Psalm 62

As we write this it is in the midst of turmoil in Israel involving Palestinians who have taken to stabbing Jews.  It is the cause of much fear.  Our companions in the gospel in Jerusalem tell us the streets, shops and mass transportation are much emptier than normal, although visits to the Garden Tomb are continuing at a good pace.  In other words, among the Jews there are significant levels of fear.  The government is seeking to deal with the situation, with mixed success.  And of course Israel has had to deal with the opinions of the nations as, among others, the US Secretary of State and the head of the UN have made their presence known.  

All of that provides an interesting backdrop for Psalm 62.  This Psalm exhorts us to waiting silently (v1-2, 5-7), for God alone (v5), and not in men or money (v9-10).  We are called to trust in God Who has both the ability (power) and motivation (mercy) to help us, and/but Who will render to each one according to his work (v11-12).  Notice the very symmetrical layout to the Psalm:

v1-2: my soul is silent before God		v5-7: wait in silence before God
v3-4: speaks to the attacker (you will not succeed)		v8-10: speaks to the people (trust God and no one/nothing else)
	v11: God can be trusted!

Verses 1-2 and 5-7 are of course quite similar and give us the view of God that is critical for this situation.  God is my rock … my salvation … my defense (strong tower).  The situation is an attack (v3, lit. to shout out or rush in).  We are exhorted to trust God in this.  Does this mean we are not allowed to protect ourselves?  Certainly not.  What we call self-defense can be part of God’s defense for us.  But it does mean we don’t live in fear.  We can speak to the enemy with confidence as David does in v3-4.  We can confidently affirm, He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).  We are overcomers but only because our trust is in God who is for us (Rom. 8:31; 1 John 5:4).

Another way to think about this is suggested in the closing stanza of this Song.  God has both power and mercy.  I love the way David says this: God has spoken once; twice I have heard this.  In other words this is a sure thing.  God will always do what is righteous.  But what that means is that He will render to each one according to his work.  So when we are attacked/shouted at/rushed in upon, we trust in God and not in men (v9) or money (v10).  In other words, we do not become like the attacker!  What this means quite often is that our trust keeps us silent while we wait for God to do what He has power and mercy to do.  He is our rock!  He is our defense!  Amen!