A Desire For God
Psalm 73:25 (NASB95)
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
I. Its Need
A. The universal experience: Losing the excitement of falling in love.
Revelation 2:1-5 (NASB95)
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;
3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.
4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
5 ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.
B. Going back to the time when you first fell in love
Give an illustration of when you first fell in love with your spouse.
II. Its Nature
A. Thirst- 6864 עָרַג (arag): v.; = Str 6165; TWOT 1691—LN 25.12-25.32 (qal) desire, long for, i.e., to have a strong wish or yearning pant for someone or situation as a figurative extension of the panting of an animal which is overheated or dehydrated (Ps 42:2(2×)[EB 1(2×)]; Joel 1:20+)James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
Psalm 42:1-2 (NASB95)
1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?
Psalm 63:1-3 (NASB95)
1 O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.
3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You.
Psalm 143:6 (NASB95)
6 I stretch out my hands to You; My soul longs for You, as a parched land.Selah.
SATISFIED
Clara Tear Williams, 1858–1937
All my life long I had panted for a draught, from some clear spring, that I hoped would quench the burning of the thirst I felt within.
Feeding on the husks around me, till my strength was almost gone, longed my soul for something better, only still to hunger on.
Poor I was, and sought for riches, something that would satisfy, but the dust I gathered round me only mocked my soul’s sad cry.
Well of water, ever springing, bread of life so rich and free, untold wealth that never faileth, my Redeemer is to me.
Chorus: Hallelujah! I have found Him whom my soul so long has craved! Jesus satisfies my longings—Thru His blood I now am saved.
Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions, Includes Indexes. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications, 1990).
B. Hope (Waiting on God in hope) 7747 I. קָוָה (qawah): v.; = Str 6960; TWOT 1994, 1995—1. LN 25.59-25.64 (qal) hope in (Ps 25:3; 37:9; 69:7[EB 6]; Isa 40:31; 49:23; La 3:25+); (piel) hope for, wait for, look for, i.e., look forward with confidence to that which is good and beneficial, often with a focus of anticipation in a future event. James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
Isaiah 8:17 (NASB95)
17 And I will wait for the Lord who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him.
Isaiah 40:31 (NASB95)
31 Yet those who wait (hope) for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.
C. Seeking 1335 בָּקַשׁ (baqash): v.; = Str 1245; TWOT 276—1. LN 27.34-27.47 (piel) seek, search, look for, i.e., try to learn information about an object, implying a diligence in the procurement of the information (1Sa 9:3); (pual) be sought, be investigated, be searched (Est 2:23; Jer 50:20; Eze 26:21+);James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
Psalm 27:8 (NASB95)
8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
Psalm 105:4 (NASB95)
4 Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually.
Seeking the face of God:
(1.) The true nature of religious worship; it is seeking the face of God.
"He would have us seek him for himself, and make his favour our chief good." Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996, c1991).
Psalm 4:6-7 (NASB95)
6 Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?” Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord!
7 You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound.
(2.) The kind of invitation of a gracious God to this duty: Thou saidst, Seek you my face; it is not only permission, but a precept.
"His commanding us to seek implies a promise of finding." Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996, c1991).
1 Chronicles 22:19 (NASB95)
19 “Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God;
Jeremiah 29:13 (NASB95)
13 ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Finding brings Rejoicing and Gladness
Psalm 40:16 (NASB95)
16 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!”
(3.) The ready compliance of a gracious soul with this invitation. The call is immediately returned:
My heart answered, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
D. Delight- ḥāpēṣ occurs only in the Qal stem, and it means “to experience emotional delight.” This delight may be felt by men or by God. Men are said to experience it in respect to women.R. Laird Harris, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999, c1980).
Psalm 37:4 (NASB95)
4 Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 40:8 (NASB95)
8 I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.”
Psalm 73:25 (NASB95)
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
