Psalm 66:1–20 To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm.

 ¹Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!

²Sing out the honor of His name;

Make His praise glorious.

³Say to God, “How awesome are Your works!

Through the greatness of Your power

Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.

⁴All the earth shall worship You

And sing praises to You;

They shall sing praises to Your name.” Selah

⁵Come and see the works of God;

He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.

⁶He turned the sea into dry land;

They went through the river on foot.

There we will rejoice in Him.

⁷He rules by His power forever;

His eyes observe the nations;

Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

⁸Oh, bless our God, you peoples!

And make the voice of His praise to be heard,

⁹Who keeps our soul among the living,

And does not allow our feet to be moved.

¹⁰For You, O God, have tested us;

You have refined us as silver is refined.

¹¹You brought us into the net;

You laid affliction on our backs.

¹²You have caused men to ride over our heads;

 We went through fire and through water;

But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

¹³I will go into Your house with burnt offerings;

I will pay You my vows,

¹⁴Which my lips have uttered

And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.

¹⁵I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals,

With the sweet aroma of rams;

I will offer bulls with goats. Selah

¹⁶Come and hear, all you who fear God,

And I will declare what He has done for my soul.

¹⁷I cried to Him with my mouth,

And He was extolled with my tongue.

¹⁸If I regard iniquity in my heart,

The Lord will not hear.

¹⁹But certainly God has heard me;

He has attended to the voice of my prayer.

²⁰Blessed be God,

Who has not turned away my prayer,

Nor His mercy from me!

Commentary

Vs. 1-2¹Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!

²Sing out the honor of His name;

Make His praise glorious.

Both now and forever let us all make a joyful shout to God, for worship of God is not to be restrained but heartfelt in our praise of Him. Sing then to the honor of His Name, for His Name is above all Names, and in this His Son’s Name, Jesus Christ’s Name He now takes the Pre-eminence above every name that is named! Therefore, make His praise glorious by whatever means possible, technological or otherwise, for if it can be used to glorify God in worship then use it!

Vs. 3 “Say to God, “How awesome are Your works!

Through the greatness of Your power

Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.”

Worshiping God must entail declaring His awesome works in the earth, for truly He is at work everywhere! Therefore declare openly that in the greatness of His power His enemies shall submit themselves to Him. This will be so clear on His Day when all will see it and fear. Thus, this song is being sung in anticipation of that Day, and may very well be sung on that Day!

Vs. 4 All the earth shall worship You

And sing praises to You;

They shall sing praises to Your name.” Selah

On that Day then all the earth shall worship God, for they (we) shall sing praises to Him, to Him alone who saved us and delivered us we shall sing praises to Your Name!

Vs. 5-7 ⁵Come and see the works of God;

He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.

⁶He turned the sea into dry land;

They went through the river on foot.

There we will rejoice in Him.

⁷He rules by His power forever;

His eyes observe the nations;

Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

This psalm now invites all to come and see the glorious works of God, to see how awesome He is towards all the sons of men, and in this it looks both forward and backward by first retelling His powerful works in the past towards His people Israel while looking forward to the future, recalling then both His salvation and deliverance of individuals, as well as Israel as a nation, and dare I add the entire Body of Christ made up of Jews and Gentiles when our Lord returns! It is there then that we will rejoice in Him when He comes again for us all who believe in Him! For truly He rules by His power, for His eyes observe the nations, nations which He raises up and brings down according to His own Designs. Therefore, when He comes again, He will submit all nations to Himself, no longer then will the rebellious exalt themselves, or the wicked rule, for He will rule all nations with a rod of iron.

Vs. 8-9 ⁸Oh, bless our God, you peoples!

And make the voice of His praise to be heard,

⁹Who keeps our soul among the living,

And does not allow our feet to be moved.

Therefore all peoples come and bless our God, make the voice of His praise to be heard. For no longer shall this burden of subduing the wicked fall to the sons of men, but to our God and Savior and King who keeps our soul among the living and does not allow our feet to be moved, therefore we will remain with Him forever, “firm in the faith!” Listen then to Scott Krippayne’s song titled the same on Spotify for some inspiration.

Vs. 10-12 ¹⁰For You, O God, have tested us;

You have refined us as silver is refined.

¹¹You brought us into the net;

You laid affliction on our backs.

