58 lines
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58 lines
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Text Commentaries</title>
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<h2><span><a onclick="return mV('Psa', 43, 'all');">Psa 43</a> - From Depression to a Procession of Praise</span></h2>
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<p><i>“This psalm is either a part of the previous one or is closely connected with it.” (Morgan) In fact, in a number of ancient Hebrew manuscripts <a onclick="return mV('Psa', 42, 'all');">Psa 42</a> and <a onclick="return mV('Psa', 43, 'all');">Psa 43</a> are joined together as one unity. They are probably separate psalms, linked by a common problem: spiritual depression.</i></p>
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<p><span>A. <span>The</span> Psalmist cries out to God.</span></p>
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<p class="c1"><span>1. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa', 43, 1);">1</a>) God, where are <span>You</span> when the wicked surround me?</span></p>
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<p class="c2">Vindicate me, O God,<br>And plead my cause against an ungodly nation;<br>Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!</p>
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<p class="c4"><span>a. <b><span class="c3">Vindicate me, O God</span></b></span>: The psalmist repeats a familiar theme in the Psalms - a cry for <i>vindication</i>. He <span>feel</span> unjustly accused and takes that sense of injustice to the right place - to the throne of God, and he leaves his vindication up to the Lord.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!</span></b> It’s hard to deal with <b><span class="c3">deceitful</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">unjust</span></b> people, because they not only do wrong but they also know how to cover it up with deceit. In such a tough situation, the psalmist does the right thing - he cries out to God.</p>
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<p class="c1"><span>2. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa', 43, 2);">2</a>) God, why do <span>You</span> seem so distant from me?</span></p>
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<p class="c2">For <span>You</span> <i>are </i>the God of my strength;<br>Why do <span>You</span> cast me off?<br>Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?</p>
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<p class="c4"><span>a. <b><span class="c3">For <span>You</span> are the God of my strength</span></b></span>: If the psalmist didn’t have a relationship with God, he wouldn’t have this problem. Yet he does love the Lord, and his trust is the <b><span class="c3">strength</span></b> of God and not his own strength - so he wonders where God is at this critical moment of need.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Why do <span>You</span> cast me off? Why do I go mourning</span></b>: Anyone who loves God and walks with God will have to deal with the “whys” - wondering why God doesn’t do things just the way we would do it, especially when the answer seems so obvious.</p>
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<p class="c1"><span>3. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa', 43, 3);">3a</a>) God, I need to be led by <span>Your</span> light and truth.</span></p>
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<p class="c2">Oh, send out <span>Your</span> light and Your truth!<br>Let them lead me;</p>
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<p class="c4"><span>a. <b><span class="c3">Send out Your light and <span>Your</span> truth!</span></b></span> The psalmist knows that <i>his</i> light and <i>his</i> truth isn’t enough - he needs the <b><span class="c3">light</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">truth</span></b> of the Lord. It isn’t within him, so if God doesn’t <b><span class="c3">send</span></b> it, he doesn’t have it.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Let them lead me</span></b>: This is a prayer of <i>submission</i>. “Lord, I don’t want you to send out <span>Your</span> light and truth just so I may <i>admire</i> them. I really want to submit myself to <span><b><span class="c3">Your</span></b></span><b><span class="c3"> light</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">Your truth</span></b> and have them <b><span class="c3">lead me</span></b>. I need a leader, so <b><span class="c3">lead me</span></b>!”</p>
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<p class="c5">i. This begins the psalmist’s <i>procession of praise</i>. He began in depression, but will end up praising God - and it all begins with the <b><span class="c3">light</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">truth</span></b> of the LORD God leading the way.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. <span>“We seek not light to sin by, <span>nor</span> truth to be exalted by it, but that they may become our practical guides to the nearest communion with God.” (Spurgeon)</span></p>
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<p><span>B. <span>The</span> Psalmist describes his response to God’s coming answer.</span></p>
