W. James Biesiadecki
(This is not meant for publication, these are my own sloppy notes. If any of this helps you, may God be praised.)
Psalm 62
A Couple of things to notice:
1. Notice the asterisk next to the chapter reference. The chapter division is not in the original text. In fact you may not realize that before the 13th century, you did not have any referencing numbers. Which is why its good sometimes to read it without those markers... so you take away some of the technical feel to the scriptures. This is not a recipe book. You can thank Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canturbury for making specific verses easier to find.
2. Also notice, this is one of the “rock” songs in Book 2 of the Psalms...
61st Psalm Lead me to the Rock that is Higher than I, then Psalm 62 God alone is my Rock and my Salvation.
3. Notice who it is generally attributed to and the circumstances that it gives. These notes are in the manuscripts added at the earliest dates so it does give us important context even though maybe not the inspired words themselves. But like Augstine said of the Psalm 42… this title can be pregnant with meaning.
3. Again to the “Choirmaster”, or chief musician, same as last week in 42,
This time however, it indicates Jeduthun, then saying it is A Psalm of David. In other words, this seems to be a Psalm heard by Jeduthun from the lips of David, or passed from David to Jeduthun. Jeduthun may have heard David sing this song, and he wrote it down.
Jeduthun. is a Hebrew name that means “to praise”
He was a member of the Levitical family who, along with Asaph and Heman, Jeduthun was most likely present in some of the most intense times of worship for David… such an impact on David on David that when he appointed the leaders of the temple worship… He called on Jeduthun. (1 Chr 25:1; 2 Chr 5:12) Jeduthun and his 6 sons had a legacy of powerful and prophetic worship.
Some of his sons were set apart to prophesy along with musical instruments... (1 Chr 25:1, 3),
Jeduthun himself was “the king’s seer”. (2 Chr 35:15). The Hebrew word for “seer” is often also translated as "prophet" is the same used to describe: Isaiah, and Samuel, and Nathan, Elijah… a man of God. a holy man.
Jeduthun hears David describe the wrestling of his inner man as he seeks the Lord and trains his soul to wait.
V 1-7 shows the battle in his mind. The first stanza of the Psalm…
a. He is vulnerable - v 1salvation, rock fortress… I need to find some security, something immovable. Psa 46. When the world seems to crumble around us…
b. He is Isolated - Alone… alone... I’ve nowhere to turn.
c. He feels attacked v3-4 Attacked. everyone is against him, paranoia or real-all of you attack me…every person or every circumstance...
d. He was unstable - battering, leaning wall, a tottering fence.
These are times when you can’t fix things… you don’t know the reality, you have no idea what to do...These are the moments to speak to your soul. What does David do? David instructs his soul … "Soul, it’s time for you to learn to wait on God." In this, God is instructing us through a singing prophet… on how to teach your soul to wait if the Lord.
There are three instructions that Jeduthun heard as David preached to his own Soul. Three prophetic instructions for you as you learn to wait on the Lord.
So, how do you instruct your soul to wait on the Lord? Three reminders:
1. Remind your soul to Completely rest in God. in Him v 1, 5
V 1-2 then v 5-7v this is the repeated refrain…the core of the Psalm.
Notice that David is vacillating...in one verse, he speaks with confidence, and in the next, he commands His soul to “wait in silence”. V1, V5
The phrase is one Hebrew word, which is why “wait” may be in italics here. It means to not speak! refrain from activity, to be at rest, to be calm, to be patient.…
There are five nouns he uses to remind His soul to wait on God:
1. God is my Rock. (2/6,7 )A rock is a high place to stand on, or a foundation to build on. It represents stability. Jesus is our Rock. Some build their house on the sand, Jesus said, the wind and the waves came and the fall great. The gospel is referred to as a rock. this rock i will build my church and the Gates of Hell will not prevail against it.
2. God is my Salvation (v 2/6,7 ): My rescuer. My liberator. Im wanting to watch the movie about Samperini…lived on life raft for weeks, travelled 2000 miles to be captured by Japanese… liberated after the war… but suffered ptsd and drunkeness.. wandered in to a Billy Graham service, heard the Gospel and said that is when i was set free. Christ is my Salvation. Receiving the Gospel by faith, he rescues redeems.
