Psalm 63
The superscription informs us that David was in "the wilderness of Judah" when he wrote this psalm, suggesting that it was probably during Absalom's rebellion (2 Sam. 15:23). However, he didn't look back in regret at the mistakes he had made as a father, nor did he look around in fear or complaint at the discomforts and dangers of the wilderness. Instead, he looked up to the Lord and reaffirmed his faith and love. In an hour when David might have been discouraged, he was excited about God, and in a place where there was no
Psalm 63—64
Remembering God (vv. 6–8) David's heart was at peace, and he was able to go to bed and calmly worship the Lord and meditate on Him (3:5–6; 42:8). The phrase "earnestly seek" in verse 1 can mean "early will I seek," so we see David at both morning and evening. The phrase "remember God" means to recall what He has said and done in the past and apply it to our present situation (42:6; 77:1–11; 105:1–5; 119:55). It was because Israel forgot what God did that they rebelled and disobeyed Him (78:40–43; 106:6ff.). Our God is I AM, not "I was," and He must always be recognized in our present situation. The Jews had three night watches, from sunset to ten o'clock, from ten to two o'clock, and from two to sunrise, so whenever David awakened during the night, he immediately remembered the Lord. (Or it could mean he was awake all night, but not tossing and turning.) His bed was under the wings of the cherubim, and he felt secure as he meditated on the Lord (16:7; 119:148; Deut. 6:4–9). But David wasn't passive in his devotion, for he continued to cling to the Lord and rest in the safety of His right hand (17:7; 18:35; 41:12). Faith without works is dead. Believers are safe in the hands of the Father and the Son (John 10:27–29), but that doesn't give us license to do foolish things that would endanger us. "My soul cleaves after you" is a literal translation of verse 8, including both submissive faith in God and active pursuit of God. Jesus described this experience in John 14:21–27.
anointed king, David had no authority to oppose Saul, and eventually he had to flee and hide in the wilderness. People give us all kinds of trouble, but our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against Satan and his hosts (Eph. 6:10ff.). This psalm instructs us what to do in the battles of life.
Seek the Lord's Protection (vv. 1–2) Frequently David addressed the Lord by saying, "Hear my voice" or "Hear me when I call," not because God wasn't paying attention but because David was in earnest (4:1; 5:3; 27:7; 28:2; 39:12; 54:2; 55:17; 61:1; 64:1; 140:6; 143:1). The word translated "prayer" (v. 1 kjv) also means "complaint" or "trouble" (see 142:2). David didn't ask God to change the circumstances but to fortify his own heart and deliver him from fear. The fear of the Lord mobilizes us, but the fear of man paralyzes us. As a young courtier, loved by the people but envied and hated by the king, David face two problems: the secret conspiracy of Saul and his officers, and the open "tumult" (v. 2 nasb) of those who wanted to please Saul by oppressing David. "Insurrection" in verse 2 (kjv) doesn't suggest Absalom's rebellion, but rather what is described in 2:1–2 and 31:13. Lies about David were being passed from person to person, and David knew he wasn't safe in Saul's court. Both his life and his reputation were being attacked, and only the Lord could rescue him.
Ask for the Lord's Wisdom (vv. 3–6) David knew exactly what the enemy was saying and doing, and we need to know the strategy of Satan when he attacks us (2 Cor. 2:11). As a lion, he comes to devour (1 Peter 5:8), and as a serpent, he comes to deceive (2 Cor. 11:1–4), and one of his chief weapons is accusation (Rev. 12:10; Zech. 3). David compared his enemies' tongues to swords (55:21; 57:4; 59:7) and their words to poisoned arrows (57:4; Prov. 25:18; 26:18–19; Jer. 9:8). But they also set traps for him, confident that nobody knew what they were doing, not even the Lord (10:11, 13; 12:4; 59:7). (For some of Saul's traps and how the Lord frustrated them, see 1 Sam. 18—19.) David knew that the human heart is "deep" ("cunning," niv; see Jer. 17:9) and that there are always new dangers to avoid, so he constantly sought the Lord's wisdom as he made decisions. James 1:5 is a great promise to claim!
Rejoicing in God (vv. 9–11) Some people criticize David for wanting his enemies destroyed and their bodies left for the scavengers to devour. But they should remember that these rebels were the enemies of God and God's purposes for Israel, and that those purposes included the coming of Messiah into the world. (See Ps. 55.) David didn't execute the enemy himself but asked God to deal with them, and He did (2 Sam. 18:6–8). David only wanted the God of truth to triumph over the liars (31:5; 40:11; 43:3; 45:4). David didn't rejoice in the destruction of his enemies; he rejoiced in the God of Israel. Furthermore, he encouraged all the people to praise God with him. Often David's personal praise became communal praise as he publicly glorified the Lord for His mercies, and so it should be with us today.
Trust the Lord for Victory (vv. 7–8) By depending on the Lord and obeying His directions, David was confident that God would defeat his enemies. "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might" (Eph. 6:10). David's enemies shot arrows at him suddenly (vv. 3–4), so the Lord suddenly shot arrows at them (v. 7). They tried to trip him and trap him (v. 5), so the Lord caused David's enemies to stumble and fall (v. 8 AMP). God would use their own sword-like tongues to fight against them, and they would end up in shame and disgrace (v. 8). The very