¹²You have caused men to ride over our heads;

We went through fire and through water;

But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

The psalmist now recalls that on our journey with Him God has both tested us and refined us. For by His doing so He reveals to us our own short comings, so as to remove from us that which is disagreeable, just like silver is refined to remove the metallurgic slag, so our God refines us to purify us from all that offends. Verses eleven and twelve then recalls Israel’s own chastening to purge their rebellion from them, for they were made to be subservient to their enemies so that they might long to be subservient to Him (consider 2 Chr. 12:7-8; Isaiah 26:13 etc.). Thus, they went through fire and through water, both judgment and a sort of baptism (i.e., a cleansing from sin) just as some of us will have to go through before entering the Kingdom (1 Cor. 3:9-15; 1 Peter 1:7). Nonetheless God Himself brought them out to rich fulfillment, just as He does for all who repent and believe in Him (consider Psalm 107).

Vs. 13-15 ¹³I will go into Your house with burnt offerings;

I will pay You my vows,

¹⁴Which my lips have uttered

And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.

¹⁵I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals,

With the sweet aroma of rams;

I will offer bulls with goats. Selah

The Psalm now moves from a collective thought to a personal one, indicating their desire to be faithful to the Lord, to never again mix the worship of God with pagan ritual, or make it hypocritical by not keeping ones vows to Him. For having experienced the deliverance of the Lord they (we) want to keep what they have spoken to Him in their trouble. Now some commentators see the Lord Jesus Christ as this individual, but that is clearly wrong since He does not vow to God, He is the Sinless Son of God who obeys God. As well any notion that He would vow to God the Father to offer up sacrifices of bulls and goats is untenable. For He once and all for all time fulfilled every sacrificial requirement when He offered Himself up on the Cross as the finial sacrifice for all our sins (Heb. 9:11-10:25). These passages then are not to be applied to Him as if He were going to be making vows to God and offering the blood of bulls and goats when He came and gave His own Life for us all. For the Lord Jesus Christ has never vowed to God the Father to do this, for God the Father asks Him and He as the Son of God obeys Him.

Vs. 16-17 ¹⁶Come and hear, all you who fear God,

And I will declare what He has done for my soul.

¹⁷I cried to Him with my mouth,

And He was extolled with my tongue.

Having then experienced the deliverance of the Lord, the psalmist wants to give an open testimony, a public declaration of just what the Lord has done for Him. This then is the desire of everyone who experiences the Lord Jesus Christ’s salvation for themselves, or His mighty work in their lives. And when believers are collectively gathered together there can be nothing more edifying than to do this, to here of the mighty and merciful works of the Lord in peoples lives.

Vs. 18 “If I regard iniquity in my heart,

The Lord will not hear.”

Obviously if the psalmist had regarded iniquity in their heart, the Lord would not have heard his prayer, since the Lord does not hear the proud, or unbelieving, or unrepentant (Heb. 11:6), therefore the first step in being heard by the Lord is to see your need for Him, wanting to forsake your sins  (consider Jesus' own disposition in prayer, see Heb. 5:7).

Vs. 19-20 ¹⁹But certainly God has heard me;

He has attended to the voice of my prayer.

²⁰Blessed be God,

Who has not turned away my prayer,

Nor His mercy from me!

Because of their Godly fear the psalmist was heard by God; for he feared God and kept what he vowed to God, therefore God heard him and attended to his prayer (in this consider Ecc. 5:1-5). And because God has heard him the psalmist now concludes this psalm in joyous worship to our God who in His faithfulness has heard his prayer and not turned away His mercy from Him, just as He will hear yours when you repent and believe in Him. 

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson. 

Psalm 65 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.

¹Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;

And to You the vow shall be performed.

²O You who hear prayer,

To You all flesh will come.

³Iniquities prevail against me;

As for our transgressions,

You will provide atonement for them.

⁴Blessed is the man You choose,

And cause to approach You,

That he may dwell in Your courts.

We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,

Of Your holy temple.

⁵By awesome deeds in righteousness

You will answer us, O God of our salvation,

You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,

And of the far-off seas;

⁶Who established the mountains by His strength,

Being clothed with power;

⁷You who still the noise of the seas,

The noise of their waves,

And the tumult of the peoples.

⁸They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;

You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.

⁹You visit the earth and water it,

You greatly enrich it;

The river of God is full of water;

You provide their grain,

For so You have prepared it.

¹⁰You water its ridges abundantly,

You settle its furrows;

You make it soft with showers,

You bless its growth.

¹¹You crown the year with Your goodness,

And Your paths drip with abundance.

