Psalms 61

Psalms 61:1

Seeking God’s Face

Psalms 27:7-12 are an elaboration of Psa 27:4. It alternates between prayer (Psalms 27:7; 9; 11) and the reasons for prayer (Psalms 27:8; 10; 12). In Psalms 27:7-10 we hear the believer crying out to God for help and waiting for that help to come. The confession of trust in faith of Psa 27:1-6 is now severely tested. Faith shines, but the test must prove whether it is real gold or fake gold.

The conviction that the LORD helps does not make prayer for help unnecessary. On the contrary, the need for it will be felt all the more. He also knows God as a God Who is angry over sin and therefore appeals to His grace (Psalms 27:7). He knows that an answer cannot be given on the basis of any merit of his own, but only on the basis of God’s grace. He begs for an answer.

God’s command to seek His face resonates in the heart of the believer (Psalms 27:8; Psalms 24:6; cf. Deuteronomy 4:29). It is, so to speak, a ‘commandment of grace’ to do so. At the same time, it is also a privilege to be allowed to do it. David seeks God’s face and asks God not to hide His face from him (Psalms 27:9). He considers God could reject him in anger, because he realizes that he is unworthy – there have been things in his life about which God is angry. He calls himself “Your servant”, which gives emphasis to his humble attitude toward God.

He also reminds God that He has been his help in the past. Surely then God will not abandon him and forsake him, will He? We hear in his addressing God with the words “O God of my salvation” how intensely he calls upon God and appeals to His salvation.

The dearest earthly relations of care are finite (Psalms 27:10; cf. Isaiah 49:15). They cannot provide the guarantee of unwavering and lasting reliability. David’s parents did not literally leave him, for he himself left them and later took them to the king of Moab (1 Samuel 22:3-4). Forsaken here has the meaning of ‘not being able to help’. If father and mother cannot be appealed to, God’s faithfulness remains. He guarantees to accept anyone who expects his salvation from Him. Take up here means to lift up a child to help or comfort him (cf. Exodus 19:4).

Psalms 61:2

Seeking God’s Face

Psalms 27:7-12 are an elaboration of Psa 27:4. It alternates between prayer (Psalms 27:7; 9; 11) and the reasons for prayer (Psalms 27:8; 10; 12). In Psalms 27:7-10 we hear the believer crying out to God for help and waiting for that help to come. The confession of trust in faith of Psa 27:1-6 is now severely tested. Faith shines, but the test must prove whether it is real gold or fake gold.

The conviction that the LORD helps does not make prayer for help unnecessary. On the contrary, the need for it will be felt all the more. He also knows God as a God Who is angry over sin and therefore appeals to His grace (Psalms 27:7). He knows that an answer cannot be given on the basis of any merit of his own, but only on the basis of God’s grace. He begs for an answer.

God’s command to seek His face resonates in the heart of the believer (Psalms 27:8; Psalms 24:6; cf. Deuteronomy 4:29). It is, so to speak, a ‘commandment of grace’ to do so. At the same time, it is also a privilege to be allowed to do it. David seeks God’s face and asks God not to hide His face from him (Psalms 27:9). He considers God could reject him in anger, because he realizes that he is unworthy – there have been things in his life about which God is angry. He calls himself “Your servant”, which gives emphasis to his humble attitude toward God.

He also reminds God that He has been his help in the past. Surely then God will not abandon him and forsake him, will He? We hear in his addressing God with the words “O God of my salvation” how intensely he calls upon God and appeals to His salvation.

The dearest earthly relations of care are finite (Psalms 27:10; cf. Isaiah 49:15). They cannot provide the guarantee of unwavering and lasting reliability. David’s parents did not literally leave him, for he himself left them and later took them to the king of Moab (1 Samuel 22:3-4). Forsaken here has the meaning of ‘not being able to help’. If father and mother cannot be appealed to, God’s faithfulness remains. He guarantees to accept anyone who expects his salvation from Him. Take up here means to lift up a child to help or comfort him (cf. Exodus 19:4).

Psalms 61:3

The Enemies

David asks God to teach him His way, that is, that He would instruct him in His commandments (Psalms 27:11). Connected to this, he asks if God will lead him “in a level path”, that is, a path on which there is no danger of stumbling because the hindrances have been taken away (cf. Psalms 26:12). He knows that he is only walking the right path when God leads him. The way of faith is a paved path for those who live according to God’s Word. David asks this because the enemies, his assailants, are lurking on him to see if he deviates from the way, God’s way, God’s commandments, in order to then attack him.

