Psalm 43 is a short psalm with the theme of turning towards God in times of trouble. It begins with a direct supplication to God: ‘Judge me, O God, and plead my cause’ which leads on to an increasing conviction of the power and truth of God as the psalm ends. Verse 2 has the twofold question we all tend to ask about God in times of trouble, “Why do you cast me off? “Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

The opening words ‘Judge me’ should more accurately say, ‘Judge for me’ or ‘Vindicate me’. This brings out the spiritual meaning of God judging us, because God knows everything about us and the causes of our intentions, many of which we don’t know ourselves. The Lord only ever judges for us, not against us, and even when we have set our heart on evil, the Lord knows it all, and every reason why.

Here, the speaker is sure of his devotion to God even while he experiences the deceits and lies that surround him or fill his thinking. His trust and confidence in the ‘God of my strength’ enables him to consider why his God seems to have cast him off, and seems to have left him in mourning. Spiritually, this brings out the important point that the way we understand God and his ways is of vital help to us. If we do not understand God, we will fall into thinking that God does cast us adrift or has no care for our anguish. When we are equipped with understanding, we see that this is only the appearance to us as far as we are concerned. (Arcana Caelestia 1838)

The middle verse 3 has a powerful statement which breaks through and brings answers to the previous two questions: ‘Send out Your light and Your truth!’ Let them lead me.’ This is all part of the cycle of losing sight of the Lord and coming back into his presence. It is good to notice the number of pairs of words used in this section: ‘light and truth’, ‘hill and tabernacle’, ‘altar and harp’. While paired words are a feature of singing, spiritually, this dualism is about the Lord’s good and the Lord’s truth. For us, Divine good is God and Divine truth is from God for us to see how good is the purpose of everything that God does. (Arcana Caelestia 5194)

The ‘altar’ of God stands for God as Divine good and love. The altar is the centrepiece of our worship and devotion to God. It is also the place of sacrifice and holiness as we give our life to the Lord to use. It is also the seat of mercy and our love and care for others just as the Lord loves and cares for us. (Apocalypse Explained 391.3) The ‘harp’ in the same verse stands for the Lord’s Divine truth which sounds, resonates, harmonises with us, and gives us a form, like music does, to feel the power and beauty of love and good. (Apocalypse Revealed 276)

The psalm ends with a command to us, something which is of great spiritual importance for us, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.” This direct command makes a fine close to the psalm, and spiritually it expresses the core of faith, truth, and hope, that whatever our present state, we look towards a renewed sense of the Lord with us, just as He has been in the past. It also touches well on the spiritual idea that we need to compel ourselves to live by the truth we know and not wait for the Lord to act for us. (Divine Providence 129)

1838. That 'a deep sleep came over Abram' means that the Church was at that time in darkness is clear from the meaning of 'deep sleep'. In relation to wakefulness 'deep sleep' is a state of darkness, a state which is here attributed to the Lord, who is represented by Abram. Not that a deep sleep, or a state of darkness, ever in fact existed with Him, but with the Church. This is similar to the way things are in the next life where the Lord never ceases to be the Sun, and Light itself; yet before the evil He is seen as darkness, for it is according to the state of each individual that the Lord is seen. Thus the same is said here of the Church when in a state of darkness.

[2] Take as an example the vastation, the punishment, and the condemnation which are ascribed to the Lord many times in the Word. These are in fact attributable to the member of the Church, who vastates, punishes, and condemns himself. It appears to the eyes of the individual as though the Lord vastated, punished, and condemned; and because the appearance is such, it is so expressed according to appearances. For unless a person were taught by means of appearances he would never allow himself to be taught at all. What is contrary to the appearance he neither believes nor comprehends until at a later time he has the power of judgement and has been granted the faith that is grounded in charity.

[3] The same applies to the Church. When it is in darkness the Lord is so obscured before the eyes of its members that He does not appear, that is, He is not acknowledged. Yet it is not at all the Lord who is covered in obscurity but the person in whom and with whom the Lord would be. Nevertheless obscuration is attributed to the Lord, as is 'deep sleep' here, by which is meant a dark state of the Church.