My friend Fred says, “Once more, with feeling,” when something is repeated. Psalm 43 is a continuation of Psalm 42. The passage,”Why, my soul, are you downcast?/ Why so disturbed within me?/Put your hope in God, / for I will yet praise him, / my Savior and my God.” is found in both psalms highlighting their unity. What Psalm 43 adds that Psalm 42 needs is the perspective of hope. There is light at the end of the tunnel. The light is found in communal worship. The sinner has their downcast soul lifted when they reach the tabernacle or temple and can engage in community worship with the faithful.
Does this ring true for you? Have you struggled with the faith but had your spirit revived by the church, youth group, or family coming together in community praise? This week, I pray that will be your experience.
Psalm 43
1 Vindicate me, my God,
and plead my cause
against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me from those who are
deceitful and wicked.
2 You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?
3 Send me your light and your faithful care,
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Questions
- What is missing from the beginning of this psalm which may indicate it is the continuation of the psalm before?
- What is the disconnect between the psalmist’s expectations or beliefs and his present experience?
- How is the refrain in verse 5 morehopeful than the refrain in the previous chapter?
- Where do you feel most transported in the worship of God?
- Who would you join in worship tomorrow if your soul needed encouragement?
Going Deeper
K-Love claims to play positive, encouraging music. On Sunday some members of my small group said that it has too few songs in rotation so that it becomes dull.
http://www.klove.com/listen/player.aspx
Moody Radio plays a few songs on its radio station, but it focuses on talk. However, if you follow the link below you can go to their Praise and Worship broadcast lower on the page. Join the people of God on both radio stations for a while.
http://www.moodyradiochicago.fm/rdo_main.aspx?id=44604
Did either one help you to see God more clearly? Did either one provide God’s light in darkness? Are there podcasts or albums that would be more helpful?
I know I prefer hip-hop or electronica. Here is a Christian hip-hop rap channel:
Plymothian 
1. Themes and verses are repeated in Ps.43 that mark it as a continuation. It is missing any intro to it to mark it as a separate psalm.
2. He says that God is his stronghold, and yet God rejects him. He wonders why, and cries aloud for God to receive him, to protect him. He wonders why his enemies are able to do harm to him if God has His strong arms to shield him from any harm. He seems desperate to avoid or escape his enemies, he feels weak. He wants God to deliver him from these people.
3. He tells his soul to put his hope in God. He is trying to overcome doubt and and to trust God and to not lean on his own understanding. He wants to trust God in spirit, but also in action. He wants to be wholly devoted to God, and to lean on God for his direction and guidance.
4. I feel most transported to worship when I am alone listening to my ipod to worship songs on there. It allows me to be wholly focused on Him, and it gives me some inspiration or rather, motivation to worship. It reminds me of the many wonderful qualities and attributes of my God. It allows me to communicate more clearly than any other form of worship. I can think and pray and glorify God while I do this.
5. I would join my girlfriend Diana for worship if I needed encouragement. She reminds me just in her life of how great God is, and what God can do with a life. It is very refresghing being around her, and is inspiring to see how God has used her. IT also excites me to ponder what else God might do through her, and this can give me a much needed boost at times when I wonder what God might be doing with me. It is not always clear, but I know God wants to do something with me!
1. An introduction of who wrote it and to what tune.
2. His soul is downcast but he has hope in God and will praise him.
3. It is more hopeful because he is still praising the Lord. The refrain is the same words but the previous stanzas are more hopeful and speak of his praising the Lord, with the help of others who love the Lord.
4. When I am able to be in nature and worship I feel more “connected” to God, maybe because I am able to see the beauty he has created and that puts a sense of awe within me. My church at home is right by the water and has big windows we can see the ocean out of, there is also outside seating and I love that. I feel like I am in the Garden and am surrounded by God’s beauty and that instills an attitude of worship. It has been hard for me here in Chicago, I love the stain glass windows but Torrey-gray is “uninspiring” for me. People have told me that this shows spiritual weakness on my part and I know a christian should be able to worship God anywhere and I can it just takes me a little longer to have an attitude of awe for God. It also depends on the people I am with.
5. My Dad, one of the worship teams from my home church, some friends here. I’ve been away from my church for so long (almost two years) that I’m not sure if they are still my favorite people to worship with, but I have not found a group here at moody that I am so comfortable and connected with. My friend Angela is someone I love to worship with. She has held me up when I would have fallen so many times.
1. What is missing from the beginning of this psalm which may indicate it is the continuation of the psalm before? The Introduction like in 42 [TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A MASKIL OF THE SONS OF KORAH.]
2.What is the disconnect between the psalmist’s expectations or beliefs and his present experience?
Before he sounds like he is questioning if God has forgotten him because he is not present at the house of worship but now he is reaffirming his doubt by saying send me your light and I will follow. He sounds more hopeful in his knowledge about what God can do.
