Psalm 62 — 63
sanctuary or priestly ministry, David reached out by faith and received new strength from the Lord. Note the progressive experiences he had as he sought for the Lord's guidance and help at a difficult time in his life.
the realization that God was his fortress, the greater the calmness in his heart. He was not depending on himself or his own resources but on the Lord God Almighty. His throne, his reputation, and his very life depended only on the faithfulness of the Lord. In verse 8, David exhorted the people with him to see God as their refuge, to trust Him always, and to pour out their hearts in prayer (42:4; 142:2). David depended on the prayers of others and, like Paul, wasn't afraid to say, "Pray for us" (1 Thess. 5:25; 2 Thess. 3:1). Times of waiting can be difficult if we don't depend wholly on the Lord. God's delays are not God's denials, but our impatience can be used by the devil to lead us on dangerous and destructive detours.
Desiring God (vv. 1–2) To be able to say "my God" by faith transformed David's wilderness experience into a worship experience. There in the desert, he was hungry and thirsty, but his deepest desires were spiritual, not physical. With his whole being, body and soul, he yearned for God's satisfying presence (v. 5; 42:1–2). Just as we have physical senses that are satisfied by God's creation, so we have spiritual senses (Heb. 5:14) that can be satisfied only by Christ. He is the bread of life (John 6), and He gives us the water of life by His Spirit (John 4:1–14; 7:37–39; Rev. 22:17). Those who hunger and thirst for spiritual food and drink shall be filled (Matt. 5:6). David could say with Jesus, "I have food to eat of which you do not know" (John 4:32 nkjv).
God Alone Rewards Us (vv. 9–12) When David looked to the Lord, he saw himself as a weak tottering fence and wall (v. 3). Now, when he looked at the enemy, he saw them as—nothing! No matter how high socially or how powerful economically, all men are but vanity ("a breath"—102:3; James 4:14; Job 7:7). Put them on the scales and nothing will register, because they weigh nothing (Job 6:2; Isa. 40:15; Dan. 5:27). David's enemies had acquired their power and wealth by oppressing and abusing others, and David warned his own people not to adopt their philosophy of life. How tragic when God's people today put their trust in their wealth, positions, and human abilities and not in the God who alone can give blessing.
How did David acquire this wonderful spiritual appetite? By worshipping God at the sanctuary (v. 2; see 27:4; 84:1–2). He had erected the tent on Mount Zion and returned the ark to its rightful place, and he had found great delight in going there and contemplating God (36:8–9; 46:4). Because he didn't belong to the tribe of Levi, David couldn't enter the sanctuary proper, but from his study of the Books of Moses, he knew the design and the assigned rituals, and he understood their deeper meaning. 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!
The phrase "once … twice" in verse 11 is a Hebrew way of saying "many times, repeatedly" (Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; Job 33:14). David had often heard these words, and the lesson they carried was written on his heart: God is powerful and God is merciful. God's strength and lovingkindness are sufficient for every crisis of life, for we are in the hands of a God whose omnipotent love can never fail. "Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord, for his mercies are great" (2 Sam. 24:14). God did vindicate David and give him his throne, and he reigned with great distinction. No matter what people may say about us or do to us, God keeps the books and one day will give sinners and saints the rewards they deserve. "And each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor" (2 Cor. 3:8).
Praising God (vv. 3–5) David didn't depend on the tabernacle or its furnishings—in fact, he sent the ark back to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 15:24–29)—but on the living God whose character and works were declared in those furnishings. Unlike the superstitious people of Judah in Jeremiah's day (Jer. 3:16; 7:1–16), David looked beyond material objects and saw spiritual realities. He had no priest or altar there, but he could lift his hands like the priests and bless the Lord and His people (Num. 6:22–27). His uplifted hands, though holding no sacrifice, signified his prayers and the love of his uplifted heart (see 28:2; 141:2; 1 Tim. 2:8). By faith he was under the wings of the cherubim in the Holy of Holies, protected from his foes (v. 7; 36:7). There in the wilderness, he had no sacrificial meal to enjoy, but his soul feasted on spiritual delicacies that even the priests were not permitted to eat (v. 5; Lev. 3:16–17). "Marrow and fatness" typify the very finest of food (81:16; 147:14; Deut. 32:14; Isa. 25:6). Instead of complaining, as we are prone to do when things go wrong, David sang praises to the Lord.