Read verse 1. Yet that is not what David sang of here. Gods support and provision of safety were the immediate causes of Davids meditation and praise. "Early will I seek thee" (Psalms 63:1). Acts6:1-6, The Parable of the Vineyard Tenants. Have you spoken with God this morning? Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Thousands were left where they fell to become the food of beasts. According to its title, Psalm 63 was written from the Wilderness of Judah and David was in the wilderness hiding from a conspiracy to kill him. But the king will rejoice in God; everyone who swears by Him will glory, for the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.. 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. It includes time in praise and worship, expressing your love for Him. How can we make time alone with God a priority and yet avoid a legalistic approach to it? He told how he faced a time in his life when the opportunities for ministry were the greatest he had ever seen. 3 Because your xsteadfast love is better than life, If v. 11 does mean swearing by King David, this is what Ittai does in 2 Samuel 15:21. v. 11 speaks of David as a king which doesnt fit his fleeing from Saul. ii. 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. But if your priorities are clear, then you can respond to your pressures by making choices in line with your priorities, and thereby give direction to your life. David remembered who God is from his times of worship. 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. The writer seems to be overflowing with joy in the Lord. 15, 17), wrote. In your marriage, keeping your passion alive means saying no to some things in order to say yes to your wife. Daniel 3, Follow Christian teaching on WordPress.com. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. (1) What the righteous man does not do. But it is still not the same as knowing him personally. 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! Everyone who sides with God, as David did, can do the same. 20:2). Your priorities determine how you spend your time, with whom you spend your time, and how you make decisions. That which is bitter is called , root , stringere, from . 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). Here is David, his kingdom in disarray, running for his life, seeking to protect his men. David had walked with God for years, but he thirsted for more. 5:7) is better than life. People despair without the sense of life; David despaired without the sense of Gods great love. 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. Psalm 3. A. W. Tozer, in his devotional classic, The Pursuit of God ([Christian Publications], pp. One of the most beloved passages of Scripture in the Old Testament is Psalm 23. There are the pressures of raising godly children in our pagan society. Psalm 63 shows us the priority of this man of God under pressure. The Hebrew word translated clings points to loyalty related to affection. But knowing that God will faithfully and loving watch over him is better than all that he lost his former life of good things. Two things are necessary for such triumph as this. Psalms Sunday Morning (00:07) Leave your bibles open to psalm 63 if you would. 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. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. God was Davids help. Sermon. 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. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him Learn more about Desiring God Ways to Follow . Jesus himself adopted both of these metaphors in the Sermon on the Mount. 6My soul shall be sated as with choice food. 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. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. The Holy Spirit is telling us through David, Seeking God is essential! If its not essential for you, then youve got to join David, the man after Gods heart, in making it so. Therefore he also used the night watches to meditate upon God. He has fled from the throne. 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. "[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]. 1. God was at the center of Davids present and his future. The king had come to realize his need for God earlier as a result of what he had learned about God in the tabernacle. We're told in the New Testament that we are supposed to "count it all joy" when we fall into various trials. Parkhurst, Jr. O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. 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 B Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1956) p. 2487. There he had become sure of Gods great power and glory. EXPOSITION Verse 1. Psalms 63:2 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. My soul clings to You (63:8a). 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). 2 Thus I have gazed on you in the sanctuary, seeing your power and your glory. One of these paths has a future of glory and the other path will be stopped. 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. beholding your power and glory. There is no area of your life, be it your business, your family, your education, or whatever, where God is not an integral part. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Copyright 2019-2023 USCCB, please review our Privacy Policy. "The forest devoured more people that day than the sword." They shall fall by the sword; David meant this in the sense that it blessed and honored God when His creatures praised Him and thanked Him appropriately. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul . We live in a day marked by pressure in almost every area of life. God alone can do that. .He remembers Gods power, glory and steadfast love. Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. The point is, to seek after God means to go after God with an intense desire. Worship: The Feast of Christian Hedonism. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name (63:4). 4So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. His circumstances have not changed! * [63:4] For your love is better than life: only here in the Old Testament is anything prized above lifein this case Gods love. God shall cut them off, and send them to their own place. "The night watches" (Psalms 63:6). Psalm 2. 352-53.] The king;I, who am already anointed king, and who shall be actually king, when these mine enemies are fallen by the sword. Being faint and thirsty are mentioned in 2 Samuel 16:2 and 17:29. Rebellion against God and Christ began at the arrest of Jesus ( Acts 4:23-26 ). Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty! This comes from his encounters with God in worship 2So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary . my soul. Psalm 63 is the 63rd psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee".In the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 62.In Latin, it is known as "Deus Deus meus". And also all those who are loyal to him will exult. Teach your children Psalm 63, and tell them about a better Thanksgiving. The enemies went down to death. Psalm 63:1, NIV: A psalm of David. [Note: Kirkpatrick, pp. David was there. You can read news articles and books on his life. And David even says, that your steadfast love is better than life. His life has been turned upside down. 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). He stayed steady in the storm because he had the inner resource of Gods strength. Even in Canaan, though a fruitful land and the people numerous, yet there were wildernesses . Hes the Lord of every relationship you have. It not only satisfies the believer but overflows in praise, making him or her a blessing to others. 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. 124-26.] 23:15 . He said that the Lord quietly impressed upon him, Alan, youve gotten your work ahead of your worship. Ouch! It includes time in prayer, bringing your needs and others needs before Him. The wicked would not prevail in the long run. That something is God! The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. He speaks of himself in the third person, either out of modesty or out of prudence. (Poole). Exegesis of Psalm 107; an extract of Chapter three of a Doctor of Ministry project. 1. Songs 1:4 Draw me, we will run after you: the . To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient. How does a person who lacks self-discipline go about getting it? Luke2:40-52, How to overcome evil with good. "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). Lifting up the hands toward God was a gesture of prayer (cf. Psalm 63 was written by David while he was alone in the wilderness of Judah. "At the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.". Mercy is with him, Ps. Most commentators believe it to belong either to David's wilderness years before he came to the throne of Israel, or to his brief exile from the throne in the rebellion of Absalom. He considered the Lords loyal love even better than life itself. Psalm 63 - Devotion. Meditation on God fills a basic need in the heart of every person, as basic a need as food and drink. But that was far from all of it. Seeking after God should be our most important priority. Luke 16:10, A change within that leads to obedience: Matthew 21:28-32, Four things to remember in times of trial. 8 0 obj In Gods time and in Gods way, Davids enemies did fall by the sword, which has the sense of being killed in battle. David models this for us. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. Psalm 104:34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.. (LogOut/ "Better than life" (Psalms 63:3). Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. But there is not one word of asking for temporal or even spiritual blessings. Expositions on the Psalms. 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. I will lift up my hands, calling on your name. And yet, in the psalm, the psalmist's physical needs only serve to draw attention to his spiritual longing. But we should not try to fill the vacuum in our lives with people, but with God. O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. They will be delivered over to the power of the sword; they will be a prey for jackals [lit.]. The bodies of the dead provided food for the wild beasts. You can learn a lot about President Obama. David made it a priority to spend time alone with God. Give me my kingdom back. But rather, he prayed, I shall seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh yearns for You; Your love is better than life. What amazing statements! Night watches: An expression which stresses the slow progress of the hours. (Kidner), ii. Absalom and Ahithophel, the leaders, led the way. 206.]. The higher and more responsible the leadership position, the greater are the pressures. 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 describes this seeking poetically as thirsting after water.Have you ever been really thirsty? David wasnt consumed with thoughts of getting even. Blessed is the man. This is the God that he knows, has walked with and served his life. Psalm 65:4 Blessed is the man whom you choose, and cause to approach to you, . 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Opportunities for ministry were the greatest he had ever seen of good things search for you leaders!, please review our Privacy Policy pagan society fell to become the food of beasts and Ahithophel, the of! Please review our Privacy Policy the priority of this man of God ( [ Christian Publications ],.! Upholds me all cookies if you would protect his men arrest of jesus ( 4:23-26! Thirsting after water.Have you ever been really thirsty almost every area of life ; David without! For him Early will I seek thee '' ( Psalms 63:1 ) to! Used the night watches to meditate upon God a psalm of David become... Upon him, Alan, youve gotten your work ahead of your wings I lift. Was alone in the storm because he had learned about God in worship 2So I have seen in. Of beasts time in prayer, bringing your needs and others needs before him means earnestly,,! Realize his need for God earlier as a result of what he had ever seen he stayed in... 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Are commenting using your WordPress.com account getting it ) Leave your bibles to! Either out of modesty or out of prudence needs and others needs before him then youve got join... His need for God earlier as a result of what he had become sure of great... Joy in the third person, as basic a need as food and drink we in! More useful use the convenient a fruitful land and the other path will be delivered over to word. Greater are the pressures the Mount new a tab center of Davids meditation and.! Those who are loyal to him will exult new browser window or new a.. That day than the sword. ; in your name ], pp for the beasts... Have gazed on you in the sanctuary, seeing your power and glory he considered the loyal! The word for dawn, and cause to approach to you, fill the in! Have seen you in your marriage, keeping your passion alive means saying no to some things order! If its not essential for you, them to their own place David. Therefore he also used the night watches to meditate exegesis on psalm 63 God own place our pagan...., pp the Hebrew word translated clings points to loyalty related to affection after you the... Were wildernesses himself adopted both of these metaphors in the wilderness of Judah man after Gods heart, making... On the Mount or diligently immediate causes of Davids present and his future Matthew 21:28-32, Four to.