¹²They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,

And the little hills rejoice on every side.

¹³The pastures are clothed with flocks;

The valleys also are covered with grain;

They shout for joy, they also sing.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;

And to You the vow shall be performed.”

 The opening of this psalm foretells of Israel's restoration to God through Christ, when at last, they return to God as the prophets have foretold they will (Jeremiah 31:9; 50:4; Ezekiel 39:29; Zechariah 12:10-14 etc.), receiving then the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah, the only God, and their True King. He will be seated on His Throne in Zion, and to Him the vow will be performed (consider Isaiah 45:23).

Vs. 2-3 ²O You who hear prayer,

To You all flesh will come.

³Iniquities prevail against me;

As for our transgressions,

You will provide atonement for them.

The Psalm now moves to include all Gentiles, all peoples and nations who have believed and received Him will come to Him and honor Him in His holy Temple in Zion! To Him alone who hears our prayers and who intercedes for us (Heb. 4:14-16), for He alone who has provided the Atonement for all of our sins and transgressions! In this section then the Psalm foretells that, specifically for the nation of Israel  (consider Ezekiel 16:62-63). 

Vs. 4 Blessed is the man You choose,

And cause to approach You,

That he may dwell in Your courts.

We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,

Of Your holy temple.

The Man whom God has Chosen to approach Him is His Son the Lord Jesus Christ His chosen Servant (Isaiah 42:1), and in this the Lord Jesus Christ will serve Him as God’s High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4; Heb. 5:5-10; 7:1-8:13; 9:11-28; 10:14 etc.). Therefore, every redeemed person, all of us, shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy Temple for He alone has made the Way for us to enter it.

 Vs. 5-7 ⁵By awesome deeds in righteousness

You will answer us, O God of our salvation,

You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,

And of the far-off seas;

⁶Who established the mountains by His strength,

Being clothed with power;

⁷You who still the noise of the seas,

The noise of their waves,

And the tumult of the peoples.

Therefore by awesome deeds of righteousness our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will answer us. For He is the God of our salvation. And because He works out our salvation He is the confidence of all the ends of the earth, even the regions in the far-off seas (vs. 5). For He established the mountains by His strength, and being clothed with power He does awesome deeds (vs. 6). For just as He stills the seas and quiets the noise of their waves, He will subdue the tumult of all the peoples (Vs. 7) . For no one who rises up against Him shall ever prevail. For He will take vengeance on all His adversaries and repay everyone who hates Him (Deut. 32:41-43; Psalm 58:10; Isaiah 63:4; 66:16; Jer. 11:20; Micah 5:15; Nahum 1:2; 2 Thess. 1:8-9; Rev 6:9-11; 19:1-5, 11-21 etc.).

Vs. 8 “They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;

You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.”

Truly then God makes Himself known to everyone by mighty signs and wonders as He moves all of creation by His Will, for all see them, and those who see Him in them will fear Him (consider Jonah 1:1-16). And so, on the one hand then God can bring fear to even the stoutest of men, while on the other He makes His people rejoice in His morning and evening sky as He crowns the earth with His glory.

 Vs. 9-10 ⁹You visit the earth and water it,

You greatly enrich it;

The river of God is full of water;

You provide their grain,

For so You have prepared it.

¹⁰You water its ridges abundantly,

You settle its furrows;

You make it soft with showers,

You bless its growth.

God's Sovereignty and blessing over all of His creation is now expounded and expanded on. For it is of the Lord to visit the earth and water it, to enrich land as He Wills. Indeed, the river of God is full of water, which may be referring to the river in the millennial which shall flow from the Temple and bring life wherever its waters reach (Ezekiel 47:1-12). For it is of God to provide the peoples with grain to eat and seed to plant. For it is God who waters its ridges abundantly, who settles the furrows in the field, making what is planted to take root and sprout, and when it sprouts God softens its soil with His showers, indeed He blesses its growth, making sure it produces much, such then will be the state of the earth during Christ’s Millennial reign.

Vs. 11-13 ¹¹You crown the year with Your goodness,

And Your paths drip with abundance.

¹²They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,

And the little hills rejoice on every side.

¹³The pastures are clothed with flocks;

The valleys also are covered with grain;

They shout for joy, they also sing.

