Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. . The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician. But the king shall rejoice in God; The Hebrew chiasm in each of the two . I will . He had to be thinking constantly about their safety. 1A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.a. But those who seek my life to destroy it, will go into the depths of the earth. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. My soul follows close: Press toward the mark. Psalms 63:2 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. Click on the different category headings to find out more. Rather, God permeates every area of your life. The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician.To Jeduthun. The perfects after affirm that which they now do as they have before done; cf. 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. The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Series ) for October 31, 2010 , is from Psalm 63:1-11 . 63:3-5 These verses describe how the psalmist praises God because of His lovingkindness (see Special Topic at Ps. John Piper Aug 12, 1999. ., p. When we are suffering and discouraged it is easy to push God away, to blame God, to become angry at God. We're told in the New Testament that we are supposed to "count it all joy" when we fall into various trials. Seeking after God should be our most important priority. Luke2:40-52, How to overcome evil with good. Psalms 28:2; Lamentations 2:19) or respect (cf. 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. "Where no water is" (Psalms 63:1). Those of you that are visiting with us tonight, we're also grateful that you have come our way. "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; And my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips. The superscription for Psalm 63 states that David wrote this Psalm when he was in the wilderness of Judah (or desert of Judah). But the king will rejoice in God (63:11). Thus it is crucial that you have the right priorities. Therefore, David says, My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me (63:8). Being faint and thirsty are mentioned in 2 Samuel 16:2 and 17:29. Indeed, even our Lord Jesus Christ was tried and tested and tempted during his time on this earth. Lifting up the hands toward God was a gesture of prayer (cf. There is a determination here: I shall seek you earnestly (63:1b). It displayed the anticipation of gratefully receiving from God, and the sense of surrender to Him. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. There is a vast difference between knowing about a person and actually knowing that person. Bear with me for a second to let me wet my throat again. These are indicated in the opening words of the psalm. 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. Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will behold your face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, . Can it be right for us to treat the Lord with mute indifference? (Spurgeon), iii. All of these can wear us down and bring discouragement. 8 0 obj It was a most trying time when all seemed to be going against David and he could not You manage your money by considering what His Word says about it. What does the person look like who seeks after God? b. 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. Read verse 2. He knows that the steadfast love of God which he praised in verse 3, is strong with justice (cf. "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Psalms Sunday Morning (00:07) Leave your bibles open to psalm 63 if you would. Scripture: Psalm 63. The wicked are, in other words, the very leavings of mankind."[13]. As Paul himself stated it, "I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself, so that I may accomplish my course to testify the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). "O God, thou art my God; earnestly will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee. It was used of wild donkeys looking eagerly for food. Psalm 63 shows us the priority of this man of God under pressure. Since this psalm was composed from the Wilderness of Judah, there was certainly help David could ask for. "Those shall go into the lower parts of the earth" (Psalms 63:9). Well, his desire for God is like someone who is thirsty. Psalms 63:1-2. Psalm 63 was written by David while he was alone in the wilderness of Judah. It is used to describe Ruth clinging to her mother-in-law (Ruth 1:14). He was satisfied (63:5), but he wasnt satisfied. "It is our duty to rejoice in the shadow of God's wings. The word steadfast love (hesed) refers to Gods faithfulness or covenant love. SUPERSCRIPTION: A PSALM OF DAVID; WHEN HE WAS IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDAH. "[12], Kidner noted that, "The jackals are the final scavengers, consuming the remains of the kill rejected by larger beasts. "But those that seek my soul to destroy it. The result of this remembering is that he is satisfied and full of praise to God. He left his possessions and his wives behind him. People despair without the sense of life; David despaired without the sense of Gods great love. 63 John 4:1-42. b. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! 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. God shall cut them off, and send them to their own place. 1 A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. But that was far from all of it. it is you I seek! Turkey satisfies our stomach, and pumpkin pie satisfies our sweet tooth, but only the Lord Jesus Christ satisfies the soul. 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. 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! B Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1956) p. 2487. They are the final scavengers, consuming the remains of the kill rejected by the larger beasts. (Kidner). The king;I, who am already anointed king, and who shall be actually king, when these mine enemies are fallen by the sword. "What life does to us depends on what life finds in us . 