Psalm 61: a prayer from exile
This is the prayer of a Levite in exile, longing to be restored to God’s Temple. I like the metaphor used in the second verse to refer to the Temple, namely, “the high rock”. We meet this image throughout the Bible when referring to God’s Word, or to Jesus Christ - the two being the same, of course, as John 1:1 clarifies.
I like verse 3 as well. The image of the “strong tower” may not conjure up much resistance against our enemies today, in the age of airplanes and cruise missiles, but back when this psalm was written, a massive, tall tower was the absolute defense. You could defend yourself for months, or even years, in such a structure. It was nearly impossible to take.
The writer wishes to “take refuge in the shelter of [God's] wings”. Before we get caught up in the visual imagery, it’s important to remember that God has no wings, and needs no wings. If we think back to the structure of the earthly Temple, in the Most Holy place, the Arch of the Covenant was found. It was a golden box which housed the Ten Commandments, and some manna from the desert. On top, two golden heruvims were sculpted, their wings covering it. The imagery used in this fourth verse is referring most likely to the Ten Commandments, and verse 5 encourages this interpretation, since it says: “For you, God, accept my vows, you grant me the heritage of those who fear Your name.” Of course, we know that when we make a promise to obey the Ten Commandments, we make a vow to God, and in return, He grants us the promises He made to those that fear His name, such as forgiveness from sins and eternal life.
The meaning of verses 6 and 7 is two-pronged. They could be referring to an earthly king, but given that this Levite was in exile, it was very likely that there was no earthly king when he wrote this psalm. It’s more likely that it’s referring to the Messiah. The Levites’ hope was that He (Jesus Christ) would rule as a king on Earth. They didn’t quite understand God’s plan, but to their credit, they didn’t have the New Testament either, and the meaning of the book of Daniel was locked in time, not to be revealed fully until more recent times. We, as Christians, possess an incredible amount of knowledge and clarification on the nature of God, God’s Son, the Holy Spirit, and prophecy in general, and therefore our responsibilities are much greater. Remember what Jesus said, that we are each responsible for living in the light given to us. Those who have been given much are expected to do much.
It’s easy to pass over verse 8 and assume it’s a typical Levite phrase. Sure, he’ll sing God’s praises, and fulfill his vows, that’s great… But we ought to remember just what fulfilling one’s vows means, in light of the meaning of verses 4 and 5. It means to obey God’s commandments, to find refuge in the safety they offer. And doesn’t it behoove Christians to also praise God daily? There’s nothing particularly Levitic about this verse. It applies just as well to us, and we should remember that.
