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Commentary by Clyde M. Miller Questions by John C. Sewell

God’s Glorious Triumphs

Psalm 68:1-35

Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Street, Nashville, TN 37216, U.S.A., John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor.

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God’s Glorious Triumphs

Commentary

by

Clyde M. Miller Text: Psalm 68:1-35, 1. May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him. 2. As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. 3. But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. 4. Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds]—his name is the LORD—and rejoice before him. 5. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. 6. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. 7. When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah 8. the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. 9. You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. 10. Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor. 11. The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it:




12. "Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder. 13. Even while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold." 14. When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon. 15. The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan. 16. Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell forever? 17. The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary. 18. When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious— that you, O LORD God, might dwell there. 19. Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah 20. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death. 21. Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins. 22. The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea, 23. that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share." 24. Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. 25. In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines. 26. Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel. 27. There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah's princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.




28. Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before. 29. Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts. 30. Rebuke the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations. Humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war. 31. Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit herself to God. 32. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah 33. to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice. 34. Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies. 35. You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Is-rael gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! (NIV) Introduction: I. Authorship of Psalm 68 is problematical.

A. “Of David” could be rendered “to David” or “for David”.

B. The superscription may be an accurate description of author-ship, a presentation to David the conqueror or a dedication to the beloved king.

C. Some scholars ignore the expression and place the psalm at a time later than David’s reign.

II. The psalm may recount the time when David conquered Jerusalem and made it his political and religious capital (2 Sam. 5:6-10) or the occasion of his bringing the ark to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:1-17).




A. 2 Samuel 5:6-10, The king and his men marched to Jeru-salem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, "You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off." They thought, "David cannot get in here." Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David. On that day, David said, "Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those 'lame and blind' who are David's enemies." That is why they say, "The 'blind and lame' will not enter the palace." David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the supporting terraces inward. And he became more and more powerful, because the LORD God Almighty was with him. (NIV)

B. 2 Samuel 6:1-17, David again brought together out of Is-rael chosen men, thirty thousand in all. He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and the whole house of Israel were cele-brating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals. When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God. Then David was angry because the LORD's wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uz-zah. David was afraid of the LORD that day and said,




"How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?" He was not willing to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household. Now King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God." So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with re-joicing. When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fat-tened calf. David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and danc-ing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart. They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. (NIV)

C. It could represent a celebration of a specific triumphal vic-tory or of victories in general.

III. Numerous textual uncertainties make the renderings in English difficult.

A. Difficulties with understanding the Hebrew syntax are also problematical.

B. Stylistic changes make it hard to define a unified theme.




C. Historical allusions vary from the obvious to the obscure.

1. Metaphors employed are capable of more than one in-terpretation.

D. In spite of all these difficulties, it is clear that the psalmist focuses on God and His victories on behalf of Israel.

II. The word Selah (7,19,32) is difficult to understand.

A. Psalm 68:7, 19, 32, When you went out before your peo-ple, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Se-lah Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah (NIV)

B. It has been interpreted to be an interjection but it is poorly placed in verses 7 and 32 in the middle of sentences.

C. The word has nothing to do with the understanding of the text of the psalm.

V. A suitable outline for Psalm 68 describes God in His various roles in relation to Israel.

A. God is presented as Israel’s LORD, Yahweh, her covenant God (1-6),

1. Psalm 68:1-6, May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him. As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. But may the righteous be glad and re-joice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides




on the clouds—his name is the LORD—and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. (NIV)

B. Deliverer (7-18) and . . .

1. Psalm 68:7-18, When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, be-fore God, the God of Israel. You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheri-tance. Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor. The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it: "Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder. Even while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shin-ing gold." When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon. The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan. Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell forever? The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary. When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious— that you, O LORD God, might dwell there. (NIV)




C. Savior (19-23).

1. Psalm 68:19-23, Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death. Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins. The Lord says, "I will bring them from Ba-shan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea, that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share." (NIV)

D. God is King (24-27),

1. Psalm 68:24-27, Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tam-bourines. Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel. There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah's princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali. (NIV)

E. and Israel’s Infinite Power (28-35).

1. Psalm 68:28-35, Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done be-fore. Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts. Rebuke the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations. Humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the na-tions who delight in war. Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit herself to God. Sing to God,




O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Se-lah to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice. Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies. You are awesome, O God, in your sanctu-ary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! (NIV)

Commentary:

God as Lord Psalm 68:1-6, May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him. As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. But may the righteous be glad and rejoice be-fore God; may they be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds]—his name is the LORD—and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a de-fender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the re-bellious live in a sun-scorched land. (NIV) Psalm 68:1, May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him. (NIV) I. A prayer is offered for God to “arise”, that is, become active.

