Latest / Reformed Thinking / Send Out Your Light and Truth: Vindication and Hope in God (Psalm 43) | Charles Spurgeon

Transcript

Send Out Your Light and Truth: Vindication and Hope in God (Psalm 43) | Charles Spurgeon · Reformed Thinking

0:00
Welcome back to Reformed Thinking.
0:01
We're here to take a really intentional look at the great
0:04
insights from theology and, well, make them usable for your
0:08
life right now. Glad to be here.
0:09
Today, our focus for this deep dive is very specific.
0:14
We've got a stack of sources, all centered on Charles
0:16
Spurgeon's exposition of Psalm 43 from the Treasury of David.
0:20
And it's such a powerful text. It deals with affliction in a
0:24
way that's so raw. It is.
0:25
It's a plea for justice, but also this deep, deep longing for
0:30
fellowship with God. So our goal is to really pull
0:32
out the spiritual gold here. Right, to see how David fought
0:35
through his conflicts inside and out, and what comfort that gives
0:38
us when we're looking for clarity, for communion.
0:42
It's just a remarkable choice for this kind of analysis.
0:44
The way it's structured, you can see the afflicted St.
0:46
Moving from A you know, a legal complaint.
0:49
Straight into a plea for a relationship.
0:51
It's like a blueprint for faith under pressure.
0:53
It tells you exactly where to look when the world is just.
0:56
Falling apart when you're slandered, when you're
0:58
oppressed. This is the playbook.
1:01
OK, so let's start at the very beginning.
1:02
There's this question that always comes up with this text.
1:05
It's identity. The missing title.
1:07
Exactly. Psalm 43 doesn't have an
1:09
introduction, and because it has that famous refrain.
1:12
Why are you cast down on my soul?
1:14
Which it shares with Psalm 42. A lot of scholars just assume
1:18
it's a fragment, that it was, you know, broken off from Psalm
1:22
42 by mistake. And that's definitely the common
1:24
theory, especially in textual criticism circles.
1:28
But when you look at a source like Spurgeon, you find a real
1:30
portion against that. He's not a fan of that theory.
1:33
Not at all. He basically argues that it's
1:35
safer not to assume there are errors in the scripture just
1:38
because two parts sound similar. His point is, if they were
1:41
always one single Psalm, you'd expect to see them united in all
1:45
the manuscripts through history. And you just don't.
1:48
So we need another explanation for why they're so alike.
1:51
Spurgeon's idea is that David the author, just like the style.
1:55
He just returned to a style he found useful.
1:57
It's presented as more of a a supplemental hymn.
2:00
An appendix. An appendix, exactly, written
2:03
later, but in that same heartfelt, appealing way.
2:07
He'd use that refrain before. It fit his mood then, and it fit
2:10
his mood again. And that would also explain the
2:12
missing title, right? If it's a supplement, it doesn't
2:15
really need a new header. It just flows from the the
2:17
themes he was already working with.
2:18
It's David coming back to that feeling of oppression and
2:21
realizing again that communion with God is the only way out.
2:26
That sets the stage perfectly for the first verse, that
2:28
crucial request. Judge me, oh God.
2:31
And notice what he's not doing. He's not asking for human help.
2:34
He's not gathering an army. He's bypassing all the failed
2:37
human courts. He's going straight to the top,
2:41
to God as judge, not just his Father.
2:43
Because he's completely given up on human opinion in his exile,
2:47
nobody can or will understand his motives.
2:49
They can't give him a fair hearing.
2:51
So he needs an. Impartial court.
2:53
He knows his heart is clear, at least in his overall intent to
2:56
serve God, and he's fine with that.
2:58
He's content to rest in God's acceptance, knowing that one
3:01
word from God can cancel out a million human lies.
3:04
And this is where we have to shift from just the idea of an
3:07
appeal to what that appeal actually does.
3:10
When David says judge me, he's not just asking for a piece of
3:13
paper. No, he expects the judge to act.
3:16
This is so vital, Spurgeon highlights, that God's verdict
3:19
is active. It's efficacious.
