stream We face the pressure of getting into college and once were there, of making it through. When he was in the Desert of Judah. )\f6]_< y1(g ZG{h4J?NNC]ZwPJ3{ [K~tkq |c'RCTVNH>$~X#pFTk^%X# 0 Z9 T8 j@ ,)$ % /+W They will be delivered over to the power of the sword; they will be a prey for jackals [lit.]. So have I looked on thee in the sanctuary, "O God, thou art my God" (Psalms 63:1). a. Whats the result? He remembers that this is a God who can take care of him, even in his life-threatening situation. This Psalm is filled with metaphors and creative imagery that is best understood through contextual knowledge. Psalms 63:1-2. He left his possessions and his wives behind him. [Notice the contrasts: Davids mouth is full of praise, their lies. A portion for jackals: If the body of a human being were to be left on the ground, the jackals would certainly leave but little traces of it; and in the olden times of warfare, they must have held high revelry in the battle-fields after the armies had retired. "They shall be given over to the power of the sword" (Psalms 63:10). If we did, the song would probably contain a lot of urgent requests: Help, God! His enemies will be judged and destroyed, not him. 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 . Psalm 63 shows us the priority of this man of God under pressure. David meant this in the sense that it blessed and honored God when His creatures praised Him and thanked Him appropriately. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. It is even better than continuing to live, because his steadfast love will continue on with us in the life to come. In the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy (63:7b). Read Matthew 5:10 at the top of this psalm. [Notice the contrasts: Davids mouth is full of praise, their lies. Luke 16:10, A change within that leads to obedience: Matthew 21:28-32, Four things to remember in times of trial. David models this for us. There are the pressures of raising godly children in our pagan society. a. b. God is not God as an abstract concept, but as a reality, as a Person experienced in relationship. The man came up gasping for air. How can we make time alone with God a priority and yet avoid a legalistic approach to it? David had a joy not based on circumstances. In the song, David, the shepherd-king, is the sheep who is shepherded by Yahweh. You cant explain that apart from God! David was there. 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. One of these paths has a future of glory and the other path will be stopped. 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. "[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). with joyous lips my mouth shall praise you! Its an emotional psalm, coming out of the depths of Davids life, and it would be an injustice to pick the psalm apart while missing the feeling that it conveys. Again, those things have their place, but they are not meant to satisfy your soul. Brief Definitions of Hebrew Verbal Forms that Impact Exegesis. 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. God isnt just a spoke in the wheel; Hes the hub. There is a determination here: I shall seek you earnestly (63:1b). David chooses to seek after God. Gods right hand refers to Gods power (Exodus 15:6, 12), And then finally,he speaks prophetically in faith of Gods deliverance. My soul clings to You (63:8a). Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen, Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . * [Psalm 63] A Psalm expressing the intimate relationship between God and the worshiper. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient. Second, he is strengthened as he remembers how God has helped him in the past. 1. Analysis of Psalm 63 Thirsting for God (verses 2-3) With the opening words of the psalm the poet establishes that he has a personal relationship with God. There is a vast difference between knowing about a person and actually knowing that person. He meant, "Let the promotion of God's glory or honor be your aim in all that you do. 10. 105. God shall cut them off, and send them to their own place. He was satisfied in God. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1-8 - Center for Excellence in Preaching. The commitment carries you through the hard times when the feelings may fade. JOSEPH A ALEXANDER Psalms Commentary (1864) Spurgeon had high praise for Alexander's work writing that it "Occupies a first place among expositions. Psalm 1 - The Two Ways: The Way of the Righteous and the Way of the Wicked". 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. 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. This is the KJV rendition of this clause; and we have chosen it here because of the long traditions associated with this rendition. (At this time he and those loyal to him went into the wilderness 2 Samuel 15:23; 28. David made it a priority to spend time alone with God. [Note: G. S. Cansdale, Animals of Bible Lands, pp. In David we have a notable example of a sensitive, tender, self analysing soul, living in sustained communion with God, while deeply sensible of the claims of the civil and religious polity of Israel, and, moreover, while externally devoted to a large round of exacting public duties. 3Because your steadfast love is better than life . Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. Being faint and thirsty are mentioned in 2 Samuel 16:2 and 17:29. 5:6). Verses 1-11. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 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. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul . 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. "Those shall go into the lower parts of the earth" (Psalms 63:9). The last 3 verses say a bit about what David is going through. He seeks God, they seek to kill him. As he remembers who God is, this leads him to worship God, even in his time of trial. - Psalm 63:3. Verse 1. Glorying is the equivalent of rejoicing. But that was far from all of it. i. A young man ran after Socrates, calling, Socrates, Socrates, can I be your disciple? Socrates ignored him and walked out into the water. . 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). Psalm 65 - At the Temple, In the Earth. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. God was Davids help. And in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. ." We live in a day marked by pressure in almost every area of life. God isnt just a slice of life, who rounds out your other pursuits. Now you know at what a high rate men value their lives; they will bleed, sweat, vomit, purge, part with an estate, yea, with a limb, yea, limbs, to preserve their lives. 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. Suddenly he finds time to spend with her! Worship: The Feast of Christian Hedonism. 10But those who seek my life will come to ruin; they shall go down to the depths of the netherworld! 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. He praises God now in some of the most beautiful language found anywhere in the Old Testament. 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). But they shouldnt come before your marriage. People despair without the sense of life; David despaired without the sense of Gods great love. It could be seen as the response to the cry of the prophet that invites those in need to come to God for rest and refreshment. If we have nothing to say about Gods goodness, the probable cause is our want of experience of it. (Maclaren), ii. There were three of these, the first, middle, and last; and the sleeplessness of the beleaguered king would seem to be indicated by his being awake, thinking of God, during the night watches. Psalms 63:2 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. "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. When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on. 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. 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. Get me out of here! David did write a song like that (Psalm 3). Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; 57:2). We should do the same, because this builds up our faith to know that God will take care of us. So David is suffering an intense trial. He describes this seeking poetically as thirsting after water.Have you ever been really thirsty? Three things: Gods lovingkindness (63:3) was better to David than life itself. Psalm 2 - "Yahweh's Installation of His Anointed King on Zion to Vanquish the Revolt of the Nations". Psalms - Chapter 63. Thus it is crucial that you have the right priorities. Mark 12:1-12, Arguing about whos the greatest. Jesus said empty prayers amounted to only religious ceremony. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Others try to fill their lives with possessions or with a successful and satisfying career. First, he is strengthened as heremembers who God is. i. Davids soul was close to God, following Him as one followed a Master or Teacher. 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). The result of this remembering is that he is satisfied and full of praise to God. The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician. He told how he faced a time in his life when the opportunities for ministry were the greatest he had ever seen. 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. Luke2:40-52, How to overcome evil with good. therefore the children . 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 ). Psalms 63, Spurgeon's Verse Expositions of the Bible, One of over 125 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary is from the most widely read and often quoted preacher in history, Charles Haddon Spurgeon Here is David, his kingdom in disarray, running for his life, seeking to protect his men. O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. God alone can do that. How can a Christian who has lost the passion for God regain it? In this psalm, the way of the righteous and the way of the ungodly are contrasted. A. 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.". Rebellion against God and Christ began at the arrest of Jesus ( Acts 4:23-26 ). i. 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. He was satisfied (63:5), but he wasnt satisfied. 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. They prey on dead bodies, and assemble in troops on battlefields to feast on the slain. (LogOut/ The parched desert just west of the Dead Sea reminded David of how hungry and thirsty his soul was for God. I don't mean just saying prayers that are not spawned from the heart, of course. The words translated follows close have the sense of joining or gluing together, as in Genesis 2:24. iii. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 63:3-6 Even in affliction we need not want matter for praise. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. 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. It is good to see you all this evening and glad that you, those of you have come back this second time are here. 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. a. Psalm 63 invites us to take 4 specific steps, found in verses 1-4, to find soul satisfaction during troublesome times. But he is full of praise to God and worships with hands upraised. Expositions on the Psalms. The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician.To Jeduthun. 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. This is how much he is seeking after God. 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. You can also change some of your preferences. Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. Davids thirst for God found relief as he praised Him. God can do this again. The meaning here is simply that the enemies of the king shall die. "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). 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. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. February 21, 2016 Transfiguration of Our Lord Ash Wednesday God's loving-kindness is our spiritual life, and that is better than temporal life. And also all those who are loyal to him will exult. "The night watches" (Psalms 63:6). Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more all for only $19.99. But the king shall rejoice in God; I remember you through the watches of the night, and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.c. As I have begun, I will go on: the present devout affections shall not pass away like the morning cloud, but shine more and more like the morning sun. May I ask a question of every professed Christian? Psalm 63:1, ESV: A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. We are in Psalm 63 this morning. Psalms 63. Our body and soul are thirsty for the Lord. "They shall be a portion for the foxes" (Psalms 63:10). 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