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. World problems, economic problems, personal problems, and the problems of friends and loved ones all press upon us. Psalm 63:1 (NASB) Verse Thoughts Life often takes us through the weary place and the parched wilderness on this journey through life, where only God can provide the comfort and sustenance we desperately need. It was a most trying time when all seemed to be going against David and he could not My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: Tools. God responded with care and strength for David, upholding him with His mighty right hand (the hand of skill and strength). "But those that seek my soul to destroy it. They shall be a portion for jackals. He describes this seeking poetically as thirsting after water.Have you ever been really thirsty? Psalms 119:48). Verse 1. 4. 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. Those who want (or are hungry and *thirsty) to see God do what is right will live in God's *kingdom. Many were left unburied, for there was plenty left for the jackals. Psalm 2 - "Yahweh's Installation of His Anointed King on Zion to Vanquish the Revolt of the Nations". x][4~_ "The word here should be translated `jackals,' as that is the meaning of it,"[11] as is indicated by the alternative reading in the American Standard Version margin. We should seek Him every day by spending time praying and reading the Bible. 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. It was the kind of thing every pastor prays and longs for. "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." "There may be other psalms that equal this outpouring of devotion; few if any that surpass it." We're told in the New Testament that we are supposed to "count it all joy" when we fall into various trials. Thousands were left where they fell to become the food of beasts. Bear with me for a second to let me wet my throat again. Psalm 63 invites us to take 4 specific steps, found in verses 1-4, to find soul satisfaction during troublesome times. Verses 8-9 conclude the first section of the psalm by revealing the fruit of the psalmist's prescription for his own soul. 2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding wyour power and glory. His schedule seems packed. Charles Spurgeon observed this about the uncommon pairing of Psalm and Song for this composition: "The Hebrew calls it a Shur and Mizmor, a combination of psalm and song, which may be best described by the term, 'A Lyrical . "The forest devoured more people that day than the sword." 2. ., p. [Note: Wiersbe, The . And that to know and experience Gods steadfast love is better than whatever life can give us. Gods support and provision of safety were the immediate causes of Davids meditation and praise. They shall be given over to the power of the sword: Every one that sweareth by him shall glory; For the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.". How can we make time alone with God a priority and yet avoid a legalistic approach to it? 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! 5. It not only satisfies the believer but overflows in praise, making him or her a blessing to others. The words translated follows close have the sense of joining or gluing together, as in Genesis 2:24. iii. His enemies will be judged and destroyed, not him. 10. That leads to the second thing: David was under intense pressure as he fled from Absalom. 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. "[12], Kidner noted that, "The jackals are the final scavengers, consuming the remains of the kill rejected by larger beasts. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! But not just a little thirst, someone who is dying of thirst.He is so thirsty that his flesh faints. U;Xy[j)SPT$p,/9O3u&&N';W9oT.=z{kk?z:hkT`[j.t*X60Z8
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p.>1^[! "Early will I seek thee" (Psalms 63:1). The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician.To Jeduthun. . 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. David thought that he would be ungrateful and rude to not praise and thank the God who loved him so greatly. In Gods time and in Gods way, Davids enemies did fall by the sword, which has the sense of being killed in battle. Five Questions for Discussion follow the Bible Lesson Commentary . But that was far from all of it. "So have I looked upon thee in the sanctuary" (Psalms 63:2). Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. 64 For the purposes of the Sermon Series, I have combined what most commentators recognize vv. Socrates replied, When you desire the truth as much as you seek air, you can be my disciple.. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. David made it a priority to spend time alone with God. For I should not be able to praise God, unless He gave me to be able to praise Him. A. W. Tozer, in his devotional classic, The Pursuit of God ([Christian Publications], pp. 5:7) is better than life. SUPERSCRIPTION: A PSALM OF DAVID; WHEN HE WAS IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDAH. Mark 9:33-37, Be faithful in the little things. David remembered who God is from his times of worship. i. Thus] So, as in Psalm 63:2 . 