Book of Psalms Psalms 61-62 The Blessed Rock of Ages These psalms share the common theme of depending upon the Lord for shelter. These psalms could have been written during one of David s many times of distress, but these were probably written during the rebellion of Absalom (2 Sam. 15-18). God is pictured as a rock and fortress or tower of refuge. This image appears 20 times in Psalms and many times in Psalms 61-62 (61:2; 61:3; 61:4; 62:2; 62:6; 62:7; 62:8). We have several good songs about God as our Rock in times of trouble: Rock of Ages, He Hideth My Soul. Psalm 61 In this psalm David expresses his complete confidence in the Lord. He speaks with determination ( I will vs. 2, 4, 8) and with expectation ( Thou will vs. 6). 1. David s prayer (vs. 1-2) As in other prayers David felt a sense of urgency in his time of need (5:2-3; 17:1; 55:2; 66:19; 86:6; 142:6). Psalm 119:2 Blessed are they that seek him with the whole heart. A. Through prayer God draws us near David is obviously away from Jerusalem and the sanctuary and even away from the homeland of Israel ( from the end of the earth vs. 2). Prayer draws us near to God. B. Through prayer God lifts us up David feels very small and insignificant in himself. He needs a secure, elevated shelter. Safety is not in a place but in a person. We are never so far away that we can t pray, and we are never so far down that we can t pray, Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly. 2. David s praise (vs. 3-7) A. He praised God for protection David uses four images to represent God s protection (shelter, strong tower, tent, and wings). The strong tower on a city wall provided defense and refuge. God had never failed to be David s refuge, and He would not fail him now. David found shelter under God s wings (vs. 4; Ps. 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 63:7; 91:4). Jesus used this same image, Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! B. He praised God for the privilege of being king A heritage (vs. 5) is an inheritance, something that is not earned, but freely given and valuable. It refers to a restored place in the promised land and also to David s restoration as king over Israel. When David took the throne he made some vows (promises) to God, and he knew that God heard his vows. C. He praised God for the provision of his life and reign In spite of Absalom s rebellion and struggle for power, God would increase the years of David s life and reign. Abide (vs. 7) means be enthroned. David speaks not only of himself
personally, but of his dynasty. Beyond the immediate blessing, God would establish David s family line until the coming of Christ the King. Luke 1:32-33 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 3. David s promise (vs. 8) As a way of showing his appreciation for answered prayers and blessings, David promises to praise God and to obey Him. Praise and obedience go together. Psalms 50:14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High. Psalms 56:12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. David is serious about praise and doing what he promised. We need to praise God daily and also obey what He tells us to do. A. Vows should be made carefully We ought to give plenty of thought in making promises to God and we ought to give plenty of effort in keeping them. Proverbs 20:25 It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. B. Vows should be kept promptly Deuteronomy 23:21-23 21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. 22 But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. 23 That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth. Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. 5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Psalm 62 The historical setting seems to be the same as Psalm 61. David faces a difficult situation, but his focus is on the Lord. Twice in this psalm David speaks of waiting upon God (vs. 1, 5). Wait means to wait silently. David was patient and did not complain about his situation. Warren Wiersbe comments: When a child rests in the arms of the mother or father, there is no need to make noise. Much talk is sometimes evidence of little faith. Several times David says that God alone is his rock and salvation (vs. 2, 5, 6). 1. David s trust (vs. 1-2) David rests in God alone ( only vs. 1, 2, 5, 6). Truly (vs. 1, KJV) means only. A. God alone is his resource (vs. 1) Soul represents the whole inner person. B. God alone is his rock (vs. 2) 2. David s troubles (vs. 3-4) A. Evil people attack him (vs. 3, 4) David refers to himself here ( a man ). B. Evil people lie about him (vs. 4) C. Evil people curse him (vs. 4) 3. David s testimony (vs. 5-8)
