Psalm 63 comments

 

Psalm 63:1 ¶  «A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.» O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2  To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

 

Commentators are not sure if this Psalm is about when David was fleeing Saul or during the rebellion of his son, Absalom. Whatever the case, I am inclined to believe this was referring to a time he was fleeing Saul for see this cross-reference during his ordeal with King Saul.

 

1Samuel 22:5  And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.

 

David expressed a similar sentiment previously.

 

 

Psalm 42:1 ¶  «To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah.» As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2  My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

 

For verse 2 David wants to see God’s power and glory in life events just as he has seen him in the sanctuary or as we might see God’s power and glory in His Bible we would long to see it in the events of our lives.

 

Psalm 27:4  One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

 

Psalm 105:4  Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

 

2Corinthians 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

 

Psalm 63:3 ¶  Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4  Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. 5  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: 6  When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

 

David longs to see God’s power and glory because to experience God’s mercy is the best thing in life, particularly in David’s violent life. God’s care, His lovingkindness is mentioned many times previously in the Psalms and it is linked to God’s tender mercies.

 

Psalm 51:1  «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.» Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

 

God’s mercy, king and gentle, is better than life and food to David. It encourages David to praise God with joyful lips and to reflect on God in the night when so many of us have anxiety and worry about things we can do nothing about. We would be better thinking about and praying to God, particularly in those times.

 

Isaiah 26:3  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

 

Philippians 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

Psalm 63:7 ¶  Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. 8  My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. 9  But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. 10  They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes. 11  But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

 

The shadow of thy wings is an interesting phrase. Notice its usage four more times in the Psalms.

 

Psalm 17:8 ¶  Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

 

Psalm 36:7  How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

 

Psalm 57:1  «To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.» Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

 

Psalm 91:4  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

 

Notice how God’s deliverance is likened to being carried on eagles’ wings elsewhere;

 

Exodus 19:4  Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.

 

Isaiah 40:31  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

 

Revelation 12:14  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

 

This is metaphorical language and in no way suggests that God has wings. We have seen what God looks like in the form of Jesus Christ. God the Father is a being of Spirit and no man has seen Him at any time except through seeing Christ.

 

John 1:18  No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

 

John 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

 

God’s protection and shelter is something that David rejoices in and the innermost part of David’s being, the seat of his will and self-identity or his soul, is focused on God.

 

Then David prophecies the fate of his enemies who seek to destroy him. He knows by whose hand this will be accomplished and he clings closely to God. We should do this when we are oppressed by those who hate us.

The lower parts of the earth is clearly more than a reference to the grave.

 

Isaiah 44:23  Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.

 

Ephesians 4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

 

Without going off on a long side trip Paradise was alongside of Hell with a great impassable gulf between the two until Christ preached to them after his Crucifixion and Paradise ascended to Heaven. Even the Greeks in the concept of Hades knew that the lower parts of the earth were not just a place of punishment but of reward. They did not know Christ however, or what he would do. See my comments on Luke 16:19-31.