A. The purpose is for God to scatter “his enemies” and “his foes”.

1. The psalmist is asking God to do what Israel without God’s help is unable to do.




2. This prayer is a statement of trust in God’s willingness and power to act on behalf of His covenant people.

B. The “foes” are God’s as well as Israel’s.

C. This theme runs throughout the psalm.

Psalm 68:2, As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. (NIV) I. Bold and vivid metaphors are employed.

A. Smoke soon disappears in the wind, and wax swiftly melts before the fire.

B. The psalmist is praying for the swift and complete consump-tion of God’s enemies.

Psalm 68:3, But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. (NIV) I. Verse 3 provides a sharp contrast to verses 1-2.

A. No longer are God’s enemies under consideration.

1. Rather, the righteous ones are the focus of interest.

2. “Righteous” does not claim sinless perfection, for it is acknowledged to God, “no man is righteous before you” (Ps. 143:2).

a. Psalm 143:2, Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. (NIV)




b. The righteous ones are the faithful.

c. Faithfulness and perfection are not synonyms.

3. Four words or phrases are used to describe the reac-tion of the righteous: “be glad”, “rejoice”, “be happy”, and “[be] joyful”.

Psalm 63:4, Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds]—his name is the LORD—and rejoice before him. (NIV) I. “Sing”, “extol” and “rejoice” extend the concept of the four reac-tions stated in verse 3.

A. Here exhortations are given to express the natural reactions of grateful hearts for God’s action on their behalf.

B. The singing of praises is one of the best ways to enunciate the happy and thankful feelings of one’s heart.

II. The metaphor of God riding on the clouds is pictured elsewhere as God making the clouds his chariot (Ps. 104:3), manifesting his thun-derous power (Ps. 68:33) and causing the enemy to tremble before Him (Isa. 19:1).

A. Psalm 104:3, and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. (NIV)

B. Psalm 68:33, to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice. (NIV)




C. Isaiah 19:1, An oracle concerning Egypt: See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them. (NIV)

III. The name “LORD”, Yahweh, refers to the covenant God of the Hebrews.

A. Its use is significant in the context of Psalm 68.

B. The covenant God is expected to act favorably on behalf of His submissive imploring covenant people.

Psalm 68:5, A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. (NIV) I. Beautiful metaphors describe God.

A. In Hebrew society, “the fatherless” and “widows” were viewed as helpless individuals without legal rights.

1. God was tenderly concerned about them and He ex-pected Israel to be concerned as well (Deut. 14:28-29, et al).

a. Deuteronomy 14:28, 29, At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. (NIV)




2. In the present context, the psalmist presents God as the defender of the defenseless, whoever they might be and whatever their circumstances might be.

B. The church is also expected to care for widows in their af-flictions; this is part of pure religion (Jas. 1:27).

1. James 1:27, Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from be-ing polluted by the world. (NIV)

Psalm 68:6, God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the pris-oners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. (NIV) I. The first two lines of this climactic triplet further the concept of God’s concern for the downtrodden.

A. He provides “families” or a homeland for the lonely home-less.

1. God who dwells in His “holy dwelling” is concerned about the homeless.

B. “Prisoners” are often treated as outcasts by society, but God cares for them.

Note: In the context of Psalm 68, these metaphors describe those who cringe before their enemies. II. By contrast, God forsakes “the rebellious”, causing them to live in “sun-scorched”, that is, a barren unproductive land.




A. This is a metaphor of the fact that God forsakes those who forsake Him, leaving them to their own defenses.

B. This is meant to be a warning to Israel.

God as Deliverer

Psalm 68:7-18, When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, be-fore God, the God of Israel. You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor. The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it: "Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder. Even while you sleep among the camp-fires, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold." When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon. The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan. Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell forever? The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thou-sands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary. When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious— that you, O LORD God, might dwell there. (NIV) Psalm 68:7, When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah (NIV) I. God is presented as a general or commander-in-chief of Israel’s ar-mies.