3:21
It doesn't just sit there. You won't stand still.
3:23
Right. God sees to it that practical
3:25
justice is done for His servant. So when we appeal to God's
3:29
justice, we are counting on His active intervention.
3:33
Plead my cause against an ungodly nation.
3:35
One divine advocate against a whole nation of.
3:38
And that's more than enough. Our reliance is completely on
3:42
God, who becomes this, this impenetrable shield against all
3:46
the arrows of slander. Let's focus on who those
3:48
adversaries are in verse one because he's very specific.
3:51
It gives us a real insight into malice.
3:53
It does. He names two groups.
3:55
First, an ungodly nation. And second, the deceitful and
3:58
unjust man. The contrast is fascinating.
4:02
The nation is identified by its core problem.
4:05
It's ungodly. So it's about their lack of
4:07
principle. Exactly, and this gives us the
4:09
core insight. When people have no allegiance
4:12
to God, they will almost always be unjust in how they treat
4:15
other people. If they reject the king, why
4:17
would they treat the King's subjects fairly?
4:20
So their injustice flows out of their lack of faith.
4:23
Or their active opposition to God's rule?
4:25
Yes. OK, so the nation is dangerous
4:27
because it's rejected A moral standard outside of itself.
4:30
But then he singles out the individual enemy, the deceitful
4:35
and unjust man. That combination seems
4:38
particularly nasty. Oh, it is.
4:40
The source is called Them Boon Companions.
4:42
Nathaniel Holmes points out that this kind of wickedness is a
4:45
double threat. Well, first they're deceitful.
4:47
They come to you pretending to be a friend so they can get
4:49
close and then betray you, stab you in the back when you're not
4:51
looking, and then they're unjust.
4:53
They follow up that deceit by robbing you of your reputation,
4:56
your peace, maybe your property, using fraud or even violence.
5:01
Smudgeon really cuts to the chase.
5:03
He says the person who fawns over you today won't hesitate to
5:06
slander you tomorrow. It's so true, the sources called
5:09
them double distilled villains, which I just think is a perfect
5:13
phrase for that kind of enemy. It really is, and it doesn't
5:16
matter who it was historically, whether it was Doeg, the Edomite
5:20
or the Hidophel. The type is what matters.
5:23
The type persists. It's that two faced enemy who
5:26
uses pious language or fake friendship to get close enough
5:30
to do the most damage. So this brings us to the really
5:33
practical question for you listening when you face this
5:36
double distilled villain, the instinct is to fight back,
5:40
right? To fight fire with fire.
5:42
To use their own tactics against them.
5:44
But what does the Psalm prescribe?
5:46
The single instruction is to refer the whole thing to the
5:48
righteous judge, and this is the application that really hurts
5:51
our pride. We're told not to fight them
5:54
with their own weapons. Strictly warned against it.
5:56
But why is that folly? I mean, this seems like it would
5:58
work. Because if we compromise our own
6:00
character by sinking to their level, by slandering back, by
6:04
using deceit, we do far more damage to our own conscience
6:08
than they could ever do to us externally.
6:10
You win the battle, but lose the war for your own soul.
6:13
That's it. You damage your own spiritual
6:15
nature. That's a huge distinction.
6:18
So the instruction is to submit, to leave them in better hands,
6:23
because vengeance belongs to God.
6:25
But how do you survive the waiting period?
6:28
Waiting for that verdict that will not sleep can feel awfully
6:32
passive when the attacks are still coming.
6:34
And that is the absolute difficulty of faith under
6:36
duress. Submission is an inaction.
6:39
It's prayerful action. We pray, O deliver me, trusting
6:43
that deliverance will come. Our job in the meantime is to
6:46
maintain our own holiness and patience.
6:48
So our continued righteousness is part of the process.
6:50
It's our witness, Our waiting is part of God's judicial process
6:54
against the enemy. David has made his appeal, but
6:57
now he has to face a question that I think paralyzes so many
6:59
of us. If God is my strength, why do I
7:02
feel so weak? And that brings us to verse 2,
7:05
which starts with that tiny little word for.
