Psalm 62, Say it Emphatically!

Jesus said, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one” (Mt. 5:37).  He was, of course, forbidding the kinds of oaths by which Jews could make deceitful statements with no accountability.  I have heard, for example, that the Koran encourages deceit (telling lies) for good causes.  That’s what Jews did.  If they affirmed their words with a proper oath then you could believe it.  If they didn’t, then who knows what agreements would stand. 

Today’s word study begins in Psalm 62 where the Hebrew “ak” is used 6x.  In the NKJV it is translated truly (v1), only (v2,4,6), alone (v5) and surely (v9).  Regardless of where it appears in your Bible translation, in the Hebrew it is the first word of the verse each time, meaning it is emphatic.  It is a word of affirmation.  It is used 161x in 157 verses in the OT so we are not going to list them all, although I would suggest to you that you might want to know when this word appears in a passage you are studying.  It is asking you to stop and think about what it affirms.

Let’s begin with just Psalm 62.

·       v1: Truly my soul silently waits for God.  Have you ever told someone you would pray for them and then it slipped your mind?  Or has anyone questioned whether you were really trusting God because they did not “see” you praying or you did not share the need with others?  David says, “my soul which you cannot see, is waiting on God silently so you cannot hear.  Truly!  Believe me!”

·       v2: He only is my rock and my salvation … my defense/strong tower.  His trust in God is total.  He trusts no one else.  ONLY God!  Ps. 62:6 repeats this verse.

·       v4: They only consult to cast him down from his high position.  David affirms that the attack of his enemy is baseless.  He has done no wrong.  They are merely jealous of his position.

·       v5: My soul, wait silently for God alone. What he affirmed in v1 he know encourages his soul to continue to do.  He calls the soul to be whole-hearted.

·       v9: Surely men of low degree are a vapor, men of high degree are a lie.  Whatever kind of men are involved in this attack (those valued as important in society of those considered weak by society), their attack will fail because they are all without substance.  He is confident of this, and affirms this to his soul.

Do you see what is important about this term?  If you are telling a story of praying a prayer this word helps you to be single-minded, to allow no room for variation.  Here are a few appearances of this word.

·       Gen. 7:23: Only Noah & those who were with him in the ark remained (1^st use).

·       Ps. 23:6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

·       Jer. 30:11: Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you,
Yet I will not make a complete end of you.

What is going on in your soul, your life, that needs emphasis attached to it?