Psalms 43

Vindicate me, God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Wesley: Nation—So he calls the company of his enemies for their great numbers. Man—Probably Achitophel or Absalom.

Bring the cause to God for vindication. Name the unjust opposition without taking vengeance into your own hand; refuse a silence that never asks him to defend.

Calvin: Judge and plead my cause—undertake the defense; he first submits to God's examination so that, integrity proved, aid may follow. God promises help to the miserable and guiltless wrongfully afflicted; it is vain to expect him to avenge injuries unless our integrity induces him to favor us against adversaries. Unmerciful nation names the cruel company; deceitful man is likely singular for plural.

Commit the cause to God's judgment. Seek vindication that can stand his scrutiny; refuse a plea that will not be examined.

For you are the God of my strength. Why have you rejected me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? Refuge and rejection meet in one address—he still names God as the place of trust while asking why he seems cast off.

Hold refuge and Why together. Mourning under oppression may speak freely to him; refuse a despair that stops calling him the God in whom you take refuge.

Calvin: God of my strength—experienced power set as a shield against temptation, yet life spent in mourning as if abandoned. Enemies have no power except as the Lord permits; he asks how they prevail while he is under God's guardianship, and from that gathers courage to plead for favor again manifested.

Treat oppression as under God's permission, not rival sovereignty. Ask Why without dropping the shield of his strength; refuse both numb resignation and a reading that makes foes ultimate.

Send out your light and your truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to your holy hill, to your tents! Wesley: Send out—actually discover them. Truth—Thy favour, or the light of thy countenance, and the truth of thy promises made to me; or the true-light, the illumination of thy spirit, and the direction of thy gracious providence, whereby I may be led in the right way, to thy holy hill. Hill—Of Zion, the place of God's presence and worship.

Ask him to send out light and truth that actually lead. Seek Zion's presence and worship; refuse a guidance that never arrives at his dwelling.

Calvin: light denotes favor—adversities obscure God's face; blessing is serene light of life. He adds truth because he expected this light from the promises; unbelievers may desire favor yet not raise eyes to his light unless the word lifts them. Send forth thy light as token and testimony of thy truth—faithful and free from deceit in the promises. Word is faith's foundation; experienced help confirms word and faith. Lead me to thy holy hill—chief end of deliverance is liberty for sanctuary worship.

Seek favor as light bound to God's truth and promises. Let the word raise the eyes; refuse earthbound desire for ease that never asks to be led to his hill.

Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy. I will praise you on the harp, God, my God. Arrival at the altar is not bare ritual—God himself is exceeding joy, named twice as my God in lyre praise.

Aim deliverance at joyful worship. Praise him at the altar as your exceeding joy; refuse a rescue story that never returns to God my God.

Calvin: I will go to the altar—solemn sacrifice in thanksgiving, peace-offerings as token of gratitude, not only daily ordinary service. God of my joy / joy of my rejoicing—delivered from sorrow and restored to joy, he will openly acknowledge so great a benefit; the doubled joy names uncommon gladness when God restored him contrary to all expectation.

Answer hoped deliverance with vowed thanksgiving. Make God himself the joy of rejoicing; refuse gratitude that stops at recovered comforts and never reaches the altar.

Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? For I shall still praise him: my Savior, my helper, and my God. The shared refrain with Psalm 42 returns: rebuke, hope, and certainty of renewed praise to the God who is salvation.

Shared closing hope with both camps—answer turmoil again with Hope in God. Praise will return; he remains my Savior, my helper, and my God.

Calvin: as in the preceding psalm—hope in God; I shall yet praise him who is the help of my countenance and my God. Temptation may renew the same conflict; courage must not fail. Helps of countenance name God himself as visible defender and salvation.

Shared closing hope with both camps—return to the refrain when the assault returns. Hold him as salvation and God; refuse despair that treats one quieted hour as the last battle needed.