Previously on Bible Book Club
Psalms 50-58 were a series of psalms that warned us that God sees what humans hide. We opened with Asaph’s Psalm 50, explaining that God cares more about an obedient heart than outward sacrifice. We closed with Psalm 58, a cry for God to judge evil leaders. The focus was Psalm 51, about turning from sin because you care more about your relationship with God. And David begged God, “Create in me a pure heart,” using “bara,” the word for “create” used in Genesis, because only God can create a new heart.
Psalms 59-67 Introduction
In Psalms 59-67, we continue in Book 2 with psalms David wrote while men were hunting him. The amazing resiliency of David is that, despite the constant fear and exhaustion of danger, he finds rest in God. And when the danger passes, the songs shift from David’s survival to God’s abundance and a blessing meant to reach all nations and all generations. It is the journey of life in faith through nine psalms from fear to rest, blessing, and comfort. A journey we still experience today.
Psalm 59: A Cry for God, My Strength and Fortress
Psalm 59
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam. When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him.
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God; be my fortress against those who are attacking me. 2 Deliver me from evildoers and save me from those who are after my blood.
3 See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, Lord. 4 I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight! 5 You, Lord God Almighty, you who are the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to wicked traitors.
6 They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city. 7 See what they spew from their mouths—the words from their lips are sharp as swords, and they think, “Who can hear us?” 8 But you laugh at them, Lord; you scoff at all those nations.
9 You are my strength, I watch for you; you, God, are my fortress, 10 my God on whom I can rely.
God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me. 11 But do not kill them, Lord our shield, or my people will forget. In your might uproot them and bring them down. 12 For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter, 13 consume them in your wrath, consume them till they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob.
14 They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city. 15 They wander about for food and howl if not satisfied. 16 But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. 17 You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.
What is Psalm 59 about?
Psalm 59 is about trusting God to give us strength and be our fortress of protection against the world. The word imagery of God being a fortress is used many times in the psalms. In this psalm, for extra emphasis, it is the refrain, and for good reason.
David is being held captive in his own house, a place that should have been safe, and he needs God to protect him. This psalm is tied to the story in 1 Samuel 19 when Saul has David trapped. Michal, who is Saul’s daughter and David’s wife, lowered David out of a window to escape.
1 Samuel 19:9-16 9 But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre, 10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.
11 Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” 12 So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. 13 Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.
14 When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, “He is ill.”
15 Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.” 16 But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair.
Living under Saul is a maddening game. Saul is either rewarding David or trying to kill him. David can do nothing but run, because he refuses to kill Saul, God’s anointed. That puts him in total reliance on God to be his protection, fortress, and strength. Jesus faced the same and more: persecuted and on the move. He pursued God’s will despite the threats.
If you ever feel trapped, attacked, and vulnerable like David and need God to be a fortress around you, our prayer from Psalm 59 is for you.
A Prayer for when you need God to Be a Fortress Around You
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God; be my fortress
4 I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me.
9 You are my strength, I watch for you; 10 my God on whom I can rely.
16 for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
What is the significance of Martin Luther’s hymn “A Mighty Fortress” in Psalms 46 and 59?
Martin Luther’s song “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” is based on Psalm 46, but reflects Psalm 59 too. We added it to our Psalms Playlist.
Psalms 60-61: A Cry for Restoration and Refuge from the Ends of the Earth
Psalm 60
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktam of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah, and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
1 You have rejected us, God, and burst upon us; you have been angry—now restore us! 2 You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fractures, for it is quaking. 3 You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger. 4 But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow.
5 Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered. 6 God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth. 7 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah is my scepter. 8 Moab is my washbasin, on Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
9 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? 10 Is it not you, God, you who have now rejected us and no longer go out with our armies? 11 Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless. 12 With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.
Psalm 61
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
1 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.
4 I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. 5 For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Increase the days of the king’s life, his years for many generations. 7 May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.
8 Then I will ever sing in praise of your name and fulfill my vows day after day.
What is Psalm 60 about?
Psalm 60 is about finding restoration and refuge in God. David fought and defeated a host of foreign enemies, but not without fierce battles and more than a few losses. At this point in Psalm 60, after many victories, David is feeling rejected by God and needs God to restore Israel.
David is losing ground against Edom and cries out to God for aid, because human help is worthless. In Psalm 61, David gets personal. He is not crying out for his army. He needs personal refuge and cries out from the ends of the earth. The “ends of the earth” is used often in the Bible. In this case, it does not have a favorable connotation.
What does “from the ends of the Earth” mean in Psalm 61:2?
