Background
The superscription informs us David wrote this Psalm when he was in the Desert of Judah. Verse 11 hints that David was already King at that time. Thus the setting of this Psalm was probably during Absalom’s rebellion time, where David left Jerusalem to flee from Absalom.
Exposition
v1: David was in the wilderness of Judah, where food and water was scare. But David meant more then physical thirst and hunger; he was spiritually thirsty and hungry for God. When we are spiritually thirsty and hungry, we need to earnestly seek Jesus because Jesus told the Samaritan woman [“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”] (John 4:13-14). And then two chapters later, Jesus said [“I am the bread of life, He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”](John 6:35).
V2: Although David was not from the priesthood line, he was able to observe the power and glory of God in the tabernacle, the sanctuary of God (The template was not built yet).
V3: Christ’s love for us give us new life. So it is better then our own old life.
V4: David was in the wilderness when he wrote this Psalm. But being away from the sanctuary didn’t stop David from praising God! Are we praising God outside of church’s meetings?
V5: Praising God was David’s spiritual food. He was satisfied with being in the present of God. Do we have the desire to seek God as David did?
V6: When David couldn’t sleep, he praised God on his bed. What do we need when we couldn’t sleep?
V7: [in the shadow of Your wings]: it means the protection of God.
V9-10: [They who seek my life will be destroyed]: We know David didn’t revenge against Absalom. Instead he cried when Absalom die. David was probably referring to Ahithophel his counselor (2 Sam 15:12).
V11: Although David was still in the wilderness, being exiled from Jerusalem. He already rejoiced in God because he trust God will punish the wicker and restore his kingship.
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