Dr. Paul Manuel—2003
One of the most important aspects of life, something whose very nature encourages us to take it for granted, is that many events are predictable. However much we may like variety or surprises, we depend on a considerable amount of sameness to keep things going. In fact, more often than not, it is the disruptions in our schedule, the things we did not anticipate, that cause us anxiety.
Consider how much of your preparation to be here depended on a certainty that things would be as you expected them to be.
In this fourth and final installment of our series, the writer of Ps 62 makes dependability the theme of his poem, using the word "surely" six times in these twelve verses.3 Nowhere else in scripture does it occur this frequently. He wants people to recognize how the dependability of good things can help them to cope with the regularity of bad things. The psalm has three parts, set off by the repetition of a refrain in vv. 1-2 and 5-6, and by the repetition of the musical term Selah in vv. 4 and 8 (crescendo? pause?). The author opens with a most important aspect of dependability for his audience. To whomever else they may turn for aid, they can be confident that...
A. God confounds their foes.
Such confidence does not arise in a vacuum. It develops gradually as God repeatedly delivers the believer from various difficulties, often of increasing magnitude and, thereby, strengthens the believer's faith. It is no different today. You do not generally have this kind of certainty from the start. Rather, God uses events in your life—often, with such timing as to make His involvement unmistakable—to strengthen your confidence incrementally, enabling you to gain a conviction like the psalmist's and to express assurance that God is your stronghold and that He will deliver you again.
As I said, we do not know the specific difficulty the psalmist is facing, yet he does tell us that his trouble is not some random or isolated event but a deliberate and persistent attack, as when an army besieges a city.6 In fact, it is probably still going on when he writes this.
Life is not a smooth road. You face not only accidental mishaps but also the intentional assaults of others, who, for one reason or another, seek to harm you. To make matters worse, your detractors do not necessarily attack openly, but use deception and falsehood to mask their antagonism; so what they say is not what they mean: "With their mouth they bless, but in their thoughts they curse" (v. 4).
How should you respond in such a situation? The author speaks directly to those who oppose him, exposing their hypocritical behavior. Should you confront those who use deceit against you? ...The psalmist does not recommend confrontation; this is just a rhetorical device. He does not reveal what interaction he has with his enemies. In any case, most people who act this way would just deny the charges. He also does not recommend "a fatalistic resignation" (Delitzsch n.d.: 1317), the passive assumption that your situation is just the cross you must bear. What he does advocate is active confidence in God. He is the only one who is always able to confound your foes.
The writer uses the same word ("surely") to indicate the certainty of human hostility as he does to describe the certainty of divine aid. There is, however, a different quality to the inevitability of bad things.
B. God confirms their faith.
In v. 1, the psalmist spoke about the rest, the repose, he finds in God, the source of his salvation. In v. 5, the psalmist reiterates that notion of rest, yet for a slightly different reason: because God is the source of his hope.10 As we noted earlier, the psalmist's trouble is ongoing; he has not yet received the salvation of which he writes. Nevertheless, there is something about his relationship with God, probably past experience, that makes him certain enough to say again: "I will not be shaken" (v.6).
Rather than speaking about his trouble, as he did after the refrain in section one, in vv. 7-8 the author affirms his own faith and exhorts his audience to follow suit.
Sometimes we look to other believers and marvel at their confidence in God, especially in light of their circumstances.13 "Oh, if I only had that person's faith!" (Our unspoken caveat: "I wouldn't want his fate but I wouldn't mind his faith.")
As you look at others whose faith you admire, the question is not, "Would I be as sure of God as that person is in the same circumstances?" but "Am I as sure of God in my own circumstances?" Are you applying your faith as others apply theirs?
When the psalmist opens the third section of his poem, we expect to hear that refrain about the certainty of God's salvation in our present situation. Instead, he addresses the outcome of this struggle and offers the assurance that....
C. God controls their future.
I do not know to what extent this may be a problem here, but it is worth reminding ourselves that money is just as fleeting as man. You must not allow the desire to improve your financial situation to subvert your morals (the psalmist specifically mentions extortion and robbery in v. 10) or to compromise your faith (which, he asserts in v. 8, should be in God "at all times").18 "God is the ultimate, only, and completely dependable source of help" (Leupold 1959:462).
In the final verses, the author extols the eminence of God's character using a numerical formula (n, n+1) common in Proverbs.
These two verses express one of the most important theological statements in scripture,19 because they bring together two kinds of divine attributes. We know God by His attributes, those qualities that characterize the way He exists and acts. Theologians often group them in two categories: non-moral and moral.
The last line is a follow-up to the issue of economics in v. 10.23 Those concerned about wealth—and who is not?—should realize that the best investment they can make, the one with the greatest and most reliable return, is devotion to God, who will "repay each person according to what he has done" (Prov 24:12d).24
There is a saying that the only sure things are death and taxes, which we accept even if we resent the fact they do not come in that order (McKenzie 1980:124).25 The psalmist would insist on one more item: God Provides Dependable Deliverance for His People.26
Consider how much of your preparation to be here depended on a certainty that things would be as you expected them to be.
- That the glasses or contacts you put on would be the same prescription this morning as they were yesterday.
