Read Psalm
62-64 & Romans
1
To discover:
As you read consider how
David’s longing for God is expressed.
To ponder:
Having so often
prayed for deliverance, Psalm 62 expresses the difference trust in God makes.
David declares that his soul finds “rest” in God because he is his rock and
fortress (both denoting stability and safety). This “rest” must therefore be
the peace of heart that comes from the knowledge that God protects him
(62v5-6). So David tells of how he is like a wall or fence about to fall, and
asks how long his two-faced enemies will assault him, intending to topple him
from his “lofty place” – perhaps his throne (62v3-4). He then speaks to his
soul, telling it to find rest in God who gives hope and salvation, and on whom
David’s honour depends, presumably because his continuance as God’s king
depends on this (62v5-7). There is pastoral wisdom here on preaching to
ourselves the truths of who God is and all he has promised, so that when we
face trial we would trust and find rest in him.
So it is that David calls God’s
people to trust and pour their hearts out to him, implying that they should
voice the concerns of their hearts unreservedly. As if to counter the
alternative, David then declares how transient the low and highborn are, and
warns against trusting in extortion to save, taking pride in stolen goods,
perhaps in assuming they are enough to give security; or settings one’s heart
on riches (62v9-10). Instead, he uses the rhetorical language of 62v11-12 to
affirm God’s strength and love, and the fact that he will reward all according
to their deeds (see Rom 2v6). His point, possibly made to Israelite nobles or
future kings (62v4, 9), is that they should not use their power to seek after
unjust gain, but trust in God alone for their security - as Jesus did
supremely. It’s a call for us all to prioritise seeking and obeying the Lord,
knowing that our obedience doesn’t merit our salvation, but salvation will
nevertheless be give only to those of a true and therefore obedient faith.
Indeed, it is what makes that obedience worthwhile.
Psalm 63 provides David’s
reflections whilst in “the desert” (see title). So in that “dry and weary land”
he expresses his longing for God like “thirst.” Here, the psalm is intimate,
showing that David “seeks” and “longs” for God because he is specifically his
God (63v1). And what David is seeking is the satisfaction of recalling God’s
nature and singing his praise (63v2-5). These are like food and water to him,
refreshing and strengthening him in his weariness. And so he remembers how he
beheld God’s power and glory in the sanctuary of the tabernacle, and commits to
praising him because of his love as long as he lives. David may have actually
beheld a manifestation of God’s glory as occasionally occurred at the
tabernacle and temple (Ex 40v34-361 Kgs 8v11). However, his language may just
describe how he would grasp something of God’s nature when reflecting there.
Whatever the case, we’re reminded that the medicine for spiritual dryness and
hunger is to meditate on God’s nature as revealed in scripture and respond by
praising him for it. This really is critical if we are not to despair or buckle
in facing the enemies of sin, death and the devil. David is so caught up with
his God that he even thinks on him through the night, singing in the knowledge
that God is at that very time caring for him like the bird sheltering her chick
(63v6-8). It is this sense of need that causes David to “cling” to God by
constantly reminding himself in these ways that God is for him. He is therefore
confident his enemies will die and so have their lying silenced, whilst he and
all who “swear by God’s name” will praise him with joy (63v9-11). These oaths
may have been of allegiance to God or to David as king.
Psalm 64 is again a prayer for help,
specifically for protection from those conspiring against David (64v1,
“complaint” here means simply “troubles”). Their words are described as
weapons, and they are said to encourage one-another and boast in their evil,
declaring how they will not be found out (64v3-6). But David describes how God
will shoot them with the very same weapons, by turning their tongues on them,
causing their plans to eventually bring them ruin and mocking from others
(64v7-8). As in previous psalms, because this deliverance is of David as king,
it will be known. And so he can declare “all mankind will fear” God and
proclaim and ponder what he has done. This is probably a reference to the
nearby nations who look on, or perhaps the future when David expects his
descendents to reign over the earth in fulfilment of God’s promises to Abraham.
His call to the “righteous” to take refuge in God and praise him (64v10) is
therefore a call to those from the world, to learn from what God has done for
David. So this is another mission psalm, ultimately fulfilled in Christ’s
resurrection and the judgement of his opponents. Having seen something of these
things, we rightly fear God and take refuge in him.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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