A. His movement from the “wasteland” or wilderness to Sinai (v. 8) to Zion, God’s dwelling place (v. 17) is being presented in this section of the psalm.

1. Psalm 68:8, 17, the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, be-fore God, the God of Israel. The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary. (NIV)

B. The implication is that the wilderness is no match for God and His armies.

Psalm 68:8, the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, be-fore God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. (NIV) I. The shaking of the earth describes an earthquake.

A. A cloudburst to dispel the dryness of the wilderness is por-trayed.

B. Cloudbursts are so unusual in the Desert of Sinai that it would seem like a miracle for one to happen.

II. God is described as “the One of Sinai”.

A. He is Israel’s lawgiver.

1. The Law was given at Sinai (Ex. 31:18).

a. Exodus 31:18, When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tab-lets of stone inscribed by the finger of God. (NIV)




2. The Law of Moses united God and Israel as unequal partners to a covenant.

3. God was the superior partner who dispensed blessings and set forth the terms of the covenant.

4. Israel was the inferior partner responsible for submit-ting to the terms of the covenant.

Psalm 68:9, You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. (NIV) I. The refreshing and abundant showers of blessing are described here.

A. The Israelites were weary as they traveled from Egypt through the Sinai Desert and on to Canaan.

1. What a blessing that God’s “weary inheritance” re-ceived such refreshment.

2. The showers described here could be taken literally or as a metaphor of God’s provisions granted in the wilder-ness.

Psalm 68:10, Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor. (NIV) I. Verse 10 extends the care of God’s provisions and care to the Set-tlement in Canaan where Israel received her land inheritance.

A. “The poor” is a metaphor of the needy Israelites, regardless of financial conditions.




Psalm 68:11, The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it: (NIV) I. Verse 11 is the introduction to the words of God in verses 12-13.

A. Psalm 68:12, 13, "Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder. Even while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of my dove are sheathed with sil-ver, its feathers with shining gold." (NIV)

B. God, as King, announced His actions, and His couriers pro-claimed it.

Psalm 68:12, "Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder. (NIV) I. In the Conquest of Canaan, armies fled from before the armies of Is-rael (cf. Josh. 10:16).

A. Joshua 10:16, Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. (NIV)

B. It was natural that the victorious armies would “divide the plunder”.

Psalm 68:13, Even while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold." (NIV) I. “Campfires” could be rendered “saddlebags” (Gen. 49:14).

A. Genesis 49:14, "Issachar is a rawboned donkey lying down between two saddlebags.” (NIV)




II. Verse 13 is difficult but it may refer to Judges 5:16 in which some were reproved for not joining the tribes that fought in the Conquest of Canaan.

A. Judges 5:16, Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart. (NIV)

III. God calls Israel His “dove” (Ps. 74:19).

A. Psalm 74:19, Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever. (NIV)

B. The dove was a symbol of peace (Ps. 55:6).

1. Psalm 55:6, I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest- (NIV)

2. The dove presented here is ornately adorned with “sil-ver” and “shining gold”, representing Israel at her best.

Psalm 68:14, When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon. (NIV) I. The historical statement of the Almighty scattering the kings in the land answers the petition of verse 1.

A. Psalm 68:1, May God arise, may his enemies be scat-tered; may his foes flee before him. (NIV)

B. The simile of snow on “Zalmon” may refer to a victory as refreshing as fallen snow.




Psalm 68:15, The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan. (NIV) I. “The mountains of Bashan” refers to the Mt. Hermon mountain range.

A. Although these mountains are majestic, they are also “rug-ged”, that is, difficult.

Psalm 68:16, Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell forever? (NIV) I. Mt. Zion “where God chooses to reign” is far superior to any other.

A. Others may envy Mt. Zion, but they cannot surpass it.

B. God symbolically dwelt at the temple but His real abode was recognized as higher than the highest heavens (2 Chron. 2:6).

1. 2 Chronicles 2:6, But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then am I to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him? (NIV)

Note: Verses 15-16 may be an allusion to the war against Og king of Bashan in the conquest of Transjordan under Moses (Num. 21:31-35). God could be said to reign over this territory after Israel won a great victory over the native people and settled the territory.

