Psalms 68

Psalms 68:1

Psalm 68: Our God Is Marching On!This is Israel’s national processional, in which the journey of the ark of the covenant from Mount Sinai to Mount Zion is seen as symbolizing the march of God to ultimate victory. To the Jewish mind, the ark rightly represented the presence of God; when the ark moved, God moved. It is quite generally believed that the song was composed to celebrate one particular incident in the history of the arkthe return to Mount Zion after its inglorious capture by the Philistines and after its stay in the house of Obed-Edom (2Sa_6:2-18). We can better enter into the spirit of this marching song if we see that it is divided into the following seven sections:

1. Introductory hymn of praise to God (vv. 1-6).
2. The ark moving from Sinai through the wilderness (vv. 7, 8).
3. The entrance and conquest of the land of Canaan (vv. 9-14).
4. The capture of Jerusalem by David (vv. 15-18).
5. Song praising God for victory over the Jebusites (vv. 19-23).
6. The procession carrying the ark to the sanctuary in Jerusalem (vv. 24-27).
7. The jubilant throng anticipating the final victory of God (vv. 28-35). In its Messianic setting, the Psalm pictures Christ’s Incarnation, His conquest at Calvary, His Ascension, and His Second Advent. Introductory Hymn (68:1-6)68:1-3 The first verse gives us a clue that the movements of the ark are the main subject; these are almost the same words which Moses used when the ark first started off from Sinai (Num_10:35). The sight of the sacred chest under way suggested the time when God arises and moves into action. For His enemies it means disaster and dispersal; for the righteous, deep-seated joy. His enemies scatter in every direction. They flee in pandemonium. As insubstantial as smoke, as unresisting as melting wax, they stagger to their doom. But for the righteous it is a time of vindication and reward, of joy and jubilation. 68:4-6 It is a time to sing praises to God and to clear a way for the Lord in the deserts (MT, see NKJV margin, cf. Isa_40:3; Isa_62:10). His name is YAH, the covenant-keeping Jehovah; He is worthy of endless praise. Though He is infinitely high, yet He is intimately near to the friendless and the dispossessed. As the God of all grace, He is father of the fatherless, defender of widows. He provides the warmth and fellowship of a happy home for the lonely, and as for those who have been unjustly condemned to prison, He leads them into prosperity with shouts of joy. With the rebellious, it’s a different story; they are consigned to a desolate wilderness. These introductory verses, then, say in the words of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “Our God is marching on,” and contrast the results of His march on the righteous and on rebels. Although it is not noticeable in the English version, seven names of God are woven into the texture of this Psalm: Elohim (v. 1), Yah (v. 4), Jehovah (v. 10), El Shaddai (v. 14), Yah Elohim (v. 18), Adonai (v. 19), and Jehovah Adonai (v. 20). The Ark Moves from Sinai through the Wilderness (68:7, 8)When the Israelites broke camp at Sinai and started the trip toward the Promised Land with the ark in the vanguard, it was an emotion-packed moment. Nature itself seemed to enter into the awesomeness of the event. The earth quaked, the heavens broke loose with rain, and Mount Sinai shuddered at the sight. The Entrance and Conquest of the Land (68:9-14)68:9, 10 By verse 9, Israel is in Canaan and God has produced changes in the weather so that the land is abundantly supplied with raina welcome change from the irrigation of Egypt and the wilderness drought. The countryside has taken a new lease on life as the drooping vegetation revives and flourishes. The people are at home, richly provisioned by the Lord. 68:11-13 The narrative moves quickly to the conquest of the land. The Lord gives the word, that is, the command to march against the enemy. Implicit in His word is the assurance of victory. The next thing you know, a great company of women are spreading the news at home: “Kings of armies flee, they flee!” In language strongly reminiscent of the Song of Deborah (Judg. 5), we see the women dividing the spoil of battle, though they themselves never left the sheepfolds. As they try on the beautiful clothes and jewelry, they resemble the wings of a dove covered with silver, or, when the light hits at a different angle, they gleam like feathers with yellow gold. 68:14 For the enemy it was a disastrous rout. God scattered kings like snow in Zalmon. The Capture of Jerusalem by David (68:15-18)68:15, 16 Jerusalem was still held securely by the pagan Jebusites. The first thing David did after he had been anointed king over all Israel was to move against the city. The defenders were smugly satisfied that it was so impregnable that it could be defended by the blind and lame. But David and his men captured the stronghold and called it