Psalms 43

Psalms 43:1-5

“ The Help of My Countenance” Psalms 43:1-5 The exiled king still pours out his soul to God. Already David has addressed Him as God of my life; here God appeals to David as God of my strength, Psalms 43:2, and God, the gladness of my joy, Psalms 43:4, r.v., margin. Speak well of thy God, even though His back seems turned on thee! Thy light and thy truth, Psalms 43:3, may refer to the Urim and Thummim. Or we may think of them as two white-vestured angels sent from God’ s presence-chamber to guide the exile’ s steps back to his home. “ Send them forth, commissioned to find me in this lone land and bring me to thine altar.” There seem to be four steps in the approach. Unto thy holy hill-this was Mount Zion. To thy tabernacles, the earthly Presence-chamber. Unto the altar of God. Here is a step in advance. Our altar is the Cross where Jesus died, Hebrews 13:10. But God’ s altar is not enough; we need Him. So we still press on unto God my exceeding joy. Then the hue of health appears on our faces! See Psalms 43:5.

God, my exceeding joy! This, with the preceding Psalm, forms a pair.

Psalms 43:1. Judge me, O God! When others fail to understand our motives, we may appeal to the righteous bar of God. He is our great Advocate, who will plead for us (Lain. 3:58).

Psalms 43:2. Thou, the God of my strength! “The God of my life” (Psalms 42:8) is here “the God of my strength.” How fertile is the soul in its epithets for God! And how conclusive the answer to the taunt of the foe, “Where is thy God?” God is with me in me here.

Psalms 43:3. Let them lead me Light and Truth in the van. Goodness and Mercy bringing ,up the rear. Watch them as these twin angels emerge from God’s home to conduct the suppliant thither.

Psalms 43:4. God my exceeding joy The altar of outward symbolism and rite" was very little to David. It was for God that his soul yearned. How he dwells on that precious name, God! My God!

Psalms 43:5. Why disquieted? It is a mistake to allow aught to break the inner Sabbath. Troubles may burst on the bulwarks of the ship but they should not enter its inner sanctuary.

In these Psalms, notice how God is described as the strength of our life, the gladness of our joy, the health of our countenance. And mark how faith chases the tear from the eye, the furrow from the brow, the fear from the soul.