Psalms of Trust in God 57-58; 61-63;66

The following material is adopted from James’s Montgomery Boice’s 3 volume commentary on Psalms. Additional material from MacArthur Bible Studies, Psalms: Hymns for God’s People. Introductory material from Psalms of Grace, Philip Webb, editor. Additional material taken from sources listed at the end

We saw in previous lessons that the book of Psalms is a collection of 150 individual songs and poems written by many different authors across a wide span of time. These songs and poems cover different themes, including the need to trust God, which we will cover in this lesson. The book of Psalms is generally included in the literary genre of wisdom literature.

It is helpful to understand that the biblical book of Psalms is divided into five sub-books. Book I includes Psalms 1-41, most (or potentially all) of which were written by David. Book II includes Psalms 42-72 and contain most of the songs connected with the sons of Korah. Book III includes Psalms 73-89 and contains most of the songs composed by Asaph, one of David’s choirmasters. Book IV includes Psalms 107-150 and contain the “Psalms of Ascent,” which are believed to have been sung by Jewish pilgrims as they “ascended” to Jerusalem during the festivals.

In this lesson, we conclude our study of Book II by exploring several psalms written by David. Some of these were written either during or as a response to notable historical events. For example, it is believed that David wrote Psalm 57 while hiding out in the wilderness from King Saul, who wanted to kill him (1 Sam 23:13-29). Psalms 61 and 62 were likely written during the national revolts led by David’s son, Absalom (2 Sam 15:1-18:18).

Psalm 57

Psalm 57 is a prayer for the exaltation of God, in the midst of trouble. David begins by asking for mercy. He cries out to God for his steadfast love and faithfulness. Even though the king is surrounded by enemies, his desire is to see God’s glory. They set traps for him, but David’s heart is steadfast. He prays for the Lord’s exaltation over the whole earth.

Hiding in Thee

— The Prior psalm described David plight in the Philistine town of Gath

— He went there alone, desperate and afraid

— After Gath he faded into the wilderness and hid in a large cave known as Adullam

—The title of Psalm 57 refers to this cave

— First Samuel 22 tells us that while he was at this cave that his brothers and his father’s household and all who were in distress or debt or discontented began to gather around him

— In all about four hundred men came to him, and he became their leader

— Unlike the earlier psalms David is more settled and offering praise to God

— In the earlier psalms David was hiding from his enemies

— Here he is hiding in God

— “Hiding in thee” is what this psalm is all about

The Psalm and Its Outline

One Way to outline the psalm

— A call to god for mercy (vv. 1-3)

— A description of the problem that causes David to ask for mercy (vv. 4-6)

— Concluding praise of God (vv. 7-11)

J. J. Stewart Perowne and H.C. Leupold suggest a simpler routine

— Section one, vv. 1-5, a confident cry for deliverance

— Section two, vv. 6-11, a resolve to praise God for deliverance

Part One: Safe in God’s Shadow

— David begins by asking for mercy as he takes refuge in God

— Although he is in a cave, it is God in whom he takes refuge

— “Shadow of your wings” is used to refer to God as well

1. The wings of the cherubim

— The most frequent OT reference to wings is the golden cherubim that were upon the lid of the ark of the covenant (Ex 25:17-20)

— They spread their wings upward and overshadowed the cover

— The difficulty with this is that David says “your wings” and doesn’t mention the cherubim

— It is more natural to think of the imagery that Jesus used

Matthew 23:37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!

How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.”

2. The wings of God

— The problem with the first image has led other commentators to explain David’s reference as to the wings of God himself

— God speaks along these lines

Exodus 19:4 “‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself.”

— In the Song of Moses God is compared to an eagle and spreads this wings (Deut 33:11)

— And the phrase “shadow of your wings” can be found in other psalms (Psalm 17:8, 36:7, 61:4, 63:7)

— Interesting that David says “my soul is among lions” (v. 4)

— Daniel lived after David

— But if he had lived first, he might have thought of himself as “safe as David in the lion’s den”

Macarthur

(57:4) My soul is among lions:

The wicked are pictured as menacing animals, ready to destroy their prey with their razor-edged teeth (see Psalms 7:2; 10:9; 17:12; 22:13).

Set on fire:

The wicked are like a consuming fire.

(57:8) My glory:

This refers to the mind, that rational , intellectual, emotional part of a person which interacts with and praises God.

