Psalm 63. Gleanings in the Psalms

Title: - “A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.” Even in Canaan though a fruitful land, and the people numerous, yet there were wildernesses … There are Psalms proper for a wilderness; and we have reason to thank God it is the wilderness of Judah we are in, not the wilderness of Sin.

Verse 1. “Oh God, thou art my God ...” While the atheist says, “No God,” and the heathen worship “gods many,” the true believer says, “O God, thou art my God.” He is so, 1. by Choice, 2. by Covenant, 3. by Confession.

Verse 1. “O God, … my soul thirsteth for thee …” 'Tis undoubtedly a greater mercy to have a spiritual appetite for the means of grace, and to be providentially debarred from enjoying them, than to have the opportunity without the appetite.

Verse 3. “Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.” Is it possible that any man should love another and not commend him, nor speak of him? If thou hast but a hawk or a hound that thou lovest, thou wilt commend it; and can it stand with love to Christ? You shall see the Spouse (Song of Solomon 5; 9 and 16) when she was asked what her beloved was above others, she sets him out in every part of him, and concludes with this, “He is altogether lovely.” “Because thy lovingkindness is better than life,” says David, “my lips shall praise thee,” and “I shall bless thee while I live.” I tell you it will be one main reason why you desire to live, that you may make the Lord Jesus known to your children, friends, acquaintances, that so in the ages to come His name might ring, and His memorial might be of sweet odour, from generation to generation. If before thy conversion, especially, thou hast poisoned others by thy vain and corrupt speeches, after thy conversion thou wilt seek to reason the hearts of others by a gracious, sweet, and wise communication of savoury and blessed speeches. What the Lord has taught thee, thou wilt take it unto others, for the sake of Him whom thou lovest.

“Ever full, but hungry ever,
What they have, they still desire.
Never suffer surfeit's loathing,
Nor yet famine's torment dire.
Hungry still, they eat, and eating,
Still the sacred food require.”

Verse 6. “While I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate ...” The “meditation” of anything hath more sweetness in it than bare remembrance. The memory is the chest to lay up a truth, but meditation is the palate to feed upon it. The memory is like the ark in which the manna was laid up; meditation is like Israel's eating of the manna. When David began to meditate upon God, it was sweet to him as marrow. There is as much difference between a truth remembered and a truth meditated upon, as between a cordial in the glass, and a cordial drunk down.

Verse 6. “… and meditate on thee in the night watches.” There were “night watches” kept in the Tabernacle for praising God – “Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord.” (Psalm 134 verse 1) — and it is probable that David, when he was at liberty, joined with the Levites in this. But now that he could not keep place with them, he kept time with them, and wished himself among them – “I will meditate on thee in the night watches.”

Verse 7. “Because thou has been my help …” God is the help of His people;

1. In duty. He helps His people here. There is nothing which God requires of His people, as to be done by them, but Himself helps them in the doing of it. He is not like the Egyptian task-masters, which require brick and give not straw wherewithal to make it.

2. In Conflict. He assists here also. As when the Israelite and Egyptian strove together, Moses came in and helped the Israelite, even so does God with us, when we are wrestling and struggling with Satan, who is our spiritual enemy. The Lord is nigh to help us, which may encourage us still in our resistance and opposition; we have a mighty second to stand for us and take up or quarrel.

3. In Affliction. God helps His people; namely, to bear patiently those crosses which He lays upon them. He takes part in their sufferings, and in all their afflictions, He Himself is afflicted.

GLEANINGS IN THE PSALMS

(Psalm 63)