- That the road you took to get here went the same way it did last week.
- That the coffee you heated in the microwave was not actually grape juice.
- That the service would be in English and not in German.
It had been several years since Jack's last eye exam, and his wife was pestering him to make an appointment. Naturally, the more she pestered, the more he procrastinated. Finally, she made the appointment for him. The day before the appointment, he was in an affectionate mood. He gave her a big kiss, a warm hug, and said, "You really look good to me." "That's it," she replied. "I'm canceling your appointment." (Adapted from Hodgin 1998:17)Change is not always an improvement. There are some things you would want to keep the same. Without consistency and certainty, you would not be able to plan; you would have no idea what the future holds. This is especially true in your relationship with God. The fact that He "does not change like shifting shadows" (Jms 1:17) makes Him reliable!2 Coupled with His constant concern for you, that reliability means that God Provides Dependable Deliverance for His People.
In this fourth and final installment of our series, the writer of Ps 62 makes dependability the theme of his poem, using the word "surely" six times in these twelve verses.3 Nowhere else in scripture does it occur this frequently. He wants people to recognize how the dependability of good things can help them to cope with the regularity of bad things. The psalm has three parts, set off by the repetition of a refrain in vv. 1-2 and 5-6, and by the repetition of the musical term Selah in vv. 4 and 8 (crescendo? pause?). The author opens with a most important aspect of dependability for his audience. To whomever else they may turn for aid, they can be confident that...
A. God confounds their foes.
The psalmist begins by stating that...
1. SURELY, my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.2. SURELY, He is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I will not be shaken at all.
1. The Lord's salvation is certain (Ps 62:1-2).It is this assurance that gives him composure in the midst of turmoil. Notice how personal this is for him. He speaks about "my rock4...my salvation...my fortress" (v. 2). We do not know what trouble prompts him to write,5 yet it must have affected him profoundly, because he expresses his conviction in the strongest of terms.
Such confidence does not arise in a vacuum. It develops gradually as God repeatedly delivers the believer from various difficulties, often of increasing magnitude and, thereby, strengthens the believer's faith. It is no different today. You do not generally have this kind of certainty from the start. Rather, God uses events in your life—often, with such timing as to make His involvement unmistakable—to strengthen your confidence incrementally, enabling you to gain a conviction like the psalmist's and to express assurance that God is your stronghold and that He will deliver you again.
As I said, we do not know the specific difficulty the psalmist is facing, yet he does tell us that his trouble is not some random or isolated event but a deliberate and persistent attack, as when an army besieges a city.6 In fact, it is probably still going on when he writes this.
The psalmist is speaking about salvation in the temporal sense, deliverance from trouble in this life. The reason we need God's salvation is the inevitability that we will encounter conflict....
3. How long will you assault a man,
will you all assail (him)
like a leaning wall
or a tottering parapet?74. SURELY, they plan to evict (him) from his exalted station;8
they delight in lies.
With their mouth they bless,
but in their thoughts they curse. Selah
2. The enemy's opposition is certain (Ps 62:3-4).In the psalmist's case, this is human opposition, which has apparently been going on for some time. "How long," he asks his enemies, will they continue to attack him (v. 3)?
Life is not a smooth road. You face not only accidental mishaps but also the intentional assaults of others, who, for one reason or another, seek to harm you. To make matters worse, your detractors do not necessarily attack openly, but use deception and falsehood to mask their antagonism; so what they say is not what they mean: "With their mouth they bless, but in their thoughts they curse" (v. 4).
How should you respond in such a situation? The author speaks directly to those who oppose him, exposing their hypocritical behavior. Should you confront those who use deceit against you? ...The psalmist does not recommend confrontation; this is just a rhetorical device. He does not reveal what interaction he has with his enemies. In any case, most people who act this way would just deny the charges. He also does not recommend "a fatalistic resignation" (Delitzsch n.d.: 1317), the passive assumption that your situation is just the cross you must bear. What he does advocate is active confidence in God. He is the only one who is always able to confound your foes.
The writer uses the same word ("surely") to indicate the certainty of human hostility as he does to describe the certainty of divine aid. There is, however, a different quality to the inevitability of bad things.
- The certainty of the enemy's opposition is in its intent:
- "Surely they plan...they delight..." (v. 4).
- The certainty of the Lord's salvation is in its result:
The point is that you will surely meet adversity, but you will just as surely conquer it with God's help. As Jesus said,
- "Surely...I will not be shaken" (v. 2).
John 16:33b In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.The psalmist begins the next section of his poem as he did the previous but with a different purpose in mind as he treats another important aspect of dependability for his audience. Not only does God confound their foes...
B. God confirms their faith.
By repeating this refrain, the psalmist emphasizes the dependability of their deliverance...
5. SURELY, my soul finds rest in God,
because my hope comes from him.6. SURELY, He is my rock and my salvation, my fortress;
I will not be shaken.