3How is the refrain in verse 5 morehopeful than the refrain in the previous chapter?
In ch. 42 He is hopeful but the words ” I shall again praise him” differ from then words in 43 “for I will yet praise him” referring to staying in his state of worship of God.
4Where do you feel most transported in the worship of God?
Music is one of the ways that I can whole heartedly dive in to worship. Everything in me is being moved by the words and music that makes God so close that I can feel everything that the song is conveying. Music preaches the truth to me especially when my soul is down cast, with the moving power of music and words my heart draws closer to the presence of God and worship Him for who he is.
5Who would you join in worship tomorrow if your soul needed encouragement?
Currently its the young married couple that I live with right now. They have been a God sent to me, taking me in to their home and encouraging me in my studies. I love when we get together and spend time worshiping and sharing scripture and prayer needs and be real and genuine with each other.
P.s another web I enjoy listening to once in a while is
http://www.ourstage.com 😀
1. What is missing from the beginning of this psalm which may indicate it is the continuation of the psalm before? It seems to continue the idea laid out in Psalm 42 (even mimicking specific lines), yet, this time the message is hopeful rather than pessimistic.
2. What is the disconnect between the psalmist’s expectations or beliefs and his present experience? While his mind tells him God is his stronghold and his refuge, his heart has a hard time believing it. He calls God his joy and delight, but he writes as if he has no joy or delight. He considers God to be all he needs to be content, but the reality is God is not satisfying him completely.
3. How is the refrain in verse 5 more hopeful than the refrain in the previous chapter? Honestly, I’m not sensing much more “hope” here. All in all, they look the same to me! However, I guess the difference lies in the phrase, “..for I will yet praise.” It’s as if he is saying, “Even though I’m depressed and feeling cruddy, I’m going to praise you through it all.” Whereas, in the previous chapter, he seems to say, “Once I renew my hope in God, I’ll have reason, yet again to praise him.” While Psalm 42 speaks as though he stops praising God for an instant, Psalm 43 tells us he never stops, even when caught in the struggle.
4. Where do you feel most transported in the worship of God? When I’m loving on inner city kids or being blessed by Gospel music…
5. Who would you join in worship tomorrow if your soul needed encouragement? Tomorrow? Ana and Julie in the class/my roommate on campus
Going Deeper
Did either one help you to see God more clearly? Definitely the Rhapsody site! God knows that music ministers to mah soul! When I tuned into KLove, they were playing SCC’s “Dive” which is like OLDHEAD MUSIC and Moody radio had this nasally white guy talking and talking and well, talking. So those two were a bit boring, honestly speaking…. Did either one provide God’s light in darkness? I think they all did, just in VERY different ways! Are there podcasts or albums that would be more helpful? Well, I love me some JSON, Trip Lee, Kirk Franklin, Tedashii, LeCrae, and This’l! When I listen to their music, I always feel encouraged!
What is missing from the beginning of this psalm which may indicate it is the continuation of the psalm before?
This passage is very simillar to the prior chapter, and seems to be a continuation (lacking an introduction). But, it also seems to lack any sign of hope or joy.
What is the disconnect between the psalmist’s expectations or beliefs and his present experience?
How is the refrain in verse 5 morehopeful than the refrain in the previous chapter?
As I said in the previous question, the passage uses a lot for the same terminology, but lacks words of hope. He seems to be more hopeful in a way because he knows what God can do, but he doesn’t seem to think that it will happen.
Where do you feel most transported in the worship of God?
I feel most transported when I worship God through reflection. I am so blessed through classical music and spending time alone in the word. At the same time, I am mostly blessed and transported to worship in God in community. My church family is such a blessing.
Who would you join in worship tomorrow if your soul needed encouragement?
I would probably worship with my friend Sean, who is staying in my apartment for the week, just so that I will stay on track with the word and so that I will be in community.
1.What is missing from the beginning of this psalm which may indicate it is the continuation of the psalm before? His usual declaration of praise to God.
2.What is the disconnect between the psalmist’s expectations or beliefs and his present experience? He believes in what is not happening therefore becomes uncertain of it.
3.How is the refrain in verse 5 morehopeful than the refrain in the previous chapter?I can not see the difference between the last two verses of these two chapters. Perhaps if taken in context, the difference is that in this one he declares more what he is feeling, but alo trusts more in God’ deliverance. The Psalmist is making a better balance.
4.Where do you feel most transported in the worship of God?Sometimes hen I take time to admire God’s creation. In March I was climbing a mountain in India and I was overwhelmed with the beauty around me. Music, with meaningful lyrics as well.
5.Who would you join in worship tomorrow if your soul needed encouragement?
If it was verbal, my parents first and a gentleman that I see like an older brother because when he speaks and I am troubled, just like with my parents, I can see God better andconnect it more. I would also go to the great friends around me, but God is so good to me that He sends them before I ask.