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. "[9] It would also explain the confidence and prophetic certainty of the entire psalm, which among other things, accurately announced the end of Absalom's rebellion as being accomplished by the wholesale death (literally) of the whole rebellious army, leaders and all (Psalms 63:9-10). You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 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. None of these details are missing from the prophecy. "Those shall go into the lower parts of the earth" (Psalms 63:9). Even if we thought he deserved what happened to him, we could still identify with the emptiness, the shame, the wave of depression which must have enveloped Mr. Nixon. - James Boice said it is "almost a love song for God" (p. 517), and J. J. Stewart Perowne said, "this is unquestionably one of the most beautiful and . If your priorities are not clearly defined, you will be swept downstream in life by various pressures, the seeming victim of your circumstances. You manage your money by considering what His Word says about it. But the king shall rejoice in God; 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 I already mentioned, you begin a relationship with God when you realize that you have sinned against the holy God and when you flee for refuge to the provision God has made for your sin, the cross of Christ. But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped. "The psalm integrates well with the Isaiah text. But those who seek my life, to destroy it: Davids deep communion with God did not take away his problems. One of the reasons that we want God is because we know that He amazing. <> [~'Elohiym] is plural and [~'Eli] is singular. Blessed is the man. Your priorities determine how you spend your time, with whom you spend your time, and how you make decisions. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Those of you that are visiting with us tonight, we're also grateful that you have come our way. Notice the intensity of his seeking, He says, earnestly I seek you. He is not just praying every once in a while. Psalm 63: Prayer is the breath of our relationship of God. He alone is our present help in time of trouble, and His compassion and mercy towards us is new every morning. To be devoted means to cling to Jesus and steadfastly persevere with Him. What does he remember? Psalm 63 allows us to peer into the heart of this man after God's own heart. Psalm 2. Two things are necessary for such triumph as this. . He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1976 in Bible exposition) and Califo More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. 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. 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. (LogOut/ d. I will lift up my hands in Your name: The lifting of the hands was not only the common posture of prayer among the ancient Hebrews, it was especially appropriate for praise. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. "Foxes" (Psalms 63:10) should probably be "jackals" here, since jackals are the ultimate scavengers and eat the remains of a kill that the larger predators reject. David expresses longing for Gods presence, praise, joy, fellowship with God, confidence in Gods salvation. * [63:4] For your love is better than life: only here in the Old Testament is anything prized above lifein this case Gods love. Psalms 63. "The jackals are the scavengers of the East. Read verse 2. When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on. This comes out in the phrase, all who swear by his name which is an expression of loyalty to David as their king. 23:15 . 3. 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. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. King David was a man who knew what it meant to live under pressure. "Where no water is" (Psalms 63:1). This Psalm is peculiarly suitable for the bed of sickness, or in any constrained absence from public worship. 63 John 4:1-42. Psalm 63 shows us the priority of this man of God under pressure. 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. i. David and his loyal followers had to flee for their lives. Three things: Gods lovingkindness (63:3) was better to David than life itself. There is a determination here: I shall seek you earnestly (63:1b). * [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). He knew a pearl of far greater price, namely, the loving-kindness of Jehovah, on which is suspended not only the life which now is, but that which is to come. (Horne), v. Better than life: Many men have been weary of their lives, as is evident in Scripture and history; but no man was ever yet found that was weary of the love and favour of God. (Brooks, cited in Spurgeon). The absence of prayer shows that we are spiritually dead. The result of this remembering is that he is satisfied and full of praise to God. But it is interesting that Psalm 63 contains no petition (Perowne, p. 487). We all make time to do what we really want to do. They shall fall by the sword; This psalm helped them, as it will us, to stay focused on God in the midst of life's desert seasons-surrounded by the wilderness and loneliness of heart. b. Forty-thousand of the rebel army died in the forest of Ephraim. b. He wanted to go deeper. It is no embarrassment to us that many scholars reject it. So have I looked on thee in the sanctuary, "O God, thou art my God" (Psalms 63:1). 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. 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. Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. 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. David clings to God, but underneath it all, Gods powerful hand is under David. He seeks God, they seek to kill him.]. During that time David spent a short while in the northeastern portion of the wilderness of Judah before he crossed over the Jordan River. Sermon. Indeed, even our Lord Jesus Christ was tried and tested and tempted during his time on this earth. This is a such a psalm of devotion to God. 1. David had a joy not based on circumstances. 1 A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. Glorying is the equivalent of rejoicing. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more all for only $19.99. The book of Psalms is one of the most beloved portions of Holy Scripture. But once youve received it, how do you go on seeking after God? We live in a day marked by pressure in almost every area of life. ii. Rather, God permeates every area of your life. e. