A Meditation on Psalm 63
This verse is the closing note on the Psalm appointed for the Second Sunday of Epiphany this Sunday, Psalm 63, a Psalm traditionally attributed to David. Textual evidence suggests that the Psalm is set in the time following David’s anointing as King by Samuel, for the Psalmist is in hiding and acknowledges that he is also the true King of Israel. The tradition has then placed this Psalm on the lips of David, as he escapes the violent wrath of the lunatic-King Saul. Saul seeks to murder David in a futile attempt to cling to power that is no longer rightfully his, for Saul no longer has God’s anointing; so it is that David can still refer to himself as “the King” who “shall rejoice in God,” even as he runs like a fugitive. Given this traditional setting in history, it is a surprise to read much of the content of this Psalm. “O God, you are my God,” the Psalm begins, “Your loving kindness is better than life itself,” and “under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice” are several notable statements of praise that stand in tension with the fact that the Psalmist’s life is clearly in jeopardy. What accounts for the Psalmist’s praise of God in the midst of trial?
Following the logic of the Psalm itself in answer to this question, the Psalmist is capable of praising God while his life is threatened by a powerful mad-man because his focus is directed toward God in hopeful expectation of God’s deliverance. The Psalmist describes his very soul thirsting and hungering for God, as in a “barren and dry land where there is no water,” and being nourished “as with marrow and fatness” through praising God. The soul of the Psalmist “clings” to God, recalling God’s deliverance in the past, in joyful expectation of returning to God in His “holy place” the temple, in order to “behold” God’s “power and glory.” But to fully grasp the significance of this Psalm for us today, we must look beyond the Psalms setting in history towards the one who is the fulfillment of all Scripture, Jesus Christ.
It is Jesus Christ himself who fulfills all features of the description of the King in Psalm 63. He is the King who rejoices in God, of Him, it is true that all who swear by Him shall be commended, and He will stop every mouth that speaks lies. Jesus Christ is the King, indifferent to earthly powers, earthly kingdoms, and the means of acquiring and protecting those things; whose reign is grace and mercy for all people. Sent and anointed by His Father, Jesus Christ has made the way for all who swear by his name to receive anointing, blessing, and commendation from His Father just as He does. As the Truth personified, Jesus Christ stops every mouth that speaks lies, every manipulator of truth. He alone disables the cycles of distrust and paranoia, which are rooted in falsehood and mark too much of human existence. The most basic assumptions of what is true about Kingship and leadership are turned on their heads by the fact that this King Jesus’ earthly throne was a cross.
Fr. Matt