Psa 42:7 | KingComments | STEP | In the first stanza of the psalm ( ), the God-fearing thinks of the pilgrimages to God’s house in Jerusalem ( ). In this second stanza ( ), he thinks of God Himself. He speaks to God in and calls Him “my God”. Thus he knows God and lives in fellowship with Him though he is in a foreign land. Yet despite his memories of what he has experienced of God’s faithfulness in the past ( ), he remains desperate. He makes God part of his inner despair. The word “therefore” with which the second line of the verse begins indicates that these feelings of despair are at the same time the trigger to think of God from the land to which he has been driven. He is in “the land of the Jordan and the peaks of Hermon” and “Mount Mizar” or “the low hills”. By the land of the Jordan is meant the land east of the Jordan. That is where they fled to. This is what will happen in the, now near, future when the antichrist reigns and in alliance with the restored Roman Empire has erected an idol in the temple. That’s why God will bring the king of the North as a disciplinary rod over His apostate people ( ). In His prophetic end time address, the Lord Jesus refers to this and tells the remnant to flee at that time ( ). Instead of being able to quench his thirst at God, the fountain of living water, the God-fearing is overwhelmed by the deep, the waterfalls, the breakers and the waves that all come from God ( ). The desirable water of refreshment and invigoration he so longs for ( ), turns into the treacherous and deadly waters of the floods of the wadis. The psalmist speaks of “Your waterfalls” and “all Your breakers and Your waves”. He experiences the difficulties as the disciplining hand of God. He has no grasp of his present circumstances and feels himself undergoing God’s judgment. How can that be possible? Where will that end? The remnant will discover that the waters of judgment are not there to kill them, but to cleanse them ( ). This is because the Lord Jesus was in the waters of God’s judgment when He bore their sins – and those of all who believe in Him. Jonah, as a type of the remnant in the great tribulation, also expresses this ( ). The Lord Jesus applies what happened to Jonah to Himself, and especially to His days in the tomb, after He bore the judgments of God on sin ( ). The faithful are plunged into a sea of affliction. They are overwhelmed by it. Yet despair does not win. The faithful one finds himself in severe trial, but from there his trust in God rises ( ). He expresses assurance that “the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime”. Suddenly the name of the LORD, the name of God in connection with His covenant, is used! The basis of “His lovingkindness” – that is His covenant faithfulness, Hebrew Adonai – is His covenant, because the Mediator, Christ, has taken judgment upon Himself. He can say to God: “All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me”, while yet He was the Sinless One. The God-fearing can say in the night in which his life is now enshrouded that “His song” will be with him (cf. ). That song consists of “a prayer to the God of my life”. He acknowledges God as the God of his life, as the One Who is fully in control of his life. Knowing God as the God Who is in complete control of our lives gives peace when circumstances weigh heavily on us. The peace that is experienced can also be put under pressure again. The God-fearing speaks to God about this ( ). He calls God “my rock”, indicating that he trusts in the unshakable faithfulness of God. What he struggles with is that God has “forgotten” him. This is how he experiences it. How can the faithful God forget him? He does not blame God for anything, but in confidence he turns to God with questions that torment him. He also asks why he goes “mourning”. Because of “the oppression of the enemy” he is “dressed in black”, as another translation renders. The enemy, the nations in the midst of which the remnant has fled and who are hostile to them, makes his life difficult and also makes it impossible for him to go to God’s house. This causes a deep sadness, which he shows by his black clothing. He is mourning. He is surrendered to his adversaries and they do not spare him ( ). “All day long” they revile him with words that are “as a shattering” of his bones. This indicates that what they say takes away his strength to walk. And what do they say all day long? “Where is your God?” This really cuts to the quick. That is how paralyzing and even deadly words can be (cf. ). This is especially the case when they are constantly repeated and also connect to his own struggle with the question: Why has God forgotten me? The God-fearing, after his back and forth between despair and hope, has returned to the point where he also arrived earlier in this psalm ( ; ). But he now expresses a stronger confidence in salvation. In he says he “shall again praise Him [for] the help [or: saving acts] of His presence”. Now he says he will praise God because God Himself is “the help [or: saving acts] of my countenance”. Here he also calls God “my God”.

‏ Psalms 42:7

Why Have You Forgotten Me?

