Psalm 62: Defence or Attack

By Jim Salway

Psalm 62 (NIV)

Ps 62:3 How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down - this leaning wall, this tottering fence?(NIV)

Fences are very flimsy. They mark a boundary, but they don’t provide protection. I like this picture of how strong we are as men and women – that is, not very strong at all! Easily pushed over.

How do you or I react to that? Do we feel the need to justify and defend ourselves? How about, especially, when despite our best intentions, our motives or actions are misunderstood and spoken against? Do we try and explain, even though sometimes it only seems to make things worse?

We are just fences, we really can’t defend ourselves. Surely the answer is to look to our rock, our salvation, our fortress. At times like that we need to try and stop being fortresses ourselves, and run to our true fortress (read the Psalm!). He is the one will take care of our reputation – and the only reputation that really matters is the one we have with Him.

But we really do want to be well thought of, especially when we are misunderstood. That’s the problem with this sinful world, that everything we do is tainted with sin, to a greater or lesser degree – that’s why misunderstandings happen. We aren’t pure – remember Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:4 saying, “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent.” (NIV). 
So what’s the answer? Remember Jesus, who was led like a lamb to the slaughter, who did not open his mouth (Isaiah 53:7 NIV). If anyone had the right to defend himself, surely Jesus did. He did not argue against ludicrous claims, false charges, accusations that were based on distortions of what really happened.

Sure, we challenge falsehood, but sometimes the best defence is not attack but silence, to hide in God and let Him be our defender.