One of the more famous pastors of the last century was a guy by the name of A.W. Tozer. He was more famous for his books, than his sermons, probably. But one of his books was called "The Root of the Righteous." In the first chapter of this book, Tozer talks about spiritual giants. We've all known people who were spiritual giants, whose life seems to revolve around God, and who carry this fire with them for God, wherever they go. These are the giants who steer entire churches in the right direction. Who often have huge ministries, and accomplish great things for God. These are the people who, more often than not, you can feel the Holy Spirit radiating off of, when you get close to them.
In the first chapter of this book, Tozer talks about how what we see of those people's lives, is like a strong, healthy tree. With spiritual giants, we see the strength of the branches, and the fruit, but we don't understand, and we don't see, everything that happens below the surface, that led to that. We don't see the roots. The thing about spiritual giants, is that they don't talk about themselves. If they do, they do so at great risk to themselves, actually. No one wants to brag. No one wants to hear a bragger. If you were to publicly confess before all of us that you don't pray to God very often, or have much of a relationship with God, or spend much time in the Bible, we'd probably nod our heads sympathetically, and say, "We've all been there. I relate to that." We'd find your words reassuring. We'd take comfort in knowing someone else lives in a place of spiritual poverty. But if you were to tell us that you spend hours a day chewing on the Bible, and fellowshipping with God, and that your life revolves around God, some of you might find, to your great surprise, that you're bothered and annoyed by that person. Are they proud? Are they boasting about themselves? Do they think they're hot stuff? Do they think there's better than you? It's safer to talk about yourself when you're doing poorly, than when you're doing well. And with spiritual giants, who are doing great, it's easier to just not talk about yourself.
And so, at the end of the day, returning to Tozer's point, when it comes to spiritual giants, you only see the fruit, and not the roots.
The beautiful thing about this psalm-- or at least, one of the beautiful things about it-- is what David reveals about his own relationship with God. He's talking to God-- singing to God, really-- but in doing this, he pulls back the curtain on his own life, and we get to see his heart. Or, to use Tozer's imagery, we get to see below the surface, and see what makes David a spiritual giant.
A psalm of/for David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
(1) God (Elohim), my God (El), you [are];
I will earnestly seek/look for you.
Every day, each one of us makes two critical decisions about how we will live. Today, who, or what, will we choose to be our God/god? And today, who, or what, will we seek?
Today, will I choose to seek, and worship, and serve, the Creator God? Will I seek God, and his kingdom, and his righteousness? Or will I take a different path?
David understands this choice. And David has made his choice. He sings to God, that God, is his God. And David will seek after God.
Now, what does that mean, to seek God? To look for God?
If you earnestly God, He won't hide from you. He doesn't stay far away. But God comes close, to those who chase Him. All day long, even as David lives his life, David looks for God. He seeks God, in the middle of everything else he does.
It thirsts for you-- my "soul"/inner being;
It longs for you-- my flesh,
in a land of drought, and weariness (Dt. 25:18; 2 Samuel 17:29), without water.
This song is one that David wrote in a harsh, unforgiving environment. He's short on food, and water, and rest. I know for myself, when I'm in those situations, and feeling maxed out, that life has a way of becoming very simple, and very focused on myself. You do what you have to do, to get through the hard times. You practice self-care, because you can feel yourself falling apart.
David writes this song when life is hard. But the thing he wants most, isn't a cold glass of water, or a good meal, or a place to slow down, and rest, and recover. What he wants most, is God. He thirsts for God more than water. He longs for God, more than a good meal. God, and chasing God, is the thing that consumes him.
Verse 2:
(2) For this reason, in the sanctuary, I gazed at you,
seeing your power and your glory.
In the OT, there were places where God made himself more available to his people. Places where He put his Name, his glory. Places where He let himself be found, more easily. In verse 2, David looks back on a time in his life when he took advantage of that opportunity. And in that place, God met him in some way. David saw God, in some way. Whether that means a glory cloud, or whether Jesus showed up, or something else, I don't know. But David saw something. And whatever it was that David saw, revealed God's power and God's glory.