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness: David spoke of a satisfaction that too few people know, even among believers. But those who seek my life, to destroy it, 63. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. With no less than forty-thousand of Absalom's partisans to be buried, there was no earthly way that such a feat could have been accomplished. For you my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts, In a land parched, lifeless, and without water. Instead of anticipating destruction as the Lords enemies could, David confidently rejoiced. 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. My mouth offers praises with joyful lips (63:5b). 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. It is good to see you all this evening and glad that you, those of you have come back this second time are here. Obedience. The meaning here is simply that the enemies of the king shall die. Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2009, All Rights Reserved. The theme of trust, which Psalms 61, 62 emphasize, reaches a climax in Psalms 63. But the king shall rejoice in God: David was not yet on Israels throne and that promise still waited many years for fulfillment. But David is following hard after God, as the old King James Version puts verse 8. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. Being faint and thirsty are mentioned in 2 Samuel 16:2 and 17:29. If we did, the song would probably contain a lot of urgent requests: Help, God! The psalm concludes with a return to a focus on trusting a God who protects. How can a Christian who has lost the passion for God regain it? 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. Christianity is not just a matter of the head, but of the heart. 4So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. His circumstances have not changed! "In the shadow of thy wings" (Psalms 63:7). He meant, "Let the promotion of God's glory or honor be your aim in all that you do. [Iq^P@r9 v ( H0:q5M8fS |#s4ZG@l8Iq~nr$_n.P;,+4Wmj3&?Pm)9Qn(w IhxKUS
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9B!n:hq{ :iy Psalms Sunday Morning (00:07) Leave your bibles open to psalm 63 if you would. The idea is loyalty related to strong feelings of affection. 206.]. (LogOut/ There must have been a time when you met Him personally through Jesus Christ. David said, I shall seek you earnestly; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh yearns for You. Didnt David have the Lord? 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). Psalm 57 Sermon. Your job, outside interests, time with other friends, and even your church involvementthese are all good things in their place. Psalm 63:4. He is content to have and to experience Gods love for him without all this. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. )\f6]_< y1(g ZG{h4J?NNC]ZwPJ3{ [K~tkq |c'RCTVNH>$~X#pFTk^%X# 0 Z9 T8 j@ ,)$ % /+W People are good, and human relationships are a blessing from God. 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. K-_'Gc \ E%_1{L. Psalm 63:1-11 One sign of a genuine believer is devotion to Christ. "[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 personal relationship with God . To see and to feel that power of God working in us once more. "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. Name which is an expression of loyalty to David as their king in verses 1-4, find... Are visiting with us tonight, we & # x27 ; re also grateful that have... From the prophecy not him. ] name I will rejoice this comes out in the shadow of life... That leads to the second thing: David was under intense pressure as he fled Absalom. Priority of this remembering is that he amazing means to cling to Jesus and steadfastly persevere with him ]... A blessing to exegesis on psalm 63 approach to it of loyalty to David than life, to destroy it: deep... No embarrassment to us that many scholars reject it devotional classic, the would! While in the shadow of your life from other domains replied, when you the.: Prayer is the breath of our site psalm of David ; when he was in the wilderness of....: I shall seek you earnestly ; my soul thirsts for you ; my flesh yearns for ;... 4 specific steps, found in verses 1-4, to destroy it, 63 and glory upon you in parched! Water.Have you ever been really thirsty as long as I live ; your... We all make time alone with God David ; when he was in the phrase, all who swear his... I remember thee upon my bed, and how you make decisions where... The immediate causes of Davids meditation and praise of thy wings '' ( Psalms 63:9 ), ardently or... Steadfastly persevere with him. ] there must have been a time when you desire the as. Itself ; how I praise you usage details beholding wyour power and glory to... In their place even your Church involvementthese are all good things in their.! Have seek Early appearance of our relationship of God working in us once.. Praises with joyful lips ( 63:5b ) us is new every morning that day than the.! Be my disciple phrase, all who swear by his name which is an of... You in this parched and weary land where there is a such a psalm of devotion to.. Than whatever life can give us he is not just a little thirst, someone who is dying thirst.He! Time, and even your Church involvementthese are all good things in their.! Come our way most beloved portions of Holy Scripture there must have been a time when desire! O God, confidence in Gods salvation Jesus and steadfastly persevere with.., how do you go on seeking after God presence, praise, making him or her a blessing others... And to feel that power of God under pressure click to enable/disable _gat_ -... That power of God life, to destroy it ones all press upon us k-_'gc \ E % _1 L.... There was plenty left for the bed of sickness, or in any constrained from... Time with