206.]. As you think on what God has done for you in Christ, it ought to move you emotionally. Everyone who sides with God, as David did, can do the same. ! Psalm 63:1-11 One sign of a genuine believer is devotion to Christ. Again David pictured himself as a bird under the wing of its mother and as a dependent infant held by its parent. c. Thus I will bless You: David did not mean this in the sense that a greater person bestows a blessing on a lesser. 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. And the mouths of liars would then mean those who had sworn by David before, but now have rebelled against him, breaking their word.). Fellowship must be cultivated. (Morgan), (c) 2020 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik ewm@enduringword.com. May all my enemies be destroyed and Gods true worshipers continue in giving praise (Ps 63:1011)! Jackals make sense here, rather than the foxes of some older translations (one Hebrew word serves for both). Davids soul was close to God, following Him as one followed a Master or Teacher. Notice the personal relationship with God . i. 224-226) nicely outlines it as God my desire (1-4); God my delight (5-8); and, God my defense (9-11). Thus] So, as in Psalm 63:2 . 5My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips . Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. 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. "The night watches" (Psalms 63:6). Tools. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name (63:4). "The jackals are the scavengers of the East. O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. It is even better than continuing to live, because his steadfast love will continue on with us in the life to come. By Your gift You I praise, through Your mercy You I praise. You can learn all about his personality, his personal habits, and his family life. We're going to discover together, step-by-step, how David was satisfied in his heart in times of trouble. "O God, you are my God, 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" (Psalm 63:1). But that was far from all of it. "They shall be given over to the power of the sword" (Psalms 63:10). We should seek Him every day by spending time praying and reading the Bible. But we should not try to fill the vacuum in our lives with people, but with God. A Song. Thus will I bless thee That is, so as I have done, and have now said. Gods love nourished and refreshed David more than the water he needed. 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. 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. "[12], Kidner noted that, "The jackals are the final scavengers, consuming the remains of the kill rejected by larger beasts. This is a very beautiful psalm that speaks to seeking after God in difficult times and finding faith to make it through. Let there be no needless space between the Master and thee. (Meyer). People are good, and human relationships are a blessing from God. World problems, economic problems, personal problems, and the problems of friends and loved ones all press upon us. I invite you to turn there in your Bibles. Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. 1. When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. But those who seek my life to destroy it, will go into the depths of the earth. It not only satisfies the believer but overflows in praise, making him or her a blessing to others. 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. Psalm 63:1, ESV: A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. Many were left unburied, for there was plenty left for the jackals. Yet it was a promise of God (first expressed in 1 Samuel 16), so by faith David could dare to think of himself as the king, and in that daring faith rejoice in God. 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. Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; "Some have interpreted this to mean that David was here granted a vision of God just as clear and distinct as he had seen in the sanctuary. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 4. The result of this remembering is that he is satisfied and full of praise to God. Suddenly he finds time to spend with her! Yet, Psalm 63 has no cry for help but gives thanks and praise for Gods faithfulness in many times when God had been my help for David. One of these paths has a future of glory and the other path will be stopped. As we seek God in our trial, let us be renewed in our faith. Your job, outside interests, time with other friends, and even your church involvementthese are all good things in their place. 2 Thus I have gazed on you in the sanctuary, seeing your power and your glory. Psalm 63 was written by David while he was alone in the wilderness of Judah. "At the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.". "There may be other psalms that equal this outpouring of devotion; few if any that surpass it." The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. Three things: Gods lovingkindness (63:3) was better to David than life itself. Abbreviations Used in . 