There have times in worship, in church, where I've felt like if my spiritual sight was just a little better, I'd be able to see God in some form or another. I've looked around during worship, trying to see a glory cloud. On one of those Sundays, a little kid talked afterwards about seeing flames of fire on the platform the musicians were worshipping on, and I just had to smile and laugh about it. Like, I knew God was there in some special way. I sensed his power, and his glory, and presence. But in what's perhaps the least surprising part of that morning, God most fully revealed himself to a child, and not to the adults in the room.
Whenever God reveals himself to people, they are always seemingly struck by God's power, and his glory.
My guess is that many of you have had moments in your life, where you can look back on them, as being critical moments in your spiritual life with God. God met you, in one way or another. Some Christians might poo-poo those experiences, and tell you not to trust them, or make a big deal about them. But those encounters with God become an anchor that gives stability and direction to the rest of your life (Genesis 12; 17; 32). When life is hard, you can look back on them, and remember God's power, and glory, and love. Your shared history with God is something to be remembered, and leaned on. It's not something to be forgotten.
Verse 3:
(3) Surely, better [is] your loyalty than life;
My lips will extol/laud you.
(4) For this reason, I will praise you during my life;
To your name I will lift up my hands.
Life is a fragile thing. People die unexpectedly, sometimes tragically. Life is dangerous, and you never know how many days you have left. You try to protect your life, and live carefully, because this life you have is valuable, and you want to appreciate it, and use it well. But David knows there's something better than this life-- God's loyalty. English Bibles sometimes translate this as "lovingkindness," or something else, but the word really just means "loyalty."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The clearest/simplest way to see this is by looking at the adjectival form, when it's used as a noun. "Loyal ones," not "lovingkindness ones; Psalm 86:2; Micah 7:2; Psalm 31:24]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The most valuable thing you can have in life, is God's radical commitment to you. To have God focused on you, and helping you, and watching over you. To know that God cares for you, in very practical ways. Hopefully, we all value our lives, even when life is hard. We all work to make sure we have food, and water, and a place to rest. But when God's committed to you, all of that isn't just up to you. God will provide to those who seek Him. And knowing that, puts a different spin on all of life. Why give in to stress, and anxiety, and fear? Why chase other gods, or lift your hands in prayer or praise to anyone else? The God we serve is loyal. So when you're spending time with God, and thinking about God, and reflecting on who He is, God's loyalty is something that should be on your lips.
Verse 5:
(5) As with fat and choice produce, my "soul"/inner being will be satisfied,
while [with] lips of joyful songs, my mouth will praise.
We've all had moments in life, where we've sat down for a fabulous meal with friends and loved ones, and what we ate was truly, perfection. You ate just the right amount of food-- you stopped eating, at just the right time. You push back from the table, and you just feel incredibly satisfied. Can you picture that? That's what David is talking about here. David knows that "fats" are satisfying-- and I should perhaps say, these are good fats. Animal fats, not fats created in a very unnatural way from seed oils. When you eat beef, perfectly prepared, your inner being is satisfied. Pasta doesn't satisfy. Chicken doesn't satisfy. Donuts don't satisfy. Beef satisfies. Amen?
So when you eat beef, David says that your "soul," or "inner being," is satisfied. That Hebrew word there, nephesh, whenever I see it, I just kind of pause and think about it-- partly because I have a friend that's spent a lot of time thinking about the nature of humans, and the human body. What is a nephesh? A soul? Sometimes, it means something like, "the entirety of who you are, both the physical part, and the not-physical part." Your "soul" is the part of you that feels great, after eating the perfect meal.
David says, "The way I feel after eating the perfect steak-- that sense of satisfaction, and contentment-- is how I will feel going through all of life, because of God. You will go through life feeling satisfied, because of this constant focus on God. When you wake up every day seeking God, when you constantly find yourself thinking about God all day long, praising him, praying to him, thinking about his word-- life becomes something lived in a place of total satisfaction.
Verse 6:
(6) When I recall/remember you upon my bed in the night watches, I meditate/think about you.