7:07
That for is everything. It's the absolute lynchpin of
7:10
the prayer. It's the sinew of his argument.
7:13
He's not just complaining, he's reasoning with God.
7:15
He's engaging in systematic reasoning.
7:18
For thou art the God of my strength.
7:21
His request for deliverance in verse one is grounded in his
7:23
confidence statement about who God is.
7:25
In verse 2, the. Foundation isn't his weakness,
7:28
it's God's strength. Precisely.
7:31
And notice how certain he is It's not I hope you are, or I
7:34
trust you might be. It's I know it is.
7:36
So that certainty itself is a form of consolation, even when
7:40
he can't feel it. The confidence is the
7:42
consolation. It is because even if his
7:45
enemies are winning for a moment, David knows the ultimate
7:48
source of his strength can't be beaten.
7:50
And to help us understand what the God of my strength really
7:53
means, Nathaniel Holmes breaks it down into 3 facets.
7:56
OK, let's walk through those. The first one is the idea that
7:58
the strengths belongs to God, right?
8:00
The first assertion is all my strength belongs to you.
8:04
This is so important because it immediately limits what David
8:07
feels he can do. If the strength is God's, David
8:10
won't use it for his own personal vendettas.
8:13
Think about it. David had chances to use his
8:16
physical strength against Saul, but he wouldn't.
8:19
He saw Saul as the Lord's anointed.
8:21
He was reserving that strength for God's purposes.
8:24
So it requires us to consciously hold back from using our own
8:29
natural talents or social power for personal revenge.
8:32
It's a massive commitment. And that brings us to the second
8:35
sense that strength comes from God.
8:37
The source of the strength. Because the strength is sourced
8:40
in God, David knows he has to seek help from that source.
8:43
It moves you beyond self-reliance when you realize
8:46
the enemy is using tactics you can't handle, Sophisticated
8:49
slander, deep malice. You have to go to the original
8:52
infinite source of strength. It forces you to pray.
8:55
And the third sense is where it all culminates.
8:57
That strength is in God. This means I am leaving the
9:00
entire job of fighting my enemies completely in your
9:02
hands. This is the definition of wise
9:04
faith. You've made your appeal to the
9:06
judge and now you rest and wait. So it covers every kind of
9:09
strength, physical, providential.
9:11
Spiritual Holmes is great on this.
9:14
He says spiritual strength comes from the word of the Spirit and
9:17
the spirit of the word. That's what makes the soul truly
9:19
strong enough to get through affliction.
9:21
It's the soul of the soul. That's a beautiful phrase, but
9:24
after making this huge statement of confidence, David immediately
9:28
pivots to darkness. Why does thou cast me off?
9:32
It's the human cry, isn't it? He feels treated like a cast
9:35
off, as if God has forgotten him, pushed him away.
9:37
And the theological clarification here is vital it.
9:40
Is Spurgeon stresses this. The Lord may treat his people as
9:44
if they're passed offs for a time for chastening or
9:47
refinement, but he has not and will not actually cast off his
9:51
covenant people. That distinction is the only
9:54
thing that keeps this question from becoming total unbelief.
9:58
And the sources are so clear on how we should ask this question.
10:01
You have to inquire of God, not of your own fears.
10:04
Absolutely. Your fears are terrible
10:06
interpreters. You have to go to the
10:07
interpreter himself to explain the mystery.
10:09
The sources quote battled him blind.
10:12
Unbelief is sure to air and scan his work in vain.
10:15
But the confidence follows. God is his own interpreter, and
10:19
he will make it plain. It requires a humble, faith
10:22
filled inquiry. You have to trust God's
10:25
sovereignty even when you're walking in the dark.
10:27
And what's the danger if we ask this question the wrong way?
10:31
It comes from, you know, peevishness or anger instead of
10:34
humility. The danger is you start
10:36
attributing malice or forgetfulness to God, which is a
10:39
sin. You judge God by your temporary
10:42
feelings instead of judging your feelings by God's unchanging
10:45
character. True inquiry admits the pain but
10:48
holds on to the truth that God is good.
