Whether on the run from King Saul or his son Absalom, David has been effectively cut off the land of Israel, and most significantly, the Tabernacle. Therefore, the psalmist is deprived of the praise of God, the people of God, and the presence of God. He is consumed by a desperate, and even violent, thirst for the pleasure and privilege of the presence of God in public worship. David longs to appear before God.
Theology Applied