And also all those who are loyal to him will exult. Let there be no needless space between the Master and thee. (Meyer). Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will behold your face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, . and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. . 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.. "[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). My lips will praise you. 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". His whole world was falling apart, but he had the Lord and His loyal love, and so he could sing and rejoice in God. They prey on dead bodies, and assemble in troops on battlefields to feast on the slain. A young man ran after Socrates, calling, Socrates, Socrates, can I be your disciple? Socrates ignored him and walked out into the water. Our body and soul are thirsty for the Lord. 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. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. 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. 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! "Better than life" (Psalms 63:3). a. Meditation on the person and works of God can bring refreshment and invigoration to any believer. 63:3-5 These verses describe how the psalmist praises God because of His lovingkindness (see Special Topic at Ps. 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 . God isnt just a slice of life, who rounds out your other pursuits. He praises God now in some of the most beautiful language found anywhere in the Old Testament. Psalm 63 shows us the priority of this man of God under pressure. Rather, God permeates every area of your life. Verse 2: David wanted to see God's power and *glory in the *Temple in Jerusalem. 62 DeClaisse-Walford, et al., The Book of Psalms, 622. 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. Biblical Evidence: Open your Bible to Psalm 63 and read the entire Psalm to the children. He was speaking of his sense of dependence on God. Sep 25, 1983. My lips shall praise You: In light of Davids experience of Gods great love, he determined to vocally praise God. His enemies will be judged and destroyed, not him. The title tells us when the psalm was penned, when David was in the wilderness of Judah; that is, in the forest of Hareth ( 1 Sa. Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis: Commentary, Psalm 63:1-8, (Lent 3C), Beth L. Tanner, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2016. He remembers that this is a God who can take care of him, even in his life-threatening situation. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. PSALM 63 * Ardent Longing for God. But it is still not the same as knowing him personally. Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But those who seek my life to destroy it, will go into the depths of the earth. 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. 5:6). Yet it was a promise of God (first expressed in 1 Samuel 16), so by faith David could dare to think of himself as the king, and in that daring faith rejoice in God. He was satisfied (63:5), but he wasnt satisfied. For example, many people fill their lives with family and friends. i. 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. God is not only the greatest, but the best, of beings. He is merciful in a way peculiar to himself; he is the Father of mercies, 2 Co. 1:3. How much do you desire to know God? David and his loyal followers had to flee for their lives. And the mouths of liars would then mean those who had sworn by David before, but now have rebelled against him, breaking their word.). We need 2 cookies to store this setting. 105. Therefore, David says, My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me (63:8). The king;I, who am already anointed king, and who shall be actually king, when these mine enemies are fallen by the sword. Seeking after God should be our most important priority. How does a person who lacks self-discipline go about getting it? In the midst of such pressures, there is one thing that will determine the course of your life: your priorities. The theme of trust, which Psalms 61, 62 emphasize, reaches a climax in Psalms 63. Gods powerful hand upheld and sustained David. Then there is the pressure of getting a good job and, once we get it, of doing well enough to keep it and be promoted. You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. This Psalm is peculiarly suitable for the bed of sickness, or in any constrained absence from public worship. Are you seeking after God like a person who is dying of thirst looks for water in a dry and weary land, where water is really hard to find? "O God, thou art my God; earnestly will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee. EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES) Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. 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! Seeking after God means keeping your passion for God alive. To seek Him means to pursue Him alone to fill that God-shaped vacuum in your life. O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. But the king will rejoice in God (63:11). They shall fall by the sword: David trusted God to deal with his enemies, especially with King Saul. )\f6]_< y1(g ZG{h4J?NNC]ZwPJ3{ [K~tkq |c'RCTVNH>$~X#pFTk^%X# 0 Z9 T8 j@ ,)$ % /+W He wasnt praying, O God, give me my wives back. 5:7) is better than life. . Psalm 63:1. David had reason to be afraid, lonely . Just as you feel physically after eating a delicious prime rib dinner, so David felt spiritually after feasting on the Lord. In fact, the ancient church had the practice of beginning the singing of the Psalms at each Sunday service with Psalm 63, called the morning hymn (Commentary on the Old Testament, C. F. Keil & Franz Delitzsch, [Eerdmans], p. 212). 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. Other times it has the idea of presence, as in the wings of the cherubim that surround the throne of God. belongeth mercy. I only want to touch lightly on this question so that I can concentrate on the third question. Davids soul was close to God, following Him as one followed a Master or Teacher. 62:12). (Kidner), ii. David made it a priority to spend time alone with God. People are good, and human relationships are a blessing from God. And as we learn in 2 Samuel, David was in fact restored to power and his enemies were destroyed. Absalom and Ahithophel, the leaders, led the way. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. 6My soul shall be sated as with choice food. Psalms is a collection of poems and one of only two Old Testament books authored by multiple authors. From a formal perspective, verses 8-9 offer a striking example of assumed repetition. They will be delivered over to the power of the sword; they will be a prey for jackals [lit.]. If you had to pick a single word to describe our society, perhaps the most accurate word would be pressure. Psalm 5. Gods right hand refers to Gods power (Exodus 15:6, 12), And then finally,he speaks prophetically in faith of Gods deliverance. Jesus said empty prayers amounted to only religious ceremony. Psalms - Chapter 63. Everyone who sides with God, as David did, can do the same. 1A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.a. 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. Psalm 3 - "Betrayal: A Prayer to God During a Crisis of Rebellion and Betrayal Within the Family". 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. Yet that is not what David sang of here. This Psalm is filled with metaphors and creative imagery that is best understood through contextual knowledge. Thus, more than twenty-thousand more were numbered among the slain. "[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]. 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. Psa 63:7. . The next day, he flew off into oblivion and disgrace. 4. This comes out in the phrase, all who swear by his name which is an expression of loyalty to David as their king. Davids soul was at rest. Physical needs, difficult circumstances, spiritual struggles? 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. 9But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; 10they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals. Psa 63:1-2. 63:9, "But those that seek my soul, to destroy it" So David has enemies. Copyright 2019-2023 USCCB, please review our Privacy Policy. Keep your areas of struggle in mind as we work our way through this psalm. The psalm shows us that Davids priority was to seek the Lord. Early in the morning, our song shall rise to thee. And David even says, that your steadfast love is better than life. His life has been turned upside down. (At this time he and those loyal to him went into the wilderness 2 Samuel 15:23; 28. There is no area of your life, be it your business, your family, your education, or whatever, where God is not an integral part. 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^[! i. "The forest devoured more people that day than the sword." If you love God, youll make time to spend with Him because you delight to do so. 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