Progressing to Victory (Psalm 43:1-5)
Psalm 43 is the continuation and completion of Psalm 42, which reveals how to overcome spiritual depression. In Psalm 42 we saw the 1st 2 stages of the Psalmist’s spiritual fight as he progressively moves from depression to victory. Each stage finished with a similar refrain (42:5,11), and the 3rd stage (43:1-5) ends with the same refrain, in which he again speaks God’s truth to his soul, calling it to hope in God (v5). By the end of the Psalm, even though his outward circumstances may not have changed, the positive confident joyful expectation of hope has completely removed all his depression, bringing his soul (mind and emotions) into submission to God’s truth - winning a great victory. In stages 1 and 2 there was much lamenting of his problems, but now in stage 3, it is mostly prayer, for he has reached the point of being able to pray in faith for God to vindicate him, and restore him to his life in Jerusalem and ministry in the Temple.
Psalm 43:1: “Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation (or ‘person’ - see parallelism). Oh, deliver (rescue) me from the deceitful and unjust man!” An evil man had unjustly accused him and deceived the authorities, resulting in him being sent into exile. Now he confidently takes his case to the throne of God, and trusts God for his vindication, praying: “contend for me against those who contend against me.” The next verse is similar to 42:9, showing he is still somewhat troubled in his soul. v2a: “For You are the God of my strength. Why do You cast me off?” Again, we see an apparent contradiction. He trusts in God as his faithful Strength, but complains He has rejected him. This is only resolved if he is using the language of appearance. That is, he knows God, his Strength, has not cast him off, but he is telling God that it feels like this is the case, due to his circumstances. The fact he calls God his (inner) Strength shows that the joy of the Lord is beginning to fill his soul (Neh 8:1), the joy that comes from God’s Presence (Ps 16:11). He continues his lament asking: “Why do (it’s not right that) I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy (of v1)?” (v2b). Then, he prays for God to bring him back to the Temple, where he can enjoy the fullness of God’s Presence with God’s people: “Oh, send out Your LIGHT and Your TRUTH! Let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy Hill and to Your Tabernacle (God’s Dwelling Place)” (v3). As hope arises in his heart, through the eyes of faith, he sees a shining path (1) out of his exile (2) to Jerusalem and God’s Presence in the Temple, a procession initiated by God sending forth His light and truth, His favor and illumination (the light of His countenance) and His faithfulness (to keep His promises) to lead him into his Promised Land (like the pillar of fire). God’s light and truth represent His Presence with him. Likewise, God has sent us His Spirit and Word to lead us into His fullness of life. “Let them lead me” is a prayer of submission showing his willingness to follow God’s leadership. He leads us to worship in His Temple, the Church. His prayer for God’s light and truth to lead him to freedom includes God’s light and truth exposing the evil behind his false conviction. Then he promises that, once God has led him back to the Temple, his next (3rd) stop on his procession will be the Altar of Burnt Offering, where he will offer (surrender) himself to God in worship. v4: “Then I will go to the Altar of God, to God my exceeding Joy and on the harp, I will praise You, O God, my God.” He promises to offer all of himself to God on the Altar in the form of a Burnt Offering, along with music and song, a sweet-smelling sacrifice to God. His consuming Fire represents His Spirit filling and purifying us, so we may serve Him acceptably (Heb 12:28-29). In the New Covenant, we no longer offer animal sacrifices, but when we follow God’s light and truth, He leads us to His Altar, the Cross, where Jesus gave Himself as a sacrifice for us. There we meditate on His work and victory and partake of His life (Heb 13:10), and in grateful response continually offer ourself to Him as living sacrifices, our acceptable worship (Rom 12:1), which includes continually offering a sacrifice of praise to God (Heb 13:15). This results in the release of His Spirit in us, purifying us and transforming us into His image (Rom 12:2). The way to God is ever the way of the Altar. His hope, based on faith in God’s Word (Rom 15:4), has opened the door to joy filling his soul (Rom 15:13), so that He can call his God ‘my exceeding joy.’ Joy is spiritual, and comes from God (Ps 16:11), independent of circumstances, unlike happiness, which is natural, and dependent on our circumstances. So, you can have joy, even when there is no pleasure or happiness in your circumstances.
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