The words of this psalm are probably in response to the blessing that the LORD gave to Aaron and his sons who would be priests over the tribes of Israel.  In Numbers 6:23-27, this is what the LORD said,


Numbers 6:23-27
English Standard Version
23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,

24 The LORD bless you and keep you;
25 the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

The blessing asks for the LORD to bless them and keep them.  The word "keep" is both an idea of defense, but also that God needs to make them the people able to keep the covenant so that they can be blessed and not cursed.  Without God's help, they have no ability to be His people who are called by His Name.

The blessing asks for God to show His face (reveal Himself in all His glory) to them.  No man in the Old Testament could look on the face of the LORD and live.  Moses was only allowed to see the "back side" of the LORD as He passed by, but we are told in the New Testament, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14).  Those who saw Jesus saw the Father because the Son and the Father are One (see John 14:9 and John 10:30).  Jesus told us plainly everything that the Father wanted Him to say.

The final blessing is that God's face would turn towards us (that He will take notice of us) and give us peace.  Jesus definitely fulfilled that too as God took note of us in our helpless estate and sent His one and only Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  It is only by Jesus and through Jesus that we experience all the blessings that were meant for Jesus as we become adopted children of God and co-heirs with Jesus.

The end of the passage in Numbers gives the reason for Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel this way--so that the Name of the LORD would be upon them.  They would be His people called by His Name.  Then, and only then would they be blessed.  We too are people called by the Name of the Lord (Jesus, the Christ).  We may be called Followers of the Way (He is the Way, the Truth and the Life) or we may be called "Christians" which means "Little Christs," but there is no way around the fact that we are identified with Him, especially through baptism where we identify with His death and resurrection.

Now back to our psalm for today.  I think you can see how the first verse brings our minds back to the passage I quoted and talked about from Numbers 6.  The people would immediately recognize it and there is time for the people to pause and reflect after hearing this so they can stop and think about all that the passage means (what I just explained).  We have an even fuller understanding now that Christ has come and been our Great High Priest who has given us an even better blessing.

David wants the LORD and His Name to be known on all the earth--for the LORD to be famous because of the salvation that only He provides.  No doubt "salvation" here was tied to the thought of the Passover for David and the Jewish people, but we too praise the LORD for the Salvation that He provides (the name Jesus means "The LORD's Salvation."  Yes, we also call on all the peoples of the earth to receive this salvation and join in praising the LORD for what He has done through the person and work of the Messiah.

The nations also rejoice because the LORD is in heaven reigning and judging over all the earth.  Nothing escapes Him, and He will deal justly, righteously and fairly (I think these are probably better translations than "with equity" as "equity" is a buzzword that has taken on a meaning to mean just about the opposite of what the word actually means.  To be equitable is to be impartial, but in today's language, being "equitable" means to be partial towards those to whom you perceive injustice has been done.)  The text wants us to know that the LORD will judge all the peoples of the earth without partiality.  No one will get away with committing sin and have that sin go unpunished.  Everyone will have their day in the LORD's courtroom where Jesus will sit as the Judge of the Living and the Dead, and He will identify those who belong to Him (who are called by His Name) and those who do not belong to Him.  Those who belong to Him enter into the Sabbath rest and blessings that have been prepared for them, and those that are not called by His name, but instead of identified themselves with the devil and his angels and their rebellion against the LORD-- saying, by their words, thoughts, attitudes, and actions, "I will be like God"--these people will be thrown into the Lake of Fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels.  That is something that should make everyone rejoice.  God will make all things right in the end, even if there is perceived injustice in the world today.

The last reason David tells all the peoples of the earth to bless the LORD is because He is the one that causes their crops to grow and gives them a bountiful harvest.  Without His assistance, they would have nothing to eat.  This is for the most part a common grace that the LORD gives to all men (the rain falls on the just and the unjust).  However, the LORD does use drought and famine and natural disasters to draw the attention of people to Him and call the wicked to repentance.  So, we should see all that the LORD provides and gladly give Him our tithes and offerings--for it all belongs to Him anyways.  "The earth is the LORD's and all that is in it." (Psalm 24:1, 1 Corinthians 10:26).  Therefore let us rejoice and sing praise to the LORD.

Isn't good to remember the good things the LORD has done for us?  That's supposed to be the whole reason for the day we call Thanksgiving here in the United States, though it has taken on a different secular identity like most holidays have.  I would classify this psalm as a Thanksgiving Psalm.  It may not be our go-to on Thanksgiving like Psalm 100 is, but it still talks to us of all the wonderful things that the LORD simply is and the things He has done that we have to be thankful for.

