Chapter 43
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
2For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
4Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
5Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
“O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.”
Overview
Psalm 43 continues the prayer of Psalm 42 with the same refrain. The psalmist asks God to judge him and plead his cause against an ungodly nation, delivering him from the deceitful and unjust man. He asks: 'Why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?' He then prays for God to send out His light and truth to lead him and bring him to God's holy hill and tabernacles. There he will go to the altar of God, to God his exceeding joy, and praise Him with the harp. Again he addresses his soul: 'Why art thou cast down?... hope in God.'
Key Themes
Light and Truth as Guides
The psalmist asks God to send His light and truth as personal guides to lead him out of darkness and into God's holy presence.
God as Exceeding Joy
The destination of the spiritual journey is not merely a place but a person — God Himself is the psalmist's exceeding joy.
Persistent Hope Despite Darkness
For the third time the refrain rings out — hope in God is the anchor that holds when emotions tumble and circumstances press.
Study Questions
What are the 'light and truth' (v. 3) the psalmist asks God to send, and how do they guide us?
What does it mean to call God 'my exceeding joy' (v. 4) rather than merely 'my help' or 'my refuge'?
How does the repeated refrain (v. 5, cf. 42:5, 42:11) model the discipline of preaching hope to ourselves?
Why does the psalmist desire the altar of God specifically? What is the significance of the altar?
How do Psalms 42 and 43 together trace a journey from despair to hope?
Connection to Christ
Jesus is both the light and the truth (John 14:6; 8:12) that lead believers to the Father. He is the altar of God, the sacrifice upon which our exceeding joy is founded. Through Christ, the darkness and distance from God that the psalmist laments are overcome — He is the way back to the holy hill and the tabernacle of God's presence.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Psalms 43. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?