1. The Lord's salvation is certain (Ps 62:5-6).The first refrain, in vv. 1-2, may have been for his own benefit, affirming to himself his confidence in God as he confronted his opponents. This time, in vv. 5-6, he uses the refrain as a testimony to other believers. He introduces a change in the second line, though, that confirms the unresolved nature of his situation.9
In v. 1, the psalmist spoke about the rest, the repose, he finds in God, the source of his salvation. In v. 5, the psalmist reiterates that notion of rest, yet for a slightly different reason: because God is the source of his hope.10 As we noted earlier, the psalmist's trouble is ongoing; he has not yet received the salvation of which he writes. Nevertheless, there is something about his relationship with God, probably past experience, that makes him certain enough to say again: "I will not be shaken" (v.6).
Rather than speaking about his trouble, as he did after the refrain in section one, in vv. 7-8 the author affirms his own faith and exhorts his audience to follow suit.
Despite whatever hostility he may be experiencing...
7. My salvation and my honor (depend) on God;
my strong rock and my refuge is in God.118. Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out to Him your hearts.
God is our refuge. Selah
2. The psalmist's declaration is confident (Ps 62:7-8).He gives another very personal testimony of his faith in God: "My salvation...my honor...my...rock...my refuge" (v. 7)12 Then he asks the congregation to respond in kind, stating that his case is not unique: "You, too, can trust God and petition His aid, for 'God is our refuge'" (v. 8).
Sometimes we look to other believers and marvel at their confidence in God, especially in light of their circumstances.13 "Oh, if I only had that person's faith!" (Our unspoken caveat: "I wouldn't want his fate but I wouldn't mind his faith.")
- I don't think I could endure that illness with such good cheer.
- I'd have quit long ago had my coworkers given me such a hard time.
- I could never show such contentment if my financial picture were as bleak as his.
As you look at others whose faith you admire, the question is not, "Would I be as sure of God as that person is in the same circumstances?" but "Am I as sure of God in my own circumstances?" Are you applying your faith as others apply theirs?
When the psalmist opens the third section of his poem, we expect to hear that refrain about the certainty of God's salvation in our present situation. Instead, he addresses the outcome of this struggle and offers the assurance that....
C. God controls their future.
Here the psalmist takes the long view. All of human existence is ephemeral, fleeting. When placed, even collectively, on the scales of divine justice, it is "found wanting" (Dan 5:27).15 The implication for his current problem is the assurance that...
9. SURELY, lowborn men are nothing;
highborn men are a lie.14
On the scales for weighing,
they amount to nothing together.10. Do not trust in extortion or in robbery;
do not take pride in wealth.
When it grows, do not set your heart (on it).
1. The enemy's destitution is certain (Ps 62:9-10).No matter what his opponents' present social or economic advantage, it will be irrelevant in the end.16 Judgment levels the playing field, more than that, judgment inclines the field to our advantage. The psalmist may also be warning his believing audience against seeking certainty in anything but God, especially in that most common cultural indicator of status, money.17 It will be of no value to them or to anyone else in the end.
I do not know to what extent this may be a problem here, but it is worth reminding ourselves that money is just as fleeting as man. You must not allow the desire to improve your financial situation to subvert your morals (the psalmist specifically mentions extortion and robbery in v. 10) or to compromise your faith (which, he asserts in v. 8, should be in God "at all times").18 "God is the ultimate, only, and completely dependable source of help" (Leupold 1959:462).
In the final verses, the author extols the eminence of God's character using a numerical formula (n, n+1) common in Proverbs.
Whatever people might want their destiny to be, it is ultimately in God's hands, and...
11. One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard: that God is strong,12. and that You, O Lord, are loving.
For You will reward a man according to his deeds.
2. The Lord's decision is conclusive (Ps 62:11-12).In the words of the famous Dutch mystic, Thomas a Kempis, "Man proposes, but God disposes" (Imitation of Christ 1:19, c. 1420).
These two verses express one of the most important theological statements in scripture,19 because they bring together two kinds of divine attributes. We know God by His attributes, those qualities that characterize the way He exists and acts. Theologians often group them in two categories: non-moral and moral.
- His non-moral attributes are those that have no ethical dimension (e.g., omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, immutability).
- His moral attributes are those that have an ethical dimension (e.g., righteousness, justice, goodness, love, faithfulness, truth).
- If the Lord had only the non-moral attributes, if He were omnipotent but not loving, we would have a God who exercises unlimited power with no concern for its effect on His creatures. In that case, when Moses interceded for the Israelites after the golden calf incident, asking God not to destroy them, it is likely that God's answer would have been: "Tough luck; they're toast."
- If the Lord had only the moral attributes, if He were loving but not omnipotent, we would have a God with the best of intentions for us but unable to accomplish them. In that case, when Elijah called for God's help against the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, God's answer might have been: "I'd really like to oblige, but this is out of My league."20
The last line is a follow-up to the issue of economics in v. 10.23 Those concerned about wealth—and who is not?—should realize that the best investment they can make, the one with the greatest and most reliable return, is devotion to God, who will "repay each person according to what he has done" (Prov 24:12d).24
There is a saying that the only sure things are death and taxes, which we accept even if we resent the fact they do not come in that order (McKenzie 1980:124).25 The psalmist would insist on one more item: God Provides Dependable Deliverance for His People.26
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
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Jim Skaggs