House Condemned

Psalm 62: 1 – 12

House Condemned

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

1 Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation; He Is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. 3 How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, like a leaning wall and a tottering fence. 4 They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah 5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. 7 In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. 8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah 9 Surely men of low degree are a vapor, men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor. 10 Do not trust in oppression, nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart on them. 11 God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. 12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work.

Today’s scripture reminds me of a situation that came my way to deal with. A couple here matched verse 3 “How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.”

Apparently due to the corruption of local political leaders’ construction was permitted over a wet zone. This unfortunate couple now has their house leaning and ready to collapse. The same rotten political powers who caused this condition by their granting building permits now ruled that this couples’ home is condemned.

What does it mean when a house is condemned?

It can mean a variety of things, but in general use it is because for reasons set by the local jurisdiction it is deemed to be unfit for human habitation. Homes of private individuals or apartment buildings or other structures can be condemned in some places for such things as lack of sanitation, including water turn-off, use by drug addicts, lack of cleanliness, use for so-called “nuisance” conditions, structural defects including hurricane, tornado, fire, and flood damage, and of course the governmental taking by eminent domain for an over-riding public purpose such as necessary roads and bridges and rail lines. Condemnation has been misused in some instances and is often the subject of legal battles.

Scripture teaches us that our bodies are a temple or building. We will learn today how our own structures can also be condemned.

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

This Psalm is again a Psalm of David, dedicated for the purpose of Tabernacle worship to the Chief Musician. Jeduthun along with Asaph and Heman, was a leader in Tabernacle worship in the time of David, directly under the order of the king (1 Chronicles 25.6), singing and playing on the brazen cymbals (1 Chronicles 16.41, 42; 25.1, 3, 6). He continued to hold this position in the time of Solomon (2 Chronicles 5.12). His descendant officiated in the time of Josiah and was the king’s seer (2 Chronicles 35.15). ‘After the manner of’ indicates that he was responsible for the setting or musical composition.

The Psalm was written at a time when David was in fear of his life (verses 3-4), possibly during the Absalom rebellion (they were trying to thrust him down from his dignity - verse 4), or even when he was fleeing from Saul (he had held a dignified position under Saul). Either way he is looking to God to be his refuge, and his whole dependence is on God.

The Psalm divides into three sections:

1). The Psalmist declares his trust in God as his security, and challenges those who act deceitfully and seek his life (1-4).

2). He calls on himself and his people to trust wholly in God, Who Is their sure defense and refuge (5-8).

3). He warns against trusting in man of any level, or in brute force, or in riches, and calls on his hearers to recognize that power and true love belong to God Who deals with men on the basis of what they reveal themselves to be. (9-12).

The Psalmist tells us that he waits quietly on God for God to deliver him, because God is his Rock, and his High Tower ensuring his complete safety. On this basis he challenges his adversaries, who are seeking to kill him because they only see him as leaning wall or a tottering fence. Little do they realize the truth about him. They think that they can drag him down from his high position, using lies, deceit and hypocrisy. They do not realize that his life is in the hands of God. Feigning to be his friends (blessing with their mouth) they are inwardly out to get him (cursing him inwardly).