The pressure of the enemies is great (Psalms 27:12). David knows the desire of his adversaries. They are the “false witnesses” who have risen against him and accuse him of all kinds of evil. They “breathe out violence”, meaning they want to violently kill him. We recognize this in the trial of the Lord Jesus. False witnesses rose against Him. They were deliberately sought by the accusers (Matthew 26:59).

Psalms 61:4

The Enemies

David asks God to teach him His way, that is, that He would instruct him in His commandments (Psalms 27:11). Connected to this, he asks if God will lead him “in a level path”, that is, a path on which there is no danger of stumbling because the hindrances have been taken away (cf. Psalms 26:12). He knows that he is only walking the right path when God leads him. The way of faith is a paved path for those who live according to God’s Word. David asks this because the enemies, his assailants, are lurking on him to see if he deviates from the way, God’s way, God’s commandments, in order to then attack him.

The pressure of the enemies is great (Psalms 27:12). David knows the desire of his adversaries. They are the “false witnesses” who have risen against him and accuse him of all kinds of evil. They “breathe out violence”, meaning they want to violently kill him. We recognize this in the trial of the Lord Jesus. False witnesses rose against Him. They were deliberately sought by the accusers (Matthew 26:59).

Psalms 61:5

Wait for the LORD

David’s faith trust has been tested (Psalms 27:7-12), it has been purified, and it turns out to be gold. Psalms 27:13 follows this up with a renewed confession of faith. He cannot imagine what would have become of him if he had not put his trust in the goodness of the LORD.

He knows that only “the goodness of the LORD” has kept him “in the land of the living” (Psalms 27:13; cf. Psalms 52:5; Isaiah 38:11). If he had not believed that, then, yes, what? He does not complete his sentence. The words in brackets indicate that these words do not appear in the root text. It may well be intended to say that otherwise he would have despaired, as is done here, but this interpretation takes away something of the power of faith in the goodness of the LORD on which all emphasis is placed. It is only due to his faith that he is still alive. It demonstrates that faith trust will never be ashamed.

Here, prophetically, we listen to the faith of the remnant in the end time. During the judgments that come on the land, their confidence remains unshaken. It seems that they are in the land of death, but it is the land of the living. There is trust and therefore patience.

Therefore, the believer can wait for God in all times in the assurance that He will strengthen his heart (Psalms 27:14). Now that the psalmist has experienced that his faith trust has not been ashamed, he can exhort others to do the same as him.

It seems that David is saying this to himself, exhorting himself with this. The exhortation to wait for God is made twice in this one verse making the exhortation all the more urgent. It is an encouragement to have a powerful trust in God, to be strong in Him. Then in response He will strengthen his heart, give it the peace and assurance that He will help.

Psalms 61:6

Wait for the LORD

David’s faith trust has been tested (Psalms 27:7-12), it has been purified, and it turns out to be gold. Psalms 27:13 follows this up with a renewed confession of faith. He cannot imagine what would have become of him if he had not put his trust in the goodness of the LORD.

He knows that only “the goodness of the LORD” has kept him “in the land of the living” (Psalms 27:13; cf. Psalms 52:5; Isaiah 38:11). If he had not believed that, then, yes, what? He does not complete his sentence. The words in brackets indicate that these words do not appear in the root text. It may well be intended to say that otherwise he would have despaired, as is done here, but this interpretation takes away something of the power of faith in the goodness of the LORD on which all emphasis is placed. It is only due to his faith that he is still alive. It demonstrates that faith trust will never be ashamed.

Here, prophetically, we listen to the faith of the remnant in the end time. During the judgments that come on the land, their confidence remains unshaken. It seems that they are in the land of death, but it is the land of the living. There is trust and therefore patience.

Therefore, the believer can wait for God in all times in the assurance that He will strengthen his heart (Psalms 27:14). Now that the psalmist has experienced that his faith trust has not been ashamed, he can exhort others to do the same as him.

It seems that David is saying this to himself, exhorting himself with this. The exhortation to wait for God is made twice in this one verse making the exhortation all the more urgent. It is an encouragement to have a powerful trust in God, to be strong in Him. Then in response He will strengthen his heart, give it the peace and assurance that He will help.

Psalms 61:8

Introduction

Psalms 27 and Psalms 28 are linked by the themes of salvation and strength (Psalms 27:1; Psalms 28:8) and by the theme of the sanctuary (Psalms 27:4; Psalms 28:2). Psalms 28 is a prayer (Psalms 28:1-5) with thanksgiving (Psalms 28:6-9).