Power Two: A Heightened Testimony

— In Part Two the subject of the stanzas is in reverse order from part one

— Verse 1 was an appeal to God for mercy and a determination to take refuge in him

— In the second stanza, vv 2-3, we see a testimony of the faithfulness of God

— in the third stanza, v. 4, David is in danger

— In Part Two we have the same general themes in reverse

— Verse 6 deals with David’s enemies

— The second stanza, vv. 7-8, the steadfast is David’s

— The third stanza, 9-10, is another cry to God

To God Be the Glory

— The chorus calls for us to glorify God

‘’Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth” (vv. 5, 11)

— This is not a statement that God has or will be exalted

— This is a prayer that he might be exalted

Q: How will he be exalted? In what manner?

— David wants God to be exalted in his own personal circumstances

— And he praises God even in his difficulties

— Paul writes of the glory that God is accomplishing in bringing the Jews and Gentiles together into one church (Ep 3:10-13)

— Even their suffering demonstrates the sufficiency of God in all circumstances

— Even the angels marvel at God’s wisdom

— Those who know God rejoice when God is exalted

— They are thrilled to have the great privilege of exalting him especially when circumstances are difficult

— This is what David is talking about in this psalm

Exploring the Meaning

We should be honest about our difficulties

As you read David’s psalms, it quickly becomes clear that he poured himself and his experiences into his songs and reflections, refusing to sugarcoat his sorrows and joys. In short, he was honest about his emotions and experiences — especially when he wrote as a way of communicating with God. “My soul is among lions,” he wrote in Psalm 57, “I lie among the sons of men who are set on fire, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword” (v. 4). David was also honest about those who wronged him: “Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!” (Ps 58:6). Often, we equate spirituality with stoicism, believing that expressing emotions, fears, or doubts is akin to a lack of faith. As a result, we remain silent about our struggles. But in doing so, we forfeit a precious gift and disobey what God has called us to do, namely, seeking His help, just as David did.

Psalm 58

Psalm 58 is an imprecatory psalm, upholding the justice of God. David confronts false gods, showing that they do not do what is right. Likewise, the wicked are compared to serpents, continually speaking lies. David prays that God would have vengeance on them, thwarting their schemes and sweeping them away. He expressed confidence that this will happen: God will judge the earth, and the righteous will rejoice.

Low Deeds in High Places

— The title contains the word Mikhtam

— No one knows what this means

— Some take it to mean “to engrave”

— This psalm is about unjust rulers

— There was a time when our politicians were upright and their character was above reproach

— That is no longer the case and has not been the case for a very long time

— In 1986, The New Republic declared, “There is a destructive sense that nothing is true and everything is permitted"

A Vigorous Protest

— We accept corruption in our leaders and shrug our shoulders and say, “That is just the way it is”

— But not David

— This psalm is calling on God to judge the ungodly, in this case the unjust judges

— David is siding with God and his righteousness and not with evil

A Description of the Wicked

— The opening verses are a rebuke to the corrupt rulers of David’s day

__ They are accused of failing to do what they were appointed to do

— Speak and judge justly

— The word elem in v. 1 is a problematic Hebrew word and can mean “rulers”, “muteness” or “silence”

— The judges are silent when they should speak up (v. 1)

— They are dumb when they ought to speak

— Afterwards, they are deaf when they ought to hear (v. 4)

— Verses 3-5 add two damaging accusations to the charge against the unjust judges or rulers

They are evil from birth (v. 3)

— David is thinking of a special class of person who is habitually sinful

— He acknowledged that we are all born sinners ( Ps 51:5)

— It is because we were born sinners that we both sin and need a Savior

They will not listen to appeals, to act differently (vv. 4-5)

— Evildoers are compared to snakes

— Here he draws our attention to the snake’s venom or poison

— The snake bite kills

— But then he adds that these snakes are deaf and cannot be controlled by the snake charmer (cf. Ezek 12:2; Is 42:20)

A Prayer against the Wicked

— David asks God to do five things to the wicked

— These images moved from what is powerful to what is increasingly weak, from what is awe inspiring to what is merely tragic or sad

1. The teeth of a lion

— The most awe-inspiring image is that of a lion

— David asks God to defang his fierce enemies, to break their teeth

2. Water that flows away

— Water can be destructive in a storm or flood

— But it can also move quickly and vanish

— David uses this image to ask that God will cause the workers of evil to quickly vanish into the earth like water into parched soil

3. Blunted arrows

— Arrows are less destructive than water

— David knew the piercing, wounding, killing power of evil words

— David prays that God would blunt their words (v. 7)

4. A melting slug

— David uses the slug to describe the self-destructive pathway of the wicked (v. 8)

— David painted a similar picture in the previous psalm

Psalm 57:6 “They dug a pit before me; They themselves have fallen into the midst of it. Selah.”

