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This psalm is either an individual lament or a song of trust (confidence) or both. David wrote this psalm during a dangerous time in his life, while he was in the Judean wilderness running from Absalom. He is away from Jerusalem, both his throne and the worship center. This song of faith is a window on David’s soul, a man after God’s own heart.
I. The believer’s desire for God (vs. 1–4)
A. David longs for the special presence of
God in corporate worship
B. The God of the Bible is David’s God
C. The believer earnestly seeks for God
based on an established relationship
1. When the Holy Spirit starts to
draw someone to Christ, they become an awakened sinner
2. God and committed believers are
the only “seekers” in the Bible
3. Those who are entertainment,
music, food, or fellowship seekers are idolater’s
4. The business model has the
“seeker” as the “consumer” or “customer” to be pleased
5. The Bible gives this place to God
alone
D. “Soul” here is a figure of speech,
using the part for the whole. David was longing for God
with body and soul, with his entire
personhood and all it aspects: mind, will, emotion
E. The believer longs for fellowship with
the LORD just like a man in the dessert longs for
water (simile). This is an all-consuming
desire. David is far from the tabernacle in the
wilderness of Judea. He is away from
the worshiping assembly, and it bother him
F. God’s glory and presence is as
necessary to David as water is in intense heat
G. God’s holiness, glory, and power were
revealed to David in the holy place
H. God’s covenant love (hesed) is better than even being alive
1. God is faithful to his covenant
promises
2. God promised to preserve David and
his dynasty through the coming Messiah
3. God’s love will sustain the
believer who is providentially hinder from worship
I. David’s devotion to God puts most of us
to shame
J. Body and soul joined together is the
time when a whole person can worship God
K. The Jewish way to hold the hands during
prayer
1. Don’t back read American religious
movements into the text
2. Don’t ignore the major world
religions influence on current American practices
L. David’s lips are full of praise to God,
his hands and mind are offering prayers to God
M. The name of the Lord, Yahweh, is David’s
basis for hope and trust in God’s rescue
II. The believer’s delight in God (vs. 5–8)
A. David praise for God is a response of
his faith in God, as well as his devotion and loyalty
B. Because God is sovereign and involved,
David is full of joy and thankfulness as if he was
being served a wonderful banquet
C. Prayer that acknowledges God’s
faithfulness to His promises will drift into praise for who
God is, His attributes and wonderful
grace to sinners (Confidence and faith)
D. David longs for the special presence
of God
1. He recalls God’s past
interventions in his life
2. He receives comfort for the
present by focusing on God’s past actions
E. The night had three four hour watches
and is a fearful time when you are hunted
F. God is close to His own children and
protects them under His wings
(metaphor for the close fellowship and
protection of God)
God also expects His children to draw
close to Him
G. The believer holds fast to God, clings,
cleaves to Him (Deut 10:20)
H. God is powerful and deliberate (right
hand) and faithfully keeps His promise of protection,
preservation, and salvation
I. The ones who have repented of their sins
and put their trust in the Messiah are the ones that
have this intimate relationship with God
III. The believer’s defense by
God (vs. 9–11)
A. God will protect His people through
the persecution
B. God will judge those who mistreat His
people
C. The divine Warrior will be victorious
over His enemies (Isa 10:3)
1. It is not wise to attack someone
who belongs to God
2. For God to keep His promises He
must punish those who fight against His own
1 Cor 3:16–17
D. Three metaphors for total destruction
1. Going down into the earth (being
buried in a mass grave after losing a battle)
2. Given over to the sword (to die
and loose the battle)
3. Food for jackals (packs of
dessert wolves will eat the corpses of the slain soldiers)
4. These are all curses of the
covenant (see Leviticus 26)
E. The believer will rejoice in God when He
judges the wicked
2 Thessalonians 1:4-10 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the
churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your
persecutions and afflictions which you endure.
5 This is a
plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered
worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. 6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with
affliction those who afflict you, 7
and to give relief to you who are
afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven
with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8
dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not
obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9
These will pay the penalty of everlasting destruction, away from the presence
of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be
glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have
believed—for our testimony to you was believed.
F. Divine vengeance and justice will
remove all sin from the believers presence
1. This is reason for great rejoicing
2. The king has been called by God to
serve and obey Him
G. The loyal subjects of Yahweh only swear
by His name (Deut 6:3, 10:20)
H. God’s justice will silence all slander
against His name and His people
Lessons to live by:
$ We should desire
God like a man at noon in the arid desert heat desires water—with all our
heart, strength, mind, body, soul
$ We should love
assembling for worship, Bible study, prayer, and edificational fellowship
$ Faith on fire,
devotion, loyalty, obedience, and trust will sustain us in difficulties as we
pray the promises of God and praise Him for His sovereignty and faithfulness
$ God will protect
His own and will punish sin on His timing. We should rejoice in His justice
rendered to the enemies of the cross
$ A close
relationship with the God of the Bible is very, very important
