This morning‘s psalm calls us to praise the Lord. Now you may remember that Aaron O’Kelley preached a sermon on Psalm 136 a few weeks ago in which he called us to praise the Lord for his steadfast love. So why then another sermon on praising the Lord? For that matter, why are so many of the psalms about this? Why does God so often call us to praise him in the Scriptures? Well, I think the answer is found in our fallenness. God has given us so many reminders and calls to praise him because we are so apt to forget to do so. We need to hear this word over and over and over because we are so prone to be distracted from it by the world or all the thousands of things vying for our attention each day. We need to hear God’s word repeatedly, lest we forget. It is good for us hear these repeated calls to praise.
Now, some may ask another question about praise, as C.S. Lewis did prior to his conversion to Christianity while he was an atheist. One aspect of the Bible that troubled him prior to coming to faith was the repetitive calls byGod for us to praise him. Lewis once thought that God sounded like an old woman seeking compliments. Pure vanity. And yet, seeking praise as a mere finite human being certainly is vanity. However, this is not the case with God, for he is the greatest and most worthy being in the universe. For him to seek praise it is good and right, and it is good and right for us to respond to him with praise. He commands it. However, Lewis finally noticed another “fact about praise” in relation to God. He writes in his book Reflections on the Psalms:
But the most obvious fact about praise—whether of God or anything—strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise...
The world rings with praise—lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game...My whole, more general, difficulty about the praise of God depended on my absurdly denying to us, as regards the supremely Valuable, what we delight to do, what indeed we can't help doing, about everything else we value. I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.1
So another reason God calls us to praise, in addition to his worthiness, is because in praising him he gives us joy. His calling us to praise him is to his glory and to our benefit. Therefore, we need reminders to praise him because we so easily forget, because he is worthy of it, and because it is for our joy. Now with that being said, let’s take a closer look at Ps. 68.
This text was probably written at the time of the Ark’s arrival in Jerusalem during David’s reign. For a long time it was located at different towns in Israel. Once David had conquered Jerusalem, he brought the Ark there. When it arrived, there was a great celebration. It was at this point that David danced before the Lord. You can read about that in 2 Sam 6. We see the main point of our text this morning in vv. 3-4 and 32-35. Specifically, in Ps. 68, David is calling us to sing praises to God and rejoice in him(vv. 3-4, 32-35) because of who he is (vv. 1-6), because of what he has done (vv. 7-18), and because of what he is doing (vv. 19-35). Now we are going to look at each of these grounds for our praises individually.
The first reason David gives us for praising the Lord is who he is, his character. We see this in the psalm’s introduction in vv. 1-6. In v. 3 we see the example of God’s people being glad and rejoicing in the Lord for who he is and what he has done followed by the call to sing praises to the Lord in verse 4. Here we see the main purpose or command in the text. Surrounding these verses, however, are several statements and words that describe who God is and serve as a basis for this praise. Let’s look at these descriptions of who God is.
First, David opens the psalm using some language from Num 10:35. This is not the first time we will see David allude to or refer to exodus and wilderness period in Israel’s history. In Num 10:35, we read of the words Moses would say whenever the Ark of the Covenant set out. He would say, “Arise, O Lord and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” The idea was that as God moved through the wilderness leading his people, their enemies would be scattered and destroyed, which is what happened typically when Israel was faithful to the covenant.This idea is what David evokes here in Ps. 68:1-2. He describes God as one who arises and scatters and destroys his enemies, the wicked. Their fleeing is described as smoke floating away from a fire, and their destruction is like wax melting before a fire. We see here the implication that our God is like fire, especially in judgment. This idea shows up later in the Scriptures Hebrews 12:29 where the writer declares that, “Our God is a consuming fire.” So here we have God being portrayed as a fire that drives away and destroys the wicked. The implication we can draw from this is that God is great and mighty and his enemies cannot stand before him. In v. 3, we see the gladness and joy of God’s people in response to this.
