_David’s thirst for God.—His manner of blessing God.—His confidence of
his enemies’ destruction, and his own safety._
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
O God, thou _art_ my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth
for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where
no water is;
To see thy power and thy glory, so _as_ I have seen thee in the
sanctuary.
Because thy loving-kindness _is_ better than life, my lips shall
praise thee.
Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy
name.
My soul shall be satisfied as _with_ marrow and fatness; and my mouth
shall praise _thee_ with joyful lips:
When I remember thee upon my bed, _and_ meditate on thee in the
_night_ watches.
Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings
will I rejoice.
My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
But those _that_ seek my soul, to destroy _it_, shall go into the
lower parts of the earth.
They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.
But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him
shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.
This is a prayer containing the deep feelings of an afflicted heart,
thirsting after the word of God, which is the word of consolation!
David called thus upon God, when he fled from the face of Saul, and
lay hid in the wilderness of Judah. “My soul thirsteth for thee; my
flesh longeth for thee, that I may see thee in thy sanctuary.” O how
fervently does he desire to be present in the tabernacle, and before
the mercy-seat in the sanctuary! And to hear the word of God, in the
assembly of those who there truly worshipped him? He complains, also,
bitterly against the Saulites; who so hostilely lay in wait for his
life, that he could be in safety no where; and was compelled to be
away from the place of the worship of God; even away from the
sanctuary.—Notwithstanding all this, however, he raises himself up
with a holy firmness, and magnanimity, and glories in being king,
depending on the choice and promise of God; by which he comforts and
sustains himself during the time of that most miserable flight and
calamity.
This Psalm may be used by those who are under the oppression of
tyrants, who feel a hungering and thirsting after the word of God, and
who can, under their calamity, glory in being the sons and heirs of
God, because they have the knowledge of Christ, and love the word; and
who can persevere in this confidence, until the impious Saul be
destroyed, and David exalted; that is, until God raise up and comfort
those that fear him.