God Shall Arise

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Psalm 68

During the month of September of the year 1589 the protestant warrior-king Henry of Navarre led his army to battle against the armies of the Catholic League headed by the Duke of Mayenne.  The Huguenot was vastly outnumbered by Catholic forces.  Weather conditions and fog prohibited king Henry’s artillery from affecting the enemy.  

The French soldier’s moral was very low.  Around 10 am in the morning the Duke of Mayenne made his move.  Henry fought valiantly alongside his men, the fog and the confusion of battle caused both officers and soldiers to lose their bearings, not being able to tell the difference between the two.  In the midst of the confusing scene the Huguenot king shouted:

“Courage, gentlemen; pray, courage! Are there not fifty gentlemen willing to die with their king?” 

As the confidence and courage of the French soldiers waned due to the immense numbers and the vigor with which their enemy fought; he king said “Come, lift the Psalm. It is full time.” 

Psalm 68 was the battle hymn of the French Huguenots.  As the band of soldiers moved forward, strengthened by the cadence of this great Psalm, the fog was lifted and king Henry’s cannon balls rained down upon the enemy, with the cannon fire matching the rhythm of the Psalm.  Mayenne and his men were defeated, the Huguenot king held the field!

Psalm 68 has been the battle hymn of many an army.  In our study this morning we will examine the prologue of this great Psalm.

1. The Divine Warrior-King in Verses 1-3
   1. The Names of God abound in this Psalm there are at least 6 proper names —  Yahweh, Yah, Elohim, El, Adonai, and Shaddai
   2. The Titles of God are also many — at least 7
      1. Verse 4 — Him Who Rides on the Clouds
      2. Verse 5 — A Father to the fatherless, a Defender of Widows
      3. Verse 8 — The One of Sinai, the God of Israel
      4. Verse 19 — God our Savior
      5. Verse 20 — The Sovereign Lord
      6. Verse 24 — My God and King
      7. Verse 33 — Him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens, who thunders with mighty voice.
   3. What is the theme? — “If there is one unifying theme, it is centered on Yahweh the Divine Warrior, who comes to deliver his people in Mount Zion”
      1. “The theme of this magnificent Psalm is the march of God to victory. It traces the establishment of His kingdom in the past; it looks forward to the defeat of all opposition in the future until all the kingdoms of the world own the God of Israel as their Lord and pay Him homage.”
   4. The Divine Warrior King Motif — The ancient people of God looked to him for all the benefits a king could provide. Other nations in the ancient Near East looked to a human king for protection and security. A human king had to be valiant in battle to secure victory over the enemies and grant peace to his people. But the Israelites looked to Yahweh as their mighty Warrior-King. They believed that he alone gives peace and protects his people. Yahweh is the Royal Protector of his people.
   5. What does the Divine Warrior King do for His people in Psalm 68?
      1. Verse 1 — When the Divine Warrior King “arise(s)” His enemies are “scattered.”  Before the presence of the Divine Warrior King, no enemy can stand “before Him”
      2. Verse 2 — Opponents are like “smoke” and “wax” who are incapable of inflicting damage on the Divine Warrior King.  “Wind” “smoke” and “fire” all speak to manifestations of God’s presence:
         1. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. — Exodus 19:18
         2. “The highest beauty in all creation was Yahweh’s condescending and entering into historical existence. This comes to expression first and foremost in the description of theophanies.”
      3. Verse 3 — This Theophany (God’s presence is made visible and recognizable to man.) does not produce terror for the people of God, but rather the destruction of the wicked.  The Divine Warrior has come to vindicate His people and avenge them against their enemies. 
2. The Compassionate Warrior-King — He is both “Lion and Lamb” at once —  Revelation 5:1-6.
   1. Verses 4-6 — The Revelation of His character.
      1. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.  God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
   2. Verse 4 — The Covenant Community is Called Upon to Celebrate the Warrior King’s Acts of Vindication.
      1. They are called upon to Praise God’s Name — Yah.  David reminds them of the covenant which God has made with them in Exodus 3:16 and Exodus 6:68.  This God is all Israel needs.
      2. They are called upon to sing to God All-Sufficient — By the ascription “who rides on the clouds,”-or- “lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts. David contrasts “Yah” the Lord God of Israel with “Baal” the Canaanite god who was worshipped as “the Rider on the clouds.”  The Canaanites attributed rain, fertility and prosperity to Baal.  
   3. Excursus:  Elijah vs the false prophets of Baal — Is really Yahweh vs Baal.  READ I Kings 18:20-40.
      1. I Kings 18 where Elijah confronts the evil king Ahab and the false prophets of Baal.  The Lord demonstrates His supremacy over wicked false god Baal.
      2. We are left with the question; do we truly believe that our God has all power over the idols of this world which hold so many in bondage?  When we proclaim the gospel and Word of God do we believe our God is able to reveal Himself to be greater than whatever lost sinners are worshipping in the place of the One True and Living Lord God of all the earth?
3. Verses 5 & 6 — The Covenant Community Sings Praises to God because He watches over all the families of humanity.
   1. “Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the ground that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.” — Deuteronomy 26:15
   2. Warning to the powerful and wealthy who oppress and trample the poor and destitute.
   3. Israel was oppressed and downtrodden in Egypt, therefore the nation’s laws were very specific as to how Israelites were to treat the less fortunate and powerless:
      1. “You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.” — Exodus 22:22-24
      2. “Wherever there are oppressed people, whether or not they belong to the people of God, the Lord’s rule brings transformation from injustice to justice and from oppression to vindication. He changes sorrow to “singing.”
4. Conclusion:  It is always good for us to be reminded of Who our God truly is.  And it is equally important for us to ask ourselves the question: is this the God we have come out to worship today?  May we be ever mindful that our God is a consuming fire, and He wants us to have compassion upon the powerless and less fortunate.