psalms42-43

Peter Craigie[1] notes that “there is extensive agreement among the majority of interpreters that Psalms 42 and 43 should be interpreted as a single psalm, for the following reasons:

Viewing the two psalms as one he says “The structure of the psalm falls into three sections, each concluded with a refrain, which provides the overall framework for the psalm.

At first impression, the framework of refrain may appear to give a static quality to the psalm as a whole, but in reality it provides the context for movement from near despair to surging confidence. After each lament, the refrain recalls the possibility of future praise, and in the prayer of the third part of the psalm, the movement occurs which begins to make the possibility a reality.

These Psalms give expression to conflicting emotions, such as the people of God have experienced in all ages. Sorrow and song, fear and faith, doubt and emotion, are strangely intermingled. Have you ever felt like that?

Mood disorders … are characterized by either depression, elation, or some combination of these two extremes …

A depressive episode … is characterized by a sad affect, painful thinking, physical symptoms, anxiety, and possibly delusional thinking. Affected individuals look sad. Women may stop putting on makeup. Men may stop shaving. Tearfulness may accompany a dejected state or discouraged manner. Depressed individuals feel worthless, helpless, and hopeless. Guilt permeates their thinking. They are introspective in a derogatory sort of way. They lose their motivation and ability to enjoy pleasure. Withdrawing from people and feeling despondent and inadequate, they may eventually become suicidal …

When cyclothymic individuals are elated, they are warm, ambitious, buoyant, optimistic, enthusiastic, outgoing, and likable … Their speech is generally cheerful and effervescent, full of contagious humor until some frustration produces a flash of anger that turns the humor into hostile sarcasm … They may plunge into extravagant enterprises in an attempt to acquire needless possessions.

The authors then discuss the question ‘Why are Christians depressed?’ In general, the authors write,

Depression is often the result of an adjustment reaction, the response of a basically healthy individual to a situational stress. Most people are able to deal with situational problems before their reaction develops into clinical depression. But … too much in too short a time can overwhelm almost anyone.

A precipitating cause of depression in many Christians is a wrong perspective. In an affluent society with many temptations it is easy to develop the wrong focus … A healthy perspective leads us to invest in two things that have eternal significance, the Word of God and people …

Another precipitating factor in depression can be an attack by Satan, who seems to enjoy rendering Christians ineffective through depression. God wants us to confess our sins, deal with our problems, and not stay depressed. If the reason for depression is vague, in all probability something is amiss. Those who feel helpless and hopeless often conclude that they are without Christ. With Christ, people sense their worth and know they can deal with their problems …

A major cause of discouragement among dedicated Christians is self reliance. Clearly the Christian life can be lived joyfully only through the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul, who exuberantly exclaims, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13) and “for it is God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13) also records his discouragement from trying to live for God in his own energy in Romans 7:14-24).

Some of these causes may be perhaps be discerned in these two psalms. The author, possibly David, tells us of his ups and downs as he lets us listen to him while he talks to himself—to his soliloquy. He speaks firstly of how he is …

The writer longs to know the presence of the Lord in his life as he formerly knew it. He draws his word picture from his memory of an animal panting with thirst as it looks for running water. ‘As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.’ David draws a similar word picture of thirst but this time from the scene of dry pasture lands waiting for rain.

Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my plea … I reach out for you. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Come quickly LORD, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don’t turn away from me or I will die. (Psalm 143:1, 6-7)

Been running hard in serving the Lord and because of the pace lost that sense of the Lord’s presence that you once knew? Been so busy in Christian work that there has been no time to stop by the fountain of the Lord for a refreshing drink? Spiritual life dried up like the parched ground?