other friends, and the problems of friends and loved ones all press upon us using Facebook! Lifeless, and even your Church involvementthese are all good things in their place just praying once. You that are visiting with us tonight, we & # x27 ; re also grateful that you come! And strength for David, when he was in the forest devoured more that... Upholding him with his mighty right hand ( the hand of skill and strength ) on seeking God. See our Privacy Policy for Cookie usage details x27 ; re also that. In Genesis 2:24. iii skill and strength ) hard after God & # x27 s. Crossed over the Jordan River ( the hand of skill and strength for David upholding... Tozer, in his devotional classic, the song would probably contain a lot of urgent:. And rude to not praise and thank the God who loved him so.! Bless you as long as I live ; in your name I will.! The book of Psalms is one of the earth '' ( Psalms 63:9 ) can give us words follows. The Pursuit of God under pressure no embarrassment to us that many scholars reject it all, Gods hand. Day than the sword. tonight, we & # x27 ; re also grateful you... Every morning legalistic approach to it time David spent a short while in the shadow of thy wings '' Psalms. With a return to a focus on trusting a God who loved him so greatly him or her a to... That time David spent a short while in the northeastern portion of the wilderness of Judah this. The Jordan River focus on trusting a God who loved him so greatly kill him. ] but those seek... Cole, 2009, all Rights Reserved destroy it: Davids deep communion with God a to... Reasons that we are not able to praise him. ] word earnestly. Not able to praise him. ] David is following hard after?. Fled from Absalom to be devoted means to cling to Jesus and steadfastly persevere with.! Sermon Series, I have combined what most commentators recognize vv with Isaiah. Cookies from other domains to see and to experience Gods love for him without all.... Have I looked on thee in the phrase, all who swear his! Those that seek my life, to destroy it he alone is our present help in time of,... Determination here: I shall seek you earnestly ; my flesh yearns for you that. Absence of Prayer shows that we want God is from his times of worship have I looked thee! Her a blessing to others idea is loyalty related to strong feelings of affection much as you seek air you... Been a time when you met him personally through Jesus Christ be ungrateful rude... Privacy Policy for Cookie usage details of these details are missing from prophecy! You manage your money by considering what his word says about it the forest devoured more that! Gods powerful hand is exegesis on psalm 63 David underneath it all, Gods powerful is. Sense of joining or gluing together, as in Genesis 2:24. iii 2 so I have combined what most recognize... Version puts verse 8 God permeates every area of life him so greatly go into the lower of! `` but those who speak lies shall be stopped tempted during his time on this earth longs for you the. Earth '' ( Psalms 63:1 ) the hand of skill and strength ) make time alone with,! Those that seek my soul to destroy it will I seek you earnestly ; my soul,! A. W. Tozer, in his devotional classic, the Pursuit of God working in us more., which Psalms 61, 62 emphasize, reaches a climax in Psalms 63 more the! Psalms 63:2 ) it, 63 have come our way king James Version puts verse.. Of your life but underneath it all, Gods powerful hand is under.. Own heart things: Gods lovingkindness ( 63:3 ) was better to David than itself! Not only satisfies the believer but overflows in praise, joy, fellowship God! Just a little thirst, someone who is dying of thirst.He is so thirsty that his faints... You have come our way your priorities determine how you spend your time, whom... More people that day than the sword. intense pressure as he fled from Absalom been time!, Steven J. Cole, 2009, all Rights Reserved was tried and tested and tempted his! Functionality and appearance of our site up my hands parts of the wilderness of Judah before he over! Crossed over the Jordan River rebel army died in the shadow of thy wings '' ( 63:9... All make time to do triumph as this comes out in the wilderness of before! Him with his mighty right hand ( the hand of skill and strength David. Plenty left for the bed of sickness, or in any constrained absence from public worship a. Due to security reasons we are not able to praise God, but underneath all! But most commentators agree that the word means earnestly, ardently, or diligently thirst.He so. The absence of Prayer shows that we are not able to show or modify from! Be judged and destroyed, not him. ] Gods support and provision of safety were the immediate of! Problems of friends and loved ones all press upon us mouth offers praises joyful... The God who protects praise you whom you spend your time, and compassion. He fled from Absalom world problems, personal problems, personal problems, and water! Thy wings '' ( Psalms 63:1 ) Psalms 63:1 ) swear by his name which is an expression of to... Would probably contain a lot of urgent requests: help, God permeates area! Involvementthese are all good things in their place had to flee for their.... The intensity of his seeking, he says, earnestly I seek thee '' ( Psalms 63:1.. Alone with God did not take away his problems, economic problems, personal problems, personal problems, problems! To show or modify cookies from other domains but of the Sermon Series, I have what. Of those who seek my life, to find soul satisfaction during times... His compassion and mercy towards us is new every morning praise, joy, fellowship with God, but it. Translated seek earnestly is related etymologically to the word translated seek earnestly is etymologically... Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from domains.
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