David is not in a good place; he feels he is at the end of his rope or “the ends of the earth.” To the Israelites, the Tabernacle in Jerusalem is considered the “center” of the world. The place where God’s presence dwells among His people. Therefore, crying out “from the ends of the earth” implies deep isolation, banishment, or exile.
David wants nothing more than to dwell in the tent or sanctuary of the Lord, to rest in the shelter of God’s wings. In other words, to feel God’s presence. Certainly, we can all relate. Sometimes God seems so very far away. This is a prayer from Psalms 60 and 61 for when you are at the end of your rope and need refuge.
A Prayer for When You Are at the End of Your Rope
60:1 God, restore us! 5 Save us and help us that those you love may be delivered.
61:2 From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint;
61:3 For you have been my refuge, a strong tower.
61:4 I long to take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
In the next two psalms, David will turn from being hunted and longing for refuge to trusting God and finding rest.
Psalm 62: Trusting God, Our Rock and Salvation
Psalm 62
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1 Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. 2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
3 How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence? 4 Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse.
5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. 6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. 7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. 8 Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
9 Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. 10 Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
11 One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, 12 and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.”
What is Psalm 62 about?
Psalm 62 is about trusting God as our only rock and the foundation of our salvation.
Why does the word “alone” matter so much in Psalm 62?
Six times in this short psalm, David uses the word “akh,” which means “only” or “alone.” The NIV version of the Bible translates akh as “truly,” which diminishes the meaning. It should be stronger. For example, in the NIV version, the verse is translated:
Psalm 62:6 6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
Psalm 62:6 6 He only is my rock and my salvation,
The focus is sharply on the “only” one on whom our salvation rests. David doubles down on it intentionally with the word akh. The same is true for us. We worship the one true God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
This sentiment is clear in the song “In Christ Alone,” a favorite we have added to the Psalms Playlist.
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
A Prayer for When You Need to Trust in God Alone for Your Salvation
In our prayer for Psalm 62, I have added back the word “alone.”
1 Truly my soul finds rest in God alone;
2 Truly he alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.12 and with you, Lord, is unfailing love.
You reward everyone according to what they have done.
Psalm 63: Trust in God That Produces a Thirst and Longing for Him
Psalm 63
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. 7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8 I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.
9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. 10 They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God will glory in him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
What does it mean to “thirst for God” in a dry and parched land (Psalm 63)?
To “thirst for God” means you desire God so much that you thirst for him. David wrote this from the desert, where he was most likely physically thirsty. Yet, one senses that his physical discomfort is overshadowed by a greater spiritual thirst. His whole being longs for God.
David is deeply aware of something that is embedded within all our souls: a longing to know God, to see God, and to be in the presence of God. This awareness, this love for the Lord, is David’s secret sauce to finding favor. He is a man after God’s own heart. It is something to strive for and to pray for: that we would thirst for God as David did.
It is a question to ponder every morning: Do I thirst for God? Especially if you are in a dry place, a desert. Because only God can quench that thirst. We know this because Christ himself explains it in the book of John to the woman at the well:
John 4:13-15 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
Has your soul run dry? Make the psalms the playlist of your heart, and you will be filled with living water.
A Prayer of Thirst and Longing for God
1 You are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you.
in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
8 I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. 4 I will praise you as long as I live,
7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.3 Because your love is better than life.
Psalm 64: A Cry for Protection from Malicious Tongues
Psalm 64
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the plots of evildoers. 3 They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows. 4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent; they shoot suddenly, without fear.
5 They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, “Who will see it?” 6 They plot injustice and say, “We have devised a perfect plan!” Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.
7 But God will shoot them with his arrows; they will suddenly be struck down. 8 He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn. 9 All people will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.
10 The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; all the upright in heart will glory in him!
What is Psalm 64 about?
Psalm 64 is about malicious attacks and God’s victory over them. Physical, mental, and emotional attacks are all familiar battles to David. In this psalm, it is a battle of words.
- Tongues like swords
- Evil plans
- Hidden snares
How does God respond to cruel words and social malice in Psalm 64?
Psalm 64 says God will turn those tongues against them and bring them to ruin. For us, the emotional battle is the most familiar. We have become a culture that is not afraid to cruelly and publicly use words. Social media is often un-social. But words carry weight, and we cannot hide from the consequences of letting our tongues run away with evil intent.
A Prayer to Trust God When Attacked by Malicious Tongues
1 Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.5 They encourage each other in evil plans; 6 Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.