Reduced to tears with the criticism? Like the author of our psalm when he writes, “Day and night, I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, ‘Where is this God of yours?’ ” And now you find yourself wanting to return to the Christian experience you once enjoyed as you remember …

Once, like the psalmist, you ‘walked among the crowds of worshippers,’ delighted to be in their company, but now you are on the outer. Then, you were trusted in your leadership, ‘leading a great procession to the house of God.’ In those days, joy filled your life as you joined in the ‘singing for joy and giving thanks—it was the sound of a great celebration.’ But for now all that has been lost. For all who have come to this point in their lives …

The Lord always knows just where we are. Jeremiah presents us with this invitation from the Lord.

So now the LORD says, “Stop right where you are! Look for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16)

“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen, and I will tell you where to get food that is good for the soul.” (Jeremiah 55:1-2)

Jesus gives the same invitation to those who have become exhausted in pulling the heavy load of religious duties imposed upon them—those whose necks are rubbed sore by the ill fitting yoke of the rules of their religion. To all such people Jesus says …

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-29)

The emotional roller-coaster our psalmist finds himself on is reflected in the chorus of his song. Down in the dumps once more he makes an effort to rise on the wings of hope and singing …

But as soon as his spirits begin to rise, the waves of depression roll over him once again. We now find the psalmist …

In this section of his soliloquy the psalmist’s mood swings become even more apparent as he struggles with …

The psalmist recalls what the Lord has done for his people, as national scenes of prosperity, from the heights of Mount Hermon to the lowlands below Mount Mizar and the River Jordan, scroll across the screen of his thoughts. “I am deeply discouraged,” he says to himself, “but I will remember your kindness.” (vs. 6). Next come scenes from his own life which remind him that “Through each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me …” (vs. 8a).

It is always good to recall what the Lord does for us. David writes of the way this encouraged him at a time when fearful of the future.

I am losing all hope. I am paralyzed with fear. I remember the days of old. I ponder your great works. I think about what you have done. I reach out for you. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Come quickly, LORD, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don’t turn away from me or I will die. (Psalm 143:4-7)

For the psalmist, the reality of the trouble those who are opposed to his calling are continually causing him brings him low. So low that he feels that God has forsaken him. To himself, but hoping that his distress might somehow be heard by the Lord somewhere out there, he complains once more, “Why have you forsaken me? Why must I wander in darkness, oppressed by my enemies?” Their taunts pierce me like a fatal wound. They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?” (vs. 9-10). And so deep in the inner part of his being,

The two sets of memories fight within. At one stage of the struggle the psalmist takes his place with the former, at another with the latter. At the height of the swing, both day and night, he feels the warmth of God’s love for him—he is joyful in the felt presence of the Lord. But before long his troubles bring him low once again.

Paul knew what it was like to experience inner conflict like this. Writing to encourage the Christians in Greece he writes of one such experience and of the encouragement given him by the Lord.

I have the highest confidence in you, and my pride in you is great. You have greatly encouraged me. You have made me happy despite all our troubles. When we arrived in Macedonia there was no rest for us. Outside there was conflict from every direction, and inside there was fear. But God who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. His presence was a joy, but so was the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you. When he told me how much you were looking forward to my visit, and how sorry you were about what had happened, and how loyal your love is for me, I was filled with joy! (2 Corinthians 7:4-7)

As the psalmist rides the roller-coaster of his ups and downs a positive element now emerges from the emotional turmoil. He has come to understand that his troubles have come to him through the filter of God’s loving hands. He is beginning to see that the Lord has a purpose in allowing the trials to get through to him. He refers to the waves of trouble that roll over him as coming from the Lord when he says to him, “I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.” (vs. 7). Understood in this way the troubles we experience in life can be understood as a part of God’s way of teaching us. One person writes …

For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. Mark out a straight path for your feet. Then those who follow you, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble and fall but will become strong. (Hebrews 12:10)

With the realization that his wearying experiences are filtering to him through the hands of the Lord, a change is taking place in the psalmist’s attitude. The roller-coaster he has been riding is starting to level out. His emotions are becoming more stable. This time a brighter note may be heard in the chorus.