A. Psalm 68:15, 16, The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan. Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God




chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell for-ever? (NIV)

B. Numbers 21:31-35, So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites. After Moses had sent spies to Jazer, the Israelites captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there. Then they turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei. The LORD said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amo-rites, who reigned in Heshbon." So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors. And they took possession of his land.

Psalm 68:17, The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thou-sands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctu-ary. (NIV) I. God is presented as a charioteer with innumerable armies.

A. Ascending numeration is involved in the phrases “tens of thousands and thousands of thousands”.

B. God has poetically made his journey from Sinai to Jerusa-lem, “his sanctuary”.

C. He has led his pilgrims from Egypt to Canaan.

Psalm 68:18, When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious— that you, O LORD God, might dwell there. (NIV)




I. The concept of taking captive captives may be an allusion to Judges 5:12 in which Deborah and Barak are commanded, “Take captive your captives”.

A. Judges 5:12, 'Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, break out in song! Arise, O Barak! Take captive your captives, O son of Abinoam.' (NIV)

II. The receiving of gifts refers symbolically to taking plunder from a defeated army.

A. The apostle Paul alluded to this verse in Ephesians 4:8.

1. Ephesians 4:8, This is why it says: "When he as-cended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men." (NIV)

2. He speaks of Christ giving instead of receiving gifts.

3. Apparently, he was following the usual Jewish inter-pretation indicated in the Targum (commentary) on the Psalm passage.

4. Paul was using the analogy of Christ as a conqueror who gave gifts to the church, namely, the apostles, prophets and evangelists, pastors and teachers (Eph. 4:11).

a. Ephesians 4:11, It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teach-ers, (NIV)




God as Savior Psalm 68:19-23, Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death. Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins. The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea, that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share." (NIV) Psalm 68:19, Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah (NIV) I. It is problematical whether verse 19 closes the account recorded in verses 14-18 or opens the account given in verses 20-23.

A. Psalm 68:14-18, When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon. The moun-tains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan. Why gaze in envy, O rugged moun-tains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell forever? The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary. When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious— that you, O LORD God, might dwell there. (NIV)

B. Psalm 68:20-23, Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death. Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins. The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea,




that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share." (NIV)

1. At any rate, verse 19 is transitional.

2. Bashan is mentioned in verses 15 and 22, so the two sections are joined.

a. Psalm 68:15, 22, The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the moun-tains of Bashan. The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea, (NIV)

II. God is worthy of the praise of Israel since he is her Savior.

A. “Daily” suggests constancy.

B. “Who…bears our burdens” refers mainly in this context to His fighting Israel’s battles by strengthening Israel’s armies in the contests that she wages.

1. This is demonstrated in verse 20.

Psalm 68:20, Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death. (NIV) I. Since God is Israel’s “Sovereign LORD” who has her best interest at heart, He “saves” her from danger so that she escapes from death.

A. The last statement probably refers primarily to death on the battlefield.

B. This does not mean that no Israelites would ever perish in battle, for history does not verify that interpretation.




C. It does indicate that Israel often won battles and even wars against great odds.

1. Witness Gideon’s victories (Jud. 6:22—8:21).

2. Judges 6:22-40, When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he exclaimed, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!" But the LORD said to him, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die." So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiez-rites. That same night the LORD said to him, "Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt of-fering." So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal's altar, de-molished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built al-tar! They asked each other, "Who did this?" When they carefully investigated, they were told, "Gideon son of Joash did it." The men of the town demanded of Joash, "Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal's altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it." But Joash replied to the hos-tile crowd around him, "Are you going to plead Baal's cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever




fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar." So that day they called Gideon "Jerub-Baal," saying, "Let Baal con-tend with him," because he broke down Baal's altar. Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them. Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised- look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowl-ful of water. Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. (NIV)

3. Judges 7:1-25, Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles




with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.'" So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. But the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go; but if I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. During that night the LORD said to Gideon, "Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your ser-vant Purah and listen to what they are saying. After-ward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp." So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore. Gideon ar-rived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. "I had a dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent over-turned and collapsed." His friend responded, "This




can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands." When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, "Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands." Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. "Watch me," he told them. "Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon.'" Gideon and the hun-dred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. Israelites from Naph-tali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites and seize the wa-ters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah." So all the men of Ephraim were called out




and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. They also captured two of the Midianite lead-ers, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pur-sued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan. (NIV)