7 But God will shoot them with his arrows; 8 He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin.
Psalm 65: Praise for a World Filled with Wonder of God
Psalm 65
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
1 Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. 2 You who answer prayer, to you all people will come. 3 When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. 4 Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.
5 You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, 6 who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, 7 who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. 8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.
9 You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. 10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. 11 You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. 12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. 13 The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.
What is Psalm 65 about?
Psalm 65 is about praising God for a world filled with awe at His wonders. This is a psalm most likely sung during major harvest celebrations. The psalm opens by praising God for listening to prayers and forgiving sins. Then it moves on to wonder at the world and creation. It finishes with how God’s design blesses them with bounty from the earth.
A Prayer for Praising God for a World Filled with His Wonders.
1 Praise awaits you, our God, 2 You who answer prayer, 5 You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas,
6 who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength,
7 who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.
8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders!
David did not write the last two psalms, but they continue the theme of praise for God.
Psalm 66: Praise for the Glory of God’s Name in All the Earth
Psalm 66
For the director of music. A song. A psalm.
1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth! 2 Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. 3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. 4 All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.”
5 Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind! 6 He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot—come, let us rejoice in him. 7 He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations—let not the rebellious rise up against him.
8 Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; 9 he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. 10 For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. 11 You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. 12 You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.
13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you— 14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble. 15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you and an offering of rams; I will offer bulls and goats.
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. 17 I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. 18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; 19 but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. 20 Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!
What is Psalm 66 about?
Psalm 66 is about joy over what God has done for us. This psalm is praise for God’s blessing and favor in the past, specifically Israel’s history. The author wants us to:
Psalm 66:5 5 Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!
The psalm doesn’t sugarcoat the blessing. He calls out the trials and the sin but celebrates the results that God has not:
Psalm 66:20 20 rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!
A Prayer for When You Are Filled with the Joy of the Lord
1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
2 Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious.
4 All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.”5 Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!
Psalm 67: God, Make Your Face Shine Upon Us
Psalm 67
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us— 2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. 4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth. 5 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.
6 The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. 7 May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
What is Psalm 67 about?
Psalm 67 is about radiating God’s glory so that all will know Him. This blessing or benediction phrase, “make his face shine on us,” is common. We discussed it in Psalm 31.
What is the connection between the Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6 and Psalm 67?
The phrase “make his face shine on us” in Psalm 67 comes directly from the Aaronic Blessing in Numbers 6:24-26, which God himself dictated to Moses to give to Aaron to speak over Israel.
Numbers 6:24-26 24 “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Note that the next verse in this psalm is:
Psalm 67:2 2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations
The purpose of asking for God’s face to shine on them is not for their favor but to glorify God, so His ways and salvation will be known among all nations. This is the purpose of His favor in our lives today. In all we do, whether in suffering or in prosperity, our face should reflect His glory so that others may see the hope of Christ in us.
A Prayer for God’s Blessing and Face to Shine Upon Us
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—
2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples and guide the nations of the earth.
7 May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
How do the psalms move from personal isolation to global blessing (Psalms 61-67)?
We have journeyed from Psalm 61, where “the ends of the earth” meant isolation, to Psalms 65 and 67, where the same phrase, “the ends of the earth,” or “all the earth,” becomes the hope of eradicating isolation.
No one has to be close to the Temple to be in God’s presence anymore. The Temple resides in us when we come to faith, and faith can be attained in every corner of the world, not just in Israel.
With these psalms, the Bible Book Club Psalms Prayer List grows with new prayers, and they are almost all praise!
Join us for our Bible study on Psalms 68-72 here.
New Psalms Playlist Song
- “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” by Travis Cottrell (Psalms 46 and 59)
- “When I Am Afraid” by Laura Hackett Park (Psalm 62)
- “In Christ Alone” by Keith and Kristyn Getty (Psalm 62)
Listen to our Psalms Playlist on Apple Music or Spotify.
Group Discussion Questions for Psalms 59-67
- In Psalm 59, David can’t do anything but run and rely on God to be his fortress. Where in your life do you find yourself on the run, unfairly attacked, or trapped? How could you lean more on God to be your fortress and protector?
- David thirsts for God, and his whole being longs to know God, see God, and be in the presence of God. Have you ever felt such a deep longing for God? What prayer could you offer asking God to help you thirst for Him the way David did?
- Psalm 67 asks God to make His face shine on us so that all nations will know His ways and salvation. This is still the purpose of God’s favor in our lives today. In all we do, whether in suffering or in prosperity, we should reflect God’s glory so others can see the hope of Christ in us. Who in your life reflects God’s glory, and what has that meant to you?