There is now more hope and praise than discouragement in the song, for the psalmist is beginning to sense that the Lord is in it with him. Listening in on the psalmist’s soliloquy so far, we have seen him to be ‘disappointed in his walk’ and ‘discouraged in his troubles,’ but now we see him …

The psalmist is moving away from the introspection and negative thinking that has marked the earlier parts of his soliloquy, to trusting himself in his frailty to the Lord. Peter Craigie[6] detects the change that is taking place.

The internal dialogue of lament is turned into an external dialogue with God. And the change from introvertive reflection to external plea is the beginning of real progress for the psalmist. He has already learned that there is no help to be found in the weak ally of memory, and aid must come directly from God …

It is the transformation of the prayer, and specifically the transition that takes place in vs. 4, that finally changes even the refrain, despite the fact that the words remain the same. For in the laments and their culmination in refrain, it was inevitable that the accent fall on the first part of the refrain, namely the ‘downcast soul,’ because those lines reflect precisely the internal dialogue between a person and his soul from which there was no liberation. While the dialogue remained within, the possibility of praise remained without. But the prayer has changed that. The situation creating sorrow still exists, but as the question is asked again, ‘why are you downcast?’, the response can now be given with the conviction that God has heard and answered his prayer …

But while the basic structure of the psalm, and notably its refrain, is that of dialogue between a person and his soul, the latter part of the text (Psalm 43) breaks the literary bind by bringing a third person into the ‘dialogue.’ When the psalmist stops speaking to himself (Psalm 42), and addresses his words to God (Psalm 43), the beginning of his deliverance is in sight … when one turns from the memories and burdens within the mind and boldly addresses to God a plea for deliverance, the first step is taken on the path that leads ultimately to a restoration of the life of praise and to mental and spiritual health.

I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made the heavens and the earth! He will not let you stumble and fall. The one who watches over you will not sleep. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never tires and never sleeps.

The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not hurt you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD keeps you from all evil and preserves your life. The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. (Psalm 121)

Realizing his own lack of resources, the psalmist turns to the Lord for help. He asks for …

We join him as our psalmist prays, “O God, take up my cause! Defend me against these ungodly people. Rescue me from these unjust liars.” Like him, God’s people are constantly under fire …

Paul reminds us of the forces arrayed against us and of the armory provided for our protection.

A final word: Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all the strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

The psalmists often refer to the attacks being made upon them by those who are opposed to all that is good. David, for example, prays …

Oh God, whom I praise, don’t stand silent and aloof while the wicked slander me and tell lies about me. They are all around me with their hateful words, and they fight against me for no reason. I love them, but they try to destroy me—even as I am praying for them! They return evil for good, and hatred for my love. (Psalm 109:1-5)

When James heard about the disagreements that had erupted in some of the Christian groups of his day, he felt constrained to circulate a challenging letter among them. He does not hold back as he writes …

What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn’t it the whole army of evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous for what others have, and you can’t possess it, so you fight and quarrel to take it away from them. And yet the reason you don’t have what you want is that you don’t ask God for it. And even if you do ask, you don’t get it because your whole motive is wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. (James 4:1-3)

The psalmist acknowledges that his only source of protection when under attack is the Lord. “For you are God, my only safe haven,” he cries out to him.

He is thinking of the Scriptures as he prays, “Send out your light and truth. Let them guide me.” It is these that lead us safely across the mountain tops and through the valley lows. As another of the Jewish song writers affirms in praising the Lord …

Oh how I love your law! I think about it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for your commands are my constant guide. Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your decrees … Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:97-99, 105)

The holy mountain the psalmist refers to is the place of teaching that Isaiah spoke of, teaching from the Lord and the Scriptures that makes life understandable. As history as we know it edges towards closure more and more people will want to come to this place of teaching.

