Psalms 68-69 (Week 23)

1. Let God Arise, Let His Enemies Be Scattered

A year in the Psalms, Psalm sixty eight. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered, let those who hate him flee before him, as smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be glad, let them rejoice before God. Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly. Sing to God, sing praises to his name. Extol him who rides on the clouds. By his name Yahu, and rejoice before him, a father of the fatherless, a defender of widows. Is God in his holy habitation? God sets the solitary in families. He brings out those who are bound into prosperity. But the rebellious dwell in a dry land. O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, the earth shook.

The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God. Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, whereby you confirmed your inheritance, when it was weary. Your congregation dwelt in it. You, O God, provided from your goodness for the poor. The Lord gave the word. Great was the company of those who proclaimed it. Kings of armies flee, they flee, and she who remains at home divides the spoil. Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, you will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold, when the Almighty scattered kings in it. It was white as snow in Zalam. A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan.

A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan. But do you fume with envy, you mountains of many pinks? This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in. Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever. The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them as in Sinai in the holy place. You have ascended on high, you have led captivity captive, you have received gifts among men, even from the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell there. Blessed be the Lord who daily loads up with benefits the God of our salvation. Our God is the God of salvation, and to God the Lord belong escapes from death. But God will wound the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespass.

The Lord said, I will bring back from Bason. I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, that your foot may crush them in blood, and the tongues of your dogs may have the portion from your enemies. They have seen your procession procession, O God, the procession of my God, my king into the sanctuary. The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after. Among them were the maidens playing timbrels. Bless God in the congregations, the Lord from the fountain of Israel. There is little Benjamin their leader, the princess of Judas and their company, the princess of Zebalon and the princes of Napili. Your God has commanded your strength. Strengthen, O God, what you have done for us, because of your temple at Jerusalem.

Kings will bring presents to you. Rebuke the beast of the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, till every one submits himself with pieces of silver. Scatter the peoples who delight in war. Envoys will come out of Egypt. Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God. Sing to God your kingdoms of the earth. O sing praises to the Lord, to him who rides on the heaven of heavens which were of old. Indeed, he sends out his voice, a mighty voice. Ascribe strength to God, his excellence is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds. O God, you are more awesome than your holy places. The God of Israel is he who gives strength and power to his people. Blessed be God.

2. Military Victory Over His Enemies

Military victory over his enemies was a thing for which David often prayed. The Jewish nation was secular as well as religious. It is proper for temporal governments to fight for their defense, John 1836. Hence it was right for David to express himself as he did here and in many other passages. A year in the Psalms, Psalm 69.

3. I Sink in Deep Mire

I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing. I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying, my throat is dry, my eyes fail me while I wait for my God. Those who hate me without a cause and more than the hairs of my head, they are mighty who would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully, though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it. O God, you know my foolishness, and my sins are not hidden from you. Let not those who wait for you, O Lord, God of hosts, be ashamed because of me. Let not those who seek you be confounded because of me, O God of Israel, because for your sake I have borne reproach.

Shame has covered my face, I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother’s children, because zeal for your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reach you have fallen on me, when I wept and chastened my soul with fasting. That became my reproach, I also made sackcloth, my garment, I became a byword to them, those who said wrong of the drunkards. But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord in the acceptable time, O God in the multitude of your mercy, hear me in the truth of your salvation, deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me and out of the deep waters. Let not the flood water overflow me, nor let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut its mouth on me.

Hear me, O God, for your loving kindness is good. Turn to me according to the multitude of your tender mercies, and to not to hide your face from your servant, for I am in trouble. Hear me speedily, draw near to my soul and redeem it. Deliver me because of my enemies. You know my reproach, my shame and my dishonor. My adversaries are all before you. Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of haven heaviness. I look for someone to take pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. They have also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Let their table become a snare before them, and their well being a trap.

Let their eyes be darkened so that they do not see, and make their loins shake continually. Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their dwelling place be desolate and let no one live in their tents, for they persecute the ones you have struck, and talk of the grief of those you have wounded, and iniquity to their iniquity, and let them not come into your righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. But I am poor and sorrowful. Let your salvation, O God, set me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall pass the Lord better than an ox or a bull which has horns and hoo hooves.

The humble shall see this and be glad. And you who seek God your hearts shall live, for the Lord hears the poor, and does not despise his prisoners. Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them, for God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, and they may dwell there and possess it. Also, the descendants of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it.

4. Acknowledging the Complete Wisdom of the Lord

David would not presume to offer information to God, this is in verse 19, but rather the form of speech was his way of acknowledging the complete wisdom of the Lord. The intensity of David’s persecutions was being more definitely described. The mind of inspiration was getting ready to pass again to a prediction concerning the great descendant of David.