Background
Jeduthun is a musician (1 Ch 16:42). Psalms that mentioned Jeduthun in the title are 39,62, 77, and 89. This Psalm is parellel with Psalm 39 in many ways. The Psalm is known as the “only” Psalm because the hebrew word “ak” (H389) is used 6 times in this Psalm. It is normally translated as “only, alone”.
Division
Follows the “Selah”.
- 1-4: God Alone Saves Us
- 5:8: God Alone Encourages Us
- 9-12: God Alone Rewards Us
Exposition
v1: Only in Christ alone we can find true rest. As Christians we constant face prosecution and pressure from the world. Although we can find rest in many ways, but the true rest is only in Christ. He saved our spirit, and He saves our soul too, [The salvation comes from Him].
v2: [rock]: David many times hide himself under rock when he was running away from Saul. But only God [He alone] is the Rock that can save him. [fortress], like soldiers protect themselves by hiding in a fortress, we as Christians get the true protected only when we are abide in Christ. [Never shaken]: Our faith will be shaken if we are not abiding in Christ. When we abide in Him alone, our faith will never be shaken.
v3: Notice David first went to heaven and rest in God first. Only then he mention his enemies in earth. [this leaning wall, this tottering fence]: could be referring to the enemies. Although they are attacking David, but they themselves are like a leaning wall that eventually will fall to the ground. However some says David is referring to himself.
v4: [topple him from his lofty place]: Satan objectives is to pull us down from heavenly relationship with our Lord. Satan would send wicked men who lie. These wicked men seem like spiritual men who would way good things to in front of us but behind our back, in their hearts, they would curse us. Let us as follower of Christ not fall into the same level as these wicked men. We would rather be silence and not say a word if we hated someone inside our heart than to act will a full month of fake blessings.
v5-6: A repeat of v1-2.
v8: Trust in God at [all times], not just sometimes. [O people]: David is calling others to trust in the Lord. David’s own experience was helping him to help others to trust in the Lord. [pour out your hearts]: God expects nothing else. He wants our heart, our whole person.
v9: To God, the only things matter is whether we can in Christ, or we out not of Christ. Our social status, wealth means nothing in front of God.
v10: [though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them]. It is okay to gain wealth as long as we do it honestly, without compromising our faith in Christ. However, if God blessed us with wealth, we are warned not to set our heart on it. Our heart should always be set on Christ.
v11: When God said, it is considered done, because God is strong, it is almighty. [two things have I heard]: he who has ears, let him hear. All of men have ears to hear. However, on the the ones who set our heart on Christ are listening with their spiritual ears.
v12: [O LORD, are loving]: If God is strong but have no love, we are in big trouble. However, God is strong, and loving. Praise the Lord! Because of His love, He choose to use His power to reward us according to what we have done. We have saved by faith in Christ through grace only, however our rewards in heaven is based on our obedience to God’s words and His callings in our life.