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Commentary on Psalms 63 verses 1–2
The title tells us when the psalm was penned, when David was in the wilderness of Judah; that is, in the forest of Hareth (Sa1 22:5) or in the wilderness of Ziph, Sa1 23:15. 1. Even in Canaan, though a fruitful land and the people numerous, yet there were wildernesses, places less fruitful and less inhabited than other places. It will be so in the world, in the church, but not in heaven; there it is all city, all paradise, and no desert ground; the wilderness there shall blossom as the rose. 2. The best and dearest of God's saints and servants may sometimes have their lot cast in a wilderness, which speaks them lonely and solitary, desolate and afflicted, wanting, wandering, and unsettled, and quite at a loss what to do with themselves. 3. All the straits and difficulties of a wilderness must not put us out of tune for sacred songs; but even then it is our duty and interest to keep up a cheerful communion with God. There are psalms proper for a wilderness, and we have reason to thank God that it is the wilderness of Judah we are in, not the wilderness of Sin.
David, in these verses, stirs up himself to take hold on God,
I. By a lively active faith: O God! thou art my God. Note, In all our addresses to God we must eye him as God, and our God, and this will be our comfort in a wilderness-state. We must acknowledge that God is, that we speak to one that really exists and is present with us, when we say, O God! which is a serious word; pity it should ever be used as a by-word. And we must own his authority over us and propriety in us, and our relation to him: "Thou art my God, mine by creation and therefore my rightful owner and ruler, mine by covenant and my own consent." We must speak it with the greatest pleasure to ourselves, and thankfulness to God, as those that are resolved to abide by it: O God! thou art my God.
II. By pious and devout affections, pursuant to the choice he had made of God and the covenant he had made with him.
1.He resolves to seek God, and his favour and grace: Thou art my God, and therefore I will seek thee; for should not a people seek unto their God? Isa 8:19. We must seek him; we must covet his favour as our chief good and consult his glory as our highest end; we must seek acquaintance with him by his word and seek mercy from him by prayer. We must seek him, (1.) Early, with the utmost care, as those that are afraid of missing him; we must begin our days with him, begin every day with him: Early will I seek thee. (2.) Earnestly: "My soul thirsteth for thee and my flesh longeth for thee (that is, my whole man is affected with this pursuit) here in a dry and thirsty land." Observe, [1.] His complaint in the want of God's favourable presence. He was in a dry and thirsty land; so he reckoned it, not so much because it was a wilderness as because it was at a distance from the ark, from the word and sacraments. This world is a weary land (so the word is); it is so to the worldly that have their portion in it - it will yield them no true satisfaction; it is so to the godly that have their passage through it - it is a valley of Baca; they can promise themselves little from it. [2.] His importunity for that presence of God: My soul thirsteth, longeth, for thee. His want quickened his desires, which were very intense; he thirsted as the hunted hart for the water-brooks; he would take up with nothing short of it. His desires were almost impatient; he longed, he languished, till he should be restored to the liberty of God's ordinances. Note, Gracious souls look down upon the world with a holy disdain and look up to God with a holy desire.
2.He longs to enjoy God. What is it that he does so passionately wish for? What is his petition and what is his request? It is this (Psa 63:2), To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. That is, (1.) "To see it here in this wilderness as I have seen it in the tabernacle, to see it in secret as I have seen it in the solemn assembly." Note, When we are deprived of the benefit of public ordinances we should desire and endeavour to keep up the same communion with God in our retirements that we have had in the great congregation. A closet may be turned into a little sanctuary. Ezekiel had the visions of the Almighty in Babylon, and John in the isle of Patmos. When we are alone we may have the Father with us, and that is enough. (2.) "To see it again in the sanctuary as I have formerly seen it there." He longs to be brought out of the wilderness, not that he might see his friends again and be restored to the pleasures and gaieties of the court, but that he might have access to the sanctuary, not to see the priests there, and the ceremony of the worship, but to see thy power and glory (that is, thy glorious power, or thy powerful glory, which is put for all God's attributes and perfections), "that I may increase in my acquaintance with them and have the agreeable impressions of them made upon my heart" - so to behold the glory of the Lord as to be changed into the same image, Co2 3:18. "That I may see thy power and glory," he does not say, as I have seen them, but "as I have seen thee." We cannot see the essence of God, but we see him in seeing by faith his attributes and perfections. These sights David here pleases himself with the remembrance of. Those were precious minutes which he spent in communion with God; he loved to think them over again; these he lamented the loss of, and longed to be restored to. Note, That which has been the delight and is the desire of gracious souls, in their attendance on solemn ordinances, is to see God and his power and glory in them.
