I Invite you at this time to take your copies of God's Word and to open with me to the book of Psalms and Psalm 62 We'll be looking at Psalm 62 all 12 verses there As we Look at our sermon entitled, Trust God and God Alone. In our sermon series, The Spirit-Inspired Songbook, we can look through the various Psalms. We're in Psalm 62. The heading there reads, To the Choir Master, According to Jaduthun, a psalm of David. So David wrote this. You have this instruction to the choir master. Jaduthun, this same title or same heading appears above Psalm 39 as well. Jaduthun was either a tune, it may have been written by a specific choir master or minister or someone that wrote that particular tune. Text reads, for God alone, my soul waits in silence. From him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I shall not be greatly shaken. How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse, say la. For God alone, oh my soul, Wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory, my mighty rock. My refuge is God. Trust in Him at all times, O people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us, Selah. Those of low estate are but a breath. Those of high estate are a delusion. In the balances they go up. They are together lighter than a breath. Put no trust in extortion. Set no vain hopes on robbery. If riches increase, set not your heart on them. Once God has spoken, twice have I heard this, that power belongs to God, and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render a man according to his work. Let us hear this word and let us heed it. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord, it will stand and stand forever. On the back of our bulletin, you see that there are five Latin phrases, what are typically called the summation of Reformation theology, the Reformation cries, the five solas. are sometimes called sola scriptura, that the Bible is the sole written divine revelation alone can bind the conscience of believers absolutely. So scripture alone. Sola fide, faith alone. That justification is by faith and by faith alone. The merit of Christ imputed to us by faith is the sole ground of our acceptance by God, by which our sins are remitted. Solus Christus, Christ alone. Christ is the only mediator through whose work we are redeemed. Sola gratia, grace alone. Our salvation rests solely on the work of God's grace for us. And then soli deo gloria, to the glory of God alone, to God alone belongs the glory. We say that according to Scripture and Scripture alone. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, unto the glory of God alone. And the most important words in those little phrases is the sola part, the alone aspect of it. Because once you talk about mixing faith with works, then you don't have good news anymore. Once you start saying you're resting on the righteousness of Christ, and then trying to get righteousness from somewhere else, then you don't have good news anymore. Once it's by grace, but then also a little effort on your part, no longer good news. And once you rob God of some of His glory and start boasting a little bit in what you've done on this, it's no longer good news. And once you give up the authority of Scripture and start trusting in man's authority or man-made authority somewhere else, then you've eliminated. So the alone part is the part that matters so much. It makes the good news, good news. We talk about this is Reformation theology. This is Bible theology. What I mean, this is gospel theology. There isn't some other kind. And this fits well with what David is saying in Psalm 62. For he emphasizes that not just that his trust is in God, but his trust is in God alone. And as one commentator has said, if our faith be not in God alone, then it's not really in God at all. that we recognize, as Warren Wiersbe says, that faith, faith is living without scheming. And I like that, what he has to say, that he's not, well I'm trusting in God on the one hand, I've got one foot over here, I'm trusting in Christ, but I'm also got a plan B, I'm scheming, I'm trying to think about it, if this doesn't work out, what am I going to do? Faith is resting wholeheartedly over here, sitting fully in the chair, if you will. And so I want you to see, as we look at the first two, I've kind of divided this into five parts. The text itself really divides into three parts, divided by the two Selahs that you see here. But we'll divide it into five parts, and look at verses one and two specifically. And I want you to see the reliability of God. As David commends the reliability of God, this expression of his faith and trust in God alone. And as he commends that to you, essentially, For God alone, my soul waits in silence. From him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I shall not be greatly shaken. So I want you to see under this idea of the reliability of God, first of all, David's silent serenity of soul. that his soul is resting, it's waiting in silence. And this silence indicates the patience with which he has towards God to bring him this salvation. This is a patient and a peaceful sort of faith, and not a panicky sort of faith. This is a resting sort of faith and not a racing sort of faith. This is a secure sort of faith and not a scheming sort of faith. It is fixed upon the Lord. I said that the most important word in those five Latin sayings is the sola part, the alone part. And the author here of David picks that up, really, even though he'd never heard of the five solas, he understood that and reflects that in what he writes. For the word for only in Hebrew, or alone, begins these first several verses. Alone. for God. It's hard to even give it in English, the expression. But it begins first with this alone for emphasis. His