Each year then shall be crowned with God’s goodness, with His blessings continuing throughout all its seasons, for every place He visits drip with abundance! (vs. 11). All the pasture lands are green and lush and the little hills that overlook these will rejoice on every side, a metaphor for their also being clothed with its richness (vs. 12). And in those rich pasturelands there will be flocks and herds in abundance, for there will be no lack of anything! Even in the valleys there are fields of grain waving in the breeze, which is likened to a choir of singers shouting for joy, singing, and swaying back and forth to the rhythmic grace of God’s blessing and enrichening the earth! For all of this and so much more praise is awaiting Jesus our Lord and Messiah in His Temple and during His Reign.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson. 

Psalm 64 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

 ¹Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation;

Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

²Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,

From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,

³Who sharpen their tongue like a sword,

And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,

⁴That they may shoot in secret at the blameless;

Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.

⁵They encourage themselves in an evil matter;

They talk of laying snares secretly;

They say, “Who will see them?”

⁶They devise iniquities: “We have perfected a shrewd scheme.”

Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.

⁷But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;

Suddenly they shall be wounded.

⁸So He will make them stumble over their own tongue;

All who see them shall flee away.

⁹All men shall fear,

And shall declare the work of God;

For they shall wisely consider His doing.

¹⁰The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him.

And all the upright in heart shall glory.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation;

Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.”

When a righteous person becomes effective, they then become a target. And so once again David is the target of evil and unjust people, people whom have set themselves against him. David begins his defense though not by his own might, nor by his own power, but by prayer, asking our God to hear his voice as he meditates on Him and his circumstances. In doing so David realizes an inner fear, for having already been through their threats and violence on several occasions, David knows that fear can easily overtake him, therefore he asks God to preserve him from it, so that he can keep living a life of faith, boldly.

Vs. 2-4 ²Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,

From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,

³Who sharpen their tongue like a sword,

And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,

⁴That they may shoot in secret at the blameless;

Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.

David’s prayer continues by asking God to hide him from the secret plots of the wicked, from the rebellion of the workers of iniquity. For that is what they do when they target a righteous person, they first begin by undermining them with defaming speech, using all kinds of bitter words so as to make others also hate them. Arousing then all kinds of ill will and distrust against them, they then look for the workers of iniquity, people of rebellion, people who do not fear God, people of low degree, to do their bidding for them. For they don't get their hands dirty in all of this, no they employ others to do their dirty work for them. And so first they sharpen their tongue like a warrior sharpens his sword before battle, for that is their weapon of choice, then they bend their bow so that they can shoot their arrows at the ones they hate, the righteous, the blameless, shooting at them with bitter words meant to awaken and arouse much hatred, fear, and violence against us. For they, and those who listen to them, do not fear God, for slandering someone or lying about them, to them is just a means to an end, a means to accomplish their evil desires on us by arousing peoples fears and anger and turning them against us.

Vs. 5-6 ⁵They encourage themselves in an evil matter;

They talk of laying snares secretly;

They say, “Who will see them?”

⁶They devise iniquities: “We have perfected a shrewd scheme.”

Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.

Thus, united the workers of iniquity now encourage themselves in their evil plot, they talk brazenly amongst themselves of laying snares secretly so as to trap their victim in them. For they say, “Who will see them?” In other words, who will call them to account? For they have skillfully placed themselves in minds of others, or in positions of power and authority, so as to be thought of as the “good ones.” And so they devise iniquities, evil means meant ensnare someone so they might accuse them (consider Nehemiah 6:1-14), all the while saying amongst themselves, “We have perfected a shrewd scheme.” David then in his meditation comes to understand that, “Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.” In other words, the depths of evil men’s plots and schemes, the low levels that they will go to, cannot be measured.

Vs. 7-10 ⁷But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;

Suddenly they shall be wounded.

⁸So He will make them stumble over their own tongue;

All who see them shall flee away.

⁹All men shall fear,

And shall declare the work of God;

For they shall wisely consider His doing.

¹⁰The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him.

And all the upright in heart shall glory.

Even though people were plotting against David, he knows what they do not, and that is God will be the One to defeat them. For in His time and in His way he shall shoot at them, suddenly they who once were so confident in their evil ways shall be wounded! Indeed, their skilful tongues in which they trust God Himself will make them all to stumble over, and this He will do to them in the presence of men. All who see them, even those who once united themselves with them, will flee away when they see God’s judgment on them (vs.7-8). Indeed, all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God when they see His Judgment on them; for they shall wisely consider His doing (vs. 9). Therefore “the righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.” ^{Vs. 10}

For God will bring justice for those they have attacked and ruined, amen.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson. 

