Psalm 62 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study
Psalm 62 Short Summary:
Psalm 62 records David’s expression of trust in the Lord. He said the Lord was the only one worthy of his soul’s trust. God is an eternal rock of security and refuge. In contrast, the lives of men vanish like a vapor, whether low-class or high-class, it makes no difference. We should put our trust in something eternal, not anything temporary.
Psalm 62 Summary
AUTHOR:
David authored Psalm 62.
NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES:
No Known New Testament References.
THEMES:
God is the one thing worthy of our trust, everyone and everything else will fail us.
Trust in God at all times and pour out your heart to Him because He is a refuge for us.
DEFINITIONS:
Selah – This word appears over 70 times in the Psalms. Scholars have tried for years to discover the true meaning of the word, but it remains somewhat of a mystery. Some scholars think it’s a musical pause or a literary pause, calling on the reader to stop and ponder what was just stated. Other scholars propose its meaning is related to worship, an expression of praise to God. Still others suggest it’s a literary device used by the ancients to mark themes that run through the text. The only other book in the Bible where “Selah” is found is the book of Habakkuk.
OUTLINE:
TRUST IN GOD AT ALL TIMES (62:1-12):
David’s soul trusted in God alone. He waited for the Lord patiently knowing he would find no better helper.
He needed a helper because certain people kept pushing on him, like a leaning fence post they were trying to topple (62:3). They wanted to bring down a man of God.
These people were described as taking pleasure in falsehoods and being two-faced, they were nice people on the outside but inwardly they were corrupt.
David figured the best way to deal with these people was to let God deal with them.
He wrote, “On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God” (62:7).
David encouraged other men to “trust in Him [God] at all times” (62:8).
He advised them not to think extortion, robbery, or riches were ways to secure their future and solve their problems.
He also advised them not to put their trust in men, because the lives of men are like a vapor. Whether a man was of low class or high class it made no difference, their life was like a breath quickly taken.
God in contrast is eternal, an everlasting rock worthy of our trust. David refused to look for strength anywhere else because “power belongs to God” (62:11).
Men would be wise to remember that God will one day use that power to either reward or punish men for their actions on the earth (62:12).
APPLICATION:
Don’t allow yourself to view yourself as superior to others because you have a lot of money or a lot of accomplishments.
David’s statement in this chapter should be very humbling to those who have allowed themselves to get a big head because of their bank accounts.
Ultimately, there is no distinction between a rich man and a poor man or lowly man and an accomplished man because death equalizes them.
When their lives are placed on God’s scale, they both weigh less than a breath (62:9).
If you have money, a position of high-rank, or maybe you are becoming more well-to-do each day, take a deep breath, exhale it, and remind yourself that all your life is shorter and less significant than that breath in the grand scheme of things.
Don’t crave the meaningless things that men deem significant. Take it from a high-ranking rich man (David) that those things shouldn’t be the object of your life.
The only significance we have is the significance given to us by God.
David probably had people patting him on the back every day for his accomplishments, for his rank, and for his wealth, but he was smart enough to know sometimes the Devil pats you on the pack to get you to believe all your earthly accomplishments are significant enough to replace God.
We need that same wisdom when we reach a point in our lives when people start patting us on the back.
