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. Prioritiesgodly prioritiesare crucial! Daniel 3, Follow Christian teaching on WordPress.com. 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! Its contents are read and sung by millions every day. . "[12], Kidner noted that, "The jackals are the final scavengers, consuming the remains of the kill rejected by larger beasts. Thats how it must be with God, if you want to seek Him. The same Hebrew word describes both animals. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. He stayed steady in the storm because he had the inner resource of Gods strength. It is one of the most well-loved psalms. belongeth mercy. Scripture: Psalm 63. My soul follows close behind You; When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on. Gods support and provision of safety were the immediate causes of Davids meditation and praise. A Psalm of David.. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. King David was a man who knew what it meant to live under pressure. There is no area of your life, be it your business, your family, your education, or whatever, where God is not an integral part. 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. And yet in all of this, David wasnt seeking for any of those things to fill the vacuum in his life. He has gone from luxury to the wilderness; from power to weakness; from respect to dishonor; from safety to danger. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient. Seeking after God means keeping your passion for God alive. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more all for only $19.99. Psalm 63:1, ESV: A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. But knowing that God will faithfully and loving watch over him is better than all that he lost his former life of good things. Psalm 23 Exegesis Analysis. Why now, when the opportunities to serve You are so great? Ill never forget what he said next. There are family pressures: finding the right mate and building a solid marriage in a culture where divorce is easy and accepted. . World problems, economic problems, personal problems, and the problems of friends and loved ones all press upon us. Psalm 63:9-10. ii. - 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 . February 21, 2016 Transfiguration of Our Lord Ash Wednesday I will . The man came up gasping for air. 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.. "Where no water is" (Psalms 63:1). God's loving-kindness is our spiritual life, and that is better than temporal life. And there are times it seems when our souls become very barren and very parched, where we long again to feel the presence of God. . Romans12:19-21, A true test of character: How you treat those weaker thanyou, Come to Jesus and find rest. Yet that is not what David sang of here. 5:7) is better than life. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. Psalm 63:1. No one seeks for God unless God first seeks after them (John 6:44; Rom. David wasnt consumed with thoughts of getting even. Verse 2: David wanted to see God's power and *glory in the *Temple in Jerusalem. We're commanded to not think it a strange thing when we encounter trials in our life. "In the Hebrew, these words are: [~'Elohiym], [~'Eli]. There are five divisions in the psalm, the first four with two verses each, and the fifth taking in the last three verses. Night watches: An expression which stresses the slow progress of the hours. (Kidner), ii. Thus no one can boast; we have only received Gods undeserved gift. with joyous lips my mouth shall praise you! To dwell with God is better than life at its best; life at ease, in a palace, in health, in honour, in wealth, in pleasure; yea, a thousand lives are not equal to the eternal life which abides in Jehovahs smile. (Spurgeon), iv. It includes time in praise and worship, expressing your love for Him. A. Well, his desire for God is like someone who is thirsty. A Psalm of David. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. 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. "[10] Christ himself adopted this beautiful metaphor (Matthew 23:37). Psalm 63:1-11 One sign of a genuine believer is devotion to Christ. There is a determination here: I shall seek you earnestly (63:1b). Sometimes you have to work at the romance (which sounds contradictory, but its not). He knew that there was more and his whole being craved it as a thirsty man in the desert craves for water. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, "So have I looked upon thee in the sanctuary", "Those shall go into the lower parts of the earth", "They shall be given over to the power of the sword". We too need to earnestly seek after God in our time of trial. . David clings to God, but underneath it all, Gods powerful hand is under David. From a formal perspective, verses 8-9 offer a striking example of assumed repetition. People despair without the sense of life; David despaired without the sense of Gods great love. Its not a duty; its a delight! We'll find out who is his enemy, soon. Solitude and stillness render the night watches a fit season for meditation on the so often experienced mercies of God; which, when thus called to remembrance, become a delicious repast to the spirit, filling it with all joy, and peace, and consolation. (Horne). 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. So David is suffering an intense trial. 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. This comes from his encounters with God in worship 2So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary . b. Psalm 6. I have looked upon you . (LogOut/ John Piper Aug 12, 1999. Psalm 63:1, NIV: A psalm of David. 4. 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. And yet, in the psalm, the psalmist's physical needs only serve to draw attention to his spiritual longing. [Note: Kidner, p. Psalm 1 - The Two Ways: The Way of the Righteous and the Way of the Wicked". Everyone has a set of priorities. He alone is our present help in time of trouble, and His compassion and mercy towards us is new every morning. Verse 1: As our bodies need food and drink, so our *souls need something. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. When this is the regular frame of a believer's mind, he values the loving-kindness of God more than life. Davids thirst for God found relief as he praised Him. My lips shall praise You: In light of Davids experience of Gods great love, he determined to vocally praise 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. 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. The meaning here is simply that the enemies of the king shall die. And the mouths of liars would then mean those who had sworn by David before, but now have rebelled against him, breaking their word.). * [63:4] For your love is better than life: only here in the Old Testament is anything prized above lifein this case Gods love. 15, 17), wrote. 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. a. He considered the Lords loyal love even better than life itself. RTCH 500-D. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 5:6). This second contribution to the "Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis" series continues the admirable tradition set by Robert B. Chisholm Jr. in "Interpreting the Historical Books." A valuable resource for pastors and students, "Interpreting the Psalms" begins by explaining the nature of Hebrew poetry and the purpose of the Psalms. He left his possessions and his wives behind him. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! It is good to see you all this evening and glad that you, those of you have come back this second time are here. What did he see? Psalm 63:1-8 - Center for Excellence in Preaching. Psalms 63:2 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. God responded with care and strength for David, upholding him with His mighty right hand (the hand of skill and strength). But there is not one word of asking for temporal or even spiritual blessings. 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. Much of David's writing in this passage is . He seeks God, they seek to kill him.]. We live in a day marked by pressure in almost every area of life. John Piper Sep 25, 1983. 3 Better your faithful love than life itself; my lips will praise . In the song, David, the shepherd-king, is the sheep who is shepherded by Yahweh. Notice the intensity of his seeking, He says, earnestly I seek you. He is not just praying every once in a while. 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. Because You have been my help, Psalms THIRST AND SATISFACTION Psalm 63:1, Psalm 63:5, Psalm 63:8. He wanted to go deeper. "The night watches" (Psalms 63:6). "In the shadow of thy wings" (Psalms 63:7). People are good, and human relationships are a blessing from God. 5. That which is bitter is called , root , stringere, from . As he remembers who God is, this leads him to worship God, even in his time of trial. No matter what pressures come into your life, you will be able to handle them properly if you maintain this one priority above all else: Earnestly seek after God! Our life live in a culture where divorce is easy and accepted is determination. To opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience, if want! 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