Once again David – and in him the believing remnant – turns to God in prayer. He begs Him to answer and raises his hands to the temple, more specifically to the “holy sanctuary” (Psalms 28:2). This is the holy of holies, containing the ark of the covenant, which is particularly associated with the presence of the LORD. David asks God not to drag him away along with the wicked and apostate, but to repay the enemies according to their deeds.

Beginning in Psalms 28:6, he expresses his trust in God, Who has heard him. He praises Him, for He has helped him (Psalms 28:5). At the end, the people recognize that the same power available to the Anointed is available for them. In the final verse, David prays for salvation and blessing for God’s people and inheritance and that He will take care for them and bring them safely to their destination.

Prayer for Salvation

For “[a Psalm] of David” (Psalms 28:1a) see at Psalms 3:1.

David calls “to You”, which is strongly emphasized in Hebrew by being at the beginning of the sentence (Psalms 28:1b). Because of the symmetry of Psa 28:1 and Psalms 28:2, “to You, O LORD, I call” of Psalms 28:1 corresponds to “lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary” of Psalms 28:2. He calls God “my rock”. God is the living rock, a rock to Whom we can speak (cf. Numbers 20:8) and Who answers. He takes refuge in Him because He is the Unshakable. Rock is here the translation of the Hebrew tsur, which is a massive, low, black rock, the struck rock (Exodus 17:6). Another Hebrew word for rock is sela, which is a high, layered sedimentary rock, the rock to which must be spoken (Numbers 20:8).

David asks if God will answer his prayer NOW and not be deaf to him. When God does not answer, but keeps Himself silent for him, for David it is like going down into the pit, where God pays no attention to him.

David asks God to hear the voice his “supplications” (Psalms 28:2). He knows where to be with his pleas. He must be in God’s “holy sanctuary”, which is the place where he can speak, where the ark is, in the holy of holies (cf. 1 Kings 6:19). That is where God lives and that is where he needs to be heard. He has no other option and does not want one. He raises his hands there in order to, as it were, lift up his heart, himself, to God and offer it to Him.

The fear of being dragged away with the wicked is deep in David (Psalms 28:3). He specifically asks that this will not happen after all. We might rather expect that he would ask for salvation for himself and for judgment on his enemies. In this prayer he asks for both in one sentence. In doing so, he expresses the firm conviction that the wicked will perish.

What David says here also applies to the faithful remnant in the end time. Their fear is also that they will perish with the wicked when God brings His judgments on wicked Israel in the great tribulation. David knows that the judgment is meant for those wicked people and that they will surely be dragged away by the judgment. For they are people “who work iniquity”, such are their deeds. Also their speaking is corrupt. They do speak of peace with their neighbors, but in their hearts is evil. They are hypocrites.

The Lord Jesus, unlike David, did deliver Himself to His enemies, that is, He gave Himself into their hands when God’s time had come (Luke 22:53-54). He was crucified along with two evildoers (Luke 23:33), thus sharing in their fate. He was “numbered among the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).

In Psalms 28:4, David asks God to requite to the wicked according to their practices. The emphasis on requital is striking. We see this in the word “according to” that he uses several times in this verse. He asks that God gives them “according to their work and according to the evil of their practices” and “requite them according to the deeds of their hands; repay them their recompense”. They need to be given their due.

The motive for asking the wicked to requite is, as always, their relationship to God. They do not pay attention to Him, they do not reckon with Him, there is no place for Him in their thinking (Psalms 28:5). The reproach is not that they do not keep His laws and commandments. What is reproached is that they “do not regard the works of the LORD nor to the deeds of His hands”. This contrasts with “the work of their hands” in the previous verse.

They are engaged in evil deeds, of which they are full. Therefore, there is no attention to the deeds of God (cf. Matthew 11:20-21). Time and again God has punished the wicked and blessed the righteous. But God’s actions pass them by; they do not listen to the message that He has for them.

God’s response to this is clear: “He will tear them down and not build them up” (cf. Jeremiah 1:10). It is, in fact, the answer to the prayer David uttered in the previous verses. All the works of the wicked will perish. They will be judged by Him, for they have done all their deeds without involving Him, without asking Him what He wants them to do. He will tear down their works irreparably. “Not building up” means that the judgment is final; with their downfall, their descendants will also be wiped out.

What they have built is built on sand and not on the rock. Therefore, it will not stand in the day of judgment (2 Peter 3:10; Matthew 7:24-27).