In the last days, the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem will become the most important place on earth. People from all over the world will go there to worship. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD to the Temple of the God of Israel. There he will teach us his ways, so that we can obey him.” For in those days the LORD’s teaching and his word will go out from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2-3)

But for now, any place on earth where the Lord is invited to be present becomes a mountain from which his word is being taught—whether it be in a home, a church or any other building, or on mountainsides like Jesus often taught from.[7] Wherever they are taught, the Scriptures bring understanding to all of life. This is why the psalmist was able to say …

I haven’t turned away from your laws, for you have taught me well. How sweet are your words to my taste. They are sweeter than honey. Your commandments give me understanding. No wonder I hate every false way of life. (Psalm 119:102-104)

The psalmist knows that he can find forgiveness for his sins at the ‘altar of god.’ And so he prays, “Send out your light and truth, let them guide me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live. There I will go to the altar of God …” For the psalmist this was the altar of the tabernacle, and later the temple, where animal sacrifice provided for the forgiveness of the sins of the priests and the people. At this altar we see a picture of the one to whom John the Baptist pointed when he said,

“Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Soon a man is coming who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before I did.’ I didn’t know he was the one, but I have been baptizing with water in order to point him out to Israel.” (John 1:29-31)

And so today, because of the sacrificial death of God’s lamb, Jesus Christ, we come not to the altar of the tabernacle or temple but to that heavenly sanctuary—the sacrificial lamb himself. A New Testament writer explains …

So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that great, perfect sanctuary in heaven, not made by human hands and not part of this created world. Once for all time he took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever.

Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ritual defilement. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our hearts from deeds that lead to death so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the Eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. (Hebrews 9:11-14)

The apostle John describes the scene he saw of the time when the gathering in that heavenly sanctuary will be literally realized for those who have already come to the altar there in faith.

After this, I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a mighty shout, “Salvation comes from our God on the throne and from the Lamb!” ...

Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, “Who are these who are clothed in white? Where do they come from?”

Then he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. That is why they are standing in front of the throne of God, serving him day and night in his Temple. And he who sits on the throne will live among them and shelter them. They will never again be hungry or thirsty, and they will be fully protected from the scorching noontime heat. For the Lamb who stands in front of the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe away all their tears.” (Revelation 7:9-10, 13-17)

The psalmist continues with his decision, “I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!” He is experiencing the joy that Isaiah spoke of …

He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. (Isaiah 61:2-3)

The roller-coaster ride he has been on has changed. There is less distance between the ups and the downs. While there will still be some of each, the mountain tops and the valleys are now closer together. As we listen again to the chorus of the song we hear the sound of a new assurance and hope as the psalmist affirms …

I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God! (vs. 5b)

There is now a greater even-ness in his emotions. He has moved on towards that stability Paul often spoke about—steadfastness. He is able now to say …

O LORD, I have so many enemies, so many are against me. So many are saying, ‘God will never rescue him!’ But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head high. I cried out to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy mountain. I lay down and slept. I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me. (Psalm 3:1-5)

Let us also look to the Lord in our ups and downs—put our hope in him once more and begin to praise him again. Paul offers this encouragement …

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God’s holy people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins. (Colossians 1:11-14)

[1] Craigie, Peter. WORLD BIBLICAL COMMENTARY. Psalms 1-50. Texas: Word Books. 1983. p. 325.
[2] lament – ‘an expression of deep sadness.’
[3] Craigie, ibid: p. 325.
[4] Scroggie, W. Graham. THE PSALMS. Volume 1. Psalms 1-50. London: Pickering and Inglis. 1948. p. 248. [5]Meier, Paul D. Minirth, Frank B. Wichern, Frank B. Ratcliff, Donald E. Authors. INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY AND COUNSELING. CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVES AND APPLICATIONS. Michigan: Baker Book House. 1993. pp. 277-279.[6] Craigie. ibid: In his comments on Psalm 43. pp. 328-329.
[7] For example, Matthew 5:1.