3. God is my fortress ( v2/6): helms deep...having been saved, you realize real quick that you have an enemy…no its not the people in your life, the Devil roams.. But Because God if your salvation, you have a ready defense against sin and the grave. The enemy has no hold on me. The grave robber came and stole me away.
4. V7 God is my refuge: Refuge (maḥseh, “shelter from danger”839.he will be your peace, a place to rest…against the attacks of Satan, against the attacks of those you perceive to be evil men, even against your own flesh!!!
5. V 7 God is my Glory. My life is now a pursuit of god. I life of holiness, and righteousness that shines with his glory. My soul has been enlightened with the Gospel, my will has been enflamed.
Remember, you have to stop listening to your soul, and start speaking to your soul. There are things your soul needs to hear. And God has already said those things…
Psalm 46. read...
Mark 4:37-41 “And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?””
The message to your soul when the water is filling the boat...Jesus calms the sea…Be still! He can speak to the storms… you can sleep in the boat...
Soul...You have to learn to wait on the Lord because
his TIMING IS PERFECT.
He knows the end from the beginning.
Lam 3:25-26 “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
2. Remind your soul to Consistently Pour out your problems to God v8.
“Trust”…a word that means to throw yourself down on your face before him. To lie extended on the ground… this is prayer… this pleading… this the begging for mercy, like an offender before the throne of a king.
“pour out your heart before him”. Notice he doesn’t say dump it out. That is just all at once. He says to pour it out… this implies a steady stream. My prayer in every circumstance is to be a steady stream of giving it back to him.
Pouring is not dumping: dumping creates a vacuum and suction. Air goes in, and the liquid comes out
Pouring is constant.
Pouring creates a steady stream.
When you pour, you will get it all out and get it all in the right place...
When you pour, you are getting what is in a container out and replacing it with air.
2 Cor 4:7-11 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
Phil 4:6-7 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
"Soul, His protection is unyielding."
3. Remind your soul to Be completely filled with His power and love. v10,11
"Heard it once and then twice"… it is a testimony confirmed. What is the source: "God" said it!
v11. Power: it means Power, or strength and might, but also boldness. the root of this has something to do with being full. - The air comes in, and the stuff goes out. I have to be emptied in order to be filled… I have to empty the sin and worry, and the fear, and the problems… and then he fills me with his power.
Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 4: 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
What follows in the book of acts is characteristic boldness in God’s people.
Lord of the Rings Example:
The King is under a spell by the evil wizard, Soromon… a slimy guy is whispering in the ear of the King… Remember the character... Gríma Wormtongue…he is constantly whispering in the ears of the King of Rohan? Finally, the leader of the goodguys, Gandalf, in his commanding voice, said...… “I have not come through fire and death to bandy wicked words with a witless worm!!!” Then he breaks the spell.
When my soul is distressed within me… "I have a message for you soul…" "Be silent! Soul! Keep your eye on the cross of Jesus Christ, who rescued you from the grave… who bought you with his own blood, and who secures you in His inescapable hand! I have not come through fire and death… to bandy with you! Stop your whispering… and stop your whimpering!!! LEARN TO WAIT!"
"Soul, His justice is perfect"
"Soul, His blessings are incomparable."
CONCLUSION:
Corrie Ten Boom: “You'll never know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.”
I looked at the last three years.
• I had my surgery and almost died.
• Brandi’s mom got cancer, came to live with us and she died
• COVID hit, and our church was rocked for months.
• We started into the Building program and were out of the worship center for a year… completely disrupted
• In that time, my son chandler Gets cancer, and we walk with him for months...
• We move out of the est sanctuary and into the new facilities, we move from two services to one,
• and then Carly gets cancer.
It's been non-stop for three years...Here is what i have learned so far:
The storms are going to come,
I will find the end of myself...
I must instruct my soul over and over and over:
I can wait because God is my Rock, salvation, fortress, Refuge, Glory
Waiting means,
1. Completely resting in him
2. Constantly pouring out my problems to him
3. and Constantly finding my power in His presence.
Train your soul to wait.