"God, my God, unto You from the light I watch" [Psalm 63:1]. What is to watch? It is, not to sleep. What is to sleep? There is a sleep of the soul; there is a sleep of the body. Sleep of body we all ought to have: because if sleep of body is not taken, a man faints, the body itself faints. For our frail body cannot long sustain a soul watching and on the stretch on active works; if for a long time the soul shall have been intent on active pursuits, the body being frail and earthly holds her not, sustains her not for ever in activity, and faints and falls. Therefore God has granted sleep to the body, whereby are recruited the members of the body, in order that they may be able to sustain the soul watching. But of this let us take heed, namely, that our soul herself sleep not: for evil is the sleep of the soul. Good is the sleep of the body, whereby is recruited the health of the body. But the sleep of the soul is to forget her God. Whatsoever soul shall have forgotten her God, sleeps. Therefore the Apostle says to certain persons that forgot their God, and being as it were in sleep, did act the follies of the worship of idols— the Apostle, I say, says to certain persons, "Rise, you that sleepest, and rise up from the dead, and Christ shall enlighten you." [Ephesians 5:14] Was the Apostle waking up one sleeping in body? Nay, but he was waking a soul sleeping, inasmuch as he was waking her, in order that she might be lightened by Christ. Therefore as to these same watchings says this man, "God, my God, unto You from the light I watch." For you would not watch of yourself, unless there should arise your Light, to wake you from sleep. For Christ lightens souls, and makes them to watch: but if His light He takes away, they slumber. For for this cause to Him there is said in another psalm, "Lighten my eyes, that I may never slumber in death.". ..
Therefore God gave us a pattern of fasting in this deed, so that having a desert, as it were, at the time of fasting we may abstain from feasts, pleasure and women, and so that Eve may not be joined with us so as to subvert us from chaste observance by her alluring persuasion. For he who fasts and is chaste at the time of the 40-day fast seems somehow to dwell in the desert. Clearly, that certain desert is the body of a Christian when it is not filled with food or watered with drinks, but is neglected by the squalor of thirsty starvation. The desert, I say, is our body when the flesh begins to grow weaker by abstinence, when pallor is overcome by thirst, and the unadorned appearance of the whole human being becomes dirty by the contempt of material things. Then Christ the Lord dwells in the desert of our body, when he has discovered our land squalid in hunger and dry by thirst, just as that adage which the prophet David says, “Just like in a deserted land where there are neither roads nor water, so I appeared in your sanctuary.” For we are not able to appear to him in the sanctuary in any other way, unless the land of our body has been made desert from worldly delights and without the roads made by devilish desires and without the water from libidinous allurements. Then the Savior, dwelling in this desert of our body, conquers all the factions of the devil and makes our body his own dwelling, safe and secure from the thoughts of this age, so that we may be constituted in solitude within our very selves, as it were, and see nothing but heaven and earth. That is to say, we think about nothing other than the Lord of the heavenly kingdom and the author of the earthly resurrection.