1) He is sovereign--therefore all people should pay him homage and worship Him as their King and Lord.
2) He is omnipotent so that all His enemies (and our enemies) cringe before Him.
3) All creation (the earth, the heavens, the sea, and all that is in them) worship the LORD, so we should join in the grateful chorus.

4) He turned the sea into dry land so that the children of Israel could escape their slavery in Egypt.  The mighty kingdom of Egypt was defeated that day as He threw the horse and rider into the sea.  There was no one left to pursue His people and try to take them back into slavery.  This part of the psalm is to remind the LORD's people of the Passover and the Exodus and all the things that happened with that as with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm the LORD's lovingkindness compelled Him to act and set His people free.  He heard their cries and had compassion on them, and He judged the Egyptians in a way that gives us a glimpse of the way in which He will judge all the nations in the coming judgment when He will once again deliver His people to a Promised Land (only this Promised Land will be a better place whose buidler and foundation is God).

5) We praise the LORD for keeping us alive day by day
6) We praise the LORD for sanctifying us and purifying us even through fiery trials that are meant for His glory and our good.
7) God allows "bad" things to happen to His people, but He works all things together for our good.  In this case, the LORD was always bringing them to the Promised Land, and their time in slavery in Egypt and the time they wandered in the wilderness was God's way of saving them from something worse than slavery--if they had stayed in the land of Canaan, they would have been corrupted by the Canaanites, and caught up in the judgment that God was sending on them.  Instead, God preserved His people by using a famine the made them go to Egypt where He had sent Jospeh ahead of time, and He gave them the land of Goshen where they, their families and their flocks and herds were safe.  Yes, they had to travel through the wilderness for 40 years because of their rebellion, but even then, God provided manna, water from the Rock, and quail.  Their clothes and shoes did not wear out, and He did not kill them all at once, but let one generation be slowly replaced by another.

8) The correct response of the people would be to come to the Tabernacle or Temple and bring sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing songs of praise.
9) It is also appropriate to make vows before the LORD of how you choose to be His servant all the days of your life.
10) A blood sacrifice of bulls and goats was required to make the people acceptable in the LORD's sight at this time because Jesus had not died for their sins yet.  David says he would gladly offer the LORD these required sacrifices and then additional sacrifices over and above what was required because the LORD has been so good to him that David wants all of Israel and the whole world to see how thankful he is and just how great the God is that David worships.

11) David calls on all God-fearing people in all the world (David knows that God has people that belong to Him who are from the Gentile nations) to join him in praising the LORD.
12) God dealt with the iniquity that was in David's heart and forgave him.  If that had not been done, then there is no way God would have heard David's praises or that David's sacrifices would have been pleasing to Him.  Sin must be dealt with first, and the greatest thing to be thankful for is that God gave His own Son to be the sacrifice and the "satisfaction" (propitiation) for our sins--both accidental sins and intentional sins.
13) God listens to and answers our prayers

14) God steadfast, covenant love will never be removed from His people.  Not because of who we are or what we have done, but because of who He is and what He has done, is doing, and will continue to do--for that is who He is, and that makes Him worthy of all glory, and honor and praise.

I love psalms like this that point us so directly to the person, work, and ongoing ministry of Christ.  The same God who hears our prayers is the one who everyone will stand in front of for judgment, and also is the one who is able to atone for our iniquity--our sins that we could never make atonement for because they were high-handed sins of rebellion.  All this happens because God is the Elector who chooses those He wants to redeem so that He can bring them close to Him.  Such persons are blessed beyond all measure.  The place He is preparing for us is His house and His holy Temple, and we will be satisfied just by being there in His presence.

The LORD is the one who works His to bring about the salvation of His people "with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm," meaning that it was with many signs and wonders that the nations could ascribe to no one else other than the LORD.  He alone is "mighty to save," and this makes people from every generation that belong to Him rejoice.  Even obstacles that seem too big and strong like a mountain are no obstacle for Him.  If He wills, He can make the mountains move, and He controls the winds and the waves.  The sky and sea and all that is in them obey His command.  Even the Gentiles who live "at the ends of the earth" see the mighty power of God displayed in creation and should worship Him (see Romans 1 which tells us how all men are "without excuse" because God has given them both Creation and Conscience to tell them that He exists, that they have sinned, and that God is the only one able to deal with their sin).

The LORD provides us with food and water, but not just food and water for our natural bodies, but the Bread of Life and Water of Life which are in endless supply are provided for our souls.  Without them we cannot receive eternal life and without Him (Jesus is the Bread of Life and Water of Life), we can do nothing--we are spiritually dead without Him.

