God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him Learn more about Desiring God Ways to Follow . Luke 16:10, A change within that leads to obedience: Matthew 21:28-32, Four things to remember in times of trial. We face the pressure of getting into college and once were there, of making it through. But the king shall rejoice in God; An older translation put it more graphically; "Jesus set his face to . That is, those who had sworn allegiance to him but rebelled against him, that is broke their oath and lied will be stopped. RTCH 500-D. Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician.To Jeduthun. King David wrote this individual lament psalm when he was in the wilderness of Judah away from the ark and the place of formal worship ( 2 Samuel 15:25 ). This psalm invites us to believe again that our faith in God will never desert us, no matter what happens. e. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness: David spoke of a satisfaction that too few people know, even among believers. Sometimes you have to work at the romance (which sounds contradictory, but its not). 10-22 as sections two (10-16, Rescue from Prison) and three (vv 17-22, Rescue . Psalm 4. To be devoted means to cling to Jesus and steadfastly persevere with Him. Christianity is not just a matter of the head, but of the heart. . The bulk of this psalm speaks to this. His whole world was falling apart, but he had the Lord and His loyal love, and so he could sing and rejoice in God. 1. his lips will praise God BDB 986 II, KB 1387, Piel imperfect 2. he will bless God as long as he lives BDB 138, KB 159, Piel imperfect 3. he will lift up his hands BDB 669, KB 724, Qal imperfect Psalm 6. The meaning here is simply that the enemies of the king shall die. When he was in the Desert of Judah. Since this psalm was composed from the Wilderness of Judah, there was certainly help David could ask for. Verses 8-9 conclude the first section of the psalm by revealing the fruit of the psalmist's prescription for his own soul. "[10] Christ himself adopted this beautiful metaphor (Matthew 23:37). Therefore, David says, My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me (63:8). During that time David spent a short while in the northeastern portion of the wilderness of Judah before he crossed over the Jordan River. Psalm 63:1-11 One sign of a genuine believer is devotion to Christ. It includes time in prayer, bringing your needs and others needs before Him. 224-226) nicely outlines it as God my desire (1-4); God my delight (5-8); and, God my defense (9-11). Lifting up the hands toward God was a gesture of prayer (cf. Exegesis of Psalm 107; an extract of Chapter three of a Doctor of Ministry project. Scripture: Psalm 63:5-6. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. To seek Him means to pursue Him alone to fill that God-shaped vacuum in your life. A. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. Psalm 23 Exegesis Analysis. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. Separated from God (Ps 63:2), the psalmist longs for the divine life given in the Temple (Ps 63:36), which is based on a close relationship with God (Ps 63:79). David wasnt consumed with thoughts of getting even. 63. How can we make time alone with God a priority and yet avoid a legalistic approach to it? Its contents are read and sung by millions every day. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. If we have nothing to say about Gods goodness, the probable cause is our want of experience of it. (Maclaren), ii. So David is suffering an intense trial. This is the God that he knows, has walked with and served his life. 3:11). We are in Psalm 63 this morning. They are the final scavengers, consuming the remains of the kill rejected by the larger beasts. (Kidner). 12 See note above (v. 7) o n the use of wor d'tora ' i Psalm 19 a roug out is paper. 63 John 4:1-42. Indeed, even our Lord Jesus Christ was tried and tested and tempted during his time on this earth. 62:12). (Kidner), ii. [Note: G. S. Cansdale, Animals of Bible Lands, pp. "The God in whom we trust despite natural disasters and historical threats, the God who will finally bring an end to wars (Ps 46:9), the God whose 'withness' takes its ultimate expression in the sending of the one named Immanuel -- these are some of the themes that suggest themselves from this psalm for these days of autumn." We all make time to do what we really want to do. Five Questions for Discussion follow the Bible Lesson Commentary . Second, he is strengthened as he remembers how God has helped him in the past. B Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1956) p. 2487. As we seek God in our trial, let us be renewed in our faith. Such a vision of God, as McCaw admitted, "Would explain the sudden transition from sadness to great joy. . Much of David's writing in this passage is . This is merely an Old Testament manner of speaking of the grave. Psalms 63:1-2. But I want you to see that a person who seeks after God is not a religious mystic who is out of touch with reality. 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. 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. He had to think about how all of his loyal followers who fled with him were going to get food and water in this barren wilderness. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. The contrast to trusting God is to speak lies; we resort to lies when we dont trust God. But it is still not the same as knowing him personally. 