 

Psalm 63 A Psalm of David When He Was in the Wilderness of Judah.

 ¹O God, You are my God;

Early will I seek You;

My soul thirsts for You;

My flesh longs for You

In a dry and thirsty land

Where there is no water.

²So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,

To see Your power and Your glory.

³Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.

⁴Thus I will bless You while I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

⁵My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,

And my mouth shall praise

You with joyful lips.

⁶When I remember You on my bed,

I meditate on You in the night watches.

⁷Because You have been my help,

Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.

⁸My soul follows close behind You;

Your right hand upholds me.

⁹But those who seek my life, to destroy it,

Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

¹⁰They shall fall by the sword;

They shall be a portion for jackals.

¹¹But the king shall rejoice in God;

Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;

But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “O God, You are my God;

Early will I seek You;

My soul thirsts for You;

My flesh longs for You

In a dry and thirsty land

Where there is no water.”

The desire of the saints, of all believers, is not found or satisfied in this world, but in Him who sits above this world! Thus, with unshakable confidence David begins this psalm with a personal declaration to God, that He is his (my) God! For only the Lord our God who created heaven and earth, whose Son the Lord Jesus Christ now sits enthroned by Him waiting till He makes all His enemies His footstool is the God that we love, worship and long for! Early then I will seek you, for my soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You, in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water, I need You! For only in You is there Living Water that can satisfy my every thirst and my every desire! Everything else leaves me wanting.

Vs. 2 “So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,

To see Your power and Your glory.”

David’s searching for the Lord then led him to the temple’s sanctuary, just like it now leads many to the church sanctuary. And like him they too often come seeking His power and glory which they have heard so much about. And yet to experience it is not to be apprehended by natural means, for to experience God one must first receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith and then being born-again by His Holy Spirit, they will experience it, the transforming power of God’s Holy Spirit in their person and in their lives! For only through Christ is God’s power and glory found. Therefore start with the Lord Jesus Christ, with believing in Him, for apart from Him you will experience nothing genuinely from God.

Vs. 3 “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.”

When one experiences God’s lovingkindness they will truly say it is better than life! Better than anything in this life! For by God’s loving kindness for us all we have the Gospel given to us all, and by the Gospel, by the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilling it for us all; by suffering Crucifixion death for our sins remission and by rising from the dead the third Day we are now given new and everlasting life the moment we believe in Him! Therefore, when anyone experiences God’s grace (i.e., His absolute forgiveness of all their sins and transgression with the complete erasing of them all) their lips, my lips, shall praise Him!

Vs. 4 “Thus I will bless You while I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.”

This then is the result of having God’s grace for oneself. For praise and thanksgiving are the natural fruits thereof.

Vs. 5 “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,

And my mouth shall praise

You with joyful lips.”

O, how the longing soul is now satisfied and the distressed soul is put at peace by God’s grace. Therefore my mouth shall praise You, not “mechanically” as if something done out of “ritual”, but truly out of a joy filled heart!

Vs. 6-7 “When I remember You on my bed,

I meditate on You in the night watches.

⁷Because You have been my help,

Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.”

Recalling God’s faithfulness, David now tells how he meditates on God in the night watches, when there is silence all around, when there is seemingly no one in world but God, he recalls all that God’s Person has done for him, how many countless times He has been his help. Therefore, because God has been his/our help, we too shall take refuge in the shadow of His wings and rejoice in Him alone.

Vs. 8 My soul follows close behind You;

Your right hand upholds me.

Just as a chick follows closely behind its mother hen, so too we will follow closely behind Him. For it is there that we feel deeply safe and secure, for it is His right hand that upholds us. 

Vs. 9-10 ⁹But those who seek my life, to destroy it,

Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

¹⁰They shall fall by the sword;

They shall be a portion for jackals.

Looking outward than from that safe and secure place, David sees that those who are seeking to destroy his life shall all go to the lower parts of the earth, to the grave! They shall all fall by the sword, they shall all be a portion for jackals, wild canine beasts shall feed on their rotting corpses.

Vs. 11 “But the king shall rejoice in God;

Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;

But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.”

 Therefore the king shall rejoice in God, for it is of God to uphold and keep him as the head of His nation, thus everyone who swears by Him, (swears in truth allegiance to Him), shall glory. But the mouth of those who speak lies, shall have their mouths stopped, there will be no liars in Christ's Kingdom!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson. 

