A Sermon Preached by the Rev

A sermon preached by the Rev. Rick Wright, The Falls Church, VA

…Psalm 62 speaks of silence, which I like. But as I spent more and more time with this Psalm, I realized David composed this Psalm when he did and he may have had more in common with those of you in the battlefields of business... So I want to examine with you some points about how David prayed in a difficult situation in the hopes that when you are in a difficult situation, you will remember how David prayed.

It’s helpful to know a little background to Psalm 62. It was composed by David and given to one of the temple musicians, Jeduthun, who is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 25:6. Psalms 39 and 77 are also tied to Jeduthun, and they both also mention or allude to silence. It is commonly supposed that selah means that a pause or silent break was to occur after verses 4 and 8. We don’t know for sure when David wrote the Psalm, but some believe that it was during the rebellion of his son, Absalom. During that rebellion, David took his army to the city of Mahaniam, which was a walled city, before finally marching out into battle and defeating Absalom’s army. Given the text, I think that this setting makes sense. It could be that it was composed at some other point and was based on his or another’s personal struggles. But the meaning and application of the Psalm doesn’t seem to me to be materially changed either way, so I’m going to stick with this setting.

So we have David in a walled city with an army of rebels led by his son outside, trying to get in and kill him. This is a heart wrenching and difficult situation, not only because it is own son, whom he loves, rebelling against him, but also because it is partly his fault. That’s a long story that goes back to his adultery with Bathsheba and his poor parenting skills. Suffice it for this morning to say that David was probably struggling with his own failures from the past while he was facing his rebellious son and his army.

David has his own army with him and here we have this prayer. For the next few minutes we won’t be looking at ethics or conflict resolution or principles of practical Christian wisdom and how to handle difficult situations in the business world or in interpersonal relationships. Each of those is important and must be dealt with. What we will be examining now is how David prayed in a difficult situation and how we can, too.

We will find that David prays a prayer of silence, a prayer of trust, a prayer of the heart, and a prayer of surrender. Though this is not the type of response that the world takes, they are faithful prayers for a Christian in a difficult situation. PSALM 62

Verse 1.

1. What he did? Waited upon God. Believed, was patient, was silent in resignation, was obedient. 2. To whom he did it? To his God, who is true, a sovereign, gracious, etc. 3. How he did it? With his soul, truly and only. 4. What came of it? Salvation present, personal, eternal, etc.

1. What two periods of David's life are suggested by verses 2-3?

2. Which of these two periods is most likely the occasion of this psalm on the basis of verse 4?

3. Comment upon David's statement, "I shall not be greatly moved" (KJV, ASV: " I shall not be greatly shaken"--NASB) in light of II Samuel 15:13-14.

4. Who is pictured as a "leaning wall", a "tottering fence"? (Omit the italicized words of the KJV).

5. What was the aim of David's enemies?

6. What is cited here as means to accomplish their aim? (verse 4, cf Psalms 4:2, 55:21, 28:3) 7. Against whom might David have intended the charge of verse 4?

Verse 5. (last clause). What we expect from God, and why and when?

8. What is the difference between verse 2 and verse 6?

9. Who were the people to whom David spoke in verse 8? (cf II Samuel 15:14-17, 18:1-5)

10. Note the contrast between the two types of men in verse 9. See lesson 13, (the question on Psalm 4:2, Cf. Psalm 49:2, Isaiah 2:9, 5:15, Proverbs 8:4)

11. Explain the figure of men in balance (verse 9). Use a version other than the KJV. (cf. Psalm 39:5-6)

12. Instead of trusting in oppression or setting one's heart on riches, what should one do?

13. What is the significance of "twice" in verse 11?