Psalm 68 — Our God is a Warrior

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David, a Song.

1 Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered;
Let them also that hate him flee before him.
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away:
As wax melteth before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God:
Yea, let them rejoice with gladness.
4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name:
Cast up a highway for him that rideth through the deserts;
His name is jah; and exult ye before him
5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows,
Is God in his holy habitation.
6 God setteth the solitary in families:
He bringeth out the prisoners into prosperity:
But the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people,
When thou didst march through the wilderness;     Selah
8 The earth trembled,
The heavens also dropped at the presence of God:
Even yon Sinai trembled at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain,
Thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
10 Thy congregation dwelt therein:
Thou, O God, didst prepare of thy goodness for the poor.
11 The Lord giveth the word:
The women that publish the tidings are a great host.
12 Kings of armies flee, they flee:
And she that tarrieth at home divideth the spoil.
13 Will ye lie among the sheepfolds,
As the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And her pinions with yellow gold?
14 When the Almighty scattered kings therein,
It was as when it snoweth in Zalmon.
15 A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
An high mountain is the mountain of Bashan
16 Why look ye askance, ye high mountains,
At the mountain which God hath desired for his abode?
Yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever
17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands upon thousands:
The Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the sanctuary.
18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led thy captivity captive;
Thou hast received gifts among men,
Yea, among the rebellious also,
That the LORD God might dwell with them.
19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily beareth our burden,
Even the God who is our salvation.     Selah
20 God is unto us a God of deliverances;
And unto jehovah the Lord belong the issues from death.
21 But God shall smite through the head of his enemies,
The hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his guiltiness.
22 The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan,
I will bring them again from the depths of the sea:
23 That thou mayest dip thy foot in blood,
That the tongue of thy dogs may have its portion from thine enemies.
24 They have seen thy goings, O God,
Even the goings of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25 The singers went before, the minstrels followed after,
In the midst of the damsels playing with timbrels.
26 Bless ye God in the congregations,
Even the Lord, ye that are of the fountain of Israel.
27 There is little Benjamin their ruler,
The princes of Judah and their council,
The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength:
Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem
Kings shall bring presents unto thee.
30 Rebuke the wild beast of the reeds,
The multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples,
Trampling under foot the pieces of silver;
He hath scattered the peoples that delight in war.
31 Princes shall come out of Egypt;
Ethiopia shall haste to stretch out her hands unto God.
32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth;
O sing praises unto the Lord;     Selah
33To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which are of old;
Lo, he uttereth his voice, and that a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe ye strength unto God:
His excellency is over Israel,
And his strength is in the skies.
35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places:
The God of Israel, he giveth strength and power unto his people
Blessed be God.

I love this psalm but feel inadequate to speak about it, especially in this short format. Yet, will it be better served by analysis or by simply reading and enjoying the whole? This is a psalm celebrating God, his people's warrior. Just let that idea alone bless you.

God made the earth tremble by his march through the wilderness. The kings of armies fled from before him, leaving him to take the spoil. Scattering kings, like scattering mountains, the Lord chose his own place to dwell and place his sanctuary. If his people were captured or at the door of death, God was able to deliver. God is unto us a God of deliverances. David was able to reflect and see the tribes and princes of God's people, strengthened by God himself. The enemy is trampled and the children of God are saved.

Yet, there is another part of this psalm: God is a God who provides, gives and loves. All of his work as a warrior was for his people. God loves his people. A father to the fatherless and a judge for widows, God stands in to help the lowly. God sent rains and help for the weary. He bears our burdens every day; he is our salvation and deliverance. He scatters those who delight in war so that his own people can live in peace.

What a psalm of praise. What a great day to praise God!