Psalm 63
The introductory
words to this psalm, while not original, are generally accepted as accurate.
--The author of
the psalm was David, though another hand may have provided some minor editing
at a later date.
--The setting of
the writing, “in the wilderness of Judah ,”
could fit two periods of David’s life:
(1) His flight from the jealous Saul or (2) his flight from Jerusalem
I lean toward the
second interpretation that David was in flight from his son Absalom. Still, the specific background of the psalm
doesn’t have a major impact on its meaning.
*************
I hadn’t been a
pastor long before I discovered that many people were living in deeply divided
families. We had two deacons who were
brothers; they had a third brother who hadn’t seen or spoken to them in more
than a decade. Another man had a brother
who came back from WWII angry at his family for some reason; he left the area
and his brother had no idea if he was alive or dead. He had been gone for over forty years.
When families
divide, the pain runs deep. Despite his
undoubted commitment to God, David was a poor parent, inconsistent and
indifferent. Absalom, David’s son, was
arrogant and resentful, qualities which led him to murder and ultimately to
rebellion against his father. David had
to flee for his life.
Suddenly, life was
not what he wanted it to be. It was a
time of chaos and uncertainty. It may
have reminded him of his flight from the enraged King Saul many years
before. His very life was endangered
that time too.
We might not face
what David faced but all of us face times when life is not what we want it to
be. It may be when we look at the
headlines and realize there doesn’t seem to be anywhere that’s safe: Not the movie theater, not the hospital, not
the neighborhood McDonald’s.
Sometimes we face
challenges that are more personal. I’m
not talking about those times when we find ourselves thinking that we surely
ought to be driving a new Infinity, not a used Chevy. I’m talking of those days when our lives have
taken a radical turn:
o When
your husband or wife says, “I’ll always respect you, but I don’t love you
anymore; I’ve found someone else.”
o When
the boss says, “We have to trim the fat and, frankly, we can get by without
you. By the way, Merry Christmas.”
o When
the doctor says, “Something troubling showed up on one of your tests.”
You could create
your own scenario. We’ve all seen people
face times when life is far from what they wanted it to be. We’ve all feared those times when we should
face such a challenge.
Until you’re
there, it’s hard to know how you’ll face it.
We can all be thankful that when David faced such time, he wrote a song.
In this song David
reaffirms his commitment to God, "God, you are my God..." In a world of idolatry there were perceived
to be options for the erstwhile believer, faith could have been placed in other
gods than Yahweh. So, David makes clear
his commitment to the God of Israel.
His passion is put
in terms suggesting a powerful longing.
Deep within David's very being was a craving for a relationship with
God. Using language which a people
familiar with the desert would understand, he spoke of how, like a drought
plagued land, he thirsted for God.
He had gone from
the palace to sleeping rough. No doubt
he missed those creature comforts but what was most important? His relationship with God.
Across the
centuries David teaches a crucial truth:
When life is not all you wish, treasure your relationship with God. Why should that relationship be treasured?
In that relationship, you are encouraged by God’s faithfulness.
2-4
David’s
circumstances kept him from going to the tabernacle. Yet, his sense of God’s presence was so sure,
it was as if he was really bowing before God in that sanctuary. The experience of worship in the sanctuary
allowed him to imagine God's great power and glory. It’s clear that David's worship was more than
ritual or mere nominal participation in the rites of the Jewish religion; it
was a profound spiritual experience.
In this
experience, David recalled God's loving-kindness, manifested in steadfast
love. He had known God's presence in
hard times; he had known God's gracious forgiveness when he had failed; he had
known God's help when facing enemies. For
him, the experience of such "unfailing love" was better than life
itself. The language makes it clear that this is no mere abstract notion; David
had experienced that love.
Such "steadfast
love," involves both grace and faithfulness, picturing how God related to
his people. He showed them profound
love, a love which rescued them from their enemies and kept them from
destruction. God is devoted to his
people with a love which transcends their devotion to him.
When life isn’t
what you want it to be, remember God hasn’t abandoned you. In the good times and the bad, God is with
you.
That knowledge prompts us to praise God
wholeheartedly. It did for David, it
ought to do so for us.
David promises to worship and praise God
through all the chapters of his life’s story.
His hands would be raised to praise God openly and unashamedly. Uplifted
hands were an element of Jewish worship well into the New Testament
period.
David lifting his
hands may have symbolized two things.
First, he was giving-up: He was
saying,
“I’ve done all I can do. I need strength beyond my own.” Second, he was showing his openness to receive God’s blessing.
“I’ve done all I can do. I need strength beyond my own.” Second, he was showing his openness to receive God’s blessing.
You see, the knowledge of God’s faithfulness
allows David to call on God's name, bringing his needs to him in prayer. If our only incentive to prayer was how
worthy we are, we might as well forget it.
The best encouragement we have to pray is God’s record of goodness.
In that relationship, you find bountiful satisfaction.
5
Remember that
David was on the run. He was not
enjoying royal banquets. In fact, he was
probably on something of a subsistence diet, eating what could be found in the
desert of the rugged Negev . Like other hungry people, he may have
remembered some to the wonderful meals he had enjoyed in the better days back
in Jerusalem, either as the hero who had defeated Goliath or, later, as the
king. As he thought about it, he
realized that while he might be physically hungry, God was still there meeting
his spiritual needs.
David compares his
sense of spiritual satisfaction to that felt by someone who had enjoyed a
sumptuous feast. The reference to “fat
and rich food” isn’t intended to spell out a healthy diet but one which
included the finest culinary delicacies.
The Message captures some of the feeling behind the verse: “I eat my
fill of prime rib and gravy; I smack my lips. It’s time to shout praises!”
Like the diner who praised the cook who
prepared such a satisfying meal, David intends to praise God--joyfully sounding
out his Benefactor’s greatness.