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 David had walked with God for years, but he thirsted for more. As he lay in his hospital bed, he asked, Lord, why? Psalm 65 - At the Temple, In the Earth. Evidently Davids thirst for water in the wilderness led him to express his souls thirst for God. RTCH 500-D. From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. Psalm 63 - A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah. 63:2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. "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. Derek Kidner (Psalms 1-72 [IVP], pp. But our trials are meant to lead us to God. The bulk of this psalm speaks to this. Psalm 63:1-8 - Center for Excellence in Preaching. From a formal perspective, verses 8-9 offer a striking example of assumed repetition. 62:12). (Kidner), ii. So have I looked on thee in the sanctuary, "O God, thou art my God" (Psalms 63:1). And the mouths of liars will be stopped. 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. In Gods time and in Gods way, Davids enemies did fall by the sword, which has the sense of being killed in battle. Tools Psa 63:3 "The forest devoured more people that day than the sword." finally,he speaks prophetically in faith of Gods deliverance. 6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. You can also change some of your preferences. 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. There is in the love of God a richness, a sumptuousness, a fulness of soul-filling joy, comparable to the richest food with which the body can be nourished. (Spurgeon). What is the difference between having God as a slice of life versus having God permeate every part of life? 12 See note above (v. 7) o n the use of wor d'tora ' i Psalm 19 a roug out is paper. He alone is our present help in time of trouble, and His compassion and mercy towards us is new every morning. I invite you to turn there in your Bibles. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty! He wasnt praying, O God, give me my wives back. There is no reason for taking these words in some figurative or mystical sense. "[8] Such a theophany is not unreasonable, for God surely did grant such a vision to Joshua in the conquest of Canaan. In this psalm, the way of the righteous and the way of the ungodly are contrasted. 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. The enemies went down to death. They are seeking to kill him v. 9. .. This is the tabernacle in Jerusalem. God seemed to be blessing his preaching. Psalm 63 speaks of praise and devotion given to God in gratitude, out of a rich sense of being blessed. 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). An accomplished scholar of the Psalms, Mark Futato next . Psalms is a collection of poems and one of only two Old Testament books authored by multiple authors. How is it with you and God? 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. 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. David thought that he would be ungrateful and rude to not praise and thank the God who loved him so greatly. God was at the center of Davids present and his future. . 11 Jam es O r , d .The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Vol 4 (Gran Rapids: Wm. That something is God! Sometimes it has the idea of protection, as a mother bird shelters her young chicks. Notice the personal relationship with God you are my God. This is not the first time David has prayed to God. 105. Many were left unburied, for there was plenty left for the jackals. This psalm invites us to believe again that our faith in God will never desert us, no matter what happens. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient. God alone can do that. 3. Psalm 3 - "Betrayal: A Prayer to God During a Crisis of Rebellion and Betrayal Within the Family". Let me ask you this morning What trials are you going through today? and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Psalm 3. Psalm 57 Sermon. b. 63:3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. 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. He compared this to the feeling of a stomach filled with the richest food. Obedience. May all my enemies be destroyed and Gods true worshipers continue in giving praise (Ps 63:1011)! 3 Because your xsteadfast love is better than life, What a beautiful balance! In the midst of such pressures, there is one thing that will determine the course of your life: your priorities. Give me my palace back. Mark 9:33-37, Be faithful in the little things. * [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). 224-226) nicely outlines it as God my desire (1-4); God my delight (5-8); and, God my defense (9-11). These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. Verse 2: David wanted to see God's power and *glory in the *Temple in Jerusalem. And that to know and experience Gods steadfast love is better than whatever life can give us. When he was in the Desert of Judah. He speaks of himself in the third person, either out of modesty or out of prudence. (Poole). i. 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. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. His enemies will be judged and destroyed, not him. Then, there is the mystery of that little word, "So," standing at the head of Psalms 63:2, which will surely bear this interpretation. 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 63:4. David meant that the love of God to him was more precious than his own life. That which is bitter is called , root , stringere, from . On Sunday, they usually give God an hour, but He isnt the center of their lives; people are. Psa 63:7. David clings to God, but underneath it all, Gods powerful hand is under David. Davids soul was close to God, following Him as one followed a Master or Teacher. 4. Thus, more than twenty-thousand more were numbered among the slain. 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).