A stillborn child

— David prays that like a stillborn child, the lives of the wicked would be shortened

— He is thinking that if they have been wicked from birth (v. 3), they should be cut off at birth (v. 8)

It’s God’s World After All

— The last stanza is a prophecy

— A confident statement that the wicked will be judged and the righteous rewarded

— Like v. 1 where translators have had trouble with the word “elem” there are numerous problematic words in v. 9

— If you compare Bible translations, you can see at once how these cause the translations to differ

— The climax comes in v. 11

— We know that judgment may tarry, but it will come in God’s time

— When it does come, the righteous will be rewarded

Psalm 61

Psalm 61 is a lament from the king. David cries out to God to hear his prayer. God is a refuge and strong tower for the king. He protects David from his enemies. The king then prays that he would dwell in God’s tent forever — that the life of the king would be prolonged. The result would be praises and obedience unto God.

The Rock That Is Higher Than I

— Many people are sorrowful and have no one to turn to

— Yet if they are Christians and have any experience in the Lord at all, they know that God is a rock to which they can turn

— He is a rock higher and wiser and stronger then they are themselves

Trust When Far from Home

— The psalmist is far from home

— He feels far away and he is calling to God from what he regards as the very “ends of the earth” (v. 2)

A Rock Higher Than Ourselves

— The idea of God being a rock is used a number of times in the Psalms

— Appears twenty-times

— Three times in the next psalm

— We looked at it earlier in Psalm 18

— There are two unique features to David’s use of the rock image here

1. This rock is “higher” than David

— David never forgot that God was infinitely above him even when he was king

— The people of Israel may have looked to David as their rock, but he looked to a rock that was higher then he

2. We must be led to this rock

— David asks to be “led” to this rock (v. 2)

Charles Haddon Spurgeon said that, for our part, not only do we need a rock, we also need the Holy Spirit to lead us to him. Our rock is Christ, but none of us come to Christ by ourselves. We need the Holy Spirit to quicken our dead souls, awaken us to our spiritual need, renew our wills, and bring us to the point of personal commitment to the Savior

What God is to His Trusting People

— The second stanza adds to the image of God as David’s rock

1. A refuge

— The image of a refuge is closely related to the image of God being a rock

— It calls to mind a retreat such as David used when fleeing from King Saul

Psalm 18:2 “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge”

Psalm 31:2 “Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; Be to me a rock of strength, A stronghold to save me.”

Psalm 71:3 “Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come; You have given commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress.” (cf. Ps 94:22)

2. A strong tower

— A tower is a refuge for people in times of attack

— In a walled city, this would be someone in their home defending themselves

— Presumably he is not alone and others are taking refuge with him and helping him defend it

3. A tent

— We might think of Abraham welcoming three heavenly visitors to his tent (Gen 18:1-15)

— Yet there may be more to our understanding because tent is also translated “tabernacle”

— If David is using the word in this way, he is asking to dwell where God himself dwells

— The same idea is expressed elsewhere (Ps 27:4, 15:1; 23:6; 43:3; 84:4)

4. A sheltering mother bird

— We are dwelling under the shadow of God’s wings

— Never fear to be intimate with God

A Prayer Fulfilled in the Messiah

— In the immediate context (vv. 6-7) David prays for himself in his struggle with Absalom

— Beyond this, here is a prayer for the continuity of the divinely established monarchy

— He realized that one of his descendants would be the Messiah, David sometimes does not distinguish himself from the messianic dynasty

Macarthur

(61:7) Forever:

The Davidic covenant guaranteed that, on the basis of God’s merciful and faithful dealings with David and the nation, David’s descendants would rule on the throne of Israel forever (see 2 Sam 7; Psalm 40:11; 89:4, 33-37).

Psalm 62

Psalm 62 is a psalm of confidence, wherein David expresses his reliance on God. In adversity, he waits patiently for salvation. Though his enemies curse him, the king’s hope is in God alone. Because he trusts in the Lord, David then exhorts others to do the same. Life is momentary. So, people should not put their trust in vain hopes. God is worthy of our trust, because all power and steadfast love belong to Him.

