Derek Kidner (Psalms 1-72 [IVP], pp. I remember you through the watches of the night, and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.c. To be devoted means to cling to Jesus and steadfastly persevere with Him. 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. Thus will I bless thee That is, so as I have done, and have now said. Our body and soul are thirsty for the Lord. My soul follows close: Press toward the mark. This is how much he is seeking after God. .. This is the tabernacle in Jerusalem. When we are suffering and discouraged it is easy to push God away, to blame God, to become angry at God. In the song, David, the shepherd-king, is the sheep who is shepherded by Yahweh. Psalm 63:1, ESV: A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. i. 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. 1. his lips will praise God BDB 986 II, KB 1387, Piel imperfect 2. he will bless God as long as he lives BDB 138, KB 159, Piel imperfect 3. he will lift up his hands BDB 669, KB 724, Qal imperfect 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. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. How do we do that? beholding your power and glory. Psalm 63:4. - 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 . He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1976 in Bible exposition) and Califo More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Psalm 63 shows us the priority of this man of God under pressure. [Notice the contrasts: Davids mouth is full of praise, their lies. How does a person who lacks self-discipline go about getting it? John Piper Sep 25, 1983. 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. 3 Better your faithful love than life itself; my lips will praise . Brief Definitions of Hebrew Verbal Forms that Impact Exegesis. John Chrysostom (347-407) wrote that it was decreed and ordained by the primitive [church] fathers, that no day should pass without the public singing of this Psalm. He also observed that the spirit and soul of the whole Book of Psalms is contracted into this Psalm (cited by J. J. Stewart Perowne, The Book of Psalms, [Zondervan], p. 486). We too need to earnestly seek after God in our time of trial. Those of you that are visiting with us tonight, we're also grateful that you have come our way. c. Thus I will bless You: David did not mean this in the sense that a greater person bestows a blessing on a lesser. a. Davids thirst for God found relief as he praised Him. Socrates replied, When you desire the truth as much as you seek air, you can be my disciple.. My lips will praise you. An accomplished scholar of the Psalms, Mark Futato next . Other times it has the idea of presence, as in the wings of the cherubim that surround the throne of God. 2 Thus I have gazed on you in the sanctuary, seeing your power and your glory. 62:12). (Kidner), ii. Psa 63:6. But those who seek my life, to destroy it: Davids deep communion with God did not take away his problems. 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. During his reign, his son, Absalom, led a rebellion against him. Exegesis of Psalm 107; an extract of Chapter three of a Doctor of Ministry project. Review your past week or month and ask yourself, Did my schedule reflect that seeking God was my number one priority? You say, Well, thats my priority, but Ive been under a lot of pressure! Pressure is what reveals your true priorities. i. 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. And the mouths of liars would then mean those who had sworn by David before, but now have rebelled against him, breaking their word.). 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. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. * [Psalm 63] A Psalm expressing the intimate relationship between God and the worshiper. Again, those things have their place, but they are not meant to satisfy your soul. Its the same word used in Genesis 2:24, where it says that a man will cleave to his wife. Everyone who sides with God, as David did, can do the same. Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; but the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped: The sense of swears by Him is to trust in God and place ones confident love in Him; men normally take oaths upon what they hold dear. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! So David is using the bareness of the wilderness to speak actually of the bareness of his own soul. Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. But it is interesting that Psalm 63 contains no petition (Perowne, p. 487). Change). 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. Holy, holy, holy, Merciful and Mighty, God over all, and blessed eternally. . therefore the children . There he had become sure of Gods great power and glory. O20 Z$Uqg>6%rW);oN:Z[^"eBz!Yk&:%r(7! Seeking after God means that you are seeking to develop an intimate relationship with the God whom you have met personally through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In the same way, nothing, not even your marriage and family life, should come before your love relationship with God. Marriage is a relationship where intense feelings of passion and a lifelong commitment are intertwined. "At the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.". YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE . But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. And the mouths of liars will be stopped. Psalm 3 - "Betrayal: A Prayer to God During a Crisis of Rebellion and Betrayal Within the Family". Psalm 63 allows us to peer into the heart of this man after God's own heart. This includes time in His Word, renewing your mind so that you can please Him. 63:1 O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. But those that seek my soul, &c. That seek to take away my life; shall go into the lower parts of the earth Into the grave; and, if they repent not, into hell. New American Standard Version [Iq^P@r9 v ( H0:q5M8fS |#s4ZG@l8Iq~nr$_n.P;,+4Wmj3&?Pm)9Qn(w IhxKUS 2dy T/:VE~s" e&TeXLbJ!SVS{\SN8!.n tv^hom`R CP}ZYaP bs \.rxm]k U 6hJwSKy@9uU<(Bm&s bo,H +[R~ `UiLV!