#800 Psalm 68 Smoke and Wax

68 God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy!


4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
exult before him!
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the solitary in a home;
he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.


7 O God, when you went out before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
9 Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10 your flock found a dwelling in it;
in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.


11 The Lord gives the word;
the women who announce the news are a great host:
12 “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home divide the spoil—
13 though you men lie among the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its pinions with shimmering gold.
14 When the Almighty scatters kings there,
let snow fall on Zalmon.


15 O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
at the mount that God desired for his abode,
yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
17 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
thousands upon thousands;
the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 You ascended on high,
leading a host of captives in your train
and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.


19 Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation. Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22 The Lord said,
“I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may strike your feet in their blood,
that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”


24 Your procession is seen, O God,
the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 the singers in front, the musicians last,
between them virgins playing tambourines:
26 “Bless God in the great congregation,
the Lord, O you who are of Israel's fountain!”
27 There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
the princes of Judah in their throng,
the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.


28 Summon your power, O God,
the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings shall bear gifts to you.
30 Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31 Nobles shall come from Egypt;
Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God.


32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
and whose power is in the skies.
35 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! Psalm 68 ESV

 A Psalm and song of David.

Adam Clarke wrote, “I know not how to undertake a comment on this psalm: it is the most difficult in the whole Psalter.”

God shall arise - It is pointed out by some commentators that this is similar to the words of Moses in Numbers 10 when ever they set out, that the ark went before them. God prepares the way. It is quite possible that this recalls a settled Jerusalem and the procession of the ark to the city.

2 Samuel 6 The Ark

…34 And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp. 35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say, “Rise up, O LORD! May Your enemies be scattered; may those who hate You flee before You.” 36 And when it came to rest, he would say: “Return, O LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel.”… Numbers 10: 34-36

Numbers 10

His name is the Lord - God has revealed Himself to us through His word, and has revealed to us ourselves. Israel knows Who the Lord is by His revelation and how He is to be approached. He gives grace to the humble.

iv. “Yah, probably a contraction of the word Yehovah; at least so the ancient versions understood it. It is used but in a few places in the sacred writings. It might be translated The Self-existent.” (Clarke)

Father of the fatherless, protector of widows - I grew up with a single mom, and I didn't meet my dad till sometime in my 20's, but there was a pastor, John Macarthur, who my mom respected for his dedication to the word, and she went to speak with him after a sermon one day. She explained her situation, her sin, her shame, and how she wanted to live a life of repentance and dependence on God. My mom wanted to raise us to be Godly men, and so she asked a Godly man, what should I do? What is the right thing for me to do in God's eyes? He told her that God is Father to the fatherless and a husband to the widow. He told her not to have men stay overnight, to follow God's word, and she took this all to heart. We never starved, and though the world and culture went towards the consumerism of the 80's, she made the home and what was taught there take priority. I was too fascinated with the culture, embarrassed that we lived so differently, mad that she considered everything as belonging to God, ashamed that she took every opportunity to share the gospel. 

ii. “The kings and other rulers of this world do not act like this. They surround themselves with the noblest and richest of their lands, those who can enhance their glory and strengthen their power. The highest glory of God is that he cares for the miserable and surrounds himself with them.” (Boice)

…26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless. 27Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1: 26-27

Though we may lose many friends, family and station in this life, or even see ourselves more fit as solitary beings, enjoying the solitary life, yet God has called us off the hills, out of woods, lakes and all else, to His family. There is this now, and there is eternity, you may feel loneliness now, or even think you have everything you need, that you are self sufficient, but that is fading.

The women at home divide the spoil - The church enjoys much as the bride of Christ. Just as the Israelites new that all was well when God went out before them, so we must come to know that we are proclaimers of the gospel, Christ has won the battle. Through His righteousness we have salvation, have come out of Egypt, weathered the flood, crossed the sea on dry land, and share at His table.

O mountain of God - The Lord lifts up the lowly, He does not hate a broken and contrite heart. His ways are truly not ours.

i. “In comparison with these, Mount Zion was the merest hill: yet Zion, as if to their baleful envy, was God’s choice.” (Kidner)

A host of captives in Your train - 

…7 Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.” 9 What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth?… Ephesians 4: 7-9

Ascribe power to God - God is above all that He has created. All worship given to things made is not rightly given.