Psalm 42:1a "As the deer pants for the water brooks..."
Day 1 – Psalm 42
“As the deer pants for the water brooks…” Psalm 42:1a
SUPERSCRIPTION
“To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah”
Book Two (Psalms 42-72) begins with a superscription that identifies the authors of Psalm 42. They are called “The sons of Korah”.
1. Who was Korah?
a) Korah was named as one of the rebels who challenged the leadership of Moses (Numbers 16:1-3).
i) He was a Levite.
ii) The role of the Levite was to assist the priests (Aaron and his sons).
b) Korah challenged the appointment of this role for the Levites.
2. Fellow rebels
a) Fellow rebels included some of the sons of Reuben (Numbers 16:1)
b) This rebel group numbered about 250 people (Numbers 16:2)
3. Divine punitive action
a) The rebellion proved abortive.
b) All the rebels were swallowed up by the earth by a divine act (Numbers 16:30-33).
4. The Sons of Korah
a) Not all the sons of Korah were involved in this rebellion (Numbers 26:11).
b) Some went on to become psalm writers.
5. The Psalms of the Sons of Korah
a) Psalms 42-49 were written by the Sons of Korah,
b) They survived to serve as psalmists demonstrate the great mercy of God