Second, in v. 4 David calls the people to praise and identifies God by his personal name, Yahweh, and as he who rides through the deserts. This is another connection between this psalm and the wilderness period of Israel’s history when God lead the Israelites through the desert.The announcement that God’s name is Yahweh brings to mind two important passages in Old Testament history: God’s revelation of his name, I Am, to Moses in Ex3:14 and God’s summary of who he is in Ex 34:6-7, which states,
“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
Both these texts would have been central for the Israelite’s understand of who God is. God is Yahweh, and he is the one who led them through the desert.
David shares two more characteristics in vv. 5-6. We can see a little of the Ex 34:6-7 text in the background of vv. 4-5. Essentially, in Exodus 34:6 God declares himself to be both a merciful and just God. We see examples of this in this text. Here the psalmist describes God as “the father of the fatherless and protector of the widows…in his holy habitation” and as one who provides a home for the lonely and prosperity for prisoners. In other words, where God is present there is mercy and grace for the weak and the needy and the mistreated. Often in the Scriptures we see God’s care expressed for the poor, the fatherless, widows and those unjustly treated. These statements show us specifically God’s care for these types of people but generally God’s care for all who are weak and needy, like Israel was at the time of the Exodus and as we all truly are. In the New Testament we see similar language used in Jam 1:27 where pure and undefiled religion is partially defined as visiting orphans and widows in their affliction. Therefore, the third point here is that God is a God who shows mercy to those in need and cares for the weak. This is part of who he is.
The fourth and final characteristic David speaks of is found at the end of v. 6. Here David depicts God’s justice. Not only does God drive away and destroy the wicked as we saw in v. 1, but, in contrast to providing for the lonely and those imprisoned, God has the rebellious dwell in a parched land. This is a poetic image depicting his justice. In other words, God is just and metes out justice for rebellion. Our God is a wrathful and just, and he will punish the wicked.
So in this first part of the psalm, we see that we should praise and rejoice in God because of who he is. Specifically, he tells us he is great and mighty, merciful and just, and will punish the wicked. However, this is not the only basis Davidhas given us for praising God.
The second reason for our praise is what God has done for his people (vv. 7-18). The main part of this psalm can be divided into two sections. Vv. 7-18 form part 1 of the body, which discusses what God has done for his people, and vv. 19-31 form part 2, which discusses what God is doing and will do in the future.
In this first section the psalmist poetically squeezes hundreds of years of history from the exodus up to the arrival of the ark at Jerusalem during David’s reign into 11 vv. He covers a lot of territory quickly and in some rather cryptic or shorthand ways. He uses a sentence here or a phrase there to summarize a whole lot. Let’s look more closely.
V. 7 brings us to the exodus and wilderness. We remember this period in Israel’s history was already brought to mind in v. 1 with the allusion to Num 10. God has gone out before his people and marched through the wilderness.Think of the pillars of smoke and fire. God led Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness. V. 8 speaks of heaven and earth’s response to God’s presence: earthquakes and rain.This also reflects the events at Sinai with the earthquakes and cloud signified God’s presence on the mountain. God is described as “the one of Sinai” and “the one of Israel.” God is the one who met with Israel at Sinai and made them his people. Thus forevermore he is known as the God of Israel. That God would choose a people and covenant with them is an amazing thing.
Vv. 9-10 speaks of “rain in abundance…shed abroad” by God. It says he “restored his inheritance as it languished.” What is in view here is God’s provision for his people. Often in Scripture, God’s people have been referred to as his inheritance, such as in Deut 9:26. In the wilderness, he supernaturally provided them with food and water. Later in the Promised Land, he provided the rain that they needed for their crops and flocks. There is a double meaning here of the word “inheritance.” It refers both in one sense (v. 9) to Israel but also to the Promised Land (v. 10). It says, “Your flock has found a dwelling in it, in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needed.” Israel was in need, and God met that need by giving them Promised Land for a dwelling place. Throughout Israel’s history, God was their provider of food, water, land, and ultimately salvation. And he is still is for his people now. Every good gift comes from the Father above. So here in vv. 7-10 we have a picture of God’s provision as well as a move from the wilderness to the entrance into the Promised Land.