3 Better your faithful love than life itself; my lips will praise . The words translated follows close have the sense of joining or gluing together, as in Genesis 2:24. iii. "The jackals are the scavengers of the East. God is not God as an abstract concept, but as a reality, as a Person experienced in relationship. One of these paths has a future of glory and the other path will be stopped. The writer seems to be overflowing with joy in the Lord. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Life and literature are filled with people who loved someone or something more than their own life, and it could be said of them that they held love better than life. I don't mean just saying prayers that are not spawned from the heart, of course. Whether we are delivered or not (David here has a prophetic insight that he will be delivered) we can confess with David that Gods steadfast love is better than life. That even if things dont get better, we know God will take care of us. 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.. % Jesus said empty prayers amounted to only religious ceremony. Psa 63:1-2. It is to this propensity of the jackal that David refers himself a man of war, who had fought on many a battle-field, and must have seen the carcasses of the slain mangled by these nocturnal prowlers. (Wood, cited in Spurgeon), iii. Let me ask you this morning What trials are you going through today? 10. So I will speak good of You in my life, and in Your name I will lift up my hands Psalm 62:5. "But those that seek my soul to destroy it. Psalm 63:1. It was used of wild donkeys looking eagerly for food. 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. He compared this to the feeling of a stomach filled with the richest food. Thus seeking after God means to have an intimate personal relationship with Him; always to desire more of Him; and, to pursue God alone to fill the vacuum in your life. As he remembers who God is, this leads him to worship God, even in his time of trial. Wisdom . O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul . An accomplished scholar of the Psalms, Mark Futato next . They will go to the depths, or Sheol, and their bodies will be left for scavengers.But he will rejoice, that is, he will come back to Jerusalem. Their enmity to David, and opposition to the counsel of God respecting him, he foresaw would be their death and their damnation, their ruin and their . So have I looked on thee in the sanctuary, "O God, thou art my God" (Psalms 63:1). That God's lovingkindness toward those who enjoy fellowship in Him is indeed "better than life" is indeed attested by the thousands of martyrs through many centuries who have sealed with their blood the sacred truth of these blessed words. This is a very beautiful psalm of devotion to God. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. ., p. How do we do that? Seeking after God should be our most important priority. Mark 12:1-12, Arguing about whos the greatest. They shall fall by the sword; I once heard the late godly pastor and author, Alan Redpath, speak. He speaks of himself in the third person, either out of modesty or out of prudence. (Poole). 4. Psa 63:6. O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. None of these details are missing from the prophecy. God shall cut them off, and send them to their own place. Davids meditation on God overflowed in praise. It is a wise advice which bids us regard rather what is said than who says it, and there are few regions in which the counsel is more salutary than at present in the study of the Old Testament, and especially the Psalms. We're told in the New Testament that we are supposed to "count it all joy" when we fall into various trials. Again, those things have their place, but they are not meant to satisfy your soul. As he considered his circumstances, he realized that God is just; God would judge fairly. What does the person look like who seeks after God? His own son whom he loved was attempting to kill him. He seeks God, they seek to kill him.]. i. Whedon's Commentary Kingcomments Henry's Complete Old Testament Individual Books Verse 1 PSALM 63 DAVID'S CRY TO GOD FROM THE DESERT SUPERSCRIPTION: A PSALM OF DAVID; WHEN HE WAS IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDAH. There were still those who wanted to kill him. But our trials are meant to lead us to God. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. )\f6]_< y1(g ZG{h4J?NNC]ZwPJ3{ [K~tkq |c'RCTVNH>$~X#pFTk^%X# 0 Z9 T8 j@ ,)$ % /+W But they shouldnt come before your marriage. i. 4. Scripture: Psalm 63. "The forest devoured more people that day than the sword." Psalm 63 - Devotion. Thus, more than twenty-thousand more were numbered among the slain. Exegesis of Psalm 19 Corey Keating, Page 4. information from prior phrases. When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. B. (1) What the righteous man does not do. i. Here is David, his kingdom in disarray, running for his life, seeking to protect his men. Psalm 63 speaks of praise and devotion given to God in gratitude, out of a rich sense of being blessed. He has gone from luxury to the wilderness; from power to weakness; from respect to dishonor; from safety to danger. 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. Being faint and thirsty are mentioned in 2 Samuel 16:2 and 17:29. Bible commentary on the Book of Psalms, by Dr. Bob Utley, retired professor of hermeneutics. In your struggles, may God make himself real to you and strengthen and sustain you to keep moving forward under Gods care. This Psalm is filled with metaphors and creative imagery that is best understood through contextual knowledge. The way of the righteous. To see and to feel that power of God working in us once more. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. They are seeking to kill him v. 9. He was speaking of his sense of dependence on God. The superscription for Psalm 63 states that David wrote this Psalm when he was in the wilderness of Judah (or desert of Judah). During his reign, his son, Absalom, led a rebellion against him. Lets look at this passage in three simple steps: According to the inscription, this Psalm is connected to David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. It isnt clear exactly what this refers to, but a good case can be made that this Psalm is about when David fled Jerusalem into the wilderness when his son Absalom rebelled against him. 22:5) or in the wilderness of Ziph, 1 Sa. What a beautiful balance! This is a very beautiful psalm that speaks to seeking after God in difficult times and finding faith to make it through. You can learn a lot about President Obama. The point is, the person who seeks after God will be a person of strength and stability, a person with inner resources to meet every crisis in life. David summarizes his renewed faith 8My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.He is fully dependent upon God and God is upholding him in his trial. Psalm 63:1-8. b. You cant explain that apart from God! John Piper Aug 12, 1999. The bodies of the dead provided food for the wild beasts. When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. .He remembers Gods power, glory and steadfast love. It is even better than continuing to live, because his steadfast love will continue on with us in the life to come. First, he is strengthened as heremembers who God is. Physical needs, difficult circumstances, spiritual struggles? Copyright 2019-2023 USCCB, please review our Privacy Policy. [Note: Kidner, p. That which is bitter is called , root , stringere, from . Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. Then, there is the mystery of that little word, "So," standing at the head of Psalms 63:2, which will surely bear this interpretation. The same Hebrew word describes both animals. Most commentators believe it to belong either to David's wilderness years before he came to the throne of Israel, or to his brief exile from the throne in the rebellion of Absalom. Sermon. King David was a man who knew what it meant to live under pressure. Rebellion against God and Christ began at the arrest of Jesus ( Acts 4:23-26 ). The soul of David in Psalms 63:1 "thirsted" for God, but here the metaphor of physical hunger is employed to describe the soul's overwhelming desire for God and his healing fellowship. "O God, thou art my God; earnestly will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee. 5:6). It includes time in praise and worship, expressing your love for Him. Psalms 63. 1 [Psalm Of David When he was in the desert of Judah] God, you are my God, I pine for you; my heart thirsts for you, my body longs for you, as a land parched, dreary and waterless. David made it a priority to spend time alone with God. David remembered who God is from his times of worship. Psalm 63 - A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah. SUPERSCRIPTION: A PSALM OF DAVID; WHEN HE WAS IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDAH. 1. This is the psalm where David writes a parable-song equating his walk with God to that of a shepherd taking care of his sheep. x][4~_ 3Because your steadfast love is better than life . David meant that the love of God to him was more precious than his own life. Thousands were left where they fell to become the food of beasts. The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Series ) for October 31, 2010 , is from Psalm 63:1-11 . In the midst of such pressures, there is one thing that will determine the course of your life: your priorities. Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice: The idea of the shelter of shadow of Gods wings is repeated many times in the psalms. What is the difference between having God as a slice of life versus having God permeate every part of life? Absalom and Ahithophel, the leaders, led the way. In Ps 63:1-8 verses the writer expresses his holy desires after God, and his confidence in him, and then in Ps 63:9-11 remaining three verses he prophesies the overthrow of all his enemies. 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.". Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 63:3-6 Even in affliction we need not want matter for praise. As the king of Israel, he knew the pressures of leadership. 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. Then there is the pressure of getting a good job and, once we get it, of doing well enough to keep it and be promoted. The Hebrew chiasm in each of the two . 15, 17), wrote. Delitzsch more particularly identified David's location with that arid strip of desert just west of the Dead Sea.[3]. 20:2). David thought that he would be ungrateful and rude to not praise and thank the God who loved him so greatly. There are five divisions in the psalm, the first four with two verses each, and the fifth taking in the last three verses. There is a determination here: I shall seek you earnestly (63:1b). The connection expressed by my soul follows close is truly close. [Note: Wiersbe, The . These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. I have always been moved and challenged by Luke's description of Christ's decisive turn to the cross in Luke 9:51. His enemies will be judged and destroyed, not him. 