 

Psalm 62 To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

 ¹Truly my soul silently waits for God;

From Him comes my salvation.

²He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense;

I shall not be greatly moved.

³How long will you attack a man?

You shall be slain, all of you,

Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.

⁴They only consult to cast him down from his high position;

They delight in lies;

They bless with their mouth,

But they curse inwardly. Selah

⁵My soul, wait silently for God alone,

For my expectation is from Him.

⁶He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense;

I shall not be moved.

⁷In God is my salvation and my glory;

The rock of my strength,

And my refuge, is in God.

⁸Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah

⁹Surely men of low degree are a vapor,

Men of high degree are a lie;

If they are weighed on the scales,

They are altogether lighter than vapor.

¹⁰Do not trust in oppression,

Nor vainly hope in robbery;

If riches increase,

Do not set your heart on them.

¹¹God has spoken once,

Twice I have heard this:

That power belongs to God.

¹²Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;

For You render to each one according to his work.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Truly my soul silently waits for God;

From Him comes my salvation.”

This is another wonderful psalm for everyone who believes in God, who knows Him, and trusts Him. It begins with silently waiting for the salvation of our Lord. For when mans words fail, when all their efforts and deeds have come to their end, and all the voices have been silenced, there is our confident expectation and hope of our God bringing His salvation to us all who wait for Him! 

Vs. 2 “He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense;

I shall not be greatly moved.”

To that end our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is our rock (my Rock) and our (my) salvation. For He is our defense against all who would condemn us (Isaiah 54:17; Rom. 8:1), just as He is our defense from all the lies and deceptions of the wicked one in this world. For again He is our defense in this life and for eternal life, for He has given us new and everlasting life through His Word, when He came in the flesh and was crucified for us all to believe in Him. For when He rose from the grave He made the way for our and your eternal redemption! Therefore I shall not be greatly moved, and neither shall you, by all of this life's troubles and troublers in it, if you keep your faith and trust in Him alone. That is David’s message to us all, remember whom you believe in! For He is greater than all! For if all this worlds powers could not defeat Him, nor the devil himself, therefore they will not be able to overcome you, whether in life or death, for He is with us forever! 

Vs. 3 “How long will you attack a man?

You shall be slain, all of you,

Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.”

David now returns to his present distress, for certain men had formed a confederacy against him, attacking him with malicious words openly, while scheming things behind the scenes to kill him. Therefore, David knowing God’s defense of his person as His anointed servant knows that God Himself will deal with them all! Yes, they shall all be slain, all of them, but not by his hand, but by God's hand! Therefore, David likens them all to a leaning wall or a tottering fence whose fall is certain.

Vs. 4 “They only consult to cast him down from his high position;

They delight in lies;

They bless with their mouth,

But they curse inwardly. Selah”

And so when they consult it is not for his (or the nations) well being, but only to devise a means to cast him down from his high position. Indeed, they delight in lies, in telling lies about him to ruin him and his reputation, all the while playing the hypocrite by blessing him openly with their mouth while cursing him inwardly in their hearts. To this end David is sickened by them all.

Vs. 5-8 ⁵My soul, wait silently for God alone,

For my expectation is from Him.

⁶He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense;

I shall not be moved.

⁷In God is my salvation and my glory;

The rock of my strength,

And my refuge, is in God.

⁸Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah

David then turns away from them all and turns to the Lord. Consoling himself in the presence of the Lord in their secret place. David says that he will silently wait for God alone, for my expectation is from Him (vs. 5), thus not man, but from our God and Savior who weighs everything and everyone in the scales of His just balance. For our God is our Rock and our Salvation, our defense and ultimately our justification, therefore I shall not be moved (vs. 6), for my faith and hope are in Him alone. For God is my salvation and glory, He is the One who has has placed His glory in me so that all may see Him, amen (2 Cor. 2:15-16). Therefore, He is the Rock of my strength who has made me strong and enabled me to do many things that I could have never done! Therefore he is my refuge from fear, from the stalker and the oppressor.  For He will be my refuge and resting place forever, amen (vs.7).

Therefore:

“Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah” ^{vs. 8}

Vs. 9 “Surely men of low degree are a vapor,

Men of high degree are a lie;

If they are weighed on the scales,

They are altogether lighter than vapor.”

