The theme of this psalm is similar to the one that has just gone before. David is still cut-off from the open worship of God and longs again for "the altar."
Verse 1 "Judge me, O God, and plead my cause … When the flail of affliction, O Lord, is upon me, let me not be as the chaff that flies in Thy face, but as the corn that lies at Thy feet.
Philip Henry
Verse 2 … why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" "Think it not strange," says the Word of God, "When men shall revile you." "I have chosen you out of the world," says Jesus, "therefore, the world hateth you." Because I love you, Jesus is saying here, the world hates you. What strange reasoning is this! What God chooses, the world hates.
William Romaine
Verse 3 "O send out thy light and thy truth…" The words of this verse 3, especially in the metrical version, might well serve as a timely prayer for the Church of Christ as she stands on the brink of this New Year.
Let us pray that God would send forth His truth by the light of His Spirit. We might tell men about the truth, or show them the truth, but it is only the blessed Third Person of the Trinity Who can lighten their way right into the truth. "When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall lead you into all truth." Let us not be satisfied if men are prepared and satisfied to give an ear to our renderings of the truth. This may tickle their ears but it will never save their souls. He must lead them into all truth, so let us pray that God will send forth light and truth together.
Let us pray, too, that having sent forth the light of His Spirit with His truth to lead men into that truth, that the Lord will also "ground" and establish them in that truth. These are the days when so many appear to be what the young Charles Haddon Spurgeon would have called, "Anythingarians." They are planted in one doctrine this week and in some other the next. No wonder there is so little growth in grace and in the knowledge of Christ, for there is so little value given to getting our roots well sunk in the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. "O send thy light forth and thy truth."
And then, once we have received that truth and set our feet firmly in that truth, then, let us pray that God will send forth His power to enable us to defend that truth. The days are dark. If this wasn't so, then, we wouldn't need to pray for the light and the truth. But truth is a plant from heaven - it doesn't spring from the natural soil of human nature. So, when God in His mercy grants it to us, let us be set for the defence of it. The way through the coming year may be dark with many pitfalls. The prayer, then, is appropriate if we are to be led to God's "holy hill" and to the place of praise spoken about in the next verse.
Verse 3. "… thy light …" There are three kinds of light: the light of nature, the light of grace, the light of glory. And as the light of grace clears up difficulties which the light of nature could not, so the light of glory will clear up those things which the light of grace cannot.
Anon
Verse 5 "Why art thou cast down, O my soul?" Oh Christian! Thy heavenly Father has gracious reasons which hold His hands back from blessing thee at this present time; if not, you would have heard from Him before now.
William Gurnall
Verse 5 "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? Why art thou disquieted within me hope in God: for I shall yet praise him …" Though you get strokes and frowns from your Lord, yet believe His love more than your own feelings. It is not your rock that ebbs and flows, but your sea.
Samuel Rutherford
Metrical Version
This Page Title – Gleanings in the Psalms – Psalm 43 The Wicket Gate Magazine "A Continuing Witness". Internet Edition number 83 – placed on line March 2010 Magazine web address – www.wicketgate.co.uk |