Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

Psalm 68. This is a hymn by which God's people celebrate his continued care and protection for Israel, remembering how God led them through the wilderness into their inheritance, and daily bears his people up (v. 19). The celebration does not stop with Israel, however: it recognizes that defeating Gentile kingdoms "who delight in war" is for the sake of all the Gentiles coming to worship the true God. It is possible that David composed this psalm to commemorate the moving of the ark into the tabernacle (2 Sam. 6:12-15): Ps. 68:1 echoes Num. 10:35 (Moses' words when the ark set out); Ps. 68:16 mentions the mountain of God's abode; vv. 24-25 describe God's procession; and vv. 17, 35 speak of the sanctuary. In any event the overall theme of the psalm is God's residence in Zion and his care for his people.

68:1-3 Gladness When God Arises. Verse 1 adapts the words of Num. 10:35 ("Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you"), thus recalling the movement of the ark in the wilderness; from the perspective of the psalm, the ark was headed to its destination on Zion. For the ark to take up residence in Zion is for God to be among his people where they now live (cf. Ps. 68:17, "Sinai is now in the sanctuary"; the ark is a portable Sinai, where God made himself present with his people). This brings the happy promise that the wicked (those who reject God's covenant) shall perish before God, while the righteous (those who embrace the covenant) shall be glad, because God is carrying out his purpose of reversing the effects of sin in the world.