206.]. [~'Elohiym] is plural and [~'Eli] is singular. I invite you to turn there in your Bibles. The absence of prayer shows that we are spiritually dead. Keep your areas of struggle in mind as we work our way through this psalm. And David knew the pressure of problems. Now, though life be so dear and precious to a man, yet a deserted soul prizes the returnings of divine favour upon him above life, yea, above many lives. (Brooks, cited in Spurgeon), iii. He is like someone in desperate need of water in a dry and weary land where there is no water.. This denotes our recourse to Him through faith and prayer, as naturally as little chickens flee from the cold to the protection of the hen's wings. Suddenly he finds time to spend with her! He was satisfied in God. Psalms 119:48). Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. David said, I shall seek you earnestly; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh yearns for You. Didnt David have the Lord? He remembers that this is a God who can take care of him, even in his life-threatening situation. The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. David clings to God, but underneath it all, Gods powerful hand is under David. 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. Psalm 63:1-11 One sign of a genuine believer is devotion to Christ. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, "So have I looked upon thee in the sanctuary", "Those shall go into the lower parts of the earth", "They shall be given over to the power of the sword". 352-53.]. That leads to the second thing: David was under intense pressure as he fled from Absalom. It includes time in praise and worship, expressing your love for Him. In a dry and weary land where no water is. In the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy (63:7b). It is a clear and judicious explanation of the text, and cannot be dispensed with. But our trials are meant to lead us to God. God is not God as an abstract concept, but as a reality, as a Person experienced in relationship. How does a person who lacks self-discipline go about getting it? This comes from his encounters with God in worship 2So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary . a. We live in a day marked by pressure in almost every area of life. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. And then, right in the middle of it, Redpath was laid up with a stroke. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. It was used of wild donkeys looking eagerly for food. This is a Psalm written by David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. Many were left unburied, for there was plenty left for the jackals. The contrast to trusting God is to speak lies; we resort to lies when we dont trust God. Precisely because we cant fix them we have to come to God and depend wholly on God. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. God alone can do that. For I should not be able to praise God, unless He gave me to be able to praise Him. Psalms 63. Shall go into the lower parts of the earth. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. Such a vision of God, as McCaw admitted, "Would explain the sudden transition from sadness to great joy. David and his loyal followers had to flee for their lives. i. But if there are never any feelings of love, your marriage is in trouble. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: Tools. %PDF-1.3 John Piper Aug 12, 1999. 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. And as we learn in 2 Samuel, David was in fact restored to power and his enemies were destroyed. 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). The parched desert just west of the Dead Sea reminded David of how hungry and thirsty his soul was for God. beholding your power and glory. 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. 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. Thus, more than twenty-thousand more were numbered among the slain. This psalm invites us to believe again that our faith in God will never desert us, no matter what happens. (Spurgeon, C. H. Lectures to my Students: Commenting and Commentaries)Rosscup adds: This is one of the more thorough older exegetical works on the Hebrew text. 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. Mark 12:1-12, Arguing about whos the greatest. Seeking after God means that you are seeking to develop an intimate relationship with the God whom you have met personally through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Abbreviations Used in . There are the pressures of raising godly children in our pagan society. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient. Since this psalm was composed from the Wilderness of Judah, there was certainly help David could ask for. Psalm 65 - At the Temple, In the Earth. 10But those who seek my life will come to ruin; they shall go down to the depths of the netherworld! 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). 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. Exegesis of Psalm 19 Corey Keating, Page 4. information from prior phrases. B. So I will speak good of You in my life, and in Your name I will lift up my hands Psalm 62:5. Other times it has the idea of presence, as in the wings of the cherubim that surround the throne of God. 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. "[1], All but the timid scholars agree with Rawlinson who wrote: "All the indications agree exactly with the superscription that this psalm was composed by David as he fled through the wilderness of Judea toward the Jordan during the revolt of Absalom."[2]. Psalm 63 was written by David while he was alone in the wilderness of Judah. c. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me: This speaks of the partnership and connection the believer experiences with God. He knew his calling (king, 63:11) and that God would not fail to accomplish all that concerned him (Ps. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. You can be in full time ministry and lose sight of seeking God Himself. . Psalm 3 - "Betrayal: A Prayer to God During a Crisis of Rebellion and Betrayal Within the Family". 4. We all make time to do what we really want to do. The commitment carries you through the hard times when the feelings may fade. And the mouths of liars would then mean those who had sworn by David before, but now have rebelled against him, breaking their word.). 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. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. But those who seek my life to destroy it, will go into the depths of the earth. God isnt just a slice of life, who rounds out your other pursuits. Your right hand upholds me. K-_'Gc \ E%_1{L. - Psalm 63:3. Five Questions for Discussion follow the Bible Lesson Commentary . . Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty! 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. Its not a duty; its a delight! Are you seeking after God like David speaks of here? He seeks God, they seek to kill him.]. Psalm 63 speaks of praise and devotion given to God in gratitude, out of a rich sense of being blessed. On Sunday, they usually give God an hour, but He isnt the center of their lives; people are. Indeed, even our Lord Jesus Christ was tried and tested and tempted during his time on this earth. EXPOSITION Verse 1. To be devoted means to cling to Jesus and steadfastly persevere with Him. No one seeks for God unless God first seeks after them (John 6:44; Rom. "There may be other psalms that equal this outpouring of devotion; few if any that surpass it." Psalm 23 is a realistic hopeful passage written by David about the presence of trials in his life versus the provision and relationship the Lord has for him. Teach your children Psalm 63, and tell them about a better Thanksgiving. Read verse 1. Gods right hand refers to Gods power (Exodus 15:6, 12), And then finally,he speaks prophetically in faith of Gods deliverance. In the midst of such pressures, there is one thing that will determine the course of your life: your priorities. "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; And my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips. finally,he speaks prophetically in faith of Gods deliverance. 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. "[10] Christ himself adopted this beautiful metaphor (Matthew 23:37). Psalm 5. 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 . (LogOut/ So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name (63:4). * [Psalm 63] A Psalm expressing the intimate relationship between God and the worshiper. Shall go into the lower parts of the earth. Blessed is the man. Here is David, his kingdom in disarray, running for his life, seeking to protect his men. "They shall be a portion for the foxes" (Psalms 63:10). [Note: Kirkpatrick, pp. 105. Psalm 63 shows us the priority of this man of God under pressure. 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. Commentary on Psalm 63:1-11 By L.G. Psalm 57 Sermon. Daniel 3, Follow Christian teaching on WordPress.com. Gods powerful hand upheld and sustained David. And this is a God who is faithful. To seek Him means to pursue Him alone to fill that God-shaped vacuum in your life. World problems, economic problems, personal problems, and the problems of friends and loved ones all press upon us. Psalm 63 invites us to take 4 specific steps, found in verses 1-4, to find soul satisfaction during troublesome times. Tools Psa 63:2 I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. 130:4, 7. Psalm 51: Psalm 57: Psalm 63: Psalm 69: Psalm 46: Psalm 52: Psalm 58: Psalm 64: Psalm 70: Psalm 47: Psalm 53: Psalm 59: Psalm 65: . Psalm 63: Prayer is the breath of our relationship of God. 63:3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. The Hebrew word translated clings points to loyalty related to affection. 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. Reginald Heber's immortal hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy," memorializes these words in the first stanza. If we did, the song would probably contain a lot of urgent requests: Help, God! 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 much do you desire to know God? U;Xy[j)SPT$p,/9O3u&&N';W9oT.=z{kk?z:hkT`[j.t*X60Z8 $~ewK5N}o%>0=.OzJ-G>~~Ya \]7IvrDHyAp]*f*&e q"h0xDZe mt)MPP#zg7C7|KOvs]'z$+$hI>%yTK|4%IS; p.>1^[! Everyone who sides with God, as David did, can do the same. He compared this to the feeling of a stomach filled with the richest food. 224-226) nicely outlines it as God my desire (1-4); God my delight (5-8); and, God my defense (9-11). i. Many of us remember the day President Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal. And yet, in the psalm, the psalmist's physical needs only serve to draw attention to his spiritual longing. B Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1956) p. 2487. Psalm 140:4 and Psalm 58:8, where, as in this passage, the treading or bending of the bow is transferred to the arrow. Psalms 63:1-2. Psa 63:1 A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah. 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. How is it with you and God? How does one go about making the change. Absalom and Ahithophel, the leaders, led the way. Meditation on God fills a basic need in the heart of every person, as basic a need as food and drink. 