A. He speaks to himself (vs. 5-7) Notice how David moves from I shall not be greatly moved, shaken (vs. 2) to I shall not be moved, shaken at all (vs. 6). David s expectation (hope, vs. 5) is in God. The Hebrew word for hope means an eager waiting upon God that looked forward to His intervention (Holman OT Commentary, 313). Psalms 71:5 For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. Waiting on God doesn t mean being idle or indifferent. Sometimes waiting is harder than working. We are to wait silently (vs. 1) and wait expectantly (vs. 5). We are often tempted to act impulsively without prayer. B. He speaks to others (vs. 8) We need to trust in God at all times. Life Application Bible: True relief does not come when the problem is resolved because more problems are on the way! True relief comes from an enduring hope in God s ultimate salvation. 4. David s truth (vs. 9-12) A. Men and material things are unreliable (vs. 9-10) Whether they are of high or low status, all men are vanity ( a breath, vapor ). Material things were often gained by oppressing others or robbery. All material things are vain and temporary. B. God is unshakable (vs. 11-12) The Hebrew expression once twice means many times and carries the idea of certainty. This is absolutely true. God is powerful and He is merciful. These truths ought to be written on our hearts. Because God is powerful, He can help us, and because He is merciful, He will help us. Warren Wiersbe summarizes the last part of verse 12: No matter what people may say about us or do to us, God keeps the books and one day will give sinners and saints the rewards they deserve. God is Our Rock: This is a symbol of stability and security. We say solid as a rock or rock solid. Matthew Henry: Trust in him to guide us when in doubt, to protect us when in danger, to supply us when in want, to strengthen us for every good word and work. Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. Deuteronomy 32:15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. Deuteronomy 32:18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. 1 Samuel 2:2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. 2 Samuel 22:32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?
2 Samuel 22:47 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation. 2 Samuel 23:3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. Psalms 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Psalms 18:31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? Psalms 18:46 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. Psalms 28:1 Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. Psalms 31:2 Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defense to save me. Psalms 42:9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? Psalms 71:3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress. Psalms 78:35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. Psalms 89:26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. Psalms 92:15 To show that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. Psalms 94:22 But the LORD is my defense; and my God is the rock of my refuge. Psalms 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Isaiah 17:10 Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips.
Book of Psalms Psalms 61-62 The Blessed Rock of Ages These psalms share the common theme of depending upon the Lord for shelter. These psalms could have been written during one of many times that David was in distress, but these were probably written during the rebellion of Absalom (2 Sam. 15-18). God is pictured as a rock and fortress or tower of refuge. This image appears 20 times in Psalms and many times in Psalms 61-62 (61:2; 61:3; 61:4; 62:2; 62:6; 62:7; 62:8). We have several songs about God as our Rock: Rock of Ages, He Hideth My Soul. Psalm 61 In this psalm David expresses his complete confidence in the Lord. He speaks with determination ( I will vs. 2, 4, 8) and with expectation ( Thou will vs. 6). 1. David s (vs. 1-2) As in other prayers, there was a sense of urgency in his time of need (5:2-3; 17:1; 55:2; 66:19; 86:6; 142:6). Psalm 119:2 Blessed are they that seek him with the whole heart. A. Through prayer B. Through prayer 2. David s (vs. 3-7) A. He praised God for B. He praised God for the C. He praised God for the 3. David s (vs. 8) A. Vows should be B. Vows should be Psalm 62 1. David s (vs. 1-2) A. God alone is (vs. 1) B. God alone is (vs. 2) 2. David s (vs. 3-4) A. Evil people (vs. 3, 4) B. Evil people (vs. 4)
C. Evil people (vs. 4) 3. David s (vs. 5-8) A. He speaks (vs. 5-7) B. He speaks (vs. 8) 4. David s (vs. 9-12) A. Men and material things are (vs. 9-10) B. God is (vs. 11-12) God is Our Rock: This is a symbol of. We say solid as a rock or rock solid. Matthew Henry: Trust in him to guide us when in doubt, to protect us when in danger, to supply us when in want, to strengthen us for every good word and work. Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. Deuteronomy 32:15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. Deuteronomy 32:18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. 1 Samuel 2:2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. 2 Samuel 22:32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? 2 Samuel 22:47 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation. 2 Samuel 23:3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. Psalms 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Psalms 18:31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? Psalms 18:46 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. Psalms 28:1 Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. Psalms 31:2 Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defense to save me. Psalms 42:9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? Psalms 71:3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress. Psalms 78:35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. Psalms 89:26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. Psalms 92:15 To show that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. Psalms 94:22 But the LORD is my defense; and my God is the rock of my refuge. Psalms 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Isaiah 17:10 Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips.