Psalm 62: A Reformation Psalm
Dr. Ryan Swale is pastor of Immanuel URC in Jordan, Ontario, and a graduate of Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary who wrote his dissertation on "The Imprecatory Pastor: A Practical Theology of the Imprecatory Psalms."
As we remember the beginning of the Protestant Reformation this week, I was struck in preaching through Psalm 62 recently at how fitting a psalm it is for this time of year. In the Hebrew, six of the twelve verses begin with the word ’ak, meaning “alone” or “only” (vv. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 9). This led Spurgeon to call it the “only psalm.” Not that it’s the only psalm in the Psalter, but its distinguishing feature is its emphasis on God alone, or only. Spurgeon said of David’s emphasis on placing his faith in God alone, “That faith alone is true which rests on God alone,” and “that confidence which relies but partly on the Lord is vain confidence.” God calls us to trust not partly in him, but entirely.
Psalm 62 gives us a wonderful reminder of that Reformation truth of FAITH ALONE. David is able to wait in silence on God in the opening verses because he looks to him entirely. He calls God his rock and salvation, and his fortress, and says that because he looks to God alone, he will not be greatly shaken.
David is writing this in the midst of the attacks of his enemies. But as we broaden this to think also of our enemies of “the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh,” isn’t striking to consider how, when we fail to look to God alone, we are greatly shaken? Article 24 of the Belgic Confession makes this point: that when we look, for instance, to our works to justify us, we are always in doubt, tossed back and forth and without any certainty, and our poor consciences are constantly tormented. That is to say, if we don’t look to Christ alone, we are greatly shaken. And so, David models for us how to do this.
However, he also understands the temptations that we face to look elsewhere. Although in verses 1 and 2, he looks to God alone for his salvation, in verse 5 we see him preaching to himself, “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence.” And verse 6, “He only [the same word as alone] is my rock and my salvation.” Though David understood this at the beginning of the psalm, he still has to remind himself to believe it.
Calvin says,
Creatures of such instability, and liable to be borne away by a thousand different influences, we need to be confirmed again and again. I repeat, that there is no reason to be surprised [that] David here calls upon himself a second time to preserve that silence before God which he might already appear to have attained; for, amidst the disturbing motions of the flesh, perfect composure is what we never reach.
Calvin understood the need to remind ourselves each day of the truths we believed yesterday. He understood (as did David) the need to preach the truths of the gospel to our doubting souls. Lloyd-Jones said most of our unhappiness in life is due to the fact that we are listening to ourselves instead of speaking to ourselves. He said, “The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself.” That’s what we see David here doing: preaching to himself that God alone is his salvation.
And yet, David also preaches to us. Starting in verse 8, he now addresses the people of God and calls us to trust in God also. In fact, he holds up God as our salvation over and against man in verse 9: “Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.” He is not disparaging man himself, but man as a source of salvation. Indeed, salvation can be found in God alone! Not in money either (v. 10), but salvation comes at a price that God alone can pay (cf. Psalm 49:7-9). And indeed, he will, in giving his own Son. David is preaching to us that salvation cannot be found through human achievement, but only by divine grace.
Throughout this psalm, he has proclaimed to himself, and to us, that salvation is by grace alone, and through faith alone. From a New Testament perspective, we understand that it is by Christ alone. And all of this, to the glory of God alone; for when we forsake all merit and trust in him alone, he receives all glory.
But then, at the end of the psalm, David grounds all of this in the Reformation principle of Scripture alone: “Once God has spoken; twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God, and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love” (vv. 11-12b).
Douglas Webster says, “The undeniable fact that God has spoken definitively, not once, but twice, explains why David uses the particle ’ak six times in this psalm…. The psalmist insists on asserting every truth in this psalm earnestly, not because he is dogmatic, but because God has spoken. Everything said in this psalm rests on the unambiguous revelation of God,” who has revealed himself as the rock to whom power belongs, and the God of grace to whom steadfast love belongs (vv. 11-12).
Augustine said almost all of Scripture is summed up in those last two verses, where God’s power means that he is able to save, and his steadfast love means that he is willing. Verses 11 and 12 summarize the message of the Bible, and the heart of the Reformation, grounded in the unambiguous revelation of God himself. Indeed, this “only psalm” summarizes the Solas of the Reformation.
But just to say a word about that last line in verse 12: it’s not all of a sudden undermining everything this psalm has said about faith alone when it says God will render to a man according to his work. It’s not as if David now hopes to be justified by his works or to merit salvation. But here, David the King, who has suffered the attacks of his enemies, is reminding us (and reminding himself) that God will make restitution for all that his enemies have done, and will bring to judgment every sin that is not blotted out by the steadfast love and power of God in Christ. He is again grounding us in the gospel and calling all who are outside of Christ to hide under the shadow of his wings. If you would be judged not according to your own works but according to Christ’s, then you must hide yourself in him! That is the gospel according to Psalm 62. May we revel in it, and may we call others to believe it. Soli Deo Gloria!