Psalm 61:2

Psalm 61:2

Lead me to the rock

It would be intriguing to know what David means by the “ends of the earth.” These had not been explored in David’s day, there was no knowledge of the Americas or Australia! There have been references before in the Psalms to the heights of Hermon and the wilderness places in the south. Abram travelled to Canaan from Ur of the Chaldees (Iraq) and the Israelites lived for 400 years in Egypt. It seems likely therefore that David was not referring so much to the extremities of travel but to the brink of the world beyond, to Sheol and the place of the departed. This is borne out by the announcement that his heart grows faint, in other words he feels close to death and in this “far off” state of human existence, he reaches out to the heavens, “Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.” 

There follows a beautiful phrase that has often been picked up by song writers and poets over the centuries, “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Do you remember how, in a previous Psalm, we had a discussion about the various Hebrew words for “rock” and what they all mean? In this instance, the rock is a cliff, a towering wall which, when climbed, offers safety and protection. David is in a deep valley, and he longs to be on the top of the rock face, away from the clinging tentacles of death. The rock is our God. The rock is Christ Himself. The rock is our faith and our hope in the midst of dire circumstances. The rock is the enfolding arms of the Lord, lifting us out of the miry bog of the valley bottom and planting our feet on solid ground, way above and beyond our enemies and in a place where the sun shines and the horizon is broad. Only God can bring us to such a place, the secure refuge where our spirits can soar once again in wonder and joy. Hallelujah!

 

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