— David was surrounded by enemies who saw him as a leaning tottering wall and they were doing everything to push him over

— David is in danger but he trusts in God

— Clearly this is a psalm for you if you feel threatened or in danger

Rest in God Alone

— It is hard to see this in the English text, because the Hebrew is almost untranslatable, but in the Hebrew the word only or alone occurs five times in the first eight verses (vv 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9)

— The Hebrew word is ak and it appears at the beginning of six verses for emphasis

— The NIV translates this as alone in four of the six verses

— The most important thing is that the psalmist is making God his only object of trust

— One old-school bible teacher said, “They trust not God at all who trust not him alone”

Still Will We Trust

— Fixed on that rock, David knew that he would never be shaken

— Yet he knew how weak the faith of man in God can be

— David encourages himself to continue to trust God (vv. 5-7)

— He urges the people to trust in God (v. 8)

A new Look at Weak Man

— Earlier David looked at his enemies in relation to himself

— They were about to push him over like a tottering wall

— Now he sees them in relationship to God (vv. 9-12)

— He calls them “only a breadth” (v. 9)

— They are not worth fearing

Macarthur

(62:9) Low degree…High degree:

All men, regardless of social status, are woefully inadequate objects of trust

Two Lessons Learned about God

— David has learned two lessons (vv. 11-12)

— God is strong

— God is loving

Exploring the Meaning

We should trust in God, our Rock

As you read through the different psalms included in this lesson, you likely noticed that David relied heavily on a specific type of imagery during his descriptions of God: “From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Ps 61:2). “For you have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy” (v. 3). “He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved” (Ps 62:2). “In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God (v. 7). David often described God as his “rock” or “shelter” or “a strong tower.” In doing so, he rightly understood a key aspect of God’s character: God does not change, nor can He be moved. For these reasons, among many others, God is worthy of our trust. As David wrote: “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (Ps 62:8).

Psalm 63

Psalm 63 expresses a desire for fellowship with God because of His great love. David explains that his soul thirsts for God, as he has sought to behold divine glory. God’s steadfast love is better than life, so the king intends to bless His name. David confesses that with God, his soul will be satisfied, and he will sing for joy. The wicked shall perish, but the king will rejoice.

A Love Better Than Life

— There are three types of people in any church

— Those that are Christians in name only

— Those that are following Jesus from a distance. like Peter at the time of Jesus’ arrest

— And the third, as Murdoch Campbell suggest:

“in storm and sunshine, cleave to him and enjoy daily communion with him”

The Setting of the Psalm

— The title suggests that this psalm was written “when he was in the desert of Judah”

— There are two periods in David’s life this can apply to

— When he was fleeing from Saul

— Or later in life when he was fleeing from his son Absalom (2 Sam 15-19)

— The second must be the case here because David refers to himself as “the king” (v. 11)

Longing for God

— Verse 1 is a wonderful expression of the very heart of religion

— David is in the desert and he sees himself thirsting for God

— This intense physical longing for God, almost an appetite for God, is something that impressed C. S. Lewis when he was preparing his Reflections on the Psalms. He wrote:

These poets knew far less reason than we for loving God. They did not know that he offered them eternal joy; still less that he would die to win it for them. Yet they express a longing for him, for this mere presence, which comes only to the best Christians or to Christians in their best moments. They long to live all their days in the temple so that they may constantly see “the fair beauty of the Lord (Ps 27:1). Their longing to go up to Jerusalem and “appear before the presence of God” is like a physical thirst (Ps 42). From Jerusalem his presence flashes out “in perfect beauty” (Ps 50:2). Lacking that encounter with him, their souls are parched like a waterless countryside (Ps 63:2)

— We find so little of that today

— So many are seeking satisfaction in other things

— Others know God but do not cultivate this presence

— They do not long after him

— Isn’t it this above everything else that explains the weakness of our contemporary church?