The LORD blesses the Land of His people, Israel, with the right amount of rain (not too much or too little) at just the right time to make the Land fruitful so that His people won't go without food or water, but also so that everyone in the world will see that God controls the weather and uses it to bless His people.  Not only does God make the Land produce enough for the people of Israel, but the whole world is blessed by the over-abundance that the LORD provides for them so that there are wagons full of good produce that are exported to other lands.

There are cattle on a thousand hills in the Promised Land, and the LORD owns all of them.  Livestock and land were a sign of wealth at that time and to say that there was lush pastureland everywhere is really something considering that Lot chose the river valley for Sodom and Gomorrah because it was lush and green and had lots of space for his flocks, leaving the dry and arid wilderness to his uncle Abraham.  Yet, the LORD made the wilderness and desert produce life as well and now all the Land is fertile and full of livestock.  We see God's blessing in modern-day Israel too.  Mark Twain saw the Promised Land when the Jewish people hadn't lived there for quite some time and couldn't believe it was the "Land Flowing with Milk and Honey" described in the Bible as it resisted cultivation by any other people.  However, once the Jewish people came back into the Land after World War II, the LORD made the Land produce all kinds of wonderful things for them and now they are at the forefront of industry, not just agriculture.  Surely the LORD means for His people Israel to have a special place where they are blesses above all the other nations of the world so that the world sees how much the LORD loves His people.

Though there is no superscript to tell us this, I would assume that this psalm was probably written when David was running form King Saul.  Why?  Because David doesn't ask the LORD to slay his enemies like he does when those enemies are from pagan nations, but instead he asks the LORD to hide him from his enemies.  That makes me think of the many times that David hid in caves and Saul and his men would come so close to David and his men (sometimes even coming into the same cave as them) and David and his men would not be found.  David did not wish to lay a hand on the LORD's anointed (Saul had still been anointed king of Israel and there would be no assassination attempts on David's watch).  The attacks from David's enemies came not only with violent actions, but words that were meant to assassinate David's character, and those words were lies.  The feet of these enemies ran to evil and iniquity, and they took delight in their schemes and snares they had set.

However, God is a Mighty Warrior who shoots His arrow from heaven, and it does not miss its target--just like when Saul dies, a "random" arrow shoots Saul in the one place his armor is weak.  It was as if the LORD Himself shot that arrow and gave it direction to hit its mark so perfectly.  They will be caught up in the traps they have laid for others and their own words will be their undoing.  Everyone will see them for the frauds they are, and no one will believe them any longer.  The actions of the LORD will make all mankind fear and worship Him.

Therefore, the righteous will take refuge in Him, and the upright (the just or the righteous) in heart will exult (will praise and worship the LORD in adoration and thanksgiving, telling everyone how worship of glory and honor and praise He is for who He is and what He has done).

David once again analogizes his need and desire for God to that of physical thirst.  Given that he was living in the wilderness at that time, he was probably well-acquainted with genuine thirst, and the need for living water which he could drink from.  David carries his personal experience into the analogy saying we are living in a dry and thirsty land--a world devoid of meaning and fulfilment apart from that which comes from knowing the LORD and serving Him.  Because we know that the LORD is as essential to us (more essential to us) than water is to life, we will ever praise Him and worship Him.

When we first find our satisfaction in the LORD, then we will be satisfied with everything else that the LORD gives us.  David seems to indicate here that the LORD is going to bless him with the fullness and richness of everything earth has to offer--meat that had fatty portions, a bed to sleep in, and security in a home without need to worry about thieves, robbers, or those who would break in to do harm to him.  He can rest easy in the LORD's provision and praise Him for all that He provides.  Our soul clings to Him and His right hand (the hand of strength and blessing) upholds us.

Those who are wicked and sought to destroy David (and us) will not have the same kind of enjoyment and peace in this life or the life to come.  They will go down to the grave and to the depths of Sheol (the place of the dead) where they will await their final judgment.  They will die in war and at the hands of evil men like them--those who live by the sword will die by the sword is essentially what David is saying here.  They will never be able to rest because they will be afraid that someone is always out to get them (and they are probably right about that).  They will become food for the wild, unclean beasts like the jackals.

However, David, and later Jesus who is the true King shall bless God.  All who swear by Him (the Father and I think also the Son) will be exalted (we will be co-heirs with Jesus and also called "sons of God," and the mouths of all the lars (those who were making false accusations against David and us) will be stopped as the Lord will judge all of them so that everyone will see the truth about who they are and who we are and that we are holy and blameless in His sight--not because of our own righteousness, but because of the righteousness of Christ our King.

