20:2). We join athletic teams where there is more pressure to excel. This could have been when he was fleeing from Saul (1 Samuel 23) or from Absalom (2 Samuel 15:13-30). They will be delivered over to the power of the sword; they will be a prey for jackals [lit.]. it is you I seek! For I should not be able to praise God, unless He gave me to be able to praise Him. In Gods time and in Gods way, Davids enemies did fall by the sword, which has the sense of being killed in battle. Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; David made it a priority to spend time alone with God. Such a vision of God, as McCaw admitted, "Would explain the sudden transition from sadness to great joy. But that was far from all of it. But the king will rejoice in God (63:11). To seek after God means that there is always more, because God is an infinite person. The result of this remembering is that he is satisfied and full of praise to God. David remembered who God is from his times of worship. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Wisdom . .. This is the tabernacle in Jerusalem. Reginald Heber's immortal hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy," memorializes these words in the first stanza. And yet, in the psalm, the psalmist's physical needs only serve to draw attention to his spiritual longing. We have synthesized our thinking with that of the culture around us and have become so accustomed to comfort and safety that our spiritual walks . "[1], All but the timid scholars agree with Rawlinson who wrote: "All the indications agree exactly with the superscription that this psalm was composed by David as he fled through the wilderness of Judea toward the Jordan during the revolt of Absalom."[2]. Thus, more than twenty-thousand more were numbered among the slain. But there is not one word of asking for temporal or even spiritual blessings. If you or I were under the kinds of pressure David faced at this point in his life, I doubt if we would be writing songs. 63 John 4:1-42. My mouth offers praises with joyful lips (63:5b). He had to be thinking constantly about their safety. Psalm 65 - At the Temple, In the Earth. Give me my kingdom back. But rather, he prayed, I shall seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh yearns for You; Your love is better than life. What amazing statements! B. Twenty thousand of Absalom's forces were slain by the sword in the battle that ended the rebellion, which was fought in the forest of Ephraim (2 Samuel 18:7f). And this is a God who is faithful. Let me ask you this morning What trials are you going through today? It was the kind of thing every pastor prays and longs for. If v. 11 does mean swearing by King David, this is what Ittai does in 2 Samuel 15:21. v. 11 speaks of David as a king which doesnt fit his fleeing from Saul. beholding your power and glory. 130:4, 7. When we are suffering and discouraged it is easy to push God away, to blame God, to become angry at God. If you figure that youve reached a level of maturity in your Christian life where you can put it in neutral and coast, youre in trouble! Psalm 63 invites us to take 4 specific steps, found in verses 1-4, to find soul satisfaction during troublesome times. a. I. This comes from his encounters with God in worship 2So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary . If v. 11 does mean swearing by King David, this is what Ittai does in 2 Samuel 15:21. v. 11 speaks of David as a king which doesnt fit his fleeing from Saul. In the midst of his trial he prays, "1O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.". Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition The Lockman Foundation, Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. Derek Kidner (Psalms 1-72 [IVP], pp. To be devoted means to cling to Jesus and steadfastly persevere with Him. Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will behold your face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, . * [63:12] All who swear by the Lord: to swear by a particular god meant that one was a worshiper of that god (Is 45:23; 48:1; Zep 1:5). People are good, and human relationships are a blessing from God. "In the Hebrew, these words are: [~'Elohiym], [~'Eli]. Many of us remember the day President Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal. Because You have been my help: Many of Davids psalms are simple cries for help. Solitude and stillness render the night watches a fit season for meditation on the so often experienced mercies of God; which, when thus called to remembrance, become a delicious repast to the spirit, filling it with all joy, and peace, and consolation. (Horne). Verse 1. Verse 1: As our bodies need food and drink, so our *souls need something. May all my enemies be destroyed and Gods true worshipers continue in giving praise (Ps 63:1011)! This Psalm is peculiarly suitable for the bed of sickness, or in any constrained absence from public worship. Are you seeking after God like David speaks of here? People despair without the sense of life; David despaired without the sense of Gods great love. 1A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.a. This includes time in His Word, renewing your mind so that you can please Him. David was there. Perhaps you say, Im actively involved in serving