soul waits in silence, will not be shaken. You see the silent serenity of soul that he has in this. It's not complaining, it's not demoralized here. We see also in these verses the singular source of the salvation. From Him comes my salvation. Salvation is of the Lord. That's why we give all glory to God because the whole of the salvation comes from God. It's from him. I'm not looking somewhere else for some deliverer, for some deliverance, for some other help, some other answer. I'm looking to God. That's what he says. He is single-mindedly focused upon God and God alone. It's in him that he is trusting and it's him that he's waiting in silence. For from Him comes my salvation." Now you and I know, as we look, as we talk about salvation, we're thinking about eternal salvation, we're thinking about salvation from our sins, that the word can be used for all sorts of deliverances. David's going through various trials, he's in danger, he's in peril. but certainly applies not just to those but any situation that you find yourself in. To look to God for from him comes our salvation. You think about the Exodus of course and as the Hebrew and Israelites stood upon the Red Sea the Red Sea in front of them, and Pharaoh and his armies behind them. Where would salvation come? It must come from the Lord. They can't turn around and fight. The most powerful army in the world is coming after them. But God will deliver them. God is the source of their salvation. From Him comes my salvation. So upon Him and Him alone will my soul rest in silence. And then you see, thirdly, with this reliability of God, His sure and sole security here. That He alone, there it is again, that He alone is my rock and my salvation. From Him comes my salvation and He is my salvation. My fortress, we saw some of this imagery last week as we looked at Psalm 61, didn't we? This natural protective rock, this outcropping, this refuge that he has. He alone is my rock, my firm foundation, my place on which I can stand. This place in which I can hide. that is strong and protective he is my salvation he is my fortress a man-made militarized defense he's the one that will fight for me and defend me so you see that this silent serenity of soul this singular source of salvation in God alone and this soul and sure security, that he alone is my rock and my salvation and my fortress. I'm not, he's not looking to go and hide himself somewhere else. He's not looking for some other source. So to say I'm not, I will not be greatly shaken. I'll not be moved from this position. because God has me, because God will protect me, but also because my faith is resting here and here alone. So we've seen that there in verses one and two, the reliability of God. I want you to see in verses three through four, then the attacks of men, the attacks of men. How long will all of you attack a man to batter him like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Again, like last week, we don't know particularly what David has in mind in the course of his life that he's going through, to which he's referring in this passage. Is this Absalom? We're not sure. But there are those who are attacking him. He's going through this difficult, dangerous, perilous time. And he begins by just asking the question, how long will all of you tack a man to batter him? Like a leaning wall, a tottering fence. That's how he sees himself. His perception of himself is this, that he's a wall that's about to fall. He's still standing, still on his feet. But they're battering him, and he's leaning. He's not ruined yet. He's not a pile of rubble yet. But he's looking there. It's a tottering fence, and they're continuing to knock. So you see, first of all, this persistence that they have. Theirs is a persistence. And he even asked them, how long will you continue this? For you are knocking, knocking, knocking, attacking, attacking, attacking, battering, We see not only their persistence, but their plan, their only plan is to thrust him down from his high position. There's that word alone again. This case, it's not in reference to God, but it's in reference to them and their attacks. And their only plan, what they have set their mind to do is to take him down. to thrust him down from his high position. So he's leaning, he's leaning, he's tottering and teetering and they are battering because what they're trying to do is bring him down from his high position. That's their only plan. And you see thirdly, their pleasure here. They take pleasure in what? In falsehood. What makes them happy? Lying. Making false allegations. Saying bad things about the king. Telling and spreading lies and falsehoods. He said this, he's going to do this. He's this kind of guy. They take pleasure in falsehood. And they continue to spread these lies. And you see lastly their pretense here. With their mouths they bless. but inwardly they curse. These are true Southerners here, aren't they? You know, bless your heart as you're stabbing them in the back. With their mouths they bless, but inwardly they curse, Selah. The attacks of men here And then again, in verses five through eight, we have the trustworthiness of God. Now, what the trustworthiness of God here in verses five through eight is just a reprise of the reliability of God. But he's added a few things. He's changed a few things up. But there's a lot of the same things mentioned again. Look, look, verses five through eight. For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence. for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress, I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory, my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in Him at all times, O people, pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us. So