The next stage of Israel’s history, the conquest, is poetically described in vv. 11-14. The Lord gives the word and the women announce God’s victory over the pagan nations of Canaan. God had told Joshua and the Israelites that they would conquer the land. “The kings of the armies-they flee, they flee!” Often in the Scriptures we see the women declaring victory over enemies, such as in Deborah’s song in Judges 5 or even the women who declared that Saul had killed thousands but David ten thousands.V. 13 is a difficult verse to interpret, but it seems to be speaking of the spoils the people received from the conquest and the rest they had as a result of God fighting for them. In v. 14, David gives us a summary of the battles. Here we have a long period of time and many battles simply and poetically summarized in one verse. God will scatter the kings and snow will fall. The snow is a poetic picture of the fallen enemy covering the ground or the spoils of war left littering the land after the battle. So at the end of these verses, Israel is settled in the land and the Canaanites have been conquered. This takes us up to David, who also played an important role in defeating Israel’s enemies like the Canaanites.
The final point of this rehearsal of Israel’s history is God’s coming to Zion. In 15-18, God ascends Mount Zion. First, the higher and much greater mount of Bashan is depicted as being jealous of God’s choosing Zion as his dwelling place on Earth. Zion is not a very lofty or large mountain. However, this does fit with what we know of God. He tends to choose the weak and small to put to shame the great and powerful. In v. 17, God arrives at Zion among the armies of heaven. The God of Sinai is now in the sanctuary at Zion.
V. 18 serves as the climax of the first part of the psalm. God has arrived at Zion and ascends the mount in order to dwell there with his people. As God ascends the mount, he is depicted as “leading a host of captives in [his] train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that he might dwell there.”In other words, in order for God in his holiness to dwell with the rebellious people, he takes captives from them and receives gifts. We know that God in his holiness cannot dwell with sinful men lest they be destroyed. Who are these captives? What are these gifts? Admittedly, this is is a difficult verse, but I think to understand it we need to remember the role of the Levites in Israel’s history. In Num 8, God took the Levites from the people of Israel to be his special possession and to serve him as priests and minister to the people. In Num 18:6, he even refers to them as gifts. The captives are the gifts, which are the Levites. The Levites and the whole Levitical system enabled a holy God to dwell there among his rebellious people. Therefore, this verse speaks of God’s arrival at Mount Zion as well as discusses the special role of the Levites in enabling God to dwell there among a sinful and rebellious people. That God would dwell with them and provide a way for this in the Levitical priesthood is a tremendous act of mercy and grace and would have moved the Israelites to praise.
However, we now know that God has shown evengreater grace to his people in Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul read this psalm, especially this part as referring to Christ. Paul understood Christ as having ascended not just to an earthly mount but to the right hand of God the Father on high. And as he ascended, he led captives and gave gifts to his Church. In other words, Christ has taken those who have repented and believed in the gospel captive, and he has given them back to the Church as a gift. This is why when we take in new members we speak of them as gifts to the body.Paul is picking up on this idea that the Levites were taken captive and given as gifts to God but that God then gave the Levites back to Israel to as a blessing. In the same way, God gives each of us to the Church to build it up.This is how Paul interprets this verse in Ephesians 4. The Israelites shared in the blessing of God’s dwelling with them at Zion. God gave them the Levites to minister to the people and to serve him. We share in the greater blessings of Christ who lived, died, was raised, and ascended. He has given gifts to his people the Church. What God did for Israel in their past gave David ample reason to praise the Lord. What God has done for us in and through Christ gives us ample reason to praise the Lord today. Therefore, the second basis for God’s praise is what he has done for his people. However, this psalm contains yet one final reason to motivate us to praise this morning.
