Bible Commentaries
Psalms 62

Verses 1-12

Psalms 62:1-12

Psalms 62:1-12 , another psalm of David.

Truly my soul waiteth upon God: and from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock ( Psalms 62:1 )

So remember the last one, "Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." Now David declares, "He only is my Rock."

and my salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. How long will you imagine mischief against a man? You shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall ye shall be, and as a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved ( Psalms 62:2-6 ).

Now verse Psalms 62:2 and verse Psalms 62:6 are very similar. In fact, they are exactly the same with the exception of one word. But that one word makes a vast difference in the two psalms, and it shows that just in that space of time there was a great increase in the faith of David. It is amazing how that when we begin to bring to God our problems, that even through prayer our faith in increased. Even while in prayer we begin to gain faith and begin to be victorious, and begin to experience that victory of the Lord. And this is expressed here in David's psalm.

Between verse Psalms 62:6; Psalms 62:6, "He only is my Rock and my salvation. He is my defense." And in verse Psalms 62:2 he said, "I shall not be greatly moved." And then he repeats the same thing in verse Psalms 62:6 , but he leaves out the "greatly." "I shall not be moved." He didn't have enough faith in verse Psalms 62:2 , "Well, he might move me, but not very far." But as his faith is increased in the Lord, "They are not going to move me at all. I shall not be moved."

Oh, how glorious it is when we finally bring things to God in prayer, and how God can immediately just bring a change of our own attitude concerning the situation. There have been many times when as the pastor of Calvary Chapel I have been absolutely terrified at what God was doing. I stood in fear and in amazement of the work of the Lord. It was necessary for us to step out in faith a few times that just absolutely frightened me. When we had to move from the chapel a block away, and when we purchased this ten acres here, and when I was contemplating the cost of putting up all of these buildings, I was absolutely terrified. The cost of the improvement of the property, putting up the buildings and all, I had never pastored a large church in all my life. I didn't know anything about pastoring a large church. I had no experience for my job. I had been pastoring small churches all of my life. And suddenly we were in a rapidly growing situation where we had to get this property, where we had to build new buildings. We were in triple services. We had enlarged the thing. We were putting up seats in the patio, and there was no room to stand even in the patio, and we had to do something.

So we purchased this ten acres. I was trying to assure the board that we could always sell off five acres and get our money back, because it was such a good buy, and surely we'll never need more than five acres. Of course, that is how great my faith was for what God wanted to do. That is why you can't really look and say, "Well, our pastor had great faith." No way. I was backpedaling as fast as I could go. And when I would drive up Sunflower Avenue from the other church, getting ready to go home, and I would be sitting there in that left turn lane waiting for the arrow, I would look over at this ten acres of ground and my heart was overwhelmed. I'll tell you, I'd say, "Lord, what are we going to do?" And you know, thoughts would go on in my mind like this, "Here you are in a facility that is paid for. Here you are with $60,000 in the bank. Here you are just comfortable over here." Well, it wasn't comfortable because it was so crowded. But, "Here you are and things are really cooking, you know. And now you are going to plunge into an expense, $300,000 for just the lot, $125,000 just to put in the parking and the street improvements, and that doesn't even start the buildings. And what if it doesn't come through? What if attendance drops off? What if things go bad? Then look at the big debt and all." And I would say, "Lord, what if it doesn't go through? What if things drop off? What if?" And the Lord would say to me while I was sitting waiting for the arrow, "Who's church is it?" And I would say, "It's your church, Lord." And He said, "Then why are you worrying? If My church goes broke, if My church goes bankrupt, no problem to you. It's not your church. Why are you worrying?" And you know, before the arrow would turn green, I'd have the victory. Up over the freeway, singing, boy. I mean, no worries. It's His church. If the thing goes down the tube, nothing off of me, you know.

If you'll bring your needs to the Lord, even as you are bringing them, the Spirit of God will minister to you. And He will plant that faith in your heart and you can go in prayer from the place of, "I shall not be greatly moved," to, "I shall not be moved." Because God is sustaining me and taking care of me and keeping me.

In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength ( Psalms 62:7 ),

And so this figure of the rock continuing through the next psalm here.

my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us ( Psalms 62:7-8 ).

So good exhortation. Trust in Him because He is our salvation. Because He is our Rock, because He is our strength and our refuge, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart before Him.

Surely men of low degree are emptiness, and men of high degree are a lie: if you laid them in the balance, they are altogether lighter than nothing ( Psalms 62:9 ).

So the esteem of man. Men of low degree are emptiness; men of high degree are a lie. Put them all in the balances, both low and high, and they're less than nothing.

Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them ( Psalms 62:10 ).

I think that that is an excellent exhortation. Number one, I don't think that we should actually be seeking riches as such. "Promotion comes neither from the east nor the west, promotion comes from the Lord" ( Psalms 75:6 ). "And they that will be rich, or will to be rich, fall into diverse, or diverse types of lust and temptations which damn men's souls in perdition" ( 1 Timothy 6:9 ). How hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of heaven. "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man, or a man who trusts in riches to enter into the kingdom of heaven" ( Matthew 19:24 ). "Labor not to be rich" ( Proverbs 23:4 ) the scripture says. We are actually to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added. But should God seek among other things to add riches to you, if riches increase, and they may, God may bless you financially, but if He does, don't set your heart upon the riches.

God hath spoken once; twice I have heard this; that power belongs to God. Also unto thee, O Lord, belongs mercy: for you render to every man according to his work ( Psalms 62:11-12 ). "