Bible Studies for Life
Associate Professor of Religion, Department of Religion, Samford University

I Long for You
Psalm 42:1–11; 43:1–5

Thirsting for God (42:1–5)
The opening verse magnifies the psalmist’s need for God by employing the image of thirst. His soul “thirsts for God” (see also Psalm 63:1; 143:6). Thirst is not just a desire, because the human body cannot live without water. This “stricken deer” is no camel, desert-dwelling and self-sufficient; he is utterly dependent on the presence of God, who can alleviate his thirst. Verse 2 begins to suggest that this writer is exiled or, at the very least, prevented from making a pilgrimage to the Temple to “meet with God.” He desires a communion with God that is currently unavailable. His inward emptiness is worsened by the jeers of unbelievers, who taunt him: “Where is your God?” Hence, although the psalmist thirsts for God, his tears are all that he tastes. 

Unable to visit the Temple, all the psalmist can do is “remember” past visits. In days gone by, this singer had led worshipers in procession to the house of God. The poignancy of the scene is depicted by the expression “pour out my soul,” as it continues the thirst imagery. God’s absence means that there is no water to be poured out to quench the psalmist’s thirst; therefore he must “pour out” his soul by praying.  

Despairing for God (42:6–11)
The psalmist turns from past celebration to present tribulation. He is far away from his physical home as well as his spiritual home, the Temple. He is somewhere in the far north of the Holy Land, where the Jordan has its source near Mount Hermon. The psalmist feels acute alienation. He is in an area where the waterfalls sound on both sides of a deep valley. These roaring waters only remind him of the difficulties that seemed to swallow him. His footing is gone and wave after wave is submerging him. This is the very language that Jonah takes up in the depths (compare verse 7 with Jonah 2:3).  

Yet in the midst of it all, this singer captures glimpses of God’s loyal covenant love. Here we see him moving in the direction of blessed assurance. He realizes that he can move from “downcast” to placing hope in his Savior.

Confidence in God (43:1–5)
This final section moves from complaint to petition. The whole mood changes when the psalmist says, “Vindicate. … Rescue. … Send forth your light and your truth” (43:1, 3). As he begins speaking to God rather than himself, the outlook changes. The psalmist had been talking to God behind His back. Now he turns in positive petition to God. He calls for God’s active intervention. With this move in his Lord’s direction, things begin to change.  

While the psalmist still has struggles, he is clearly moving toward a more hopeful conclusion as the visit to the Temple is envisioned. The singer anticipates being led to the “holy hill” by God’s “light” and “faithfulness.” Verse 4 articulates the joy of arriving at the Temple, where he will respond with praises on the harp. The word “praise” in verse 4 serves to emphasize the hopeful aspect of the refrain: “I shall again praise.” The psalmist promises to go to God’s altar and expects joy and delight when he arrives there. What made the difference? He stopped talking to himself and began talking to God. Further the psalmist expected that God was already in the process of lifting him up and out.

The “thirsting spirit” of Psalms 42–43 pervades the opening paragraph of Augustine’s “Confessions”: “The thought of God stirs the person so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you, because you made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you.” These Psalms’ images were used by early Christians as symbols for baptism. The deer represented thirsting souls who, when immersed in the cool waters of the baptistry, “drank” deeply of the fountain of eternal life. All baptized believers can identify with the words and pictures depicted in these passages. Even as we thirst for God amid the trials and traumas of this world, we can still find contentment in the living God and His Son. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” Jesus said, “for they will be filled.”