all the things that we said about verses one through two, he repeats. This idea of he alone, God alone, he only. So this idea of this single-minded focus is continued. But notice what, there's a few differences, and we'll highlight the differences. In the first verse, He exclaimed that my soul waits in silence. But now in verse five, he speaks to his own soul and commands it to wait in silence. Y'all ever had to do that? You talk to your own soul, tell it to wait on the Lord. You determine something in your heart, I'm going to do this. And then when things keep happening and people keep battering and life keeps battering, you have to say, now you said you were gonna do this. Keep doing this. Keep doing this. So he's telling his soul, for God alone, oh my soul, wait. Wait in silence. Rest in God and in God alone, soul. Because in verse one then he says, for from God comes his salvation. But the difference in verse five is that from him is his hope. Still the same meaning, really. He's still looking with faith towards the future, awaiting God and God only. He has no other plan. He has no backup. His whole hope is that God is going to bring the salvation. My hope is from Him. So the only thing that keeps him from despair, that encourages his soul, is that God alone is going to save him. He again says, just as he did before in verse, that he only is my rock, my salvation, my fortress, the very same things that he said previously. And it says, last time he said, I shall not be greatly shaken. He again repeats that, I shall not be shaken. So God is his only rest. God is his only refuge. He says that in verse 7, he adds a few things. On God rests my salvation, my glory, so his honor, his reputation, everything that he is. My mighty rock, my refuge is God. That's what we said about this idea of God being a rock, it's his refuge, it's a protective place for us. So God is his rock, his rest, his refuge, all of those things. This is where he's resting. This is where he's landing. He'll not be moved from this. And then in verse eight, the focus switches a little bit so that he's no longer talking to himself. But he's encouraging others. He's calling upon others. He's instructing others to follow his example. He's saying, my only hope, my rest, my salvation, everything is fixed. My trust is in God. That's where yours needs to be, he says. Don't do differently than I am. He says in verse 8, trust in Him at all times, O peoples. Trust in Him. When's a good time to trust in God? He says at all times. At all times. When they're battering, when they're attacking, that's a good time. Trust in Him at all times. This is our only recourse here. Pour out your heart before Him. What does trusting God look like? It looks like prayer. not dependence on self-trusting in God. He's pouring out his heart before God. You know, I want you to notice something about this whole psalm though. We assume That there's been a lot of petitions that David has made to God. That David has been given assurances by God and promises made by God. And that David has, in fact, poured his heart out for God. There's not a single petition in Psalm 62. David's not asking God to do anything for him. He's telling everyone, I'm trusting that God is going to save me. Now I assume he has already asked God plenty of times, poured out his heart for God's salvation. But he is at this point exclaiming that God is going to do these things for him. He's trusting him. This is where he's fixed. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge, not just for David. He says God is a refuge for us. You remember that game that's kind of the opposite of hide and go seek when you were little? is that there was one hider and then a bunch of finders instead of everybody hiding in one finder. And then if you found the person, you had to get into that place wherever they were hiding with them until there was only one finder left. And everybody was hiding in the same place. I don't remember what the game was even called. Sardines? Yeah, sardines. And some of the times the best hiding places were not big places typically. So it's hard, I mean you begin easy to find after a while because half of y'all are hanging out of wherever it is that you're hiding. What is he saying? In the Lord there's plenty of room. plenty of protection and plenty of room. That God is not just a refuge for some, He's a refuge for all that will come. And take refuge in Him. God is a refuge for entrust in Him at all times, O people. Whatever you're going through, whatever Trust in Him. Pour out your heart before Him. He is a refuge for us. So again, we've seen the reliability of God, we've seen the attacks of men, the trustworthiness of God, kind of a reliability of God as a reprise. And then again, we see the folly of men, verses 9 through 10. Those of low estate, but a breath. Those of high estate are a delusion. In the balances they go up, they are together lighter than a breath. Put no trust in extortion. Set no vain hopes on robbery. If riches increase, set not your heart on them. The first thing I want you to see about the folly of men, and he's instructing us again, he has told us to trust in God at all times, to pour out our hearts before Him, that God is a refuge for us. And the first thing he's now telling us in verses 9 and 10, that with men there's a misplaced trust. What do they trust in? They trust in extortion. There are people that trust in the power of men to extort. He said, don't you put any trust there. Put your trust in all of it in God. Don't put any trust in extortion. Using power to gain wealth. And then there's also not just misplaced trust, but vain hopes. He's already told us that our hope is where in verse 5? Our hope is in Him. He says, set no vain