4. Judges 8:1-21, Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, "Why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you call us when you went to fight Midian?" And they criticized him sharply. But he answered them, "What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren't the gleanings of Ephraim's grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?" At this, their resent-ment against him subsided. Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan and crossed it. He said to the men of Succoth, "Give my troops some bread; they are worn out, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zal-munna, the kings of Midian." But the officials of Suc-coth said, "Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your troops?" Then Gideon replied, "Just for that, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers." From there he went up to Peniel and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Succoth had. So he said to the men of Peniel, "When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower." Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had




fallen. Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah and fell upon the unsus-pecting army. Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army. Gideon son of Joash then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres. He caught a young man of Succoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Succoth, the elders of the town. Then Gideon came and said to the men of Succoth, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, 'Do you al-ready have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?' " He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Succoth a lesson by punishing them with desert thorns and briers. He also pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the town. Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?" "Men like you," they an-swered, "each one with the bearing of a prince." Gideon replied, "Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the LORD lives, if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you." Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, "Kill them!" But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid. Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Come, do it yourself. 'As is the man, so is his strength. " So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments off their camels' necks. (NIV)

Psalm 68:21, Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins. (NIV)




I. The psalmist expresses his faith that God will continue to do what He has done in the past.

A. Those who persist in their sins will come under God’s just judgment.

1. “Hairy crowns” refers to gray haired old men who have wasted their lives in sin.

B. What a contrast is described in the fortunes of those de-scribed in verses 20-21!

1. Psalm 68:20, 21, Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death. Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins. (NIV)

Psalm 68:22-23, The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea, that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share." (NIV) I. The allusion to “Bashan” is explained in verses 15-16.

A. Psalm 68:15, 16, The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan. Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell for-ever? (NIV)

II. “The depths of the sea” may refer to the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds), which Israel crossed under the leadership of Moses when God saved Israel from the advancing Egyptian army.




A. That deliverance became a great part of Israel’s storied his-tory (Josh. 2:10; Isa. 51:10).

1. Joshua 2:10, We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. (NIV)

2. Isaiah 51:10, Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over? (NIV)

II. Verse 23 continues the sentence begun in verse 22, and verse 23 states the purpose of God’s protecting His people.

A. Verse 23 does not encourage Israel to engage in the savage actions described here; it only indicates the reality of what sometimes accompanied fierce battles (cf. 1 Kgs. 22:38; 2 Kgs. 9:36; Isa. 63:1-6; Jer. 15:3).

1. 1 Kings 22:38, They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the LORD had de-clared. (NIV)

2. 2 Kings 9:36, They went back and told Jehu, who said, "This is the word of the LORD that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel's flesh. (NIV)

3. Isaiah 63:1-6, Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is




this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the great-ness of his strength? "It is I, speaking in righteous-ness, mighty to save." Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? "I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my re-demption has come. I looked, but there was no one to help, I was appalled that no one gave support; so my own arm worked salvation for me, and my own wrath sustained me. I trampled the nations in my anger; in my wrath I made them drunk and poured their blood on the ground." (NIV)

4. Jeremiah 15:3, "I will send four kinds of destroy-ers against them," declares the LORD, "the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. (NIV)

God as King

Psalm 68:24-27, Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines. Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel. There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah's princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali. (NIV) Note: Verses 24-27 describe a religious rather than a military proces-sion.




Psalm 68:24, Your procession has come into view, O God, the pro-cession of my God and King into the sanctuary. (NIV) I. Verse 24 involves stairlike or step parallelism.

A. Part of the first line is repeated in the second line and then an addition is made in the second line.

II. Verse 24 introduces the procession of God “into the sanctuary”, which procession is continued to be described in verses 25-27.

A. Psalm 68:24-27, Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines. Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel. There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah's princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali. (NIV)

B. God is presented as King, indicating His royal command and power.

C. God is leading the procession in the poet’s mind.

Psalm 68:25, In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines. (NIV) I. “Singers”, “musicians” and “maidens” are in part those appointed to perform these functions (1 Chron. 15:16).

A. 1 Chronicles 15:16, David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, ac-companied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cym-bals. (NIV)




Psalm 68:26, Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel. (NIV) I. Verse 26, like verse 24, is written in stairlike parallelism.