Satisfaction in God

— Many ways have been suggested on how to outline this next section (vv. 2-8)

— One is God’s past, present and future satisfying of David

— Past (v. 2)

— Present (v. v. 3, 6, 7)

— Future ( v. 5)

— Another way is to see David’s satisfaction with God and then two results flowing from it

1. David is satisfied with, in, and by God

— David longs for God and therefore is satisfied by God

— God does not hold back from those that seek him

— David speaks of God’s love as “better than life” (v. 3)

— Everyone knows that life is good

— Is it why we endure painful surgeries to hang on to life a bit longer, even amputations

— Satan used this truth to slander righteous Job: “Skin for skin! A man will give all he has for his own life” (Job 2:4)

— But David says that there is something even better than life, and that is the love of God (cf. Rom 8:38-39)

2. As a first result of being satisfied by the eternal loving-kindness of God, David praises God

— David wanted everyone else to know of God’s love as well

— “Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings” (v. 7)

In the days of Elisha the armies of Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, were besieging Samaria, and God had scattered them by causing them to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army so that they panicked and fled, leaving their tents and provisions behind and their arms and other valuables strew over the route they fled by. There were about forty lepers at the entrance of Samaria’s city gate. They decided to go to the camp of the enemy soldiers to get some food from them, because they were lepers, like the shut-up citizens of Samaria, were starving. When they arrived in the camp they discovered that it was deserted. So they had a great time. They ate and drank and took silver and gold and costly clothing and carried it off and hid it. Then they came back and took more.

At last they came to their senses and said, “We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight [that is, until tomorrow], punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace (2 Kin 7:9). They did, and by nightfall sacks of flour and barley, which had been nearly nonexistent just a day before, were being sold for pennies in the market

— The point is that it is both natural and right to share good news

3. As a second result of being satisfied by the great loving-kindness of God, David wants to stay close to God

— “My soul clings to you” (v. 8)

— This too is a natural consequence of being deeply satisfied

— If you are not clinging to him, perhaps it is because you have never sought him enough to be truly and deeply satisifed

Vindication by God

— The last three verses look to a time when David will be vindicated (vv 9-11)

— His enemies will be destroyed

— If we are to be truly satisfied with God’s love it must be right here in the midst of this world’s

— disappointments

— frustrations

— dangers

Psalm 66

Psalm 66 is a psalm of praise for God’s great works amongst His people. The psalmist instructs the congregation to shout for joy, and sing to God. He opened up the waters, and led his people through on dry land. God should be blessed, because he has brought his people to a good place. The psalmist then recounts his personal thanksgiving to God. He will enter the house and offer sacrifices, because God heard his prayer and has done great things.

A Praise Psalm of Thanksgiving

— The last verse of the prior psalm said that nature praises God

— It doesn’t need prompting

— Unfortunately, we are usually lacking in our praise

— We need be be repeatedly told to praise god

Two Overlapping Movements

— The first movement is from the praise of God on a large scale

“Shout with joy to God, all the earth” (v. 1)

—Then the praise of God by a the specific nation of Israel

“Praise our God, O peoples” (v. 8)

— Then to the praise of God by a single individual

— “I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows” (v. 13)

— The second movement alternates betwen praise either given or a called for and invitation to others to “come and see what God has done”

— First, praise is offered to God from the whole earth (vv. 1-4)

— Second, an invitation is given to everyone to come and see what God has done (vv. 5-7)

— Third, praise is offered to God by God’s elect (vv. 8-12)

— Fourth, the psalmist himself comes to offer sacrifices and praise God (vv. 13-15)

— Finally, the whole earth is again invited, this time to hear what God has done for the psalmist (vv. 16-20)

Everybody Praise God

— After the Babylonian captivity, the nation of Israel became religiously exclusive

— They looked down on the Gentiles, who they thought of as being excluded from a true relationship with God

— It is somewhat surprising to see that this block of psalms (65-58) call on all the nations of the earth, not just Israel, to praise and worship God

— (cf. Pss 65:2; 5, 8; 66:1-4, 708; 67:2-5; 68:32)

The call to the earth to praise God in verses 1-7 is a proper kind of universalism, meaning that God is God of the whole earth and that all the peoples of the earth should acknowledge him as God, and be thankful. But the fact that the peoples of the earth must be invited to “come and see what God has done” betrays the reality of the situation; although people ought to praise God and be thankful, they actually do not (cf. Rom 1:21).