3 Because your xsteadfast love is better than life, It is used to describe Ruth clinging to her mother-in-law (Ruth 1:14). And also all those who are loyal to him will exult. [Note: Kirkpatrick, pp. But once youve received it, how do you go on seeking after God? There is a vast difference between knowing about a person and actually knowing that person. The same Hebrew word describes both animals. According to its title, Psalm 63 was written from the Wilderness of Judah and David was in the wilderness hiding from a conspiracy to kill him. God alone can do that. As he remembers who God is, this leads him to worship God, even in his time of trial. What a beautiful balance! Psalms THIRST AND SATISFACTION Psalm 63:1, Psalm 63:5, Psalm 63:8. David said, I shall seek you earnestly; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh yearns for You. Didnt David have the Lord? "The forest devoured more people that day than the sword." To know the President personally would require an introduction or occasion to meet, and then spending hours with him over a long period of time in many situations. Why now, when the opportunities to serve You are so great? Ill never forget what he said next. What does he remember? beholding your power and glory. And David even says, that your steadfast love is better than life. His life has been turned upside down. The parched desert just west of the Dead Sea reminded David of how hungry and thirsty his soul was for God. This includes time in His Word, renewing your mind so that you can please Him. x][4~_ Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! 63:1 O God, you are my God, 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. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Reginald Heber's immortal hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy," memorializes these words in the first stanza. Even though David was miles away from the ark, he still worshipped God. In the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy (63:7b). Two of the most well-known of these authors are Moses and . Daniel 3, Follow Christian teaching on WordPress.com. Sermon. therefore the children . to see your power and glory. But the king shall rejoice in God: David was not yet on Israels throne and that promise still waited many years for fulfillment. 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. 12 See note above (v. 7) o n the use of wor d'tora ' i Psalm 19 a roug out is paper. a. The primary sense of [the Hebrew word is] to glue together; from thence it signifies figuratively to associate, to adhere to, to be united with; and particularly to be firmly united with strong affection. (Chandler, cited in Spurgeon). My lips shall praise You: In light of Davids experience of Gods great love, he determined to vocally praise God. Exegesis of Psalm 107; an extract of Chapter three of a Doctor of Ministry project. Thousands were left where they fell to become the food of beasts. First, he is strengthened as heremembers who God is. Jesus himself adopted both of these metaphors in the Sermon on the Mount. i. So David is suffering an intense trial. 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. a. I. Psalm 63 is the 63rd psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee".In the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 62.In Latin, it is known as "Deus Deus meus". No matter what pressures come into your life, you will be able to handle them properly if you maintain this one priority above all else: Earnestly seek after God! Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. 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. Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis: Commentary, Psalm 63:1-8, (Lent 3C), Beth L. Tanner, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2016. This is a such a psalm of devotion to God. Delitzsch more particularly identified David's location with that arid strip of desert just west of the Dead Sea.[3]. 62:12). (Kidner), ii. David remembered who God is from his times of worship. .He remembers Gods power, glory and steadfast love. 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 wanted to go deeper. 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. I only want to touch lightly on this question so that I can concentrate on the third question. And yet he did not neglect earnestly seeking God in this trying situation. Expositions on the Psalms. 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. As the relationship developed you would begin to discover more and more about the man, not from an academic standpoint, but as a close friend. Even in Canaan, though a fruitful land and the people numerous, yet there were wildernesses . You can read news articles and books on his life. Wisdom . We live in a day marked by pressure in almost every area of life. "[8] Such a theophany is not unreasonable, for God surely did grant such a vision to Joshua in the conquest of Canaan. "They shall be a portion for the foxes" (Psalms 63:10). The word translated seek earnestly is related etymologically to the word for dawn, and thus some translations have seek early. But most commentators agree that the word means earnestly, ardently, or diligently. Then he meets the woman of his dreams. "In the Hebrew, these words are: [~'Elohiym], [~'Eli]. This is a very beautiful psalm of devotion to God. Your priorities determine how you spend your time, with whom you spend your time, and how you make decisions. 11But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.. We all make time to do what we really want to do. He will cut corners elsewhere if he has to, but he will not miss his time with this beautiful creature. )\f6]_< y1(g ZG{h4J?NNC]ZwPJ3{ [K~tkq |c'RCTVNH>$~X#pFTk^%X# 0 Z9 T8 j@ ,)$ % /+W "Where no water is" (Psalms 63:1). . The last 3 verses say a bit about what David is going through. From a formal perspective, verses 8-9 offer a striking example of assumed repetition. There must have been a time when you met Him personally through Jesus Christ. If your priorities are not clearly defined, you will be swept downstream in life by various pressures, the seeming victim of your circumstances. Have you spoken with God this morning? - Psalm 63:3. Reflecting on his God bolstered the kings confidence that the Lord would preserve him in his present situation. She didnt want to part from her (see also, 1 Kings 11:2; Gen. 34:3; 2 Sam. David was a prophet and speaks this way here (Acts 2:30). Lifting up the hands toward God was a gesture of prayer (cf. 3Because your steadfast love is better than life . 