God Arises in Power and Mercy

68:1 God springs into action! His enemies scatter; his adversaries run from him. 68:2 As smoke is driven away by the wind, so you drive them away. As wax melts before fire, so the wicked are destroyed before God. 68:3 But the godly are happy; they rejoice before God and are overcome with joy. 68:4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Exalt the one who rides on the clouds! For the Lord is his name! Rejoice before him! 68:5 He is a father to the fatherless and an advocate for widows. God rules from his holy palace. 68:6 God settles those who have been deserted in their own homes; he frees prisoners and grants them prosperity. But sinful rebels live in the desert. 68:7 O God, when you lead your people into battle, when you march through the desert, (Selah) 68:8 the earth shakes, yes, the heavens pour down rain before God, the God of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. 68:9 O God, you cause abundant showers to fall on your chosen people. When they are tired, you sustain them, 68:10 for you live among them. You sustain the oppressed with your good blessings, O God. 68:11 The Lord speaks; many, many women spread the good news. 68:12 Kings leading armies run away – they run away! The lovely lady of the house divides up the loot. 68:13 When you lie down among the sheepfolds, the wings of the dove are covered with silver and with glittering gold. 68:14 When the sovereign judge scatters kings, let it snow on Zalmon! 68:15 The mountain of Bashan is a towering mountain; the mountain of Bashan is a mountain with many peaks. 68:16 Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks, at the mountain where God has decided to live? Indeed the Lord will live there permanently! 68:17 God has countless chariots; they number in the thousands. The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor. 68:18 You ascend on high, you have taken many captives. You receive tribute from men, including even sinful rebels. Indeed the Lord God lives there! 68:19 The Lord deserves praise! Day after day he carries our burden, the God who delivers us. (Selah) 68:20 Our God is a God who delivers; the Lord, the sovereign Lord, can rescue from death. 68:21 Indeed God strikes the heads of his enemies, the hairy foreheads of those who persist in rebellion. 68:22 The Lord says, “I will retrieve them from Bashan, I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, 68:23 so that your feet may stomp in their blood, and your dogs may eat their portion of the enemies’ corpses.” 68:24 They see your processions, O God – the processions of my God, my king, who marches along in holy splendor. 68:25 Singers walk in front; musicians follow playing their stringed instruments, in the midst of young women playing tambourines. 68:26 In your large assemblies praise God, the Lord, in the assemblies of Israel! 68:27 There is little Benjamin, their ruler, and the princes of Judah in their robes, along with the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali. 68:28 God has decreed that you will be powerful. O God, you who have acted on our behalf, demonstrate your power, 68:29 as you come out of your temple in Jerusalem! Kings bring tribute to you. 68:30 Sound your battle cry against the wild beast of the reeds, and the nations that assemble like a herd of calves led by bulls! They humble themselves and offer gold and silver as tribute. God scatters the nations that like to do battle. 68:31 They come with red cloth from Egypt, Ethiopia voluntarily offers tribute to God. 68:32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God! Sing praises to the Lord, (Selah) 68:33 to the one who rides through the sky from ancient times! Look! He thunders loudly. 68:34 Acknowledge God’s power, his sovereignty over Israel, and the power he reveals in the skies! 68:35 You are awe-inspiring, O God, as you emerge from your holy temple! It is the God of Israel who gives the people power and strength. God deserves praise! Psalm 69 For the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” by David.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Psalm 68 praises the Lord as the victorious King who scatters his enemies, defends the weak, leads his people, dwells among them, and calls all nations to praise him. He judges evil, carries his people’s burdens, and shows mercy to the vulnerable while reigning in holiness and strength.

This psalm begins with a call for God to rise and act. When he does, his enemies scatter and the righteous rejoice.

The Lord is mighty, but he is also merciful. He is a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows. He gives a home to the deserted, frees prisoners, and sustains the weary.

The psalm remembers God’s work at Sinai and in the wilderness. There he led his people, shook the earth, and provided for them. It also celebrates his victory, his procession into worship, and his reign from among his people.

In the end, all kingdoms are called to praise him. The God of Israel rules with holiness, strength, mercy, and judgment.

• God defeats his enemies and protects those who trust him.
• The Lord cares for the fatherless, widows, the deserted, prisoners, and the oppressed.
• God’s power was shown in Israel’s history, especially in the wilderness and at Sinai.
• The Lord is both holy Judge and merciful Deliverer.
• He sustains his people day by day and carries their burdens.
• God dwells among his people and deserves public praise from Israel and the nations.
• The nations are called to acknowledge his power and sovereignty.

• Warnings: The wicked and persistent rebels face God’s judgment.
• Promises: God gives a home to the deserted, frees prisoners, sustains the tired, and rescues from death.
• Commands: Sing to God, praise his name, rejoice before him, and acknowledge his power.
• Commands: Let all kingdoms of the earth sing praises to the Lord.

Psalm 68 belongs to Israel’s story of exodus, Sinai, wilderness care, and Zion worship. It shows the Lord as the covenant King who led his people, lived among them, and established his rule in their midst. The New Testament later uses similar ascent language in relation to Christ, but that is a later canonical application rather than the psalm’s original direct meaning.

We should fear God’s holiness and trust his care at the same time. We should praise him for real acts of rescue, not only for feelings. We should also care for the weak, because God cares for the weak. This psalm reminds us that God carries burdens, overcomes evil, and deserves worship from his gathered people and from all the earth.

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