Earlier, I talked about how the most natural place on earth to seek God's face, and presence, is at his sanctuary. But there's another place that's probably a tie for that-- the night. There's something about the last 20 or 30 minutes of the day, where you find yourself in a quiet place, in the dark, that lends itself to thoughts about God. I'm sure you could focus on other things at night-- all the things you did or didn't get done. The things you have to get done tomorrow. Why your sports team won or lost. But for spiritual giants, their thoughts naturally turn to God at night. They find themselves remembering God, and then they build off that. A single thought of God, becomes something that's intentionally focused on. So David meditates about God, I'm guessing until he falls asleep. God is your first thought in the morning. And He's your last thought at night.
With this, we come to verses 7-11. Up to this point, it's felt like kind of an unusual song, at least to me. Does David have some type of specific prayer request he's building up to? Is this just the type of song/prayer he composes, as he lives his radically God-focused life? Sometimes, when we talk with God, it's simply just to talk, and listen. We see in these verses that David writes this song while life is hard. There are people who are out to get him-- to ruin him, to kill him even. David doesn't actually even ask God to help him. He simply talks to God about this situation, comparing what his enemies are trying to do to him, to what God does for him. As I read these verses, just focus on that contrast: God is helping, and his enemies are attacking. How will this end for him, and for his enemies?
(7) Because you have been a helper to me, in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
(8) It clings-- my "soul"/inner being-- to you.
Me, your right hand holds up,
(9) while they, for ruin/disaster/trouble they seek my "soul"/inner being/life?.
They will go to the depths of the earth.
(10) They will be given over to the hands of the sword.
Food/a portion for jackals, they will be,
(11) while the king will rejoice in God.
He will boast-- each one swearing an oath by/in/to Him--
because the mouths of the ones speaking lies will be silenced.
In some ways, David's life right now is not good. There are people who are actively seeking to kill him. In verse 9, they seek his "soul," which here means something like "life." They seek to bring to ruin the entirety of who David is. David isn't at all concerned though. In this psalm, David has total confidence that God will continue to be his helper. God's strong right hand holds David up. In contrast, the hands of a sword will kill his enemies. His enemies will fall, and become food for jackals. Those of you who have dogs kind of portion out into a bowl what your dog gets, right? There's a dog dish? David is confident that his enemies will be portioned out, to become dog food, basically.
Now, when we compare this psalm to some of the other psalms, we see that David, and the other psalmists, don't always have this total, quiet confidence about how things will turn out. Sometimes, when your enemies are attacking, there are big, loud, persistent cries to God to help. There's nothing wrong with calling out to God to help, to ask him to see your situation, to see your enemies, and to rise up and help. I don't want anyone to walk away with the wrong idea today. And it's possible to read this psalm as a low-key way of David asking God for help. Sometimes, when we praise God for his loyalty, and being our helper, and protector, it's a low-key way of asking God to be faithful to his character. It's like when we are sick, and we praise God for being the One who Heals all our sicknesses (Psalm 103:3). Am I asking God to heal me? Not directly. But the Bible, and God's character, create this pull on God. If I'm sick, and I praise God for his loyalty, and for being a promise-keeper, and for healing all my diseases, what should happen next?
God heals me, right?
If there's someone out to get me, unfairly, in my neighborhood, or at work, I can praise God. God, I thank you that you are my helper. You are loyal. I cling to you. I rest in your protection. And on a good day, that's all I need to say. I can say more. I can cry out to God, and that's not wrong. That doesn't show a lack of faith. But on a good day, that's all I need to say. Praising God for his character, and his promises, can be a low-key way of asking for help, and it's a low-key way of letting God know you are waiting for his help.
At this point, let's reread verse 11:
(11) while the king will rejoice in God.
He will boast-- each one swearing an oath by/in/to Him-- [Lev. 19:12; Deut. 6:13; 10:20; Josh. 2:12; 9:19; Isaiah 48:1; Jeremiah 4:2]
because the mouths of the ones speaking lies will be silenced.
In verse 11, David ends his song/prayer by making a bold claim to everyone. David says, everyone who swears an oath in/to God's name, at the end of the day, will boast.
