Longing for God (Ps 42:1-42:3)

To the choirmaster leader, a Maskil of the Korahites

“As a deer longs

For flowing streams,

So my soul longs

For you,

O God!

My soul thirsts for God,

For the living God!

When shall I come,

When shall I behold,

The face of God?

My tears have been my food,

Day and night,

While people say to me continually,

‘Where is your God?’”

There is a problem is this one psalm or 2 psalms of 42 and 43. There is no heading for Psalm 43, so that it probably was together with Psalm 42. For clarity purposes, I have decided to use the Oxford Bible division of 2 psalms rather than one. The title no longer has David, but this is a Maskil of the sons of Korah, who were first mentioned in 1 Chronicles, chapter 9. There name appears on 11 psalms. This is a maskil or psalm that has the plea of someone longing for God. He was like a deer looking for flowing water. His soul longed for God. His soul thirsted for the living God. Notice that is not the Lord or Yahweh, but the more generic God. However, like many others, he wanted to see the face of God. His tears had become his sustenance day and night. People kept asking him where his God was.