You may not be familiar with the version of Psalm 62 that I posted today, but it is one of my favorite pieces by Aaron Keyes (and he's one of my favorite Christian artists who has been setting Scripture to music).  I encourage you to not only read the psalms, but also to sing them and pray them as they were originally the nation of Israel's hymn book and like The Book of Common Prayer where the people of Israel could turn to the prayers of David and others for just about any occasion--celebration of victory, the agony of defeat, the need for confession, and the cry for God to  rain down judgment on the wicked.  All that and more are in the book of psalms for us to see, and God wanted all of it to be there.  Psalm 62 focuses in on how the LORD's salvation is worth waiting for.  Those who trust in the LORD will not be shaken and the LORD will be their salvation and Defender.

The actions of two-faced men are getting to David.  With the same tongues come blessings and curses.  The book of James tells us this should never be, for fresh water and salt water cannot both come from the same spring or source.  So, the words and actions of a man come from his heart.  The fruit a tree produces is a result of the nature of the tree.  It can only have one nature and should produce fruit in accordance with that nature.  David sees these men for who they really are, though they claim to be something else--their words and actions tell the true story.  David asks them how much longer they will attack him, and he implies but sandwiching this part of the psalm between two parts about him waiting on the LORD's salvation that they are on the wrong side, and they need to shape up before the LORD shows up to take care of them.

"God is our Refuge and Strength, a very present help in trouble."  (Psalm 46:1).  David echos these same thoughts here, only he calls on the whole nation to take refuge in the LORD.  David has extrapolated from his personal issues and him personally needing to wait on the LORD's salvation to telling the nation that they too need to wait on the LORD and His salvation.  This is not just salvation over the political and military enemies or the pagan peoples that surrounded them, but there is an even greater Salvation that the LORD would send in the person of Jesus--His name means "The LORD Saves" or "The LORD is Our Salvation."  He ultimately is the answer to David's prayers here in the book of Psalms.

The world believes that it can separate people into "haves" and "have nots" and that only those who "have" are important--the "have nots" can be abused and taken advantage of for the sake of the "haves."  However, David calls on the people to put away such practices, as the LORD is the defender of the weak, lowly, and innocent.  Justice is coming, and that justice is driven by hesed--the "steadfast love" of the LORD.  He will not let the people suffer forever, nor will He let the wicked go unpunished.  He will be an Ark of Salvation to those who trust and rest in Him.  The righteous (those who have had righteousness imputed to them) will be saved through the coming judgment, but the wicked (those who counted on their own works to save them or have counted on God to be unjust in letting everyone get away with evil) will be caught up in the coming judgment.  I can't say that will be destroyed by it because it will be an everlasting judgment--an "eternal life" sentence for those who have committed high-handed sins of rebellion against the LORD and refused the salvation that He so freely provided, giving His one and only Son to die in our place.  " How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3a)

I've included a couple of songs that come directly from this psalm.  David cries out to God once more to hear and listen to his prayer (and answer him).  David is spiritually exhausted as if he has been traveling from one end of the earth to the other crying out to the Lord for help.  His heart is faint (weary), and he needs the strength, shelter, and security found only in The Rock of Our Salvation that is the Lord.

David says that the Lord has been his strength in times of trouble (like he's probably in at this moment).  A tower above his enemies--the picture is that David is safe there as no one can get into the tower or scale it to get to him.  If God is keeping you safe, then no one can do you harm.

David then prays that he could dwell in the Lord's tent (His Tabernacle) forever.  That is pretty close to what is going to happen in the New Heavens and the New Earth, actually.  The Father and the Son will dwell with us so that it will be fair to say that God tabernacles with men.  We will then be like His chicks gathered under His wings for shelter, warmth and safety.  David knows the Lord has heard his vows, and David knows the Lord has made a covenant with him concerning a kingdom that will belong to his descendants (until the one called The Son of David comes and inherits that kingdom).  For this reason, David knows that he and his kingdom will not pass away at this time, for God will not break His covenant with David.

David then prays for long life for himself (the king) and those that would come after him that would be king.  I think David has in mind the blessings of the Law that long life is a blessing for obedience, and he wants himself and all of his descendants to worship and obey the Lord so that they will be blessed with long life.  David knows this will not be possible though without the Lord's steadfast love (mercy) and watch care over him and his family, for they are prone to sin.  The Lord will both keep them from sin and take the penalty of their sin upon Himself when they do sin--that is for all those who belong to Him (not assuming that all of David's family belong to the Lord because we can see from some of their actions later that some of them had no relationship with the Lord and instead chose to serve other gods, yet God did not destroy their lineage or the kingdom for the sake of the covenant He made with David that would be fulfilled through Christ).

David then ends the psalm saying day after day he will choose to sing praises to the Lord, even as he goes about performing his daily duties that he has sworn to by vow/oath.  It is the Lord that he knows will sustain him and keep him all the days of his life.