Wait Only Upon the LORD: An Exposition of the 62nd Psalm
If there is any word that describes modern life is that it is not “wait.” We go through life rushing from place to place and from crisis to crisis. No sooner have we dealt with one problem that another springs up. Instead of acting upon difficulties, we react to them. As a result, we are constantly stressed out. It takes quiet time to process thought. This is the reason that God instituted the Sabbath. But we are even in a rush to go to church, get through the service, and return to our problems. We are only half-engaged in the refreshment of worship, and we have one ear on the sermon and the other on what we are going to do after church. This is no way to live.
King David, who wrote the 62nd Psalm was also a busy man. He faced many crises in his life. He had the same tendency to react to problems as we do. This is the default. But David still heard the voice of the LORD. He shares his experience with the LORD with us, and we would do well to listen. Let us now turn to the 62nd Psalm and learn what God would have us hear. We would do well to leave our problems aside for a moment and fix our attention on the Word of God.
When looking at the psalm, we notice that verses one and five are very similar. Parallel structure is common in Hebrew poetry, such as we find in the psalms. In verse 11, David says that He had heard God speak once followed that he had heard it a second time. Repeating something emphasizes something. This is common in English as well. It is like a mother who tells her child: “Did I not tell you to take out the garbage?” This puts emphasis upon waiting upon God.
When we look at parallel structures, we not only see the similarities, we also must notice the differences as well. One of these differences is the insertion of the word “only” in the repetition. “My soul, wait thou only upon God.” The first verse tells us that David waited upon God, But this could lead to the conclusion that David might have also waited upon someone else. So if David tells us that he waited only upon God, what does that mean? Does that mean he did not listen to anyone else? We must remember that God uses means to answer prayers. It is not always a voice from heaven. Sometimes God speaks through His Word. Sometimes He speaks through the pastor, a Sunday School teacher, a good friend, or a counselor. Sometimes the answer comes with the singing of a hymn. This is not a call to shut our ears out to the means God might use, Instead, it is a call to come to God first and wait upon Him.
A second difference is that verse one says that “salvation comes from Him,” and verse 5 says “his expectation is from Him.” The words “salvation” and “expectation” are paired. Together, they say something like: “I expect Him to deliver me from this situation.” Waiting in prayer must be coupled with the faith that God hears our petition and will answer it, We might not know right away how and when God will deliver us from the situation. But we must believe that He will do so. In the meanwhile, we must wait.
Verses 2 and 6 are also parallel. Here the metaphor is that of a rock. We think of rocks as solid and immovable. It is not a stone, but a large and stable rock formation. Here in both verses, the word “only” is inserted. God is the only one who provides a sure foundation. He is David’s (and our) sure defense. The difference is that in verse 2 the word “greatly” is addend to moved. This gives the idea that perhaps the problems moved David a little bit. But by verse 6, David is saying: “I will not be moved at all.” Here we see the fruit of waiting on God. When we take the time to process the situations in life we face in the light of the Lord, our boldness grows.
We don’t know the exact problem David was dealing with when he wrote this psalm. It seems to have been some act of betrayal. We know from the life of David that he had a trusted counselor Ahithophel who betrayed him when Absalom usurped David’s throne (2 Samuel 15). Psalm 41:9 might also speak of this betrayal, although it also is a prophecy of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. Whatever the issue might have been, David addresses these plotters directly. Unlike the solid foundation that God provides, David tells them that they are a tottering fence or a bowed wall. Walls and fences are supposed to provide protection. But a poorly constructed wall or fence is no defense at all. David calls them liars whose only purpose is to try to cast down God from His throne. These people flatter with the tongue but curse on the inside. Having considered this, David repeats his confidence in God as His sure and only defense.
David in verse 8 calls upon the readers of the psalm to join him in his confidence in God. We can safely pour out our heart before Him because He is trustworthy. This is unlike men. One can be hurt by someone who betrays the secrets of our hearts. This is true of all strata of society. The Bible calls all of us liars and sinners. The counsel we provide can be disastrous. Apart from the Lord, it is at best lighter than the wind and at worst, destructive. Even a friend who does not mean us particular harm can give advice which can result in disaster.
David goes on to warn us about other methods we employ in response to our distress. We are not to oppress others. This has the idea also that we are not to exact revenge or try to crush our enemies. Nor are we to thing that playing Robin Hood is the answer and steal back that which we felt was stolen. David was always careful in his dealings with King Saul, whom he considered the “LORD’s Anointed.” When David had opportunity to take matters into his own hands and kill Saul who would have certainly killed David under the same circumstances, he refrained from hurting him. He let the LORD take care of things. We must learn not to depend upon ourselves or our riches but only upon God.
David goes on to remind us that power comes from God. God not only spoke to David once on this matter but twice. Only God can be trusted with power. This is something which King David needed to be reminded of. As king of Israel, he possessed a great deal of power and riches. He could oppress with it. He could kill with it. He could exercise it to advantage himself. This is not to say that David was always successful. He certainly abused his power when he sent Uriah the Hittite to his death to cover up David’s adultery with Bathsheba. He also sinned against God in numbering his army rather than trusting only in God to protect him. Perhaps this is why God spoke twice to David concerning who only possesses ultimate power. The fact that David follows this verse by saying that mercy also belongs to God. He needed mercy because God renders to every man according to his work. God has the power to bring all things to final judgment. Unless God is merciful, who could stand in this judgment?
The nice thing about the psalms is that they speak directly to us as well. Our crises in life might not be the same as the ones David faced. But God’s truth still applies to us. We need to learn that God is the one who provides for us in difficult times and has the power to make us stand. Because of this, we should wait on Him and not spend so much time scheming how we are going to get out of the problem we are facing. We are to wait no Him only. We learned that God often uses means to answer our waiting petitions. However, we are to wait on Him first. Satan would like to make us so busy trying to work out our own problems that we neglect waiting in prayer. But our own devices end up being those bowed walls and tottering fences. We have to spend so much time trying to shore up these walls that we become ineffective for God. We are not protected by walls but by the power of God.
Our problems are not going away. One problem may go away, but the next problem is not far behind. So making a habit of waiting upon God is the best way to ensure that we stay strong when the next storm comes. God’s counsel helps us prevent problems of our own making as well as the problems which are thrust upon us. No matter what happens in this life, we are His people and the sheep of His pasture, so long as we believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
