The scholars say that psalms 42 and 43 are a single psalm, one of the finest poems in the Bible. The psalmist is in exile, far from Jerusalem, homesick for the solemn services of the temple. There is nothing worse than homesickness. Yet, aren’t we all a little home sick most of the time? Homesick for the way it used to be, homesick for the way it should have been, or could have been? Psalm 44 is written at the time of invasion of the Assryians or the Babylonians. The community reminds God of past favors and of the present sad state of affairs. “Why do you hide your face?” Finding God in the midst of such suffering is the perennial prayer of humans, not unique to the Israelites. Psalm 45 is about a wedding, perhaps a royal wedding. The king is referred to as Elohim, God, not in a polytheistic way, but as godlike, or representative of God in earth. In the rule of Benedict the abbot has the same status with a fine line to discern the difference between the abbot’s will and God’s will. Those monks who take the title literally say there is no difference. I would beg to differ. Psalm 46 speaks to the faithfulness of these people who take refuge in their God. Psalm 47 continues with a hymn of praise to the Lord and King of all nations. In Psalm 48 the people of God never fail to give thanks for protecting Jerusalem just one more time against an attempt to invade their holy city. How many times have I failed to say thank you for answered prayers?
The scholars say that psalms 42 and 43 are a single psalm, one of the finest poems in the Bible. The psalmist is in exile, far from Jerusalem, homesick for the solemn services of the temple. There is nothing worse than homesickness. Yet, aren’t we all a little home sick most of the time? Homesick for the way it used to be, homesick for the way it should have been, or could have been? Psalm 44 is written at the time of invasion of the Assryians or the Babylonians. The community reminds God of past favors and of the present sad state of affairs. “Why do you hide your face?” Finding God in the midst of such suffering is the perennial prayer of humans, not unique to the Israelites. Psalm 45 is about a wedding, perhaps a royal wedding. The king is referred to as Elohim, God, not in a polytheistic way, but as godlike, or representative of God in earth. In the rule of Benedict the abbot has the same status with a fine line to discern the difference between the abbot’s will and God’s will. Those monks who take the title literally say there is no difference. I would beg to differ. Psalm 46 speaks to the faithfulness of these people who take refuge in their God. Psalm 47 continues with a hymn of praise to the Lord and King of all nations. In Psalm 48 the people of God never fail to give thanks for protecting Jerusalem just one more time against an attempt to invade their holy city. How many times have I failed to say thank you for answered prayers?
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