hopes on what? Robbery. On using power to take money from others. Set no vain hopes on theirs. Put all your hope in God. Then he says, Watch your idolatrous hearts. If riches increase, if you gain wealth, not just by robbery and extortion, but by legitimate means perhaps. If riches increase in your life, that's okay, but set not your hearts on them. Don't begin to love money. Set not your heart on them. You can't serve both God and Mammon. For you will either love one and hate the other or hate one and love the other. Isn't that what Jesus said? That's what he's saying here. You must trust and set your heart upon God and God alone. Can't serve one, you can't serve them both with the same heart. It will be divided. Set not your heart upon them. What has he told us to do? He's told us instead, in verse eight, to pour out our heart before God, not to set our heart upon him. And then also we've seen that the people might trust in the powers of extortion and robbery and the powers of riches and trust there. But they also might trust in status as well. We've seen that in verse 9. Whether you're of low estate or you're a person of high estate, if you're trusting in people no matter who they are or what kind of status they have, they're going to be found wanting. They're not to be trusted in. It's that those of lowest state, when it comes to being weighed in the balances, they're but a breath. But the highest state people, they're just a lie. Because in the end, they're just a breath as well. You can put your hopes in the salvation that powerful people will bring. But they won't be able to bring the kind of salvation that you need in the end, is what he's saying. It's not a good place to, they'll be found wanting. They'll be weighed, they'll be measured in the balances of God's judgment and they'll be found wanting. Lastly, I want you to see in verses 11 and 12, the certainties of God. And verses 11 and 12 sets a foundation, a basis for this. Why is he resting all of his hopes upon God? Why is he putting all of his trust there, pouring out his heart here? Why is God and God alone the place of his salvation? This is what he says. First, because his word is spoken. Once God has spoken, twice have I heard this, kind of a Hebrew-type saying. And it's not exactly clear what it means. It may be that God has spoken this thing with certainty, and that David has, in what he heard from God, learned two lessons. Or maybe it is that God has spoken this, and that this has become a proverb, a saying, so that he's heard it over, and other people have repeated this word from God. But just the firm foundation that's been laid in the word of God that we sang about earlier, there's a certainty there. But specifically the content of what was spoken is that power belongs to God. So his word is spoken and his power is sovereign. God's power is sovereign. Power belongs to God. God's strength is what is being exalted here. So often we think that power belongs with the wealthy. And he's already said, those of high estate, they're a lie, they're a delusion, they're a falsehood. Don't put your hopes there. Power belongs to God and God is sovereign. He has absolute and total power. It belongs to him. So he can deliver. He has a strong hand. No matter what the circumstances are, you may be a tottering wall and a leaning tower and you may be about to crumble, but God in his strong hand is able to deliver. His power is sovereign. Look thirdly and you'll see that his love is steadfast. Once God has spoken, twice have I heard, this power belongs to God, and to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. God's grace, God's loving kindness continues. His covenant endures. He doesn't change His mind. He's set His affections upon you. And then lastly, His justice is sure. For you will render to a man according to his work. This is the standard that God, that according to these works that God judges us. But why is this such an encouragement for David? Because when I hear this, you will render to a man according to his work, uh-oh. You see that what David is looking for here is the power and strength and love that resides in God to save. He has talked about that his refuge is in God, that his hope is in God, that he is fleeing to God for salvation, and that God, in whom belongs strength, in whom belongs steadfast love and covenant, is going to protect him. And God is the one in Christ who has, who is the fulfillment of this protective power, this steadfast love, and the one who has worked and earn the salvation for us. He will render a man according to his work. Well, the man that represents me is Jesus Christ. And it's in him and in his power to forgive and his steadfast love that will not change. That's where I'm fleeing. And my hope is solus Christus. It's in Christ and in Christ alone. And my faith is fixed there. One of our congregation asked me, Pastor Dax, are you sure that you will go to heaven when you die? It's a good question. I was like 100%. 100% and the person was amazed. How? How can you be so confident? That that's the case and because I'm not trusting me. I'm trusting that Christ. You can have the exact same confidence. If you will rest your faith firmly upon Jesus Christ and on Christ alone, not scheme anywhere else, not look for a plan B, not have a way out, not be standing with one foot in the boat and one on the dock, but firmly in Christ, all the way in the ark, with the door closed, is this thing's gonna float or not? But with Christ it floats. Floats 100%. You can be certain that His power is sovereign, His love is steadfast, His justice is sure, and His word about you in His Son Christ is spoken. It will not be changed. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father, thank you.