10:51
So David's question then shifts to what people can see.
10:53
Why go? I'm mourning because of the
10:55
oppression of the enemy, the outward signs of grief.
10:58
Yes, it moves from the internal feeling to the external
11:01
appearance. He's worried that his visible
11:03
grief will be misinterpreted by his enemies as a sign that God
11:06
has condemned him. And even though that kind of
11:09
oppression can, as the text says, make a wise man mad, the
11:13
sources give us a theological reason for why God allows it.
11:16
They do. In the Reformed view, this
11:18
sorrow is meant to be chastening.
11:20
It's designed to yield comfortable fruit, meaning it's
11:23
designed to deepen piety, increase dependence on God, and
11:27
ultimately make the believer more like Christ, who was a man
11:30
of sorrows. It's suffering with a
11:32
sanctifying purpose. The enemy means it for evil, but
11:35
God means it for good. So the why is tied to character
11:38
refinement. Absolutely, the affliction
11:41
itself is a tool to purify and produce greater comfort later
11:45
on. The key is asking why with
11:47
humility not cross examining God with bitterness.
11:50
The whole progression now moves out of that darkness and into a
11:54
clear desire for direction. And that's verse 3, Section 3,
11:57
Light and truth as celestial guides.
12:00
David asks. O send out thy light and thy
12:02
truth. And we need to define these
12:04
really clearly in this context. Light is the joy of God's
12:07
presence, his visible favor shining on David, pushing away
12:10
the shadows and truth. Truth is the faithfulness of
12:13
God's heart, his unbreakable fidelity to his covenant
12:15
promises. David needs both of them to
12:18
light up his path. The sources bring up a really
12:20
interesting historical detail here, an allusion to the Urim
12:22
and Thummim. Yes, those were the sacred
12:25
objects on the high priest breastplate, used for getting
12:28
divine direction. They symbolized light and truth.
12:33
It's a powerful image. It suggests David isn't just
12:36
seeking general relief. He wants a clear priestly word
12:40
from God. And Henry March makes this
12:42
critical point that these two things, light and truth, have to
12:45
be combined, separated. They aren't a solid ground for
12:49
trust. I think we need to expand on
12:51
that. It's the core doctrine.
12:53
I mean, think about it. Favor light without
12:55
faithfulness, truth. What is that?
12:58
Unreliable. It's.
12:59
Volatile human friendship. Smiles today, gone tomorrow.
13:02
Big promises. No guarantee it would create a
13:04
state of constant uncertainty. And the other way around,
13:07
faithfulness without favor is actually terrifying for a
13:10
Sinner. It's the execution of pure
13:12
justice. If God were only faithful to His
13:15
law without any favor, we'd all be facing the original sentence.
13:19
You shall surely die. So without light, truth is just
13:22
judgement. It is so on their own.
13:24
For a Sinner, these two attributes mean either
13:26
uncertainty, certainty, or destruction, which.
13:28
Is why the Gospel is the perfect synthesis of the two.
13:30
The gospel brings them into perfect harmony.
13:33
The Old Testament pointed to it. Mercy and truth met together.
13:38
Righteousness and peace kissed each other.
13:41
Now, because of Christ, God's faithfulness is on the side of
13:44
His grace. The believer can be certain that
13:46
the one who showed them mercy will be faithful to finish the
13:49
job. And David asked for these, not
13:51
as abstract ideas, but as practical guides.
13:54
Let them lead me. Yes, they are functional.
13:57
They are meant to guide him out of his exile.
13:59
And that's the sources make it clear this isn't just the light
14:02
of nature or common morality. That's not strong enough.
14:05
We need the specific light of the Holy Spirit and the truth as
14:09
it is in Jesus. This guidance is active.
