Psalms 63:4-7 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

His Refreshed Vision Of God Has Restored His Heartfelt Spiritual Satisfaction, Has Enhanced His Praise Towards God And Has Reminded Him That It Is God Who Is His Refuge (Psalms 63:4-7).

And so wherever he is, whether in the Sanctuary, or in the wilderness cut off from the Sanctuary, he can bless God and find deep inner satisfaction, and know that he shelters under God's wings.

Psalms 63:4-5

‘So will I bless you while I live,

I will lift up my hands in your name,

My inner man will be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,

And my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.'

Because God meets him, whether in the wilderness or in the Jerusalem Tent of Meeting, he will bless God for his whole lifetime, and lift up his hands in His Name. For he knows that God will fully satisfy his inner being with choice blessings, something which causes him to praise God with joyful lips. Thus can he rejoice in the midst of trial, even when all appears to be going wrong.

‘I will lift up my hands in your name.' The lifting up of the hands was a regular attitude of prayer (Psalms 28:2; Psalms 141:2; 1 Timothy 2:8). In Psalms 141:2 it is compared with the offering up of the evening sacrifice, just as prayer is compared with the offering up of incense..

Psalms 63:6-7

When I remember you on my bed,

I meditate on you in the night-watches.

For you have been my help,

And in the shadow of your wings will I rejoice.'

Even when he is lying wakeful in bed and remembers God, he meditates on Him and on what He is through the night watches. (In Israel the night was divided up into three watches). His thoughts are all on God. And he does this because it is God Who has been his help in trouble, and Who hides him in the shadow of His wings so that he can rejoice in the face of adversity. Thus even when the world appears to be collapsing, he never lets his mind wander away too far from God. God is in all his thoughts. It is well for us if our thoughts are similarly constantly of God.

Psalms 63:4-7

4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrowb and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.