Singing, Praise, and Thanksgiving

— It is worth noting that the opening verses of this psalm say about singing, praise and thanksgiving

— We are encouraged to “sing to the glory [that is, God’s] name”

— Many people today don’t sing, they just listen to music

— So much of our contemporary music is unsingable, except by rock bands

— There is an interesting balance between praise and thanksgiving

— The psalmist wants praises God and wants the entire nation to do so

— The major reason for this is what God has done for him personally

— Marvin E. Tate makes the observation

“Thanks” can become self-centered and even commercialized expression with little spontaneity of real praise. Praise requires concentration on the thing, the person, or deity being praised. Thanks tend to to be focused on what the speak has received, and thus become rather narrow and perfunctory. In the expression of thanksgiving the self may become the primary subject, but this is much less likely to happen in praise

Let the People of God praise God

— The nation of Israel is invited to praise God (vv. 8-12)

— That nations of the world can praise God in a general way for his mighty acts in nature

— The people of God can praise him as other people cannot

Listen While I Praise God

— The praise of the nations fades away and the psalmist stands alone on the stage

— He speaks twice

— First to God

— Then to anyone who might be listening

The psalmist’s words to God (vv. 13-15)

— The psalmist says that he is going to bring a variety of sacrifices to God’s temple

— He lists the variety of animals he intends to offer (v. 15)

— He was delivered and now he intends to pay his vow

— Unlike most of us, who make promises easily and then just as easily forget them, the psalmist intends to carry his resolutions and devotions through to the end

The psalmist’s testimony (vv. 16-20)

— Now he invites us to hear what God has done for him

— In other words, he gives a testimony

The psalm ends with a striking, redirected syllogism. Syllogisms have three parts: proposition a, proposition b, and a conclusion drawn from putting the two initial statements together. Here is an example: (1) All men are mortal; (2) Socrates was a man; (3) therefore, Socrates was mortal. Now notice the psalmist’s syllogism. First proposition: “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (v. 18). That is a sound statement; it is exactly what is also affirmed in Isaiah 59:1-2 (“Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear”). Second proposition: “But God has surely listened and heard my prayer” (v. 19). That is also a sound statement, the proof of which is the psalmist’s previous testimony. The very fact that he is present to testify and not dead is the evidence.

But now, what is the expected conclusion? (1) If I had sinned God would not have heard my prayers, but (2) he has heard my prayers. Therefore what? Obviously: “I have not cherished sin in my heart.” Ah, but this is not the psalmist’s line of logic. Instead of reverting to himself with what would be a self-serving conclusion to his syllogism, he concludes instead, “Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” In other words, he ends with God and God’s grace. Thomas Fuller, one the earlier commentators on the psalms, noted this twist saying, “David hath deceived, but not wronged me. I looked that he should have clapped the crown on his own, but he puts it on God’s head. I will learn this excellent logic; for I like David’s better than Aristotle’s syllogism, and whatever the premise be, I make God’s glory the conclusion.”

Exploring the Meaning

We should trust God based on His previous and present faithfulness

When we think about trusting God, it’s easy to interpret that concept in terms of a blind trust. Meaning, those who follow God know they are supposed to trust Him simply because He is God and the Bible says to trust Him. Although Scripture calls us to trust God because of who He is, it also bases that command on God’s proven faithfulness. Specifically, His faithfulness in the past and even in our current moment. God’s previous trustworthiness was the foundation for David’s trust. “Because You have been my help,” he wrote, “therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me” (Ps 63:7-8). Psalm 66 is a burst of praise and worship to God because of God’s mighty works on behalf of His people. God certainly is worthy of our trust simply because of His power, character, and authority. yet we don’t need to trust blindly. We can look back at the journey of our lives and make note of all those moments when God stepped in and worked on our behalf. Those moments are the foundation for our trust in Him.

Additional Resources

Boice, J. M. (n.d.). Psalms. Vol 1: Psalms 1-41. Baker Books.

MacArthur, J. (2023). Psalms. Hymns for God’s People. Harper Christian Resources.

C. H. Spurgeon. The Treasury of David, Vol 1a, Psalms 1-26.

Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy: The Inferno, trans. Dorothy L. Sayers (Harmondsworth, England: Penguin, 1951).

Webb, P. (Ed.). (2022). Psalms of grace. The Master's Seminary Press.

H. C. Leupold, Exposition of the Psalms (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1969)

J. J. Steward Perowne, Commentary on the Psalms, 2 vols. in 1 (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1989)

Murdoch Campbell, From Grace to Glory: Meditations on the Book of Psalms (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1970)

C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1958)

Marvin E. Tate, Psalms 51-100, vol 20 in the Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas; Word, 1990)