the City of David (2Sa_5:1-9). This is what the psalmist is referring to here. As the citadel’s capture reveals Jerusalem as the chosen city, the high snow-summit of Hermon, located north of Bashan, looks enviously at Mount Zion. Hermon is a majestic mountain range with many majestic peaks, yet God passed it by and chose Zion for His permanent dwelling. That is why it looks jealously at Zion. 68:17 David recalls the capture of Jerusalem from the Jebusites. But he has no illusions as to the real source of victory. It was not his clever strategy or the valor of his men. It was the numberless chariots of God assaulting the city. The march of God that had begun at Sinai had now reached a glorious finale at Zion. 68:18 As David remembered how his soldiers had stormed the heights of Jerusalem, he looked beyond flesh and blood to see God ascending the high mount, taking captives in His train and winning spoils of victory for those who were former rebels so that He could dwell among these people as their Lord and Savior. Paul applies verse 18 to the Ascension of Christ (Eph_4:8-10). When Christ ascended from earth to heaven, He led captivity captive, that is, He triumphed gloriously over His foes and gave gifts to men. The gifts He received among men as reward for His finished work on the cross (Psa_68:18), He turned around and gave these same gifts to men for the establishment and expansion of His church (Eph_4:8). Song Praising God for Victory over the Jebusites (68:19-23) 68:19, 20 Memories of the capture of Zion inevitably awaken praise to God. The song presents God as both Deliverer and Destroyer. As Deliverer, He “bears our burdens and wins us the victory” (Knox). He is the God of our salvation, and He has the power to deliver from death. 68:21-23 As Destroyer, He will crush His foes, those rebels whose long hair symbolizes their lawless, wicked careers. He has promised to track them down in the wilds of Bashan and from the coasts of the high seas so that Israel can wash its feet in their blood, and so that Israel’s dogs can feed on their carcasses. Verse 22 does not refer to the regathering of Israel, but to the hunting down of Israel’s enemies. The Procession Carrying the Ark to the Sanctuary in Jerusalem (68:24-27)Not long after David captured Jerusalem, he arranged for the ark to be brought to a tent which had been erected to house it (2Sa_6:12-19). The procession is described here. As it moves toward the sanctuary, “the psalmist says, in effect, ‘Look, here He comes.’” The choir is leading, the band brings up the rear, and in between are young women playing timbrels. Listen to the words of the song: Bless God in the congregations, The LORD, from the fountain of Israel.The tribes are all represented, from those in the southlittle Benjamin and Judah to those in the northZebulun and Naphtali. The Jubilant Throng Anticipating the Final Victory of God (68:28-35) As the ark disappears inside the tabernacle, the people outside join in a final prayer (vv. 28-31) and in a song urging all the earth to praise the Lord (vv. 32-35). 68:28, 29 The prayer first of all calls on God to summon His might, to show His strength again on behalf of His people, to complete what He has begun for them. This prayer will be finally answered in the Millennium when the temple will be the glory of Jerusalem, and when kings will bring presents of gold and frankincense (Isa_60:6) to the Great King. 68:30 The Hebrew of verse 30 is obscure, but the overall thought seems to be this: The people call on God to rebuke the beasts and the herd of bulls. The beasts that live among the reeds, probably crocodiles and hippopotami, represent the leaders of Egypt. The bulls represent the other rulers who “lord it over the peaceful herd of nations” (Knox). The clause translated “Till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver,“may mean “until those nations bow down to You with silver as tribute” or “vanquishing those nations that have thrived on silver tribute.” The sense is good in either case. And in the same vein the prayer goes up, “Scatter the peoples who delight in war.” These requests will be fully answered at the Second Advent of Christ when aggressors and warmongers will be destroyed. 68:31 In that day, envoys from Egypt will bring tribute, and Ethiopia will stretch out her hands imploringly and adoringly to the King of all the earth. 68:32-35 The closing verses call on the kingdoms of the earth to acknowledge the God of Israel as worthy of homage and praise. The words carry a tremendous sense of the grandeur and greatness of God. He is the transcendent One, who rides in the ancient heavens. He is the God of revelation, speaking with a mighty voice. He is the omnipotent one, strong on behalf of Israel, but almighty beyond the clouds. Awesome as He is in His holy places, yet He stoops to give strength and power to His people.There is only one thing left to sayBlessed be God!