David now denounces all men who live low lives, (likely referencing those who have risen up against him), for their persons and lives are but a vapor, here for a moment before they vanish away forever. Equally then he rejects the notion that those who are of high stature in this world are somehow superior or more noble than others, so called “royals” and dignitaries are all just sinners like everyone else. For they are not inherently more just, or righteous, or noble in character simply because of their position and stature in this world. Indeed, they are just a lie, propped up by those who need to adore and worship and trust in someone other than God. Thus, if they are weighed on the scales, they are only found to be lighter than vapor, for nothing substantive is found in them.

Vs. 10 “Do not trust in oppression,

Nor vainly hope in robbery;

If riches increase,

Do not set your heart on them.”

David now cautions against oppression, that pitfall of power that often overtakes those who need to have it, which ultimately only undermines them. Therefore those who are of “high stature” should never misuse their power to oppress others, just as men who are of low degree should never hope to raise their lot in life through robbery. For all ill begotten riches are a lie, they will leave you in the midst of your days, leaving you a sorrowful fool in the end for having ever set your heart upon them (Jer. 17:11).

Vs. 11-12 ¹¹God has spoken once,

Twice I have heard this:

That power belongs to God.

¹²Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;

For You render to each one according to his work.

In concluding this Psalm, David reveals that God had spoken to him, twice in fact, reminding him that power, all power belongs to God (vs. 10). Therefore, David in humble submission to Him also declares that to the Lord belongs mercy, for it is of God to render to each one according to his work.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson. 

Psalm 61 To the Chief Musician. On A Stringed Instrument. A Psalm of David.

 ¹Hear my cry, O God;

Attend to my prayer.

²From the end of the earth I will cry to You,

When my heart is overwhelmed;

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

³For You have been a shelter for me,

A strong tower from the enemy.

⁴I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;

I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

⁵For You, O God, have heard my vows;

You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.

⁶You will prolong the king’s life,

His years as many generations.

⁷He shall abide before God forever.

Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him!

⁸So I will sing praise to Your name forever,

That I may daily perform my vows.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Hear my cry, O God;

Attend to my prayer.”

In times of our despair there is but One to turn to, our God whom David turns to, asking our God to attend to his prayer.

Vs. 2 “From the end of the earth I will cry to You,

When my heart is overwhelmed;

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

 

Whether at home or abroad, whether in a church sanctuary, or out in the world somewhere, there is no place where we cannot cry out to our God. And this we should always do when our heart is overwhelmed, when we cannot see anyway forward, or anyway beyond our current despair, please Lord lead us to the rock, Your place, which is higher than I. Thus, God’s understanding is requested to enlighten and broaden ours, which always brings us confidence and quiet consolation by trusting Him.

Vs. 3 “For You have been a shelter for me,

A strong tower from the enemy.”

How quickly we can move from despair to assurance when we recall God’s faithfulness towards us. Yes, the many times He sheltered us, the many times He protected us, the many times He saved us from..., Just think then of your life and how He has made a way to bring you here, incredible!

Vs. 4 “I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;

I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah”

This then is the confidence of everyone who believes in and belongs to the Lord, for forever we are secured with Him and by Him (John 10:27-30; Eph. 1:13-14). Therefore, I will trust in the shelter of Your wings, in Your overshadowing Presence which is with me wherever I go and whatever state I am in. Thus David draws an analogy from the baby chick which takes refuge under the shelter of its mothers’ wings, as it waddles and walks through this life, and this life’s predators.

Vs. 5 “For You, O God, have heard my vows;

You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.”

David now recalls that He had vowed to God, has committed himself to him, to be his servant forever, thus God in receiving him has given him the heritage of those who fear His Name, that is He not only chose David for Himself, but He has secured David and his legacy with Himself (see 2 Samuel 7:1-28).

Vs. 6-8 ⁶You will prolong the king’s life,

His years as many generations.

⁷He shall abide before God forever.

Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him!

⁸So I will sing praise to Your name forever,

That I may daily perform my vows.

Though David began this prayer in despair, he now concludes it in exaltation! For he knows that it God will secure his life, that He has spoken of prolonging not only his life, but his legacy for many generations to come. Thus David knows that he shall abide before God forever (which can also be said of our Lord and Savior Himself). Therefore, David asks that God prepare mercy and truth which may preserve him/Him. For without God’s mercy and truth no one could be with Him (consider John 1:17). Therefore, in verse eight David sees both eternity “I will praise You forever” and the here and now. For he now needs God’s mercy and truth (like we all do) to daily perform his vows to Him.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.