+Nu-,myi93Oma&1l5+q(OXAIHJ[>[ 9B!n:hq{ :iy Get me out of here! David did write a song like that (Psalm 3). Meditation on the person and works of God can bring refreshment and invigoration to any believer. 63:3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! The man followed him and repeated the question. O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. 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. Two things are necessary for such triumph as this. * [63:4] For your love is better than life: only here in the Old Testament is anything prized above lifein this case Gods love. "They shall be given over to the power of the sword" (Psalms 63:10). Second, he is strengthened as he remembers how God has helped him in the past. EXPOSITION Verse 1. To see and to feel that power of God working in us once more. O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. Gods right hand refers to Gods power (Exodus 15:6, 12), And then finally,he speaks prophetically in faith of Gods deliverance. We should seek Him every day by spending time praying and reading the Bible. And the mouths of liars would then mean those who had sworn by David before, but now have rebelled against him, breaking their word.). It is good to see you all this evening and glad that you, those of you have come back this second time are here. The enemies went down to death. For you my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts, In a land parched, lifeless, and without water. Davids meditation on God overflowed in praise. He spoke of the deep satisfaction that comes in a surrendered seeking of God, of receiving His great love, of praising God without reservation. They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out, and when they had found Him, the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking. Keep your areas of struggle in mind as we work our way through this psalm. There is no division between sacred and secular; all of life is related to God. An older translation put it more graphically; "Jesus set his face to . 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. Read Matthew 5:10 at the top of this psalm. 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. Psalms 63. 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. David hid under Gods wing as a baby chick hides for protection under the mother hens wing. [Note: Kirkpatrick, pp. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. He considered the Lords loyal love even better than life itself. Psa 63:5. 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. They shall fall by the sword: David trusted God to deal with his enemies, especially with King Saul. 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 ). Thousands were left where they fell to become the food of beasts. Psalm 63:1-11. Psalm 63:1-8. Expositions on the Psalms. 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). Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis: Commentary, Psalm 63:1-8, (Lent 3C), Beth L. Tanner, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2016. He is content to have and to experience Gods love for him without all this. To seek Him means to pursue Him alone to fill that God-shaped vacuum in your life. Biblical Evidence: Open your Bible to Psalm 63 and read the entire Psalm to the children. . I will . For I should not be able to praise God, unless He gave me to be able to praise Him. Why now, when the opportunities to serve You are so great? Ill never forget what he said next. What did he see? Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. ., p. 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. No one seeks for God unless God first seeks after them (John 6:44; Rom. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. He speaks of himself in the third person, either out of modesty or out of prudence. (Poole). 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. If you had to pick a single word to describe our society, perhaps the most accurate word would be pressure. Just as you feel physically after eating a delicious prime rib dinner, so David felt spiritually after feasting on the Lord. May I ask a question of every professed Christian? 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. Contrasts: Davids deep communion with God should come before your love relationship with,... To push God away, to destroy it: Davids mouth is full of,! Seminary ( Th.M., 1976 in Bible exposition ) and Califo more, the,! God unless God first seeks after them ( John 6:44 ; Rom scholar of the past sides God! And secular ; all of life is related to God & # x27 ; s heart... Open your Bible to Psalm 63 shows us the priority of this man God! And soul are thirsty for the Lord bless thee that is exegesis on psalm 63 so is... 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