14:12
It's sanctifying. So these celestial guides are
14:14
meant to lead him to one very specific place, thy holy Hill,
14:18
and to thy tabernacles. And this reveals David's deepest
14:21
priority. He's not primarily longing for
14:23
his throne back or for his enemies to be destroyed.
14:26
His main goal is the closest possible fellowship with God's
14:29
presence. He wants to be where God is.
14:31
And what about thy tabernacles, plural?
14:34
The sources mentioned a couple of possibilities.
14:36
It could be the two locations at the time, Zion with the Ark and
14:39
Gibeon with the Tabernacle of Convocation.
14:42
Or it could just refer to the different parts of the one
14:44
Tabernacle. But either way the point is the
14:46
same. He craves proximity to God's
14:49
manifested presence. His satisfaction is in presence,
14:53
not position. Which transitions us perfectly
14:56
to the next verse. This longing takes him straight
14:59
to Section 4, approaching the altar of exceeding joy.
15:02
Verse 4. Then will I go into the altar of
15:05
God? His priority is just striking.
15:09
It's completely defining. His first stop is not his
15:12
palace, not his family. It's the altar.
15:15
It establishes worship and communion over every other
15:18
physical or political desire. If you compare that to how we
15:21
react to relief, we usually go for a relaxation or distraction.
15:24
Exactly. David's focus is just so
15:26
challenging to us. He wants to go with his whole
15:28
heart as a sacrifice himself. He sees it as a happiness to be
15:31
a burnt offering dedicated to God.
15:33
And this is where we have to talk about the theological focus
15:35
for us, for New Covenant believers, the altar's anti
15:39
type. For us, the physical altar isn't
15:41
the goal. Our approach to God is through
15:43
the true altar. Which is Christ?
15:45
Which is Christ. John Offord's insight here is so
15:48
key that Christ is the one whole perfect burnt offering.
15:52
That's why the physical altar is obsolete now.
15:54
Because the true altar represents the full value and
15:57
power of Christ's offering to God for us.
16:00
It's through him, the altar, that we can enter the Holy of
16:02
Holies. We see how God's justice is
16:05
perfectly satisfied by Christ's obedience and death.
16:08
The path is now open. And this understanding of
16:10
substitutionary atonement is really the answer to David's
16:13
whole problem. He felt cast off and the only
16:16
way back to a holy God is through the altar.
16:18
Precisely. And that requires a rejection of
16:20
empty ritualism. David didn't just want the
16:22
building, he wanted the reality. The rights without the Lord are
16:26
just empty shells and dry husks. The goal is never the means of
16:29
grace themselves. But God himself found through
16:32
those means. And this leads David to give God
16:34
this incredible title. Unto God, my exceeding joy.
16:38
This title is everything. The marginal translation gives
16:41
us an even deeper sense. The gladness of my joy, the.
16:44
Essence of his joy. The very core, the soul of it.
16:47
God isn't just the one who gives him joy.
16:49
God is the joy itself. Let's unpack that exceeding joy.
16:53
How is that different from just, you know, being happy?
16:56
Well, all other joys have boundaries.
16:58
They're temporary, they're finite.
17:00
They can be taken away. They are containers of joy, not
17:03
the source. Only God can be this illimitable
17:06
sea of joy. It's boundless and eternal.
17:09
So when David says this, he's saying that if he has nothing
17:12
else, no throne, no home, having God is enough.
17:16
It's a complete fulfillment. Which brings us back to what
17:18
Nathaniel Holmes said. Believers aren't satisfied just
17:21
by doing religious duties. They have to arrive at God
17:24
Himself in those duties. The goal is tasting the
17:27
illimitable sea, not just holding the cup.
17:29
That's a great way to put it. And when God fills you with that
17:32
kind of joy, the only possible response is praise.
17:35
Yeah, upon the harp will I praise thee.
17:37
He's dedicating his best talent to God's glory.
17:40
The praise has to match the delight.
17:42
It has to be skilled, passionate, intentional, and it
17:44
all culminates in that. Simple personal declaration.
17:47
Oh God, my God. That possessed my God.
17:50
That's it. That's the hard 7.
