My soul cleaveth unto the dust: Quicken thou me according to thy word (Psa 119.25).
One of the evidences satisfying to sincere Christians of Scripture’s divine inspiration is its “light and power . . . to comfort and build up believers unto salvation” (WLC #4). When rightly understood, the biblical portrayal of what it means in real life to know God in a saving way, and to commune with and serve Him matches exactly with the experience of its readers everywhere and at all times. We are born again with glowing anticipation of our new life with Christ, and then suffer terribly when our unrealistic expectations are not realized. This often drives us back to the Scriptures, and to our surprise, we find our own experiences are not strange, but very typical, even of the most eminent saints chronicled in the holy account.
One of the jarring realities is that we cannot “walk on cloud nine” all the time. In fact, the sweetest times of a Christian’s soul delight are the exception to the rule. These are only rare glimpses of the Delectable Mountains and the Celestial City which cheer the pilgrim on his arduous journey. Young believers falsely imagine that mature saints enjoy “life on a higher plane” than themselves, while the difference is only one of degree, and we all fall woefully short of perfection.
Perhaps this naïve delusion is fostered by the more experienced being less than candid about their inner life with neophytes. These humbling realities rarely find their way into the church’s more popular hymns and songs, especially typical modern songs which have been described as “happy-clappy.” This omission is especially glaring when contrasted with the frequency of the godly laments in the Psalter.
The relatively few exceptional hymns are notable and especially beloved. For example, did not John Newton, author of “Amazing Grace,” deeply instruct and comfort us by his hymn, “I Asked the Lord”? In it he admits that his request for spiritual growth was answered “in such a way as almost drove me to despair,” because he had “hoped that in some favored hour at once He’d answer my request,” but instead God “made me feel the hidden evils of my heart and let the angry powers of hell assault my soul in every part.” And as if that were not enough, Newton continues, “Yea, more, with His own hand He seemed intent to aggravate my woe, crossed all the fair designs I schemed, blasted my gourds [remember Jonah 4.6 ff.], and laid me low.” All this is surprising and upsetting to the less spiritually-knowledgeable and less experienced.
A modern counterpart, admittedly less poetic and beautiful but appreciated nonetheless, is this little known song called “Grace by Which I Stand:”
I guess I’m older
I guess I’ve changed
And how I wish it had been explained
That as you’re growing you must remember
That nothing lasts except the grace of God
By which I stand in Jesus
Lord, I remember that special way
I vowed to serve you when it was brand new
But like Peter I can’t even watch and pray
One hour with you and I bet I could deny you too
I know that I would surely fall away
Except for grace by which I’m saved.
The Bible presents saints to us “warts and all.” From it we see that even such a righteous man like Job had to suffer extreme loss, illness, and depression, and that a champion of the faith like Elijah “was a man subject to like passions as we are” (Jas 5.11, 17).
In our devotional text this evening, the psalmist is simultaneously our example and our exhortation, a model and an incentive of genuine spirituality.
True saints confess our death and plead God’s life.
A HUMBLE ADMISSION
We typically think of the word “soul” as referring to the invisible part of man, and “body” as to the visible, but nephesh (Heb. for soul) often means the whole person, and that may be the case here. In this context it is emotionally charged, much more so than the first person pronoun. The psalmist is speaking poetically. “My soul cleaveth unto the dust.” “Cleave” is a very interesting word which can mean to split (e.g., meat cleaver) or stick to something, and the second sense applies here. The Hebrew means to cling to, to fasten oneself to an object. “My soul clings to the dust,” as one translation renders it. The reference to dust evokes the thought of death because of the original curse on man for his sin: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Gen 3:19). Either the psalmist was in fear of literal, imminent physical death through persecution or illness, or else he speaks graphically about his low spiritual and psychological condition, perhaps on account of the same trials. He was still alive in both senses, but he felt some kind of death drawing near. He was walking “in the valley of the shadow of death” (Psa 23.4). Though we cannot take these paraphrases for good translations, they are reasonable commentary on the text:
“My life is down in the dust.”
“I lie defeated in the dust.”
“I am at the point of death.”
“I am completely discouraged.”
“I’m feeling terrible—I couldn’t feel worse.”
This is quite an admission from one who was a spiritual leader in Israel! He confesses his experience of a measure of death, perhaps both physical and spiritual. The humble admission of our need may be a precursor to receiving God’s grace. “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble” (Jas 4.6).
You should not be shocked as a Christian, even if you find yourself often in this condition. Be honest with yourself, and confess it to God. You might even be able to encourage some who looks up to you by admitting it to them.
A HOPEFUL PETITION
Thankfully, this confession is not the whole of the psalmist’s prayer. Though his soul clings to the dust, his eyes look up now to the heavens. “Quicken thou me according to thy word.” The Hebrew verb in this grammatical form means to keep alive, to preserve life, as in Exod 1.22, “every daughter ye shall save alive.”
Context reveals its sense here, whether physical death, spiritual death, or both. It is either keep me from being killed by my persecutors or dying from my illness, or keep me from sinking spiritually to the point of utter apostasy. Reasonable translations render “preserve my life” and “revive me,” choosing one of these two senses.
Like almost every verse in Psalm 119, the Scriptures play an indispensable role in spiritual experience, for the psalmist prays for this preservation of life “according to thy [God’s] word.” I agree with Puritan Matthew Poole who interprets this phrase, “according to thy promise” (in loc.). This is an appeal to God’s promises in the gospel covenant as the basis for this prayer.
From this we see that when any manifestation of death threatens us, body or soul, hopeful prayer to God on the basis of His Word is the tried and true means for preservation and revival. And if the answer we desire is most for God’s glory and our ultimate good, He will surely give it to us when He has accomplished all His holy purposes in our time of suffering. What great hope is here!
The soul by nature rises not to heaven: unaided from on high it grovels in the mire of earth. Hence the wisdom of constant prayer, that spiritual life may expand wings for upward flight. Many promises give prospect of success.
This complaint is the language of conflict and humiliation—not of despondency. Mark the believer carrying it to the Lord—‘Here I lie in the dust, without life or power. Oh! thou Savior, who “camest that I might have life, and that I might have it more abundantly”—Quicken me: Breathe into me thine own life, that I may rise from the dust, and cleave to thee.’ This cry for quickening grace is the exercise of faith. We have a covenant to plead. Faith is the hand that takes hold of the promise—”according to thy word.” Can this word fail? “Sooner shall heaven and earth pass away, than one jot or one tittle pass” from the engagements of a covenant-keeping God. “He is faithful that hath promised.” The man who takes hold of this plea, is “a Prince who has power with God, and prevails.”
The vitality of our bodies and souls is completely in the hand of God, and He urges us to call on Him in faith for the blessing of life. Would you know genuine revival? Humble yourself to lament your spiritual coldness and deadness before the Lord, and plead with God, “who quickeneth all things” (1 Tim 6.13), to raise you up to spiritual health and vigor. Believe Him for this, and you shall have it, as He promised (1 John 5.14-16a). Amen.
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