Psa 62:1 | KingComments | STEP | The subject of this psalm is waiting for God. It is not wait and see, but expect. It is putting one’s trust in God, and to do so in the strongest terms. The psalm is written in the first person singular, which means that it is a personal psalm. That is why it is one of the favorite psalms of many believers of all times. Expectation implies dependence based on the understanding that we can do nothing without Him. It also implies trust in faith that God’s time is the best time and therefore we wait for Him and expect it from Him. It is trusting in Him that He will certainly come and in the right time, way and place. Through this, perseverance also gets a perfect work in us ( ). The core of the psalm is found in , where the people are exhorted to follow the example of the psalmist. This exhortation also applies to us, as well as to the faithful remnant. For “for the choir director” ( ) see at Psalm 4:1. It is a psalm “according to Jeduthun”. Jeduthun is the man appointed by David to prophesy with lyres, harps and cymbals to praise the LORD ( ). Jeduthun means “choir of praise”. See further at Psalm 39:1. For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalm 3:1. The word “only” in , used by David, or the God-fearing, can also be translated with “sure”. He uses similar words six times in this psalm, in Hebrew each time at the beginning of a verse ( ). Four times it characterizes the saints and twice the wicked. The first “only” or “sure” is spoken by him in relation to his trust in God. Here he testifies to the certainty of his soul’s silence or rest for God, in His presence. This rest is in God only and in no one else. This rest marks Christ during His life on earth. He has rest in His God and the way that God has determined for Him. Much in this psalm we recognize in the life of the Lord Jesus. The certainty that the psalm breathes comes from a heart that has a free intercourse with God. The soul is “in silence”, or comes to rest, “for God”, that is in His presence. This silence and rest, this trustful waiting for God, comes forth from knowing that from God is his salvation (cf. ). This is not passive, but active. It is not ‘navel-gazing’, but a conscious being in God’s presence in trustful waiting for what He is going to do and that whatever He does is always good. It is a silent surrender in which no personal initiative is present. It is the silence of inner rest after the struggle in Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 ( ). What remains is God only. On the mountain of transfiguration, the disciples see “no one except Jesus Himself alone” ( ). And Paul testifies: “To me, to live is Christ” ( ). To be in silence for God means to be focused on God in the peaceful awareness that salvation is “His”. It is the inner peace through the consciousness of God’s nearness. It is the rest of a weaned child with its mother ( ). Salvation means deliverance from affliction and bringing into the blessing. This refers both to present situations and to the final blessing in the realm of peace. That situation is brought about by Christ. Faith therefore looks upward for deliverance from a situation of distress in the present. Faith also looks forward, to the future, for the final deliverance from all distress and the bringing into the blessing of the realm of peace. In the previous psalm, David asked God to lead him to the rock ( ). Here he is on the rock ( ). There he sees, as it were, the glory of God ( ). God is his rock. As a result, he is sure of his salvation in view of the future. He will reach it. In view of the present, God is his “stronghold“ because of the adversaries that are still around. Because of all this, he can say: “I shall not be greatly shaken.”. In Hebrew it says he shall not be shaken ‘much’, that is, he will not be shaken to death. Because of the presence of enemies, he is not yet free from all danger. Nor is he yet completely free from their influence. Further down in the psalm ( ) he expresses the assurance that he shall not be shaken at all. Here he is still mindful that circumstances may still cause him to be shaken. However, he immediately adds that this being shaken shall “not be greatly”, indicating that he will not fall badly.

‏ Psalms 62:1

Introduction

The subject of this psalm is waiting for God. It is not wait and see, but expect. It is putting one’s trust in God, and to do so in the strongest terms. The psalm is written in the first person singular, which means that it is a personal psalm. That is why it is one of the favorite psalms of many believers of all times.

Expectation implies dependence based on the understanding that we can do nothing without Him. It also implies trust in faith that God’s time is the best time and therefore we wait for Him and expect it from Him. It is trusting in Him that He will certainly come and in the right time, way and place. Through this, perseverance also gets a perfect work in us (Jam 1:4).

The core of the psalm is found in Psa 62:8, where the people are exhorted to follow the example of the psalmist. This exhortation also applies to us, as well as to the faithful remnant.

Rest in God

For “for the choir director” (Psa 62:1a) see at Psalm 4:1.

It is a psalm “according to Jeduthun”. Jeduthun is the man appointed by David to prophesy with lyres, harps and cymbals to praise the LORD (1Chr 16:41-42 ; 1Chr 25:1 ; 3 ; 6). Jeduthun means “choir of praise”. See further at Psalm 39:1.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalm 3:1.

The word “only” in Psa 62:1b, used by David, or the God-fearing, can also be translated with “sure”. He uses similar words six times in this psalm, in Hebrew each time at the beginning of a verse (Psa 62:1b ; 2 ; 4 ; 5 ; 6 ; 9). Four times it characterizes the saints and twice the wicked.

The first “only” or “sure” is spoken by him in relation to his trust in God. Here he testifies to the certainty of his soul’s silence or rest for God, in His presence. This rest is in God only and in no one else. This rest marks Christ during His life on earth. He has rest in His God and the way that God has determined for Him. Much in this psalm we recognize in the life of the Lord Jesus.

The certainty that the psalm breathes comes from a heart that has a free intercourse with God. The soul is “in silence”, or comes to rest, “for God”, that is in His presence. This silence and rest, this trustful waiting for God, comes forth from knowing that from God is his salvation (cf. Isa 26:3 ; Isa 30:15).

This is not passive, but active. It is not ‘navel-gazing’, but a conscious being in God’s presence in trustful waiting for what He is going to do and that whatever He does is always good. It is a silent surrender in which no personal initiative is present. It is the silence of inner rest after the struggle in Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 (Psa 42:5 ; 11 ; Psa 43:5). What remains is God only. On the mountain of transfiguration, the disciples see “no one except Jesus Himself alone” (Mt 17:8). And Paul testifies: “To me, to live is Christ” (Phil 1:21a).

To be in silence for God means to be focused on God in the peaceful awareness that salvation is “His”. It is the inner peace through the consciousness of God’s nearness. It is the rest of a weaned child with its mother (Psa 131:2). Salvation means deliverance from affliction and bringing into the blessing. This refers both to present situations and to the final blessing in the realm of peace. That situation is brought about by Christ. Faith therefore looks upward for deliverance from a situation of distress in the present. Faith also looks forward, to the future, for the final deliverance from all distress and the bringing into the blessing of the realm of peace.

In the previous psalm, David asked God to lead him to the rock (Psa 61:2). Here he is on the rock (Psa 62:2). There he sees, as it were, the glory of God (Exo 33:21-22). God is his rock. As a result, he is sure of his salvation in view of the future. He will reach it. In view of the present, God is his “stronghold“ because of the adversaries that are still around.

Because of all this, he can say: “I shall not be greatly shaken.”. In Hebrew it says he shall not be shaken ‘much’, that is, he will not be shaken to death. Because of the presence of enemies, he is not yet free from all danger. Nor is he yet completely free from their influence. Further down in the psalm (Psa 62:6) he expresses the assurance that he shall not be shaken at all. Here he is still mindful that circumstances may still cause him to be shaken. However, he immediately adds that this being shaken shall “not be greatly”, indicating that he will not fall badly.