17:52
To possess God and to know it by faith is a fullness of bliss
17:55
that can't be surpassed. But even after hitting this
17:57
spiritual high point, realizing God is His exceeding joy, He's
18:01
not fixed, the discouragement comes back.
18:05
Which brings us to verse 5, Section 5, admonishing the soul
18:08
and securing hope. He goes right back to the same
18:11
internal check. Why art thou cast down, O my
18:14
soul, and why art thou disquieted within me?
18:17
He returns to the tried and true remedy.
18:19
And this gives us a massive insight into spiritual struggle.
18:22
Grief and disquiet, a lot like sin, aren't silenced with one
18:26
command. They are persistent enemies.
18:28
David knows the internal war requires you to keep applying
18:31
the truth. I love that the sources bring in
18:34
Richard Sibbs here. His advice about not being short
18:37
spirited is so practical. Sibbs says that if your heart's
18:40
distemper, that feeling of being cast down isn't fixed with the
18:43
first check you apply a second and a third.
18:45
You don't give up until your soul reaches that holy, blessed
18:48
quiet temper. It's spiritual self-discipline.
18:51
You're preaching the truth to yourself until your emotions
18:53
finally submit to the facts. And the specific truth David
18:56
preaches to his soul is hope in God or wait for God.
19:00
Hope is the anchor. And you only need an anchor in a
19:03
storm. The sources reference Hebrews
19:05
here. The more terrible the storm, the
19:07
more you need that anchor of hope.
19:09
It's the tension of the believer's life, living in
19:12
present darkness but being totally oriented toward a future
19:15
certainty. Which is the exact opposite of
19:18
the worldling's focus on the here and now.
19:19
Exactly. The worldling wants a bird in
19:22
the hand. They want immediate, tangible
19:24
possession, but the believers perfect state their full
19:28
vindication and joy is in Spen. It's held securely in hope.
19:32
And that future focus is what gets David through.
19:35
And that certainty fuels the final affirmation, for I shall
19:38
yet praise Him. That is a statement of pure
19:41
theological conviction. Future praise is a certainty no
19:45
matter what's happening now. He shifts from asking why he's
19:48
down to stating with total confidence what he will be
19:50
doing. It's the victory shout of faith.
19:52
Resting on the character of God as a father.
19:54
The assurance is that our Heavenly Father will not just
19:57
stand by and watch his children be trampled forever.
19:59
Light must rise for the people of God.
20:02
The final verdict has to be in their favor because they're
20:04
hidden in Christ. And the final line of the whole
20:06
Psalm is that beautiful image of restoration on David's own face.
20:12
God is the health of my countenance.
20:13
It's holistic, healing, physical and spiritual.
20:17
It means God will literally clear the furrows of grief and
20:20
the tear marks from his face. He'll be able to lift his head
20:23
and smile on the face of the storm.
20:25
It's the outward sign of the exceeding joy that's happening
20:28
inside. And so the Psalm ends on this
20:31
incredibly blessed, confident note.
20:33
It's an example for how a believer's life should end not
20:36
in defeat, but in quiet, smiling confidence.
20:39
Because that face to face communion he wanted is about to
20:42
be realized. So we've pulled the spiritual
20:45
goal from this deep dive. We've seen the sufficiency of
20:48
God's justice. We've dissected the difference
20:50
between a bitter complaint and a humble question.
20:52
And most of all, we focused on pursuing God Himself as the
20:56
gladness of our joy. And we've seen the David's whole
20:58
appeal rests on the certainty of God's character, his light and
21:01
truth, and that this all points forward to the true altar, which
21:05
is Christ's perfect sacrifice. Understanding that is central to
21:08
our faith. And so we'll leave you with this
21:10
question to think about. If David, in the middle of exile
21:13
and oppression, prioritized restored communion at the altar
21:17
over getting his thrown back, what does that say about our
21:19
priorities when we suffer? What do you pursue first when
21:22
you get relief? What's the true spiritual
21:25
measure of success in any trial? Think about that.
21:28
Until next time.