Confidence in God’s Loving-kindness, Part 2
Psalm 63
Confidence in Responding to God’s Loving-kindness
✓ I Will Praise With Lips
Notice the context of David’s longing to respond to God’s love by blessing him with his total being: lips, life, hands, soul, mouth, etc. The only proper response coming from our lips when contemplating the loving kindnesses of God is to praise him. David may have been running for his life like Elijah ran from wicked Queen Jezebel, but he was not ready to utter from his lips that it was better to die. He left all behind and had lost so much, but David was not ready to curse God and die.
✓ I Will Bless With My Life
David was not a fair-weather saint. He was committed to praise God for a lifetime. Being a Christian is a lifetime commitment to bless the Lord. Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20)
✓ I Will Lift Up My Hands
Lifting of the hands in devotion and prayer to God is found throughout the psalms (Ps. 28:1,2; 88:9; 119:48; 134:2; 141:1,2; 146:6); and the rest of the Old Testament (2 Chron. 6:12,13; Ezra 9:5; Neh. 8:6; Lam. 3:41). It is even mentioned in the New Testament (1 Tim. 2:8).
The name of God stands for all that He is: His lovingkindness, His power, His mercy, etc. This may be in reference to praying to God or worshiping him. David would continue without fail and not shake his fists at God.
✓ I Will Be Satisfied in My Soul
The marrow and fatness were the favorite parts of the sacrificial animal. These represent the richest of foods. Jesus has the ability to give the citizens of His kingdom the bread of life and the water of life (Jn. 4:1ff; 7:37-39). He promised “I have food to eat of which you do not know” (Jn. 4:32). “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. For they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6 ). The result of this powerful thirst for God is satiated only with the nourishment of finding God and being close to Him.
✓ I Will Joyfully Praise With My Mouth
Next, David’s mouth joins his joyful lips in praising God.
✓ I Will Remember on My Bed
David did not just seek God early in the morning but also at night in bed and during the dark hours of the night. Perhaps the wilderness helped to keep him awake. In times of distress, he was able to recall the memories of God’s protection of him in the past. God was with him when he defended the sheepfold from a lion and even a bear. Goliath with all his strength, stature, and armor was no match for David and His God. David also knew the protection of God from King Saul in the wilderness.
✓ I Will Meditate in the Night
The Jews had three watches. The first watch was from 6:00 to 10:00 pm (Lam. 2:19); the second watch was from ten at night till two in the morning (Judges 7:19); and the final or morning watch lasted from two till six am (1Sam. 2:11). The quiet times of the night can be fruitful seasons of recalling God’s help in times past and meditating on them throughout long sleepless nights. “The memory is like the ark in which the manna was laid up; meditation is like Israel’s eating of the manna” (Spurgeon).
Confidence in Divine Help
The first reason to have confidence in God is His lovingkindness. Now the second reason is trusting in God’s protection. David responds with a desire to be close to his Protector. First, David responds to God’s lovingkindness by praising Him and now he responds to God’s help by staying close to Him.
God is often described as having carnal characteristics. Often these metaphors compare Him with the fleshly attributes of man but here He has powerful wings like that of a bird. Wings in this case would be a symbol of God’s power and protection. However, it may be in reference to the wings of the cherubim which sat upon the ark. The priests and Levites followed David out of Jerusalem and carried the ark of the covenant with them. David had them return (2 Sam. 15:24f). He had the shadow of God’s wings to rejoice in and follow closely. He did not need a mere tangible symbol when he had the real thing.
The term in the Hebrew for “upholds” is used of a lover holding one who is the object of their love. It is a play on words with the Hebrew word translated “follows close” which means to pursue until he could cling fast to God. This strong response to God reflects a commitment to pursing hard after Him. God will not get away from David. The same Hebrew word is used to describe Ruth’s attachment to her mother-in-law Naomi. “Ruth clung to her…Ruth said: ‘Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God’” (Ruth 1:14,16).
In order for David’s enemies to get to David and destroy him, they would first have to remove the protective power of God. To take the throne away from his father, David, Absolom would have to first take David from God. Nothing can remove a saint from His God. (Rom. 8:32-35).
Confidence in Victory Over Enemies
▸ Enemies’ Design
David is in danger of death and his kingdom destroyed. After David sinned with Bathsheba and had her husband killed, God promised that the sword would not depart from his house. “And David said to Abishai and all his servants, ‘See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life’” (2 Sam. 16:11). Now Absalom and others were seeking to kill David and destroy his royal line forever. Yet God had promised David (2 Sam. 7), he would have a royal line which would last forever. This was fulfilled in Christ when He sat down upon the throne of David at the beginning of His eternal kingdom, the church (Acts 2). David has full confidence in the ultimate defeat of his enemies.
▸ Enemies’ Destiny
“Shall go into the lower parts of the earth” (63:9b). This is referencing their deaths of David’s foes.
They will go down into Sheol. These enemies will never be heard from again. Destroyers shall be destroyed. Absalom had no state burial. His lifeless body was cast into a pit in the woods and covered up and forgotten.
▸ Enemies’ Death
The mention of the “sword” clearly points to his enemies’ defeat in warfare. Those who strive to live and take life by the sword shall perish with the sword. The term for “fall” is often used to describe the action of water. Just as certain water will fall downward so will David’s enemies.
▸ Enemies Devoured
The disposition of the bodies of both Queen Jezebel and King Ahab was that wild dogs ate their carcasses and lapped up their blood (1 Kings 21;23; 24:9,10). Many of the followers of Absalom met their fate in the woods that day. Twenty thousand fell. “For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured” (1 Sam. 18:8). The jackals would have feasted upon the decaying and abandoned corpses of the rebellious host who attacked David. As a man of war, David no doubt had seen this grisly scene after a battle.
Confidence in the King’s Triumph
Verse eleven lists the final confidence of David. The psalm concludes with the completion of events for three groups: the king, his loyal subjects, and his rebellious enemies.
King Will Rejoice
David is not rejoicing over his enemies and in his victories over them, but he will rejoice in God who gives the victory. This joy is an event in the future. David has seen God in the past when worshiping Him in the sanctuary. He presently possesses God’s lovingkindness and protection. Now he anticipates future victory over his foes.
Loyal Subjects Will Glory
Swearing by Him could refer to an oath to God but more likely it is an oath of loyalty given to King David. The pagans swore by their gods, and the Jews called upon God as their witness. This finds approval in the Law of Moses (Deut. 6:13). At the beginning of David’s flight from Absalom, David’s loyal subjects promised David, “we are your servants, ready to do whatever my lord the king commands” (2 Sam. 15:15). The term “glory” means to boast. The loyal subjects do not glorify King David, but God in whom David had placed his total confidence.
Rebels Will Be Stopped
Part of the rebellion against David would have included the spreading of propaganda against David’s kingdom and kingship. One of David’s most trusted and wise advisors betrayed him. “Then someone told David, saying, ‘Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.’ And David said, ‘O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!’” (2 Sam. 15:31). In addition to him was a man of the house of Saul named Shimei (2 Sam. 16:6-7). David was returned to his throne and Absalom, Ahithophel, and Shemei were all silenced once and for all. But the mouth of David continued to joyfully praise God.
May all God’s loyal subjects overcome their foes with the help of the lovingkindness of God. “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Rev. 3:21).
– Daniel R. Vess