When we Christians
sing we recall that bounty. Lina Sandell
was a sickly young woman. As a child she
was often too weak to go outside and play with neighbor children; instead, she
remained in her father’s study. In
1858, at the age of 26 she accompanied her father on a trip by sea from their
home to another city in Sweden
Though she was
devastated, Lina drew strength from her faith and her sense of God’s sustaining
presence. That faith was voiced in
several songs she wrote, including one which spoke of the same strength David
knew. It says, “Day by day, and with
each passing moment, strength I find to meet my trials here.”
In our
relationship with God, we find a source of strength which sustains us like a
daily banquet.
In that relationship, you have reassurance in troubled times.
6-8
When the trumpets are blaring and the choir
is singing, it’s easy to have faith. But
what about those times when we are alone, isolated from the trappings of
corporate worship, away from the community of faith? David’s faith was not tied to those times
when he could enjoy the benefits of public worship.
In the depth of the night, when the cries of
jackals filled the air, David meditated on God.
The reference to the night-watches recalls
the need to be alert and on guard during the night when the enemy might attack out
of the darkness. Even in the walled
cities, night-watchmen spent the night watching for the slightest hint of
movement which might suggest an assault.
Such sentries would be even more necessary in a desert encampment. Yet, instead of being filled with anxious
thoughts, David could reflect on the goodness of God.
He rejoices at
God's protection which he pictures as being "overshadowed by (God's)
wings." The image suggests a bird
(perhaps an eagle) placing its wings over its young to protect them. One writer says. "While wings suggest
swiftness or soaring strength, they also recall the protective parenting habits
of birds. The wings of God offer divine
protection...."
David is reminding generations to come that
when we feel our weakest and most vulnerable, God is there to protect and guard
us.
There is something
here we shouldn’t miss. The text seems
to imply that we have a responsibility in this situation. God upholds, we cling.
The word
translated as "clings" is the same as that used in Genesis 2:24 where marriage is pictured as a man
and woman clinging to each other. The
idea implies utter devotion and fidelity to God.
In that relationship, David senses that he
is upheld by God's right hand. In many
ancient cultures, including the Jewish culture, the right hand is seen as the
"strong" hand. Our help and
sustenance comes from God's right hand.
In that relationship, you have the best hope for the future.
9-11
At this point,
David musters the faith to look ahead to that time when right and justice will
prevail, when he will be restored.
This prompts him
to offer up a rather unsettling prayer. Simply
put, the psalmist is wishing his enemy dead.
In particular, he hopes they will be struck down by the sword and become
food for the scavengers. (10)
He does so without apology, without
blushing. In fact, he seems to assume
God would wholeheartedly approve of this dream.
His words are honest but disturbing.
It’s our custom on
Sunday and Wednesday evenings to ask for special prayer concerns. Sometimes, I
find myself imagining someone saying:
"My boss has really been giving me grief; would you pray that she
have a heart attack." That would
shock us, just as David’s prayer shocks us.
But keep some things in mind.
--Remember that the notion of praying for
our enemies would have been radically strange in David’s day. It may have been implied in the Law, but it
was never thoroughly demonstrated until the ministry of Jesus and later in the
lives of his followers.
--Remember that in
the David’s mind, opposition to the king was opposition to God. Last week I received a letter from an
obviously disturbed man. In it he
bitterly complained against other ministers whom he felt were against him (they
were “jealous,” he said).[1] In his mind, opposing him was opposing
God. Unless you’re the divinely
appointed ruler of a nation with a holy mission, you shouldn’t think that way.
--Remember that
some statements in the Bible are descriptive rather than prescriptive. The account accurately portrays what happens
but doesn't put it forward as recommended activity. So David's prayer is not necessarily provided
as a model of how we ought to pray even if it lets us see the king’s feelings.[2]
While we might not
pray as David prayed, we may sincerely pray that what is wrong might eventually
be made right. We may pray for pain to
be relieved and right to prevail.
David believed God
would restore him to the place God intended him to have. That victory will prompt him to rejoice in
God. At the same time, the people who
trust God and rely on him will join in the praise given to God. Any who had counseled despair and questioned
God's goodness and power, will be silenced, having been demonstrated to be
liars.
When David
envisioned the wrong being made right, when he pictured a future in which
justice prevailed, it involved being restored to his throne. While you and I may not have the same
expectation David had, we are encouraged to look ahead when God’s good will
work itself out in our lives. We look
ahead to that time when disappointment will be forgotten, when pain no longer keeps us
from sleep or wakes us in the morning.
David confidently
looked ahead to a restoration of the status quo. He held onto the promise God made that he
would be the founder of a never-ending dynasty.
For David, this was an appropriate dream.
But, we
Christians, like everyone else, must beware of “magical thinking.” It’s a real threat when our lives take a real
turn toward the bad. At a time like
that, we need to be careful about yearning for a restoration of the status
quo. What might have been appropriate
for David might not be appropriate for us.
Sometimes you just
can’t expect things to go back to the way they were.
You’ll only
frustrate yourself if you bank on the return of that spouse who has established
a new home with another.
You’ll probably
only stall your progress toward starting over if you wait for your old boss to
admit you’re indispensable and ask you back to work..
But it’s fully
appropriate for you to trust God for that better future he promises.
Conclusion
When life shakes
us up, we’re inclined to begin to weigh and balance what is important.
May we learn what
David learned in the desert, that when life is not all we might wish, we should
treasure our relationship with God.
[1] He was also disappointed that SBC executive
committee president Frank Page didn’t give him a radio program.
[2] It
may also be helpful to remember that when David did have an opportunity to kill
Saul, he didn't. And he sincerely hoped
that somehow the rebellious Absalom would live and reconciliation would take
place.
