Psalms 43

The psalmist appeals to God for vindication against an ungodly nation and deliverance from unjust men, questioning why God seems to have forsaken him. He prays for God's light and truth to guide him to His holy hill and tabernacles for worship. Despite his soul's despondency, he resolves to hope in God, confident that he will yet praise Him as his strength and joy.

In Psalms 43, the psalmist earnestly appeals to God to judge his cause against an ungodly nation and deliver him from deceitful and unjust individuals. He expresses bewilderment, questioning why God, his source of strength, seems to have cast him off, leaving him to mourn under enemy oppression. A fervent prayer follows, requesting God to send forth His light and truth to guide him to His holy hill and tabernacles, signifying a deep longing for divine presence and restoration to worship. The psalmist then declares his intention to approach God's altar with exceeding joy, vowing to offer praise with a harp. Concluding with a powerful act of self-exhortation, he addresses his own soul, urging it to cast off despondency and place its hope firmly in God, confident that he will yet praise Him as the "health of his countenance" and his God.

Psalms 43 opens with a fervent plea from the psalmist to God, entreating Him to act as judge and advocate against an ungodly nation and to provide deliverance from deceitful and unjust individuals. This initial verse establishes a context of external oppression and a profound need for divine intervention and vindication. The psalmist then shifts to an expression of bewildered lament, questioning why God, whom he recognizes as the source of his strength, appears to have cast him off, leaving him in a state of mourning due to the enemy's oppression. This rhetorical question highlights a tension between his theological understanding of God and his current experience of suffering. A pivotal moment in the psalm is the earnest prayer for divine guidance: "O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles." This petition reveals a deep yearning for spiritual restoration and access to God's sacred presence, symbolized by the holy hill and tabernacles. Following this prayer for guidance, the psalmist articulates a clear vow of worship. He declares his intention to approach the altar of God, whom he identifies as his "exceeding joy," and promises to offer praise upon the harp. This declaration signifies a confident expectation of future restoration and renewed communion with God. The psalm concludes with a powerful and familiar act of self-exhortation, mirroring the end of Psalms 42. The psalmist directly addresses his own soul, asking, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me?" He then provides the answer and the remedy: "hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." This final verse encapsulates a profound trust in God's ultimate faithfulness, even amidst present distress, and a resolute commitment to maintain hope and offer future praise. The psalm thus moves from lament and petition to a renewed declaration of faith and an anticipation of joy in God.