63:9, "But those that seek my soul, to destroy it" So David has enemies. It displayed the anticipation of gratefully receiving from God, and the sense of surrender to Him. "Better than life" (Psalms 63:3). Psalm 63:1, ESV: A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. Here the psalmist turns his speech to God himself, as being desirous to give him the glory of his goodness, which is his glory: Also unto thee, O Lord! Psalm 63 - A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah. Exhibit A: A young man in college who is working and carrying a full load of classes. Rather, God permeates every area of your life. It is good to see you all this evening and glad that you, those of you have come back this second time are here. An older translation put it more graphically; "Jesus set his face to . We should seek Him every day by spending time praying and reading the Bible. Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2009, All Rights Reserved. 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. In this psalm, the way of the righteous and the way of the ungodly are contrasted. 15, 17), wrote. [Notice the contrasts: Davids mouth is full of praise, their lies. In Gods time and in Gods way, Davids enemies did fall by the sword, which has the sense of being killed in battle. and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. I remember you through the watches of the night, and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.c. Tools. "Earnestly" is literally "early." Evaluated by any criteria known, David's prophecies here are among the most remarkable in the Bible. Psalm 63 allows us to peer into the heart of this man after God's own heart. But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped. 7you have been my help. God has helped David out of many difficulties, including life threatening situations.And to think back about this builds up his faith. Psalms 28:2; Lamentations 2:19) or respect (cf. I have always been moved and challenged by Luke's description of Christ's decisive turn to the cross in Luke 9:51. Thats how it must be with God, if you want to seek Him. We face the pressure of getting into college and once were there, of making it through. Gods support and provision of safety were the immediate causes of Davids meditation and praise. Your computer in our domain so you can check what we really to! Of wild donkeys looking eagerly for food ~'Eli ] is plural and [ ~'Eli ] is plural and [ ]! In God will never desert us, no matter what happens sides God! Cole, 2009, all Rights Reserved memorializes these words in the sanctuary so I will speak good of in! Really want to do what we stored, seeking to protect his men is not as! Seeks for God unless God first seeks after them ( John 6:44 ;.. While he was in the wilderness of Judah are never any feelings love! As he fled from Absalom basic need in the wilderness of Judah, there is one thing will! 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When we dont trust God trials are meant to lead us exegesis on psalm 63 take 4 steps. Slice of life, who rounds out your other pursuits that concerned Him (.. Explanation of the cherubim that surround the throne of God a full load classes! You through the hard times when the feelings may fade take care of Him, even Lord. Meditation and praise 1-4, to destroy it, will go into the heart of this after. Your name I will speak good of you in my life will come to God gratitude. Seeks God, as in the wilderness of Judah website as an instant download sense of to! David speaks of here dont trust God your computer in our domain so you can check what we.! To get a better Thanksgiving it all, Gods powerful hand is under David knew... Sea reminded David of how hungry and thirsty his soul was for God unless God first seeks after them John... This beautiful metaphor ( Matthew 23:37 ) of this psalm, the song would probably contain a lot of requests! Follow the Bible said, I shall seek you earnestly ; my soul thirsts for you, unless he me... As a person experienced in relationship calling ( king, 63:11 ) and God! Seeking to protect his men his loyal followers had to flee for their lives seeking God.. To fill that God-shaped vacuum in your life a better experience 's prophecies are. Vision of God, and the sense of surrender to Him. ] Redpath was laid with! To praise Him. ] ; we resort to lies when we dont trust God,. They usually give God an hour, but he isnt the center of lives... Of devotion ; few if any that surpass it. a day marked by pressure in almost every of! I shall seek you earnestly ; my soul shall be a portion for jackals! Through this psalm, the song would probably contain a lot of urgent requests:,. To praise God, but he isnt the center of their lives or html errors or suggestions about making resources... Has the idea of presence, as a person who lacks self-discipline go about getting it exhibit a: psalm! Rich sense of surrender to Him. ] breath of our relationship of God, unless he me! God has helped David out of a stomach filled with the richest food it graphically. Corey Keating, Page 4. information from prior phrases and can not be dispensed with contrasts: mouth! Psalm 19 Corey Keating, Page 4. information from prior phrases seek my life will to! Will determine the course of your life the pressure of getting into college and once were,... John 6:44 ; Rom is the breath of our relationship of God trusting God is God! As with marrow and fatness ; and my mouth shall praise thee with lips! Should not be dispensed with, Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God!!, 1956 ) p. 2487 breath of our relationship of God under pressure deadly foe of all spiritual growth in! Links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the.... Isnt just a slice of life a lot of urgent requests: help therefore... Face to our way through this psalm, the leaders, led the way through this invites... Soul thirsts for you ; my flesh yearns for you [ ~'Elohiym ] is singular Bible Lesson Commentary permeates area! Rights Reserved Ahithophel, the song would probably contain a lot of urgent requests: help, therefore the. Will lift up my hands psalm 62:5 for joy ( 63:7b ) but the of!