Where do you go to find help and hope? David tells us that God is our only sure help. In Psalm 62 David contrasts God's salvation with men and money.
Structure
Psalm 62 divides into 2 sections each of 16 lines, with an additional coda of 3 lines after the second section. Both sections have a similar structure:
God is My Rock
Man is Untrustworthy
God is Steadfast
The first section does this through a refrain that brackets the part declaring man as untrustworthy. The second section ends with a one verse coda, the only words actually addressed to God, declaring His steadfast love and justice.
The meaningful center is found in the second half of verse 7.
my mighty rock, my refuge is God
God Is My Rock
Psalm 62:1-6
David begins and ends this section with a refrain declaring that God alone is his salvation. God is his rock, his salvation and his fortress.
In between these refrains David talks about the people around him. Their goal is to tear him down with lies. He feels like a flimsy fence about to fall.
But David is not going to be shaken because his hope is not in humans but in God alone!
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken. Psalm 62:5-6
God Is My Rock
Psalm 62:7-12
Section 2, like Section 1, begins and ends with a declaration of trust. It is here that we come upon the meaningful center of the psalm:
my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Psalm 62:7
God is as solid as a rock. When we place our hope in Him, we cannot be shaken.
David then calls upon all of us to join him.
Trust in him at all times, O people; Psalm 62:8
Just like section 1, in between the declarations of trust we are reminded that humans are not worthy of our trust. David puts all humans on a scale and says their combined weight is lighter than a breath. God is a solid, immovable rock, but humans are but a breath in comparison. How foolish we are when we put our complete trust in other people rather than God!
In the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath. Psalm 62:9
David builds upon this warning by also pointing out that money is no better:
If riches increase,
set not your heart on them. Psalm 62:10
In the concluding verses we are reminded that God is trustworthy because of His two main attributes: power and love. God has the power to do whatever He wishes but that power is always expressed through love. God will use his power to protect those who turn to Him and punish those who persist in evil.
It is easy to forget, but even God's justice is an expression of His love. God's justice is necessary to protect those who trust in Him from the harm done by those who persist in evil.
Application
Where do you go to find help and hope? David tells us to go to God. He is our rock and He is our salvation.
The help of humans is lighter than air in comparison to the solid rock of God's salvation. Money is a vain hope. But God is our mighty rock and refuge!
This post is part of a series on the Psalms.
by Jerry Wyrick, President of Worship Arts Conservatory