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<p class="c1"><span>1. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa', 43, 3);">3b</a>) <span>When</span> You answer my prayer, I will come to Your house.</span></p>
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<p class="c2">Let them bring me to <span>Your</span> holy hill<br><span>And to Your tabernacle.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Let them bring me</span></b>: The <span><b><span class="c3">them</span></b></span> of this statement refers back to the <i>light</i> and <i>truth</i> of the same verse. The psalmist wants God’s light and truth to lead him to a specific place - to <span><b><span class="c3">Your</span></b></span><b><span class="c3"> holy hill and to Your tabernacle</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Here is the second step in the procession of praise. Led by the light and truth of the Lord, the psalmist comes to the <b><span class="c3">tabernacle</span></b>, to the tent of meeting with God. Any place God’s people gather together to meet Him can become a <b><span class="c3">tabernacle</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Your holy hill to <span>Your</span> tabernacle</span></b>: The psalmist wants to go to the <i>tent of meeting</i>. He wants to because:</p><ul class="c6"><li>He knows the Lord is there is a special way</li><li>He knows that God’s people are there</li><li>He knows that it is a place where he can focus on the Lord</li></ul>
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<p class="c1"><span>2. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa', 43, 4);">4</a>) <span>When</span> You answer my prayer, I will praise You.</span></p>
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<p class="c2">Then I will go to the altar of God,<br>To God my exceeding joy;<br>And on the harp I will praise <span>You</span>,<br>O God, my God.</p>
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<p class="c4"><span>a. <b><span class="c3">I will go to the altar of God</span></b></span>: Full of faith, the psalmist anticipates God’s answer to his prayer, and declares that he will sacrifice (<b><span class="c3">go to the altar</span></b>) when the answer comes. This wouldn’t be a sacrifice of atonement for sin, but for gratitude and celebration of fellowship with God.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. This is the third stop on the <i>procession of praise</i>: <b><span class="c3">the altar</span></b>. “The way to God is ever the way of the altar. The way to the altar is opened by the sending out of light and truth from God.” (Morgan) When we follow the light and truth of the <span class="c6">Lord</span>, it will lead us to <i>His</i> altar - the cross where Jesus was given as a sacrifice for our sins.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. Under the New Covenant we no longer offer animal sacrifices, but we still bring the sacrifice of praise. <a onclick="return mV('Hbr', 13, 15);">Hbr 13:15</a> tells us how:<i> Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.</i> Our words and songs of praise become a sweet-smelling sacrifice unto the Lord.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">On the harp I will praise <span>You</span></span></b>: The psalmist will not only praise God with animal sacrifice, but also with music and song. He has reached his destination on the <i>procession of praise</i> - led by the light and truth of the Lord, he came to the house of God, to the altary of God, and then it culminated in <b><span class="c3">praise</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c1"><span>3. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa', 43, 5);">5</a>) <span>When</span> You answer my prayer, I will challenge my feelings.</span></p>
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<p class="c2">Why are you cast down, O my soul?<br>And why are you disquieted within me?<br>Hope in God;<br>For I shall yet praise Him,<br><span>The help of my countenance and my God.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Why are you cast down, O my soul?</span></b> The psalmist has hope of God’s redemption, but it hasn’t come yet. In the meantime, he will not “give in” to his feelings of depression and discouragement. Instead, he will <i>challenge</i> them and bring them before the Lord. He says to those “<b><span class="c3">cast down</span></b>” and “<b><span class="c3">disquieted</span></b>” feelings, “<b><span class="c3">Hope in God</span></b>. He will come through again, because He has before.”</p>
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<p class="c5">i. We see that at the end of the psalm none of the circumstances of the psalmist have changed - only his attitude, and what a difference that makes! “Not yet has the answer come. The darkness and the mystery are still about him, but the shining way is seen; and again the soul is forbidden to despair and hope is encouraged in God.” (Morgan)</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">The help of my countenance</span></b>: The psalmist knew his <b><span class="c3">countenance</span></b> needed <b><span class="c3">help</span></b> - and God was just the one to bring it. Many times our face needs help, and we turn away from God.</p>
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