Heading.
‘For the Chief Musician; after the manner of Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.'
This Psalm is again a Psalm of David, dedicated for the purpose of Tabernacle worship to the Chief Musician. Jeduthun, also named Ethan (unless Ethan suddenly died and was replaced by Jeduthun - 1 Chronicles 15:17 ff; 1 Chronicles 16:41-42), along with Asaph and Heman, was a leader in Tabernacle worship in the time of David, directly under the order of the king (1 Chronicles 25:6), singing and playing on the brazen cymbals (1Ch 16:41-42; 1 Chronicles 25:1; 1 Chronicles 25:3; 1 Chronicles 25:6). He continued to hold this position in the time of Solomon (2 Chronicles 5:12). His descendant officiated in the time of Josiah, and was the king's seer (2 Chronicles 35:15). ‘After the manner of' may indicate that he was responsible for the setting or musical composition.
The Psalm was written at a time when David was in fear of his life (Psalms 62:3-4), possibly during the Absalom rebellion (they were trying to thrust him down from his dignity - Psalms 62:4), or even when he was fleeing from Saul (he had held a dignified position under Saul). Either way he is looking to God to be his refuge, and his whole dependence is on God.
The Psalm divides into three sections:
1) The Psalmist declares his trust in God as his security, and challenges those who act deceitfully and seek his life (1-4).
2) He calls on himself and his people to trust wholly in God, Who is their sure defence and refuge (5-8).
3) He warns against trusting in man of any level, or in brute force, or in riches, and calls on his hearers to recognise that power and true love belong to God Who deals with men on the basis of what they reveal themselves to be. (9-12).
1). The Psalmist Declares His Trust In God As His Security, And Challenges Those Who Act Deceitfully And Seek His Life (1-4).
The Psalmist tells us that he waits quietly on God for God to deliver him, because God is his Rock, and his High Tower ensuring his complete safety. On this basis he challenges his adversaries, who are seeking to kill him because they only see him as leaning wall or a tottering fence. Little do they realise the truth about him. They think that they can drag him down from his high position, using lies, deceit and hypocrisy. They do not realise that his life is in the hands of God. Feigning to be his friends (blessing with their mouth) they are inwardly out to get him (cursing him inwardly).
This could equally apply to his situation when he was a commander under Saul, or when he was hiding from Absalom. The fact that they feign friendship may point to the former, for in the case of the flight from Absalom men were either for him or against him.
‘My inner life waits in silence for God only,
From him comes my deliverance.'
Note the emphasis in the Psalm on ‘only' (Psalms 62:1-2; Psalms 62:4-6). His whole dependence and concentration is on God alone. He knows that in the final analysis He alone is the One in Whom he can trust. Thus he is able to declare that he waits in silence on God alone, because God only is his Rock and deliverance. When we have God with us we need nothing else.
To wait in silence is to wait patiently and in confident trust. He is aware that he does not need to batter God with his prayers because he knows that God is with him and is watching over him. The same is true for all who are truly His. That is why Jesus taught us to pray ‘our Father'. Whatever the circumstances, it is to Him that we can look for deliverance. The thought here is of salvation from those who are against us. But we can only be sure of it if our hearts are set on God.