Bible Commentary: Psalm 61 – Sarah Titus

As you learn by means of the Psalms, in lots of passages, you get an excellent indication of David’s coronary heart throughout his huge trial of fleeing for his life from Saul, coping with his son Absalom, and all that bother that got here with it.

His coronary heart may be very humble, as he’s operating for his bodily life. And he appears to waver backwards and forwards all through the entire state of affairs between concern and confidence, as any human would in his state of affairs. 

Right here although, we discover him comforting himself with fact. Let’s dive in deep and take a better look…

Bible Commentary: Psalm 61

Psalm 61:1-8

David begins off in verse 1 being extremely daring and direct with God. Hear my cry. I’m upset. I’m struggling. Lend your ear to me. Take heed to my phrases. Take heed…cease what you’re doing to take discover of this, that is necessary.

And in verse 2, my favourite a part of the chapter. From the tip of the earth, I name to You when my coronary heart is faint. 

This. is. absolute. knowledge.

Why? 

What’s it that almost all males do when they’re simply utterly out? Drained, drained, exhausted in spirit, spent. They search for assist, however not often from God.

They search for assist in the type of an alcohol bottle to numb the ache. They search for assist from syrupy phrases that many evangelist preachers on TV sputter out to get your cash and allegiance. Those who promise to remove your ache, your sorrows, even bodily heal you. They promise to alleviate your burdens and all they do is make you MORE comfy in your sin and poorer.

People look to medicine. They attempt to remedy their issues with intercourse, with overeating, and a myriad of different gods (!) however not THE true and Residing God.

David right here understands that. He understands all that different stuff is garbage and goes to the ONLY appropriate alternative: God Almighty. When my coronary heart is faint, he’s saying, I do know who to run to. I am going to you!

Lead me to the rock that’s larger than I. The rock right here, that means God. Lead me to you. God, YOU are larger than me. He’s agreeing with God, lining up his coronary heart with God, totally admitting that God is supreme and sovereign. God is the last word. He’s #1. David is humbling himself earlier than God.

In verse 3, he’s stating why. Why do I am going to you, why do I belief you? As a result of you’ve gotten proven your self to be highly effective. You’ve confirmed that what you say (you maintain your youngsters), you do. It’s not fluffy empty phrases to get me by means of. You again up your Phrase with motion. I’ve seen it. I’ve skilled that love, that safety, that grace. You’ve been a refuge to me, a tower of power. I’ve been in a position to cover in you and be protected and brought care of. YOU have carried out that. 

I really like the remainder of verse 3, “in opposition to the enemy”.

God makes positive to plug that in. We’re preventing right here in opposition to an enemy. We’re NOT preventing different Christians. 

Take heed to me very rigorously. 

All real believers are on the identical staff. Once you battle one another, you’re preventing your personal staff member and the opposite staff, the enemy, appears at us and laughs at how silly we’re. And but I see continuous backbiting, gossip, Christians attempting to destroy different Christians. 

Are you aware that whenever you battle a brother or sister in Christ, you’re preventing GOD?!

Pay attention, that’s not going to finish nicely.

All day lengthy I’m attacked by Christians in numerous methods proper now, in numerous conditions (legit believers, not individuals masquerading as God’s youngsters). Defend your self, in fact, however by no means battle again a brother (a real believer). Higher to be slapped and take the offense and let GOD choose between you two, than to battle your personal staff member as a result of whenever you do, you place your self in direct opposition to God.

The identical is true inside marriage. If you’re married to a believer and your partner does one thing fallacious to you, don’t dare battle again! NEVER search vengeance. Ever. It’ll solely finish badly and nobody wins in revenge!!

He WILL avenge His youngsters. Are you SURE you’re proper? How will you choose? You understand not all the state of affairs, motives included. Take it to the Lord. Let HIM battle your battles for you. You stay harmless, innocent. Don’t go round harming His youngsters. If you happen to do, YOU can be punished. 

Replace: He has taken these individuals removed from me who have been attacking me. After I search for them, they’re gone. HE has dealt with the state of affairs and I stay innocent, having carried out nothing again! HE fought that warfare, whereas I remained nonetheless and ready upon Him, and there may be now peace. Reward be to His title! 🙌❤️

In verse 4, he begins by asking, let me. He’s not demanding, pompous, conceited, or entitled right here. He’s asking. Please let me dwell in your tent, let me take refuge within the shadow of your wings. 

It’s fascinating the phrases which can be chosen right here. Your tent, your tabernacle, your holy area. 

To people, a tent is a spot to go tenting in. God’s definition of a tent means one thing a bit totally different. Tent to God is translated “persona”,  “coronary heart”, “soul”. The essence of who you’re. 

In 1 Samuel 18:1 it tells about how David and Jonathan’s souls have been knit collectively. That’s the thought of the tent we’re speaking about right here. 

Take into consideration the boys who sinned by taking treasures from the spoil of warfare and holding them, as commanded to not (Joshua 7:21). They hid the treasures of their tent. And whereas that was a bodily place, their tent, to God, that is saying, you hid sin inside your self. On the surface, all the pieces appears okay however open the tent (the persona, the guts) and wickedness and disobedience abound. 

So from God’s standpoint, David is saying, let me dwell in your persona. In your coronary heart. Let me stay in You. Let me abide in You.

Whereas God lives in us, by way of the Holy Spirit, we’re ALSO to abide in Him. John 15:5 says “Whoever abides in me and I in him…” Discover the phrase AND in there. It goes each methods. We need to stay in Him, totally rooted in His persona, within the essence of Who He’s.

Once we are rooted in Jesus, we’re protected, protected, free, and glad. He is part of us and we turn into part of Him, near Him, dwelling inside Him. THIS is our protected place. 

Not a church constructing, not alcohol or meals, however within the Particular person of Jesus Christ. We stay throughout the shadow of His wings, inside Him.

As if all of that wasn’t already a number of jewels, that is the place it begins to get good. Verse 5. 

You will have heard my vows. He’s saying that when he prays God hears him, however I don’t assume that’s all of it. There’s this sense of secrecy right here. A whisper. A softened voice. An intimate second between believer and Creator, Father and baby. You KNOW my vows. You’ve heard them, you’ve seen, you realize what these secret vows are. On the finish of verse 8, it says, “That I’ll pay my vows daily.” 

Clearly, it might embody obedience however as to what these particular vows are, it’s between David and God. The textual content doesn’t say what they’re particularly or the phrases he used, no less than not on this passage, so we don’t know. 

Are you prepared for it to get good?

The second half of verse 5, you’ve gotten given me the inheritance of those that concern Your title. 

He’s saying, you’ll make me king. The inheritance is the individuals. The individuals he’ll very quickly rule over by God’s design. 

Then in verse 6, you’ll lengthen the king’s life, His years can be as many generations. 

It’s unattainable to stay your lifetime and several other others additionally, as reincarnation just isn’t Biblical. Reasonably, what David is referring to right here is the remembrance of him. David can be remembered all through many generations for a number of causes. One is said within the subsequent passage. 

This “His years” particular person, in verse 7, is said as “He’ll abide earlier than God without end.”

There’s solely One man who has and might abide earlier than God without end: Jesus. David is aware of Jesus Christ will come from His personal lineage!!! How cool is that?! 

And my pals, THIS is the place his confidence comes from. 

If you realize {that a} MAJOR occasion, just like the start of Christ, was coming out of your lineage, you wouldn’t concern loss of life. If David dies, Jesus can’t be born* (!!), so for David, scared and operating for his bodily life, God has given him data and knowledge to grasp and greater than that, to consider, that he’ll NOT die (it’s exhibiting us the reality of Jeremiah 29:11).

*Please notice: Jesus may nonetheless be born one other manner, not simply by means of David’s lineage, and we get that. We perceive God can sovereignly design Jesus’ start in any manner He desires to and doesn’t HAVE TO undergo David, however that it’s His will for Jesus to be born by means of David’s lineage. 

God is saying, “Look, it could APPEAR like issues are loopy and you’ll die however I’ve larger plans. I need to use you, for an ideal kingdom at some point”. 

David rests in that reality.

The second cause David could be remembered for a lot of generations is as a result of his story could be informed inside a spot that’s unbreakable and won’t die, the Bible. One thing safely preserved era to era.

Whether or not or not David knew that He could be within the Bible, Idk, however he did perceive his place in Christ and the way God would use him and his lineage. That introduced him consolation. It was sufficient to assist him maintain going within the midst of a large trial.

Then the latter a part of verse 7 – appoint lovingkindness and fact in order that Jesus WILL be born and that we might protect that lineage, in order that your will could also be carried out.

And verse 8, regardless of terror throughout him, he discovered respite within the midst of all of it.

So, I’ll sing reward to Your title. I can reward you on this storm. I can discover consolation and reduction within the face of amazingly powerful trials.

Pricey family members, if David can discover consolation and pleasure within the midst of being on the run for His bodily life, then no matter it’s you’re dealing with in the present day, SO…CAN…YOU!!!!

He loves you. He cares for you. He is not going to allow you to fall. If you happen to DO stumble, in the event you lose issues, you’ll not be totally destroyed. It’s God’s promise! Certainly one of my favourite verses: Psalm 37:24. 

Yow will discover consolation realizing that you’re within the palm of His fingers at ALL occasions. Even when issues LOOK like they’re going nuts, even within the mountains fall into the ocean, you’re okay (Psalm 46:1-3). You’re held by the One who created all of it!