GOD ALONE (Psalm 62)

This pumpkin exhibited at our local fair weighed a whopping 611 pounds.

But it wasn't close to the world pumpkin record of 2,424.6 pounds,

grown by a man in Germany in 2016.

Part of an ongoing series on the 48 psalms recommended for "down times" by counselor/pastor David Seamands (author of Healing of Damaged Emotions).

By just a few days, this posting misses the date important to the Peanuts cartoons about the “Great Pumpkin.” In them, Linus hangs out in darkness in the garden on Oct. 31, certain that the Great Pumpkin will appear. Meanwhile, his little friends scoff at his misguided belief system.

It’s funny, but sad for the deeper message: that God is not some “Great Pumpkin” spirit. You can't put Him in a box (or even in a pumpkin shell!). In this psalm, David affirms his faith in a God who is infinitely strong and constantly available in difficult times. Bible scholars say the psalm was probably written early in his reign (when Saul’s supporters were still around) or later, when David’s son Absalom was trying to usurp his father’s throne. David was feeling weak and vulnerable, a “leaning wall” or a “tottering fence” (v. 3) as his enemies try to topple him (v. 4).

FEELING DOWN

“Feeling down” and a sense of helplessness often coexist. But the strengthening truth of this psalm is that we need to look up when we’re feeling down. In almost identical refrains in verses 1 and 5, David declares his trust in God to bring victory over his enemies:

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;

He is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (vv. 1-2, boldface added)

Verses 5-6 are similar except for a significant word change:

He is my fortress, I will not be shaken (v. 6)

David’s confidence grew from the weaker “never” to the stronger “not” as he affirmed God’s protection and help in his life. He went from verbalizing how he’d find faith in God, to actually “owning” God’s promise to hold him up. Three times he refers to God as his rock (vv. 2, 6, 7). God is the unshakeable ground on which David stands, and a refuge above and away from petty trouble.

LOOKING UP

So, how does that translate to today? We’re not trying to keep one rock mound away from blood-thirsty enemies. But our enemies can attack us with abusive words and actions that might make us question whether God sees it all and will bring us through it. David has an answer for that:

Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie;

If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.(v. 9)

The answer to feeling outnumbered and unappreciated is this: look at it from God’s perspective.  From the One who alone is your rock, salvation, and fortress.  He is strong. loving, and fair. Thus David’s conclusion:

Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done. (v. 12)

Feel like you’ve heard that before?  Go to Romans 2:6-7, which gives a preview of the final judgment when earth-history ends:

God will give to each person according to what he has done.  To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.  But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

Feeling oppressed? Shut out by mean and abusive people? Put these words somewhere you’ll see them throughout the day, to help you focus on God’s strength and help: Rock, fortress, salvation.

Looking to the rock

It’s known as  “Castlerock,” and the rocky prominence at the edge of my town does seem like a castle. But I like to think of it as “Fortress Rock,” for it seems to have a more military look to it as it guards the valley. It also makes me think of Martin Luther’s hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is our God,” inspired by Psalm 46.

The Psalms repeatedly refer to God as a fortress, strong tower, refuge, bulwark or rampart.  To people who live long ago, these defensive features of walled cities and castles protected them from ground assaults. The era of long-range gunfire and air support changed all that. Today the enemy can sneak and strike within, as we have seen in recent mass shootings like that in a Kenyan mall.

Yet God is bigger than these atrocities that strike our sick, fallen world. Maybe that’s why we need the reminders from scripture that God was, is and forever will be our defense, our fortress, our sure help in time of need.  Of the many psalms that visualize Him in these ways (18, 31, 46, 59, 62, 71, 91, 94), I’m drawn in a special way to Psalm 62. Many of the others are laced with the psalmist’s fears with pleas of “God, help me.” But in Psalm 62, David faces danger with solid faith and trust in God alone. Of particular note is “alone.” Translators had to deal with the Hebrew ‘ak, which has no easy matches to English. Closest are “God only” (NASB) or “God alone” (NIV), which are peppered throughout the text.

The late Dr. James Montgomery Boice, in explaining this psalm, remarked that one problem among today’s Christians is that “we do not trust God only, meaning that we always want to add in something else to trust as well.” In other words, people tend to rely on methodologies and tools to the reduction or exclusion of God’s power.  God can work through people, but our ultimate hope is in God alone.

Psalm 62 brims with affirmations of God’s love and power. It’s a scripture you’ll want to mark up, linking similar terms and repeated words.  In doing so, remember the background of its author.  Before he became king, David was a fugitive from mad King Saul, whom he’d replace. David had to go to “God alone” when enemies attacked and even when his own son tried to usurp the throne.  His enemies wanted to topple him like a feeble fence (v. 3). But he kept his spiritual sights on God alone: his rock, salvation, fortress, salvation, and refuge.

I’m thankful that I can praise God via Luther’s hymn as my “mighty fortress.” I also appreciate the contemporary praise song by Philip McHugh, sung by Steve Green, which lifts this phrase from Psalm 62: “God and God alone.”  When we look to God as our fortress in time of trouble, we can be certain of two things David mentioned in concluding this psalm: God’s love and His power. He will never leave us nor forsake us.  Knowing that, we can find rest in God alone.