Psalm 60: Group Study Handout

How to use: read Psalm 60 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

The psalmist cries for restoration from God after feeling rejected and broken (vv. 1-3). The land shakes, and the people ask for healing from its fractures. They have faced hard situations that make them stagger. They call for deliverance, asking for salvation through God's right hand (vv. 4-5). God speaks from his sanctuary, declaring his authority over the land. He claims Shechem, Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim, Judah, Moab, Edom, and Philistia (vv. 6-8). The psalmist questions who will lead them into a strong city and wonders why God seems absent (vv. 9-10). Despite the question about God’s presence, they seek help against their adversaries. They acknowledge that human help cannot prevail (vv. 11-12). They declare that victory will come through God alone, who will tread down their enemies.

Key verse

“Give us help against the adversary, for the help of man is vain.”
Psalms 60:11 (WEB)

Outline

Psalm 60:1–3 A Cry for Restoration
Psalm 60:4–5 The Call for Deliverance
Psalm 60:6–8 God's Sovereign Authority
Psalm 60:9–10 Questioning God's Presence
Psalm 60:11–12 Recognition of Human Limitations

Discussion questions

In v1, what are the words describing God's actions towards the psalmist and the people?
What does the psalmist mean by 'the wine that makes us stagger' in v3?
The words 'I will triumph' in v6: how does this statement contrast with the psalmist's earlier plea?
In v10, how does the psalmist's question about God's presence relate to their military struggles?
When have you felt that 'the help of man is vain' in your own life?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Psalm 60: Psalm 44, 2 Chronicles 7, Psalm 108.

Before next time: read Psalm 61.