A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah
63:Title This psalm was written when David was king (v 11), and pursued by enemies (v 9). These facts fit in with the rebellion of Absalom described in 2 Samuel chapters 15–17. Escaping through the desert of Judea toward the Jordan River, probably at night (v 6), he wrote this, or we can say it came by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit – the way all the psalms came (and, indeed, the whole Bible). In this psalm we have a leading theme of all of them, perhaps the essence of all.⚜
63
📚O God, you are my God. Early I will seek you.
My soul thirsts for you,
my flesh longs for you
in a dry and thirsty land,
where there is no water,
63:1 Blessed is the person who can truly say “my God” to the true and only God, the all powerful Creator of the universe. With that one word eventually all problems will have their solution, all holy longings will have their satisfaction. David did not thirst for comforts in the desert, nor for vengeance on his enemies, nor for bodily or fleshly satisfactions of any kind, nor for the gifts of God. He thirsts for God Himself. Nothing else could satisfy him but God’s fellowship. He knew God but he wanted to know Him better, to experience Him more (compare Phil 3:10. See also Ps 42:2; 84:2; Jer 29:13; Matt 5:6; 6:33; 7:7). \fp One of the most important and searching questions that can be asked is, for what do you thirst? what do you seek? At the time perhaps David’s life and experience were like the dry and barren desert through which he was moving. To a believer often the whole world seems like a desert without a drop of water to quench the thirst of the soul.⚜
2 📚To see your power
and your glory,
just as I have seen you
in the sanctuary.
63:2 He had beheld God’s power and glory with the eyes of his understanding. So should we – Eph 1:18-19.⚜
3 📚Because your loving kindness
is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
63:3 He is in the desert pursued by enemies but speaks of God’s grace. To experience God’s grace is far better than all of life with its comforts and honors and riches without His grace.⚜
4 📚So I will praise you
while I live.
I will lift up my hands
in your name.
5 📚My soul will be satisfied
as with marrow
and fatness,
and my mouth will praise you
with joyful lips,
63:3-5 Blessed are those who can praise and sing and be satisfied in deserts, in dungeons, in the shadows of death. No one can, except those who can truly speak the opening words of this psalm.⚜
6 📚When I remember you on my bed
and meditate on you
in the night watches,
63:6 No doubt this psalm is a result of his meditations in the night.⚜
7 📚Because you have been my help.
Therefore in the shadow
of your wings 📖 I will rejoice.
8 📚My soul follows you closely.
Your right hand upholds me.
63:8 Here is a picture of the mutual love between God and the believer. The believer longs for more of God, follows after Him, clings to Him. God holds the believer in His right hand, the hand of power, as the arm of a loving father holds his child. Not all the malice of men, not all the power of Satan can break God’s embrace or tear His children from His arms (John 10:28-29).⚜
9 📚But those who seek
to destroy my soul will go
into the lower parts
of the earth.
10 📚They will fall by the sword.
They will be a portion for foxes.
11 📚But the king will rejoice
in God.
Everyone who swears by him
will glory.
But the mouth of those who speak
lies will be stopped.
63:9-11 Observe the contrast between David and his enemies. He seeks God; they seek his life. So the ends of these two classes of people will be different. How could it be otherwise? How can God give the wicked the reward of the righteous, or give the righteous the punishment due to the wicked? Notice in the last phrase of the psalm the danger of lying. God will stop the mouths of liars forever (Rev 21:8).⚜