Confidence in God’s Loving-kindness, Part 1

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. 2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. 3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. 4 Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. 6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. 7 Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. 8 My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me. 9 But those who seek my life, 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 jackals. 11 But the king shall rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped. (Psalm 63)

Psalm 63 has long been a favorite of many throughout the ages. The ancient Christian writer, Chrysostom, wrote of this psalm, “that it was decreed and ordained by the primitive Fathers, that no day should pass without the public singing of this Psalm.” J. J. Stewart Perowne said of it, “this is unquestionably one of the most beautiful and touching Psalms in the whole Psalter” (Spurgeon). “There may be other songs that equal this outpouring of devotion; few if any that surpass it” (Kidner 224).

This psalm has been placed into various genres by commentators and scholars. In our study of Psalm 63 it will be treated as if it belongs in the genre of Songs of Trust. Found in this song is a declaration of trust (63:7,8); a basis for confidence (63:3a,7a,8b); a vow to praise (63:3b-6); and an implied interior lament (63:2,9). The only element missing is a petition of God in this psalm. Although these songs of trust fall into categories of individual (Psalms 4,16,23,27,62,73) or community (Psalms 90,115,123,124,125,126), this particular psalm is an example of David’s song of trust like Psalm 62. In fact, “a certain similarity of style, form, and contents between this piece and Psalms 61 and 62 has been observed” (Terrien 461). A further connection between these Davidic psalms is seen in that “Psalm 61 is an individual lament, Psalm 62 and 63 are psalms of confidence, and Psalm 64 is an individual lament. It is also worth noting that Psalms 62 and 63 are joined consecutively in a Qumran psalm manuscript fragment” (Tate 125).

The superscription of this psalm reads: “A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.” Because the psalmist references himself in third person in verse eleven some class this was one of the historical psalms (Psalms 3,34,51,52,54,57,59, 60, and 142). It may have been a reference to David’s flight from Saul (1 Sam. 23:14,15; 24:1) or from Absalom (2 Sam. 15-19). The later situation fits the content of this psalm best.

Although David was fearful of his life and on the run from his enemies, he did not despair but wrote this psalm to sing about his constant trust in the hand of God. Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness (Mark 1:12,13) and did not sin. David spent his youth and part of his old age in the wilderness without losing confidence in his God.

Confidence in Personal Relationship with God

The psalm opens with an affirmation of David’s intimate relationship with God. “O God, You are my God” (63:1a). The trustworthiness of God is the basis of his confidence. He is the All-mighty God. He is not the Romans’ Jupiter or the Canaanites’ Baal who have their sins and weaknesses. Furthermore, no pagan would lay claim to a close relationship with these false, man-made deities. David has no doubts about who is his God and source of his strength. He has faith there is a God and not many gods. His God can be trusted at all times.

Confidence in Finding God

▸ Seeking

Many men of God have arisen up early to spend time with God. Jesus was in the habit of doing so. A good morning routine which starts with devotion is the ideal way for a saint to start his day. The Hebrew verb for “seek” could be describing the intensity of the seeking instead of the time of day. It is, however, a powerful desire to be close to God. Those who have a close relationship with God wake up with a longing to be with the Lord and stay up late remembering and meditating (63:6). Those who long for God as did David, will find it easy to rise early and seek God in prayer, reading of His Word, studying the scriptures, and meditating on His will.

▸ Thirsting

“My soul’ here is the word nephesh, meaning the whole person” (Barclay 288). This longing is not just within the soul, it is a desire felt physically. “My flesh longs for You.” Being away from a loved one can result in feeling physically weak or even ill.

The phrases: “in a dry and thirsty” and “where there is no water” both describe the “land” where David has this thirst. This may have reference to the wilderness where the psalm was pinned by David. J.P. Lange gives information about this wilderness based on the Hebrew word, “the term wilderness rkdm, as distinguished from hdre, (a steppe) was given to a district which was not regularly cultivated and inhabited but used for pasturage being generally without wood and defective in water, but not entirely destitute of vegetation.” Thirst is an insatiable longing after that which is one of the most essential sustenance of life. David does not thirst for water, power, revenge, his throne, Jerusalem, but he thirsts for God.

▸ Looking

David longed not so much to see the tabernacle as he wanted to see his God. “I have looked” for God “refers to a past event (Hb. Perfect) and may point to the speaker’s previous participation in the regular festivals” (Broyles 261). An appetite for God can only be found by first knowing and then worshiping God. “It is our regular worship that prepares us for the crisis experiences of life. What life does to us depends on what life finds in us, and David had in him a deep love for the Lord and a desire to please Him. Because David had seen God’s power and glory in His house, he was able to see it in the wilderness as well!” (Wiersbe 206).

When banished by his enemies from Jerusalem, he did not miss his palace or his armory or his treasures or his storehouses. He missed being near the place of prayer and worship. It is not so much the place of worship either, but a longing to see the invisible One.

Confidence in God’s Praiseworthy Lovingkindness

“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life” (63:3a). This is David’s reason for confidence in God which results in seven responses from David. Everything we have as a blessing of life depends on having life to begin with. However, having God is eternal life and gives real meaning to this life. Compare David’s thirst for God with his value of God’s lovingkindness over that of his physical existence. In fact, without water to satisfy one’s thirst, a man will die. Thirst and the pursuit of its satisfaction is needed for life. Unless David can find satisfaction for the thirst of his soul his spiritual life will end. Paul understood this well when he wrote, “for to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Phil. 1:21-23).

Man will do anything to keep alive. Satan understood this need for self-preservation and tried to use it against Christ by tempting Him to turn stone into bread, as well as his attacks on Job. “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life” (Job 2:4). What difference is there between the life of a worm and a man? Man is in the image of God and has a relationship with the Eternal One. Life is swift and soon spent on this earth. A relationship with God is death proof. In fact, the Hebrew word for life is plural meaning God’s lovingkindness is better an many lives or all aspects of one’s life.

All men will face the end of physical life on this planet just like the animals. Yet, no man needs to be separated from the love of God. (Rom. 8:38-39).

– Daniel R. Vess