In the OT, whenever you'd make a solemn, serious, binding promise to someone, you'd do so by swearing to a God/god. The question was always, which God/god would you swear by? Would you swear by Yahweh, your God? Or would you swear by the name of some other god?
What God commands, in the OT, is for his people to make their oaths in his name, calling on Him to be the witness, and guaranteer, of that oath. So you'd so, "As God lives, I will do this or that for you" (Joshua 2:12; 9:19). If you were a faithful member of God's people, you would make an oath in the name of Yahweh. "I swear to Yahweh, that I will do this for you." And when I make that oath in Yahweh's name, I'm inviting God into this moment, and asking God to bring terrible harm to me if I back out from my promise. So when I swear to you in the name of Yahweh, you can trust me, because you know I take my relationship with God seriously, and God takes promise-keeping seriously. God isn't okay with me using his name in an oath in an empty way (and that's what "taking God's name in vain" means-- using God's name in an "empty" way). God will bring judgment on me, if I do that. So if I make an oath in Yahweh's name, I have to be truthful (Isaiah 48:1), and trustworthy.
What does all of this have to do with the psalm?
There are situations where there are three different groups, or persons, involved. There's you, who is truthful, and honest. There's an enemy, who is lying, and trying to be deceitful. And there's a third person, or third party, who doesn't quite know who to believe. It's a he-said she-said kind of moment. Someone is very obviously lying. Someone is probably telling the truth. But it's hard to know who to believe. And there are times when that third person can bring great harm to you, if they think you're the liar. If it's your boss, they can fire you. If it's the legal system, you can be thrown in jail.
David says, each person who is truthful, and honest, and who swears to that truth in the name of Yahweh will one day be proven to be right (=vindicated). That person will boast. And the one who lies-- that person will be silenced.
Being a truthful, honest, trustworthy people is a scary thing. It feels like you don't always know if being honest will work out for you. A believable lie is sometimes easier than the awkward, painful truth. But if you decide that you will be honest, and that you will keep your promises, things will turn out okay. We might want to qualify that, and frown at that, but that's what David says.
So that's the psalm of a spiritual giant. We might go through life in a very different place-- caught in sin, distracted by our phones or TV. We might meditate on the futility of the Vikings, and whether it's actually that hard to be a successful quarterback in the NFL. Perhaps we're focused on money, or pleasure.
But the spiritual giants? Whether it's the crack of dawn, or late at night, they find themselves constantly seeking God, thinking about God, and reflecting on God's character. They lean hard on God's loyalty, and stake their entire lives on that. Will it work out for them? Or will it end in humiliation, and disaster? In the moment, the outcome isn't always obvious. But God is a fabulous helper. He's radically committed to his people. Lean hard enough on an idol, and it'll tip over. But you can't lean too hard on our God.
Translation:
A psalm of/for David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
(1) God (Elohim), my God (El), you [are];
I will earnestly seek/look for you.
It thirsts for you-- my "soul"/inner being;
It longs for you-- my flesh,
in a land of drought, and weariness (Dt. 25:18; 2 Samuel 17:29), without water.
(2) For this reason, in the sanctuary, I gazed at you,
seeing your power and your glory.
(3) Surely, better [is] your loyalty than life;
My lips will extol/laud you.
(4) For this reason, I will praise you during my life;
To your name I will lift up my hands.
(5) As with fat and choice produce, my "soul"/inner being will be satisfied,
while [with] lips of joyful songs, my mouth will praise.
(6) When I recall/remember you upon my bed in the night watches, I meditate/think about you.
(7) Surely/because you have been a helper to me,
while in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
(8) It clings-- my "soul"/inner being-- to you.
Me, your right hand holds up,
(9) while they, for ruin/disaster/trouble they seek my "soul"/inner being/life?.
They will go to the depths of the earth.
(10) They will be given over to the hands of the sword.
The food/portion of jackals, they will be,
(11) while the king will rejoice in God.
He will boast-- each one swearing an oath by/in/to Him--
because the mouths of the ones speaking lies will be silenced.