In the first stanza of the psalm (Psa 42:1-5), the God-fearing thinks of the pilgrimages to God’s house in Jerusalem (Psa 42:4). In this second stanza (Psa 42:6-11), he thinks of God Himself. He speaks to God in Psa 42:6 and calls Him “my God”. Thus he knows God and lives in fellowship with Him though he is in a foreign land. Yet despite his memories of what he has experienced of God’s faithfulness in the past (Psa 42:4), he remains desperate. He makes God part of his inner despair. The word “therefore” with which the second line of the verse begins indicates that these feelings of despair are at the same time the trigger to think of God from the land to which he has been driven.

He is in “the land of the Jordan and the peaks of Hermon” and “Mount Mizar” or “the low hills”. By the land of the Jordan is meant the land east of the Jordan. That is where they fled to. This is what will happen in the, now near, future when the antichrist reigns and in alliance with the restored Roman Empire has erected an idol in the temple. That’s why God will bring the king of the North as a disciplinary rod over His apostate people (Dan 9:26b-27). In His prophetic end time address, the Lord Jesus refers to this and tells the remnant to flee at that time (Mt 24:15-16).

Instead of being able to quench his thirst at God, the fountain of living water, the God-fearing is overwhelmed by the deep, the waterfalls, the breakers and the waves that all come from God (Psa 42:7). The desirable water of refreshment and invigoration he so longs for (Psa 42:1b), turns into the treacherous and deadly waters of the floods of the wadis. The psalmist speaks of “Your waterfalls” and “all Your breakers and Your waves”. He experiences the difficulties as the disciplining hand of God. He has no grasp of his present circumstances and feels himself undergoing God’s judgment. How can that be possible? Where will that end?

The remnant will discover that the waters of judgment are not there to kill them, but to cleanse them (Psa 60:8a). This is because the Lord Jesus was in the waters of God’s judgment when He bore their sins – and those of all who believe in Him. Jonah, as a type of the remnant in the great tribulation, also expresses this (Jona 2:5-6). The Lord Jesus applies what happened to Jonah to Himself, and especially to His days in the tomb, after He bore the judgments of God on sin (Mt 12:40).

The faithful are plunged into a sea of affliction. They are overwhelmed by it. Yet despair does not win. The faithful one finds himself in severe trial, but from there his trust in God rises (Psa 42:8). He expresses assurance that “the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime”.

Suddenly the name of the LORD, the name of God in connection with His covenant, is used! The basis of “His lovingkindness” – that is His covenant faithfulness, Hebrew Adonai – is His covenant, because the Mediator, Christ, has taken judgment upon Himself. He can say to God: “All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me”, while yet He was the Sinless One.

The God-fearing can say in the night in which his life is now enshrouded that “His song” will be with him (cf. Acts 16:25). That song consists of “a prayer to the God of my life”. He acknowledges God as the God of his life, as the One Who is fully in control of his life. Knowing God as the God Who is in complete control of our lives gives peace when circumstances weigh heavily on us.

The peace that is experienced can also be put under pressure again. The God-fearing speaks to God about this (Psa 42:9). He calls God “my rock”, indicating that he trusts in the unshakable faithfulness of God. What he struggles with is that God has “forgotten” him. This is how he experiences it. How can the faithful God forget him? He does not blame God for anything, but in confidence he turns to God with questions that torment him.

He also asks why he goes “mourning”. Because of “the oppression of the enemy” he is “dressed in black”, as another translation renders. The enemy, the nations in the midst of which the remnant has fled and who are hostile to them, makes his life difficult and also makes it impossible for him to go to God’s house. This causes a deep sadness, which he shows by his black clothing. He is mourning.

He is surrendered to his adversaries and they do not spare him (Psa 42:10). “All day long” they revile him with words that are “as a shattering” of his bones. This indicates that what they say takes away his strength to walk. And what do they say all day long? “Where is your God?” This really cuts to the quick. That is how paralyzing and even deadly words can be (cf. Pro 12:18a). This is especially the case when they are constantly repeated and also connect to his own struggle with the question: Why has God forgotten me?

The God-fearing, after his back and forth between despair and hope, has returned to the point where he also arrived earlier in this psalm (Psa 42:11; Psa 42:5). But he now expresses a stronger confidence in salvation. In Psa 42:5 he says he “shall again praise Him [for] the help [or: saving acts] of His presence”. Now he says he will praise God because God Himself is “the help [or: saving acts] of my countenance”. Here he also calls God “my God”.