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. "There may be other psalms that equal this outpouring of devotion; few if any that surpass it." 1. What did he see? But a marriage cannot be built on feelings alone, but on commitment. One of the reasons that we want God is because we know that He amazing. "The night watches" (Psalms 63:6). David models this for us. 6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis: Commentary, Psalm 63:1-8, (Lent 3C), Beth L. Tanner, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2016. If we take swearing by David as an expression of loyalty to him (as it is with swearing by Yahweh) this fits the context of a rebellion against David. Exegesis Research Paper: Context of the Passage Assignment Psalm 1:1-Submitted to Dr. Debra Warren in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of. As you reflect on His great love and faithfulness toward you over the years, in spite of your failures, you ought to feel love for Him. 3. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. But David is following hard after God, as the old King James Version puts verse 8. 23:15 . Life without fear is not possible, but faith can call us to live into God's will for our life instead of reducing our lives because of our fears and insecurities. 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 wicked would not prevail in the long run. But those that seek my soul, &c. That seek to take away my life; shall go into the lower parts of the earth Into the grave; and, if they repent not, into hell. By Your gift You I praise, through Your mercy You I praise. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Are you seeking after God like David speaks of here? . 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? Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. We ought not to make our praises of God to depend upon our own personal and present reception of benefits; this would be mere selfishness: even publicans and sinners have a good word for those whose hands are enriching them with gifts; it is the true believer only who will bless the Lord when he takes away his gifts or hides his face. (Spurgeon). And also all those who are loyal to him will exult. Gods powerful hand upheld and sustained David. The absence of prayer shows that we are spiritually dead. It is attributed to King David, set when he was in the wilderness of . c. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me: This speaks of the partnership and connection the believer experiences with God. These conditions point unerringly to King David during his flight through the wilderness of Judea from the enmity of Absalom. (LogOut/ This is a very beautiful psalm of devotion to God. David was a prophet and speaks this way here (Acts 2:30). Matthew11:28-30, The church struggles with prejudice. He considered the Lords loyal love even better than life itself. 11Those who would hand over my life to the sword shall. 5. Parkhurst, Jr. beholding your power and glory. They shall fall by the sword: David trusted God to deal with his enemies, especially with King Saul. Psalm 63 invites us to take 4 specific steps, found in verses 1-4, to find soul satisfaction during troublesome times. For I should not be able to praise God, unless He gave me to be able to praise Him. King David wrote this individual lament psalm when he was in the wilderness of Judah away from the ark and the place of formal worship (2 Samuel 15:25). Notice, briefly four things which characterize the person who seeks the Lord: My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness. He is never complacent, but satisfied. Turkey satisfies our stomach, and pumpkin pie satisfies our sweet tooth, but only the Lord Jesus Christ satisfies the soul. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. Psalms 119:48). Then he meets the woman of his dreams. Fellowship must be cultivated. (Morgan), (c) 2020 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik ewm@enduringword.com. 3 Because your xsteadfast love is better than life, My lips shall praise You: In light of Davids experience of Gods great love, he determined to vocally praise God. How does one go about making the change. . This comes out in the phrase, all who swear by his name which is an expression of loyalty to David as their king. The last 3 verses say a bit about what David is going through. .. This is the tabernacle in Jerusalem. "In the shadow of thy wings" (Psalms 63:7). Psalm 63: Prayer is the breath of our relationship of God. In a dry and weary land where no water is. Psalm 57 Sermon. 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! They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out, and when they had found Him, the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking. Daniel 3, Follow Christian teaching on WordPress.com. 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. Thus it is crucial that you have the right priorities. to see your power and glory. When we are suffering and discouraged it is easy to push God away, to blame God, to become angry at God. Thus David could commit the situation to the Lord and act with the right perspective and balance: He would make it his business to rejoice in God, and let God deal with his enemies and vindicate him. We're commanded to not think it a strange thing when we encounter trials in our life. 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. May all my enemies be destroyed and Gods true worshipers continue in giving praise (Ps 63:1011)! But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped. The result of this remembering is that he is satisfied and full of praise to God. . In this psalm, the way of the righteous and the way of the ungodly are contrasted. Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will behold your face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, . Two things are necessary for such triumph as this. 1 A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. Psalm 63:1-11. We'll find out who is his enemy, soon.