Psalm 61/Commentary

The Rock that is Higher than I Psalm 61

“In the broadest terms, this is first a prayer for security, and then, after the Selah in verse 4, a thanksgiving for the assured answer, and a constructive request for lasting grace” (Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-73, p. 218).  “From the end of the earth I call to Thee” (61:2) “For the Jew the center of the universe was Jerusalem, where the ark of God was located. So the phrase ‘ends of the earth’ must mean that David was far from Jerusalem” (James Montgomery Boice, Psalms 42-106, p. 503). In this psalm David may be a long way from home on a military campaign. There are many “ends of the earth” type experiences, where even the godly feel that God is so far away. David may have felt this way when being pursued by Saul, or during the days of Absalom’s rebellion.

“People who have lived with the Lord for any length of time know…life is filled with sorrows, and there are times when there is no one to whom we can turn for understanding, comfort, or help. Some people spent most of their lives alone.

Others are surrounded by unsympathizing family, perhaps because they are not Christians and resent the believer’s convictions and lifestyle. Some have an unbelieving husband or wife, or they can be resented by people at work.

Others have simply grown old, and all their friends and relatives have died.

Whatever the cause, many know what it is like to have no one human to whom they can turn for understanding” (Boice p. 502). It is equally important we realize this psalm was probably written when David was king (61:6), and even after he became king over all Israel, David still knew he desperately needed God, for there were times he felt very alone.

We need to appreciate trials (James 1:2-4), for in order to realize how wonderful salvation, eternal life or a relationship with Jesus is, where we are

forgiven and can call upon God for help at any time, we first need to experience a situation that makes us feel as if we are at “the ends of the earth”.  “When my heart is faint”: (61:2) Even godly people like David experience times in their lives when they seem to lack courage, motivation, or when they feel fear and a general lack of strength. This does not mean that we are failing or have done something wrong, rather, it is often a reminder that we simply need to draw that much nearer to God. We need to remember becoming a Christian is not a charm that wards off every discouragement and fear. This Psalm reminds us when our heart is faint, we need to pray. Paul noted, “Let us not lose heart in doing good” (Galatians 6:9). The passage is a reminder that “doing good” might often be surrounded by all sorts of discouraging and frustrating factors. I think we are tempted to think we are not accomplishing anything significant unless our “doing good” is surrounded by 100% success and 100% cooperation and positive input. Yet “doing good” is often encircled by critics, or people unwilling to help. The idea is we must never grow tired of doing the right thing, even when we might be the only one doing it at the moment. Then Paul says, “For in due time we shall reap, if we do not grow weary”. “If we do not slacken our efforts” (Fung p. 297). “Meant to lose heart and play out. In classical times the word was used to describe how a bow is unstrung when the archer was through using it. People can get unstrung too” (Boles p. 165).  “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I”: (61:2) The idea of God being a rock for His people is common in the book of Psalms, appearing twenty times. This idea will occur in the next Psalm, three times, and is found in Psalm 18 four times. “It is natural to think of God being higher or greater than ourselves when we are suffering some severe reversal of fortune, when we are somehow down and out. We know we need God then. But when we are on top, as David seems to have been at this time—he was the king of all Israel, after all—we forget about God and consider ourselves able to deal with any need that can arise. David never made this mistake. He never forgot that God was infinitely above him and that it was always God he needed. The people of Israel may have looked to David as their rock, but David looked to a rock that was higher than he” (Boice p. 504).

 “Lead me”: Cleary the Scriptures “lead us” to this rock (Romans 10:17), yet David might also be expressing his gratitude for difficult times, times when he felt like he was at the “end of the earth”, times that reminded him of his total need for God. “The Old Testament abounds in examples of men who trusted God when far from home, where all would have seemed alien and precarious (Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Daniel), and where other gods ostensibly held sway” (Kidner p. 219). Most believers have experienced a time and place when it seems that false religion held all the power in that location. A place that was very unfriendly to godly people. When Jesus addressed the congregation in Pergamum, He said, “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is” (Revelation 2:13). Yet even when we find ourselves in places that are extremely resistant to God’s truth, we must remind ourselves that the Rock that is higher is there as well.  “For Thou hast been a refuge for me”: (61:3) In past times David had experienced the safety of being with God and had allowed himself to learn the lesson that God can be trusted with our security.

“God’s safe keeping is viewed here in increasingly personal terms, as the aloof ruggedness of the high crag of verse 2 gives place to the purpose-built tower of verse 3, and this in turn to the hospitality of the frail tent (4) with its implication of safety among friends; and finally the affectionate parental shelter symbolized by ‘Thy wings’. This, against all appearances, is the best security of all” (Kidner p.

219).

“To be Safe” This psalm addresses a fundamental human need, the need to feel “safe”.

David had not made the mistake of placing his sense of security in earthly things, even things like an earthly army, a large chariot force or an earthly fortress. In fact God even had forbidden the kings that would rule His people from “multiplying horses” (Deuteronomy 17:16), that is, placing their trust in a large chariot force. There are all sorts of places of supposed security that people think are really safe, whether it be an extra supply of cash, investments, property, possessions, or human relationships. Yet believers have found that all these things are not as “safe” or “permanent” as they are advertised to be. In fact, Jesus noted the extreme insecurity of all earthly things (Matthew 6:19). In another Psalm David said, “Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in Thee; And in the shadow of Thy wings I will take refuge, until destruction passes by” (Psalm 57:1).

The Benefits God says that a relationship with Him is a refuge, He is a place of safety, therefore, a relationship with Him must provide the following benefits:  He offers us something to think about instead of dwelling continually upon our problems.  Respect for Him removes all lesser fears.  He helps us see our problems in the right perspective. They are not insurmountable.  He offers us a relationship that removes distracting worries, energizes us, strengthens our resolve, calms our concerns, and helps us focus on what we can do at the moment (1 Corinthians 15:58).  We are often rewarded with the ability to see the benefit of this trial we are experiencing (Philippians 1:12ff).

For all practical purposes, God is the ideal “fort” that we were looking for during our childhood. It is the only refuge where we are protected from all sides and from every conceivable type of attack.  “For Thou hast heard my vows, O God”: (61:5) One way of looking at this prayer is that verses 1-4 describe those days when David was fleeing from Saul, and verse 5 brings us to the time when David was king, and David realizes that God has answered all of David’s prayers to be kept safe. Being king, David also had been given rule over those who fear God, these are the people that he now shepherded. David knew from God’s past track record that God would preserve his life (61:6) as well as watch over those that ruled in the future, a rule that would eventually result in Jesus ruling over the faithful (2 Samuel 7:12ff).  “That I may pay my vows day by day”: (61:8) “The psalm has rung the changes on the words for what is lasting, in contrast to the insecurity expressed at the beginning. Here the word ‘ever’ carries the mind illimitably forward, while ‘day after day’ directs it first to what lies immediately ahead, and on to a practical response. ‘Vows’ were usually discharged in a single ceremony, but David is conscious of a debt that can never be paid off” (Kidner p. 220).

Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017 www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net/mdunagan@easystreet.com