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SUMMARY
Psalm 63:1 offers a profound and evocative expression of David's intense spiritual longing for God, penned during a period of extreme physical and emotional desolation. In this opening verse, the psalmist likens the soul's desperate need for the divine presence to the body's overwhelming thirst in a parched and waterless wilderness, establishing a powerful metaphor for the human condition's innate yearning for its Creator and the essential nature of God's presence for true life.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 63:1 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its profound message of spiritual longing. The most prominent is Metaphor, where the "dry and thirsty land, where no water is," serves as a powerful representation of David's spiritual and emotional desolation, as well as his physical predicament. This is closely linked to Simile, as the soul's desperate craving for God is explicitly likened to the body's intense physical thirst in such a barren environment. Parallelism is evident in the pairing of "my soul thirsteth for thee" and "my flesh longeth for thee." This Synonymous Parallelism reinforces and intensifies the idea that David's entire being—both his inner self and his physical body—is consumed by this profound yearning for God. Furthermore, the phrase "where no water is" functions as a form of Hyperbole, emphasizing the extreme and absolute nature of the desolation, thereby magnifying the urgency and depth of David's spiritual need and the indispensable nature of God's presence.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalm 63:1 articulates a fundamental theological truth: humanity's deepest longings and ultimate satisfaction are found exclusively in God. David's experience in the wilderness becomes a universal paradigm for the human soul, which, apart from its Creator, exists in a state of spiritual barrenness. This verse underscores God's nature as the sole source of true life, refreshment, and sustenance, challenging the human tendency to seek fulfillment in lesser things. It highlights the necessity of an active, earnest pursuit of God, especially in times of adversity, demonstrating that hardship can be a catalyst for profound spiritual deepening and a more desperate, authentic reliance on the Divine. The psalm's opening cry is a testament to the fact that our spiritual thirst is not a weakness but an innate design, pointing us to the only One who can truly satisfy. It reveals that the human heart is restless until it finds its rest in God.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
David's raw and honest expression of spiritual thirst in Psalm 63:1 offers a timeless model for believers navigating their own "wilderness" experiences. In a world that constantly promises satisfaction through material possessions, fleeting pleasures, or worldly achievements, this verse reorients our perspective, reminding us that our deepest, most profound needs are spiritual and can only be met by an intimate relationship with God. It challenges us to honestly assess the true source of our contentment and to recognize any spiritual dryness or desolation we may be experiencing. Like David, we are called to prioritize seeking God, not as a last resort in times of crisis, but as our first and most urgent pursuit, giving Him the best of our time and attention, particularly when circumstances are most challenging. This active, diligent seeking transforms our desolate seasons into opportunities for deeper communion, revealing God as our unfailing source of life and joy, even when all other resources fail and the world offers no comfort.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is David in the wilderness of Judah, and how does this impact the psalm's meaning?
Answer: The superscription indicates David was in the "wilderness of Judah," a literal arid and desolate region. This likely refers to a period when he was fleeing from King Saul's relentless pursuit (see 1 Samuel 23:14) or, less commonly, from his son Absalom's rebellion (as described in 2 Samuel 15:23). This physical context of extreme hardship, isolation, and vulnerability profoundly impacts the psalm's meaning. The "dry and thirsty land" becomes a powerful metaphor for David's spiritual and emotional state, highlighting his desperate need for God's presence and sustenance in a situation where all human resources were failing. It underscores that true satisfaction and security are found not in external circumstances but in God alone, emphasizing His sufficiency even in the most barren of environments.
What does "early will I seek thee" imply for our spiritual practice?
Answer: The phrase "early will I seek thee" (Hebrew: shachar) implies a diligent, earnest, and prioritized pursuit of God. It suggests making communion with God the very first activity of one's day, perhaps literally at dawn, symbolizing that seeking God is one's primary and most important endeavor. For our spiritual practice today, it means intentionally setting aside dedicated time for God, ideally at the beginning of the day, to pray, read Scripture, and meditate on His presence. It speaks to a proactive and fervent devotion, placing God first above all other demands and distractions, recognizing that our spiritual well-being and flourishing depend on this consistent and earnest seeking. It's an invitation to make God our first thought and our first pursuit.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalm 63:1, with its profound expression of spiritual thirst, finds its ultimate and glorious fulfillment in Jesus Christ. David's longing for God in a dry land foreshadows the universal human condition—a soul parched by sin and separation from its Creator, desperately needing living water. Jesus Himself declares, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink" (John 7:37). He is the true "living water" that satisfies eternally, as He told the Samaritan woman at the well, promising that whoever drinks of the water He gives "will never be thirsty again" (John 4:10-14). The blessedness promised to those who "hunger and thirst for righteousness" (Matthew 5:6) is realized in Christ, who not only embodies righteousness but also provides it freely to all who believe. Through His atoning work on the cross, the Holy Spirit, the very presence of God, is poured out into the hearts of believers, fulfilling the deepest longing for divine intimacy and communion (as promised in John 14:16-17). Thus, David's wilderness cry is answered in the person of Jesus, who is not merely a source of water but the very fountain of life, freely offered to all who come to Him (Revelation 21:6), ushering in an eternal satisfaction that transcends all earthly desolation.