A. Psalm 68:24, 26, Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel. (NIV)

II. The repetition of the command “praise God” and “praise the LORD” is used for emphasis. III. “In the great congregation” and “in the assembly of Israel” refer to the convocations of people for special occasions (Lev. 23:3-36, NASB).

A. Leviticus 23:3-36, "'There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sa-cred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD. "'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fif-teenth day of that month the LORD's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. For seven days present an offering made to the LORD by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.'" The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will




be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect, together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil—an of-fering made to the LORD by fire, a pleasing aroma—and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin of wine. You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. "'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD. Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the LORD, together with their grain offerings and drink offer-ings—an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. The priest is to wave the two lambs before the LORD as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the LORD for the priest. On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regu-lar work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the genera-tions to come, wherever you live. "'When you reap the har-vest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.'" The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred as-sembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular




work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire.'" The LORD said to Moses, "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. It is a sab-bath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath." The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the LORD's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a sacred assem-bly; do no regular work. For seven days present offerings made to the LORD by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sa-cred assembly and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. It is the closing assembly; do no regular work. (NIV)

Psalm 68:27, There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah's princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali. (NIV) I. The tribes of Benjamin and Judah represent the southern portion of the United Kingdom, and Zebulun and Naphtali represent the northern portion. II. Since from David’s time forward Jerusalem was the political and religious capital of the kingdom, the expression, “Judah’s princes” can be taken literally.




III. Apparently, the phrase, “princes of Zebulun and Naphtali” refers to important people in those tribes. IV. The Hebrew word car can define any leader, chief or noble. V. The terms, “little” and “great”, describe historical reality.

A. The tribe of Benjamin was literally the smallest among the tribes (1 Sam. 9:21).

1. 1 Samuel 9:21, Saul answered, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?" (NIV)

B. Judah, the capital of the nation, would naturally contain a “great throng” of leaders.

God as Power

Psalm 68:28-35, Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before. Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts. Rebuke the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations. Hum-bled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war. Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit herself to God. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thun-ders with mighty voice. Proclaim the power of God, whose maj-esty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies. You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! (NIV)




Psalm 68:28, Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before. (NIV) I. God is exhorted to summon his power and strength to help His peo-ple as He had done before. Psalm 68:29, Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts. (NIV) I. Because of seeing God’s strength and majesty in the majestic “tem-ple in Jerusalem”, kings would bring gifts in the form of tribute in submission to Him. Psalm 68:30, Rebuke the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations. Humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war. I. “The beast among the reeds” is a symbol of the enemy, probably Egypt (v. 31).

A. Psalm 68:31, Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit herself to God. (NIV)

B. “Bulls” is a metaphor of strength.

Psalm 68:31, Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit her-self to God. (NIV) I. “Envoys…from Egypt” and from “Cush” to the south, will submit to God. Psalm 68:32-33, Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice. (NIV)




I. “The kingdoms of the earth” are called upon to acknowledge the strength and majesty of God by singing praise to Him. II. For the meaning of the expression, “who rides the ancient skies above”, see the notes on verse 4.

A. Psalm 68:4, Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds—his name is the LORD—and rejoice before him. (NIV)

III. “Who thunders with mighty voice” refers to God’s majesty and power displayed on earth. Psalm 68:34, Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies. (NIV) I. Verse 34 reiterates the thought of verse 33.

A. Psalm 68:33, to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice. (NIV)

Psalm 68:35, You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! (NIV) I. Verse 35 returns to direct address to God (cf. 7,9,10,24,28).

A. Psalm 68:7,9,10,24,28,35, When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the waste-land, Selah You gave abundant showers, O God; you re-freshed your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor. Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have




done before. You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! (NIV)

II. God’s sanctuary is viewed poetically as his throne where He reigns as King.

A. He is awesome in His power and majesty.

B. God gives of himself by giving “power and strength to his people”.

C. This encomium is a proper summation of the psalm as a whole.

III. The interjection, “Praise be to God!”, compresses the many exhor-tations given throughout the psalm (4,19,26,32).

A. Psalm 68:4,19,26,32, Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds]—his name is the LORD—and rejoice before him. Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the as-sembly of Israel. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah (NIV)

Application: I. The actions of the past are a good thermometer of what can happen in the present and the future.

