He compared this to the feeling of a stomach filled with the richest food. As you think on what God has done for you in Christ, it ought to move you emotionally. David models this for us. Night watches: An expression which stresses the slow progress of the hours. (Kidner), ii. Psalm 63:1-8 - Center for Excellence in Preaching. 22:5) or in the wilderness of Ziph, 1 Sa. Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. 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. Reflecting on his God bolstered the kings confidence that the Lord would preserve him in his present situation. Those who want (or are hungry and *thirsty) to see God do what is right will live in God's *kingdom. We have synthesized our thinking with that of the culture around us and have become so accustomed to comfort and safety that our spiritual walks . He will cut corners elsewhere if he has to, but he will not miss his time with this beautiful creature. "[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). But if there are never any feelings of love, your marriage is in trouble. Sometimes you have to work at the romance (which sounds contradictory, but its not). My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: Tools. Let me ask you this morning What trials are you going through today? Many of us remember the day President Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal. David thought that he would be ungrateful and rude to not praise and thank the God who loved him so greatly. That which is bitter is called , root , stringere, from . with joyous lips my mouth shall praise you! . [Notice the contrasts: Davids mouth is full of praise, their lies. 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. i. Sep 25, 1983. David was a prophet and speaks this way here (Acts 2:30). 224.]. It is used to describe Ruth clinging to her mother-in-law (Ruth 1:14). (LogOut/ Notice the personal relationship with God . "Because thy lovingkindness is better than life. Copyright 2019-2023 USCCB, please review our Privacy Policy. Well, his desire for God is like someone who is thirsty. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. This is a Psalm written by David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. And David even says, that your steadfast love is better than life. His life has been turned upside down. "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). A. 57:2). In the song, David, the shepherd-king, is the sheep who is shepherded by Yahweh. 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. He remembers that this is a God who can take care of him, even in his life-threatening situation. In your marriage, keeping your passion alive means saying no to some things in order to say yes to your wife. Yet that is not what David sang of here. 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). Biblical Evidence: Open your Bible to Psalm 63 and read the entire Psalm to the children. People are good, and human relationships are a blessing from God. Then he meets the woman of his dreams. The authorship and occasion of this psalm are made certain by the fact that the author was a king (Psalms 63:11), who was temporarily denied access to the tabernacle in Jerusalem, and who cried out to God from a parched desert. And then you must develop your relationship by spending time with your new Friend through the weeks and months and years in a variety of situations. The result of this remembering is that he is satisfied and full of praise to God. Here is David, his kingdom in disarray, running for his life, seeking to protect his men. He seeks God, they seek to kill him.]. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. Many were left unburied, for there was plenty left for the jackals. He wanted to go deeper. He told how he faced a time in his life when the opportunities for ministry were the greatest he had ever seen. Psalm 63:9-10. When we are suffering and discouraged it is easy to push God away, to blame God, to become angry at 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. [6], Kidner gives a scholarly defense of this rendition.[7]. 5. Two things are necessary for such triumph as this. Shall go into the lower parts of the earth. Your priorities keep you from being battered around by the waves of pressure and help you to steer a clear course toward the proper destination. But they shouldnt come before your marriage. David wasnt consumed with thoughts of getting even. The writer seems to be overflowing with joy in the Lord. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. But it is interesting that Psalm 63 contains no petition (Perowne, p. 487). Other times it has the idea of presence, as in the wings of the cherubim that surround the throne of God. There is a vast difference between knowing about a person and actually knowing that person. It is good to see you all this evening and glad that you, those of you have come back this second time are here. But the king shall rejoice in God: David was not yet on Israels throne and that promise still waited many years for fulfillment. Psalm 63:1, NIV: A psalm of David. 63:3-5 These verses describe how the psalmist praises God because of His lovingkindness (see Special Topic at Ps. Verse 1: As our bodies need food and drink, so our *souls need something. a. Exegesis Research Paper: Context of the Passage Assignment Psalm 1:1-Submitted to Dr. Debra Warren in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of. 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. But those who seek my life to destroy it, will go into the depths of the earth. What a remarkable fulfilment of David's prophecy came to pass. February 21, 2016 Transfiguration of Our Lord Ash Wednesday What does the person look like who seeks after God? 5My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips . The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician.To Jeduthun. Psalm 36:7-9 How excellent is your loving kindness, O God! i. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. How do we do that? 1. This is a very beautiful psalm of devotion to God. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul . 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 . 63:3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice: The idea of the shelter of shadow of Gods wings is repeated many times in the psalms. (At this time he and those loyal to him went into the wilderness 2 Samuel 15:23; 28. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. It is one of the most well-loved psalms. A Song. He is the bread of life and the living water, the one who fills those who hunger for righteousness (cf. He has fled from the throne. The wicked are, in other words, the very leavings of mankind."[13]. Psalm 6. . We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. The commitment carries you through the hard times when the feelings may fade. [Notice the contrasts: Davids mouth is full of praise, their lies. Christianity is not just a matter of the head, but of the heart. my soul. But while keeping the depth of feeling in mind, it is helpful to separate out three strands of what it means to seek after God: O God, You are my God. David knew God in an intimate, personal way. He knows that the steadfast love of God which he praised in verse 3, is strong with justice (cf. 2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding wyour power and glory. Psalms 63:1-2. 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. I have always been moved and challenged by Luke's description of Christ's decisive turn to the cross in Luke 9:51. "Better than life" (Psalms 63:3). These conditions point unerringly to King David during his flight through the wilderness of Judea from the enmity of Absalom. Sometimes it has the idea of protection, as a mother bird shelters her young chicks. 224-226) nicely outlines it as God my desire (1-4); God my delight (5-8); and, God my defense (9-11). This comes from his encounters with God in worship 2So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary . His whole world was falling apart, but he had the Lord and His loyal love, and so he could sing and rejoice in God. The psalm shows us that Davids priority was to seek the Lord. But not just a little thirst, someone who is dying of thirst.He is so thirsty that his flesh faints. "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). King David was a man who knew what it meant to live under pressure. 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. But our trials are meant to lead us to God. The idea is loyalty related to strong feelings of affection. And he remembered how God had taken care of him in the past. "So have I looked upon thee in the sanctuary" (Psalms 63:2). God seemed to be blessing his preaching. But those who seek my life, to destroy it: Davids deep communion with God did not take away his problems. to see your power and glory. Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis: Commentary, Psalm 63:1-8, (Lent 3C), Beth L. Tanner, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2016. Matter of the earth had taken care of him in his life when the opportunities for ministry were the he! Chief Musician.To Jeduthun he told how he faced a time in his life-threatening situation steadfast is... And thus some translations have seek early the exegesis on psalm 63 love is better than life, to destroy it, go! Can take care of him in the past or in the song, David, the one fills... Means saying no to some things in order to say yes to your wife men and of! With marrow and fatness ; and my mouth will praise you in our domain so you check! The song, David, his desire for God is like someone is! 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