The third reason for our praise is what God is doing(vv. 19-31). David, after poetically describing what God had done in Israel’s history began to speak of what God would do for them in the present and in the future. In reality, what was future for David is now present for us, as we shall see.
In vv. 19 and 20, David praises God for daily bearing up his people and delivering them from death. We saw this throughout Israel’s history as he took care of his people. Knowing that God is one who takes care of his people, David states that God will strike the heads of his enemies, the wicked, in vv. 21. Furthermore, God would bring his fleeing enemies back so that his people might destroy them. Essentially, David is showing that God presently in his time would take care of his people. From the Scriptures, we know this is true. God gave David and the people of Israel great victory during his reign.
Next, David tells us about the procession of worshippers, perhaps those going with the ark to the sanctuary. David depicts a joyous procession. Singers are in front and musicians are in the back. In between, there are women with tambourines. All together they are calling to Israel to bless the Lord, “Bless God in the great congregation, the Lord, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!” “Fountain” is a reference to God, Israel’s provider. Finally, David figuratively depicts all of Israel as in the procession by mentioning the presence of leaders of tribes from the north, south, east, and west in the procession in v. 27.
In v. 28, David prays and asks God to summon his power, that which he has worked for them. Then, in v. 29 he turns towards the future. He speaks of a day when kings would bear gifts to God because of his temple at Jerusalem. He then continues his prayer and poetically asks God to bring submission to his enemies (v. 30). Then again, he speaks of a time when nobles from Egypt and Cush would come to seek the Lord. Egypt was a nearby nation and Cush was much further away, thus symbolically depicting that all nations, near and far, will come to seek the Lord. David is speaking of a day when God draws the nations to seek him and worship him! This idea is continued in verses 32-35. David now expands his call to praise to all the kingdoms of the earth. Listen to this beautiful passage:
O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord, to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice. Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies. Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel--he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!
David saw that someday all the kingdoms of the earth would come to worship the Lord. He foresaw them coming to worship at the temple, which was true to a degree during the days of Solomon. Solomon had many visitors from foreign lands come to visit the Temple, such as the Queen of Sheba. However, this vision of the future that was partially fulfilled during Solomon’s time is happening even now and will be fully consummated when Christ returns! Look around. We are Gentiles yet we are able to come together to worship the Lord, the God of Israel. Through Jesus Christ, God is building a new templein which he dwells, his Church, made from both Jews and Gentiles. Someday these final verses of this psalm will be fully fulfilled as people from every tribe, tongue, and nation worship Christ.
Therefore, this morning as we come to the table, we have ample reason to praise and rejoice in God. David has shown us that God is great and mighty and just and merciful. He has shown us how God has acted in Israel’s history for their good. He has pointed to what we see even now, the coming of the nations to God. And all of these blessings come through and are fulfilled in Christ. In Christ, God the Son took on flesh, lived a perfect life fulfilling he law as we could not, was crucified, and was raised that we might have forgiveness and eternal life with God. The great and mighty, merciful and just God has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has satisfied his justice and shown mercy. Furthermore, all of Israel’s history finds its ultimate meaning and fulfillment in Christ. Finally, the glorious picture of the nations coming to know the Lord is a reality now in Christ. It is in and through Christ that Gentiles as well as Jews have access to God the Father.
This morning if you are a believer, I urge you to let these glorious truths fall on your hearts and move you to rejoice and worship God. May we reflect that which David said of those in v. 3. May we be glad, exult before God, and be jubilant with joy. If you do not believe, I urge you to repent and believe. Turn from your sins and profess faith in Jesus Christ. If you do not, God’s wrath is against you and you are in the position not of the rejoicing righteous but the wicked who are being scattered and destroyed for their rebellion. This morning as we come to the table, may we praise our God for it is for his glory and our good. Let us pray.