Psalm 42 Questions

Warm up in pairs:  What are some of your best childhood memories?    Do you find yourself thinking of these often?

Questions for 42:1-5

1. To illustrate how he longed for God, what illustration did the writer use?
2. Discuss John 4:10 to shed further light on 42:1-2.
3. On a scale from 1-10, how much do you long and thirst for God?
4. Can anything satisfy our thirst for the Lord besides the Lord? React to this comment from the Cornerstone Bible Commentary: “You can’t get enough of what you really don’t want.”
5. Psalm 42:2b that describes a longing for being in the presence of God most likely refers to wanting to be in the temple or tabernacle. Under the old covenant, it was thought that God’s presence was only there.    What do Hebrews 10:1, 19 say about how that is different in the new covenant?
6. According to 42:3, what was causing the writer to shed many tears?
7. What fond memory did the writer have? React to this statement from the Pulpit Commentary: “Deep sorrow tries to lose itself in the recollection of a happier past.”
8. When can memories from the past be healthy? Unhealthy?   How can we enjoy good memories without being stuck in the past?
9. In 42:5 the writer is talking to himself. What question did he ask himself?   When we are facing a difficult situation, can asking ourselves questions be a good thing?   Yes, but it does should be always done in private.   What exhortation did the psalmist give to himself?

Questions for 42:6-8

1. Because of his discouragement, despair and depression (from various translations), what did he do? From the description that he gave of his location, he was probably about 100 miles from Jerusalem and the temple.   From his location, he remembered the Lord.
2. Do you sense any homesickness in these verses?
3. What would the Lord send by day? By night?

Questions for 42:9-11

1. Had God really forgotten the writer? No, but because of his circumstances it seemed to him that he had. 
2. When we think God has forgotten us, has he really? Why do we think at times that he has forgotten us?
3. What added to the fact that the psalmist thought the Lord had forgotten him? His enemies were asking where was his God as well.
4. What two questions did the psalmist ask himself? (Remember soul and self are one in the same.)    Why are you dejected, downcast, discouraged, in despair (from various translations) b. Why are you in such turmoil, disturbed, restless and disquieted (various translations)?  Refer back to question 9 again for this verse.