Psalms 62:9

FUTILITY OF ALL HELP EXCEPT GOD'S

"Surely men of low degree are vanity; and men of high degree are a lie:

In the balances they will go up;

They are together lighter than vanity.

Trust not in oppression,

And become not vain in robbery:

If riches increase, set not your heart thereon.

God hath spoken once,

Twice have I heard this,

That power belongeth unto God.

Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth lovingkindness;

For thou renderest to every man according to his work."

"Men of low degree ... high degree" (Psalms 62:9). "The two Hebrew words from which these two renditions come mean: "Adam," and "man."[11] Adam is construed as indicating men of "low degree" as contrasted with the others. The point is that, "All men" are mortal, sinful, weak, vulnerable and absolutely temporary - "Here today and gone tomorrow." These words are not intended to derogate all mankind, but merely to emphasize humanity as contrasted with the Creator. "It is not that we have nothing to fear from humanity, but that we have nothing to hope for from men."[12]

"Are vanity" (Psalms 62:9). The marginal reading here, "a breath," is an expression which strongly resembles the words of James, "What is you life? For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away" (James 4:14). In all of the great needs, such as salvation, spiritual strength, protection from temptation, safety from enemies, etc., men are incapable of providing that help which can be found only "in Him who loved us and gave himself up to die upon our behalf."

"In the balances they will go up" (Psalms 62:9). The Jerusalem Bible renders these words: "Put them in the scales, and up they go, lighter than a puff of wind." The imagery here, of course, is based upon the ancient balances, the form of scales used for thousands of years.

These last verses are didactic, that is, having precepts to be taught, as indicated by Yates, above.

"Trust not in oppression ... robbery . .. riches, nor power" (Psalms 62:10-11). Delitzsch considered these admonitions to have been addressed to the people who might have been tempted to join Absalom in the rebellion against David. He stated the thought here as, "The new kingship (of Absalom) carries within itself the germ of ruin; and God, as Judge, will decide between the usurpers and the dethroned, in accordance with the relationship in which they stand to God."[13] This is stated in Psalms 62:12.

"Power and lovingkindness belong to God" (Psalms 62:11-12). These attributes will enable God to judge all men in righteousness and truth, giving to every man "according to his works." Dummelow pointed out that, "Power and Mercy are the two sides of the full-orbed character of God; and both qualities are displayed in his unerring judgments of men."[14]

"Lovingkindness" (Psalms 62:12). How frequently have we encountered this word in the Davidic psalms! It surely must have been one of David's favorite words regarding God.

"To every man according to his work" (Psalms 62:12). In the last analysis, it is the "works" of men upon which Almighty God will base the final decision regarding their destiny. No, we do not mean that any man either can or ever did "earn" salvation.

What needs to be emphasized is that the "cheap grace" that has become the badge of decadent Protestantism is a foolish and deceitful error. Whoever indulges continually in sin is a servant of the devil, not of the Lord; and the Christian who does nothing good is good for nothing, much less heaven.

Men seem to have forgotten that Christ, the Head of our holy religion, gave us a preview of the Judgment in Matthew 25; in which account, the saved and the lost were distinguished from each other by the simple record of "who did" and "who did not."

Furthermore, Paul did not contradict Jesus and give us a whole new system of salvation "by faith alone," or by "grace alone." Did he not write, "We must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10)?