A. This is especially true when God’s actions are under consid-eration.




B. The circumstances of spiritual approval and disapproval from the past can help us determine the proper life style in or-der to receive His approval and avoid His disapproval.




Questions

Psalm 68:1-35

(Questions based on NIV text.)

1. Who wrote Psalm 68? Who was the director of music for whom this psalm was written? What is the difference between a psalm and a song? __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. “May _____________ ______________, may his ______________ be ______________; may his ______________ _________________ before him.”

3. What two figures are used in verse 2 to describe the sought for re-sults of God’s dealings with the wicked? ______________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What four phrases describe the sought for condition of the right-eous? See verse 3. ________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




5. “_______________ to God, _______________ _______________ to his ______________, ______________ him who ______________ on the _____________ - his _______________ is the _____________ - and _________________ before him.”

6. God is a ____________ to the _____________, a ______________ of _______________.” God’s dwelling place is _________________.

7. God sets the _________________ in _________________. He leads forth the _________________ with _________________. Who are/were these prisoners?

8. . . . but the ___________________ live in a _________________ - _________________ _________________. What is the significance of this expression in Biblical references? _______________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. What did God do for his people? Give details of each action. See verses 7-10. ______________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. What word did God announce and exactly who proclaimed it? __ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




11. Give Biblical examples of Kings and armies fleeing in haste and of men dividing the plunder in the camps. ______________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. What happens while ‘You sleep among the campfires”? Explain the use of the figure of a dove whose wings were sheathed with silver. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Identify Zalmon. What was like fallen snow? ________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. How were the mountains of Bashon connected with Israel’s his-tory? Where did God choose to reign forever? Is he reigning there today? Why or why not? ___________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. How many chariots does God have? Where was/is God’s sanctu-ary? ____________________________________________________




________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

16. Explain verse 16. Where else in the Bible, especially in the New Testament, is this scripture found? What application is made of it there? __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

17. “_______________ be to the Lord, to God our _______________, who _______________ _______________ our _________________. Our God is a God who ______________; from the _______________ ______________ comes _______________ from _______________.”

18. From what does God save? When has the Lord enabled you to es-cape from death? _________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

19. How can we praise God? Are words of praise alone enough? ___ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




20. To what do hairy crowns refer in verse 21? What happens to God’s enemies who do not repent? ___________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

21. God’s _______________ will be brought from _______________ and from the _________________ of the _________________ that Is-rael may ____________________ their __________________ in the _____________ of their _____________, while the ______________ of their _________________ have their _______________________.

22. Why was this savage language used here? ___________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

23. Of what did God’s procession into his sanctuary consist? What was God’ sanctuary? Give the significance of each component of the procession. See verses 24-27. _______________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

24. God was asked to _________________ his _________________ and to show his _________________ as he had done before.

25. Give Biblical examples of how God had revealed his strength in years past. _______________________________________________




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26. Why would kings bring gifts to God? ______________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 27. Who is represented by “the beast among the reeds” and “the herd of bulls among the calves”? _________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 28. Israel’s enemies, the psalmist prayed, would bring _______________ of _______________. The _________________ who _____________ in _____________ would be _______________. 29. From where would envoys come? What was the purpose of these delegations? _____________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




30. Where was Cush located? From whom were the Cushites de-scended? ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 31. The psalm ends in a crescendo of praise to God. “_____________ to God, O ___________ of the ___________, _________________ ____________ to the ______________, to him who ______________ the _____________ _______________ above, who _______________ with _________________ _________________.” 32. Based on verses 34 and 35 God can be described as ____________________ _________________, _________________, ____________________ and worthy to be _____________________. 33. What may be the historical background of Psalm 68? __________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 34. What does Selah mean? What purposes does it serve? _________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 35. Into what sections can Psalm 68 be divided? How can each sec-tion be entitled? __________________________________________




________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 36. Define righteous as used in verse 2. Are you righteous? ________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 37. The righteous are _________________, _________________, _______________ and _______________ who _________________, _________________ and _________________ in God. 38. God is the defender of the defenseless. How can we be imitators of God in this respect? Be specific. ___________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 39. What lessons does Psalm 68 teach us? ______________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 40. Is God pleased with our praying for his blessings to be upon us and his vengeance upon others? Carefully consider your answer in view of what Palm 68 says. __________________________________




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god’s glorious triumphs psalm 68:1-35 - bible study...

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