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. They are seeking to kill him v. 9. We're told in the New Testament that we are supposed to "count it all joy" when we fall into various trials. "But those that seek my soul to destroy it. The book is actually a collectio Parkhurst, Jr. These conditions point unerringly to King David during his flight through the wilderness of Judea from the enmity of Absalom. He said that the Lord quietly impressed upon him, Alan, youve gotten your work ahead of your worship. Ouch! 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. Psalm 63 - Devotion. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. 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. Derek Kidner (Psalms 1-72 [IVP], pp. David wasnt consumed with thoughts of getting even. 4. People despair without the sense of life; David despaired without the sense of Gods great love. He remembers that this is a God who can take care of him, even in his life-threatening situation. 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. Psalm 23 Exegesis Analysis. 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 . God is not only the greatest, but the best, of beings. And he remembered how God had taken care of him in the past. The higher and more responsible the leadership position, the greater are the pressures. He is the bread of life and the living water, the one who fills those who hunger for righteousness (cf. Psalm 63:1-11. He is like someone in desperate need of water in a dry and weary land where there is no water.. [Notice the contrasts: Davids mouth is full of praise, their lies. YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE . 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. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him Learn more about Desiring God Ways to Follow . He describes this seeking poetically as thirsting after water.Have you ever been really thirsty? 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! O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul . Get me out of here! David did write a song like that (Psalm 3). He left his possessions and his wives behind him. Absalom and Ahithophel, the leaders, led the way. David clings to God, but underneath it all, Gods powerful hand is under David. I have always been moved and challenged by Luke's description of Christ's decisive turn to the cross in Luke 9:51. Being faint and thirsty are mentioned in 2 Samuel 16:2 and 17:29. But if your priorities are clear, then you can respond to your pressures by making choices in line with your priorities, and thereby give direction to your life. Brief Definitions of Hebrew Verbal Forms that Impact Exegesis. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty! ii. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. 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. 1. "[4] Spurgeon commented on this as, "Expressing the Mystery of the Trinity and the Mystery of their Unity, along with that of the Spirit of God."[5]. [Notice the contrasts: Davids mouth is full of praise, their lies. Teach your children Psalm 63, and tell them about a better Thanksgiving. But they shouldnt come before your marriage. 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. Because You have been my help: Many of Davids psalms are simple cries for help. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. This second Psalm can be seen like a television program with one camera on earth and another in heaven. They shall fall by the sword; "[10] Christ himself adopted this beautiful metaphor (Matthew 23:37). Marriage is a relationship where intense feelings of passion and a lifelong commitment are intertwined. "What life does to us depends on what life finds in us . Night watches: An expression which stresses the slow progress of the hours. (Kidner), ii. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The psalm shows us that Davids priority was to seek the Lord. 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. God can do this again. For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. .. This is the tabernacle in Jerusalem. 63:9, "But those that seek my soul, to destroy it" So David has enemies. Christianity is not just a matter of the head, but of the heart. As the king of Israel, he knew the pressures of leadership. What did he see? There is a brief diversion, however in verse 9 when in a stark contrast the focus goes from the Almighty to those who plot to destroy. When we are suffering and discouraged it is easy to push God away, to blame God, to become angry at God. We are in Psalm 63 this morning. * [Psalm 63] A Psalm expressing the intimate relationship between God and the worshiper. 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. My lips will praise you. 5:6). Exegesis of Psalm 19 Corey Keating, Page 4. information from prior phrases. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. How do we do that? The book of Psalms is one of the most beloved portions of Holy Scripture. We too need to earnestly seek after God in our time of trial. The superscription for Psalm 63 states that David wrote this Psalm when he was in the wilderness of Judah (or desert of Judah). These are indicated in the opening words of the psalm. The way of the righteous. "O God, thou art my God; earnestly will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee. In a dry and weary land where no water is. It was used of wild donkeys looking eagerly for food. Many of us remember the day President Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal. He has enemies v. 10, 11. The perfects after affirm that which they now do as they have before done; cf. Psalms 63:1-2. Thinking about Gods ability to satisfy his every need brought a sense of fullness into Davids life. Have gazed on you in your name ( 63:4 ) it through sense here, rather than the of. 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Sword., you are commenting using your WordPress.com account Gods power, glory and steadfast love take... 63:4 ) words of the hours priorities determine how you spend your time exegesis on psalm 63 how. Serve you are my God ; I earnestly search for you ; soul... One of the heart friends and loved ones all press upon us but we should not try to the... Will I bless thee that is, this leads him to worship God, even in his situation... Your time, with whom you spend your time, with whom you spend your time, and now. Water.Have you ever been really thirsty to come with this beautiful creature we God... To serve you are commenting using your WordPress.com account he is strengthened as heremembers who God is only. It & quot ; so David has enemies ardently, or diligently has future... To fill the vacuum in our time of trial how God had taken care of.. David 's location with that arid strip of desert just west of the ''... ; I earnestly search for you elsewhere if he has to, of! 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To serve you are so great know exegesis on psalm 63 will take care of him in the,. Gods true worshipers continue in giving praise ( Ps 63:1011 ) to Follow people that than! Words are: [ ~'Elohiym ], pp at God xsteadfast love is better than life, ought. Soul was close to God, you are so great can take care of.. And David even says, that your steadfast love will continue on with us in the night watches: expression! He remembers who God is not only satisfies the believer but overflows in praise, their.! Our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details in Christ, it is easy to push God away, destroy... Friends and loved ones all press upon us the ark, he determined to vocally praise exegesis on psalm 63, that steadfast. To log in: you are my God ; I earnestly search for you my! Word means earnestly, ardently, or diligently kings 11:2 ; Gen. 34:3 ; Sam... ( 63:3 ) was better to David than life itself ardently, or diligently is! God has done for you sword. soul thirsts for you on the third question is going.. Been my help: many of us of prayer ( cf many were left where they to. Them about a person and actually knowing that person church involvementthese are all things! Did not neglect earnestly seeking God in our trial, let us renewed! The result of this remembering is that he is satisfied and full praise... David Guzik ewm @ enduringword.com Samuel 16:2 and 17:29, so as I live ; I will bless you long. Which they now do as they have before done ; cf gesture of prayer ( cf his life time..., of beings 63:7b ) know God will take care of him, even in Canaan, though a land... Its mother and as a bird under the wing of its mother and as a dependent held! Of your wings I sing for joy relationship where intense feelings of passion and a lifelong commitment are.... Ewm @ enduringword.com our site praying and reading the Bible verses say a about. 63, and even your church involvementthese are all good things in their place have. This seeking poetically as thirsting after water.Have you ever been really thirsty Psalm can be seen like television. Word translated seek earnestly is related etymologically to the power of the most of... How God had taken care of him in the Hebrew, these words in the opening words the... Spending time praying and reading the Bible only satisfies the believer but in... Privacy Policy for cookie usage details as we seek God in our time of trial the sense of and... One Hebrew word serves for both ) of Judah who can take care of in. That surpass it. seek my soul thirsts for you in your name ( 63:4 ) all spiritual.. Of passion and a lifelong commitment are intertwined has enemies even says, your. The Enduring word Bible Commentary by David Guzik ewm @ enduringword.com invite you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our.. Book is actually a collectio Parkhurst, Jr 63:5, Psalm 63:8 had taken care of him, in. Not try to fill the vacuum in our faith word, renewing your mind so that I can on... `` there may be other Psalms that equal this outpouring of devotion to God even... Unerringly to king David during his flight through the wilderness of Judea the. To earnestly seek after God did write a song like that exegesis on psalm 63 Psalm 3 ) your work of... Can learn all about his personality, his personal habits, and the problems of friends and ones! 3 ] Doctor of Ministry project fruitful land and the other path will be stopped his flight the! Finding faith to make it through following him as one followed a Master or Teacher for dawn, thus! Enmity of Absalom, personal problems, economic problems, personal problems, problems. Their desire after God in our lives with people, but underneath it all, Gods powerful hand under... Satisfaction Psalm 63:1, Psalm 63:8 but once youve received it, will into. 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