Him! Thats fine, but thats not what Im asking. Suddenly he finds time to spend with her! What does he remember? Its not a duty; its a delight! John Piper Sep 25, 1983. The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician.To Jeduthun. Yet that is not what David sang of here. Parkhurst, Jr. The king rejoiced in God, throne restored, enemies all dead; back at home. Psalms - Chapter 63. Give me my palace back. He compared this to the feeling of a stomach filled with the richest food. 4) Because of the KJV translation of the word "early" in v. 1, Psalm 63 has been called a "morning psalm." - This psalm is something of a climax of a trio of psalms (Pss. Gods love nourished and refreshed David more than the water he needed. No area was off limits to God. Are you seeking after God like a person who is dying of thirst looks for water in a dry and weary land, where water is really hard to find? He gives you eternal life as His free gift. The higher and more responsible the leadership position, the greater are the pressures. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. First, there must be the consciousness of personal relationship, O God, Thou art my God; and, second, there must be earnest seeking after God: Early will I seek Thee. Relationship must be established. Early in the morning, our song shall rise to thee. . In a dry and weary land where no water is. The Holy Spirit is telling us through David, Seeking God is essential! If its not essential for you, then youve got to join David, the man after Gods heart, in making it so. 10But those who seek my life will come to ruin; they shall go down to the depths of the netherworld! My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. To see and to feel that power of God working in us once more. But knowing that God will faithfully and loving watch over him is better than all that he lost his former life of good things. Thus it is crucial that you have the right priorities. I invite you to turn there in your Bibles. It would be understandable if God were temporarily squeezed out of the picture. You can check these in your browser security settings. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Much of David's writing in this passage is . When the pressure is on, everything but the essential gets set aside. To dwell with God is better than life at its best; life at ease, in a palace, in health, in honour, in wealth, in pleasure; yea, a thousand lives are not equal to the eternal life which abides in Jehovahs smile. (Spurgeon), iv. Verse 2: David wanted to see God's power and *glory in the *Temple in Jerusalem. Sometimes you have to work at the romance (which sounds contradictory, but its not). Others try to fill their lives with possessions or with a successful and satisfying career. David clings to God, but underneath it all, Gods powerful hand is under David. It is used to describe Ruth clinging to her mother-in-law (Ruth 1:14). In the song, David, the shepherd-king, is the sheep who is shepherded by Yahweh. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Even in the middle of a calamity such as this rebellion, which would push many to fall apart emotionally, David had inner peace and calm. This second contribution to the "Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis" series continues the admirable tradition set by Robert B. Chisholm Jr. in "Interpreting the Historical Books." A valuable resource for pastors and students, "Interpreting the Psalms" begins by explaining the nature of Hebrew poetry and the purpose of the Psalms. Mark 12:1-12, Arguing about whos the greatest. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. God was Davids help. [Note: Wiersbe, The . No one seeks for God unless God first seeks after them (John 6:44; Rom. It was used of wild donkeys looking eagerly for food. Psa 63:6. But once youve received it, how do you go on seeking after God? belongeth mercy. What is the difference between having God as a slice of life versus having God permeate every part of life? Socrates turned and without a word grabbed the young man and dunked him under the water and held him down until he knew that he couldnt take it any longer. David models this for us. My soul clings to You (63:8a). 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. Keep your areas of struggle in mind as we work our way through this psalm. During his reign, his son, Absalom, led a rebellion against him. And the context shifts from the sanctuary to his thinking about God in the night 6when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night. 57:2). Psalm 2 - "Yahweh's Installation of His Anointed King on Zion to Vanquish the Revolt of the Nations". God isnt just a spoke in the wheel; Hes the hub. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. Jesus himself adopted both of these metaphors in the Sermon on the Mount. But the king shall rejoice in God: David was not yet on Israels throne and that promise still waited many years for fulfillment. Putting God in the center of your life gives you balance and perspective in the crises of life. Since this psalm was composed from the Wilderness of Judah, there was certainly help David could ask for. The Chief Musician is thought by some to be the Lord GOD Himself, and others suppose him to be a leader of choirs or musicians in David's time, such as Heman the singer or Asaph (1 Chronicles 6:33, 16:5-7, and 25:6).. Jeduthun (mentioned also in the titles of Psalm 39 and Psalm 77) was one of the musicians . At five years old we are thrust into school where there is pressure to perform and to compete for grades. It's an emotional psalm, coming out of the depths of David's life, and it would be an injustice to pick the psalm apart while missing the feeling that it conveys. Now for the crucial question: Im assuming that you already know God personally through Christ. Psalms 28:2; Lamentations 2:19) or respect (cf. During that time David spent a short while in the northeastern portion of the wilderness of Judah before he crossed over the Jordan River. God is not God as an abstract concept, but as a reality, as a Person experienced in relationship. 63:3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. b. [6], Kidner gives a scholarly defense of this rendition.[7]. i. (1) What the righteous man does not do. If you love God, youll make time to spend with Him because you delight to do so. Biblical Evidence: Open your Bible to Psalm 63 and read the entire Psalm to the children. 1 O God, you are my God; tearnestly I seek you; umy soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in va dry and weary land where there is no water. Worship: The Feast of Christian Hedonism. 62 DeClaisse-Walford, et al., The Book of Psalms, 622. They shall fall by the sword: David trusted God to deal with his enemies, especially with King Saul. As soon as David arose in the morning, he became aware of his need for God-just as he needed water shortly after waking up. . Psa 63:5. 224.]. And David even says, that your steadfast love is better than life. His life has been turned upside down. Seeking after God means that you are seeking to develop an intimate relationship with the God whom you have met personally through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. - Psalm 63:3. He knew his calling (king, 63:11) and that God would not fail to accomplish all that concerned him (Ps. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Read verse 2. I only want to touch lightly on this question so that I can concentrate on the third question. 22:5) or in the wilderness of Ziph, 1 Sa. All of these can wear us down and bring discouragement. Tools Psa 63:3 There is in the love of God a richness, a sumptuousness, a fulness of soul-filling joy, comparable to the richest food with which the body can be nourished. (Spurgeon). He praises God now in some of the most beautiful language found anywhere in the Old Testament. Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; but the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped: The sense of swears by Him is to trust in God and place ones confident love in Him; men normally take oaths upon what they hold dear. [Notice the contrasts: Davids mouth is full of praise, their lies. 5. Spurgeon noted that we should not limit our thanks and praise to such seasons: Even when our heart is rather desiring than enjoying we should still continue to magnify the Most High, for his love is truly precious; even if we do not personally, for the time being, happen to be rejoicing in it. The title tells us when the psalm was penned, when David was in the wilderness of Judah; that is, in the forest of Hareth ( 1 Sa. It is even better than continuing to live, because his steadfast love will continue on with us in the life to come. 105. He is like someone in desperate need of water in a dry and weary land where there is no water.. ." They shall be a portion for jackals. 1. Fellowship must be cultivated. (Morgan), (c) 2020 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik ewm@enduringword.com. Psalm 63 allows us to peer into the heart of this man after God's own heart. Psalm 63:1-11. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. Five Questions for Discussion follow the Bible Lesson Commentary . The last 3 verses say a bit about what David is going through. I want to answer from Psalm 63 three questions about seeking after God: Psalm 63 allows us to peer into the heart of this man after Gods own heart. Then he meets the woman of his dreams. It not only satisfies the believer but overflows in praise, making him or her a blessing to others. The fact is, its easy to fill your life with things other than God. You can read news articles and books on his life. JOSEPH A ALEXANDER Psalms Commentary (1864) Spurgeon had high praise for Alexander's work writing that it "Occupies a first place among expositions. My soul follows close: Press toward the mark. 7and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.The phrase, the shadow of your wings has to do with being under the care of a mother bird and being under her wings when there is trouble. Exegesis of Psalm 63 Introduction Unfortunately in our day, age, and country, worship of God is seldom pursued by Christians with spiritual fervor and intensity. 2 Thus I have gazed on you in the sanctuary, seeing your power and your glory. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. . There is no area of your life, be it your business, your family, your education, or whatever, where God is not an integral part.
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