Psalm 43: Spiritual Depression, Part 2

You will notice that Psalm 43 lacks a superscription. This is because it is to becombined with Psalm 42, as indicated by the repeated phrases found in 42:5,11; and 43:5. These opening psalms to Book Two are part of the first Sons of Korah Collection (Psalms 42-49). The background to the sons of Korah is in Numbers 16. There Korah, along with others, rebelled against God’s will andGod’s chosen leaders, Moses and Aaron. We are told the earth opened up andthey went down to their graves (Numbers 16:33). The fact that God did nothold fault with Korah’s descendants, but used them to compose these psalms,speaks of God’s grace (ponder Deuteronomy 24:16).Like the previous psalm, Psalm 43 deals with a form of spiritual depressionreferred to as the downcast soul. The psalmist has been dislocated from hispeople and his homeland. His depression is evidenced by tears (42:3), selectivememory (42:4), inner turmoil (42:5, 11; 43:5), feeling overwhelmed (42:7), andfeelings of being forgotten and rejected (42:9; 43:2). Let’s continue to examine this form of spiritual depression, and look for the antidote for the downcastsoul.

As We Consider The Nature Of The Downcast Soul, Note. . .- The Appeal That Is Being Made. (1-2)
– The Guidance That Is Being Sought. (3-4)
– The Hope That Is Being Prescribed. (5)