Is there a king who will crush the oppressor, whom all nations will serve and be blessed by? Let’s look at Psalm 72.
By Solomon. (WEB)
Should we expect a king who brings justice, brings prosperity, righteousness, relieves the poor and destroys oppression?
God, endow the king with ability to render your justice, and the king’s son to render your right decisions. May he rule your people with right decisions and your oppressed ones with justice. May the mountains bring prosperity to the people and the hills bring righteousness. May he defend the afflicted of the people and deliver the children of the poor, but crush the oppressor. (Ps 72:1-4 ISV)
Under such a good king will the poor and needy learn to fear God?
They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. (Ps 72:5-6 KJV)
Under a righteous king will honest and God-fearing people flourish? Will all nations eventually serve our King?
May the righteous flourish in his days, And abundance of peace until the moon is no more. May he also have dominion from sea to sea And from the River to the ends of the earth. Let the desert creatures kneel before him, And his enemies lick the dust. Let the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands bring a present; The kings of Sheba and Seba offer tribute. And let all kings bow down to him, All nations serve him. (Ps 72:7-11 LSB)
Unlike many national leaders, does our eternal King help the needy rather than pander to the wealthy and powerful?
For he will save the needy when he cries for help, The afflicted also, and him who has no helper. He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And he will save the lives of the needy. He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, And their blood will be precious in his sight; So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him; And they are to pray for him continually; They are to bless him all day long. (Ps 72:12-15 NASB)
May this king’s name endure forever? Does He bless all nations?
May grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. May the crops flourish like Lebanon and thrive like the grass of the field. May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed. (Ps 72:16-17 NIV)
Is this the conclusion to a section of Psalms that is called the prayers of David?
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things! And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen. The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. (Ps 72:18-20 NKJV)
Who is this mysterious king that will bless all nations of the world?
“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.” (Rev 11:15 NLT)
Is there a king who will crush the oppressor, whom all nations will serve and be blessed by? You decide!
Protection (Psalm 71)
In a dangerous world that takes advantage of people, who can rescue us reliably? Let’s look at Psalm 71.
Where is the most reliable place for protection, for refuge and safety?
O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me, and set me free. Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked, from the clutches of cruel oppressors. O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood. Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you! (Ps 71:1-6 NLT)
In old age will we feel even more vulnerable to robbery, elder financial abuse, fraud? Will we still trust in God’s protection when we become old and feeble?
I am a marvel to many, but you are my strong refuge. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, with your honor all day long. Don’t reject me in my old age. Don’t forsake me when my strength fails. For my enemies talk about me. Those who watch for my soul conspire together, saying, “God has forsaken him. Pursue and take him, for no one will rescue him.” (Ps 71:7-11 WEB)
Are there circumstances when we need God to intervene quickly? Do we meditate on the many times God rescued people throughout the Bible?
Don’t be far from me, God! My God, hurry to help me! Let my accusers be put to shame, completely finished off! Let those who seek my downfall be dressed in insults and disgrace! But me? I will hope. Always. I will add to all your praise. My mouth will repeat your righteous acts and your saving deeds all day long. I don’t even know how many of those there are! I will dwell on your mighty acts, my Lord. Lord, I will help others remember nothing but your righteous deeds. (Ps 71:12-16 CEB)
Have we known God since childhood, or come to faith at a later age? Will the next generation listen to us? Do we trust that God has a blessing awaiting after we suffer?
You have taught me since I was a child, and I never stop telling about your marvelous deeds. Don't leave me when I am old and my hair turns gray. Let me tell future generations about your mighty power. Your deeds of kindness are known in the heavens. No one is like you! You made me suffer a lot, but you will bring me back from this deep pit and give me new life. You will make me truly great and take my sorrow away. (Ps 71:17-21 CEV)
Are stringed instruments appropriate? Do we sing and shout for joy, or are we too shy, too conservative for that? Is our conversation God-centered?
I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt. (Ps 21:22-24 ESV)
Does God keep protecting those who are His, who are reborn of Him?
We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the One who is born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. (1 John 5:18 HCSB)
In a dangerous world that takes advantage of people, who can rescue us reliably? You decide!
Where is the most reliable place for protection, for refuge and safety?
O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me, and set me free. Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked, from the clutches of cruel oppressors. O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood. Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you! (Ps 71:1-6 NLT)
In old age will we feel even more vulnerable to robbery, elder financial abuse, fraud? Will we still trust in God’s protection when we become old and feeble?
I am a marvel to many, but you are my strong refuge. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, with your honor all day long. Don’t reject me in my old age. Don’t forsake me when my strength fails. For my enemies talk about me. Those who watch for my soul conspire together, saying, “God has forsaken him. Pursue and take him, for no one will rescue him.” (Ps 71:7-11 WEB)
Are there circumstances when we need God to intervene quickly? Do we meditate on the many times God rescued people throughout the Bible?
Don’t be far from me, God! My God, hurry to help me! Let my accusers be put to shame, completely finished off! Let those who seek my downfall be dressed in insults and disgrace! But me? I will hope. Always. I will add to all your praise. My mouth will repeat your righteous acts and your saving deeds all day long. I don’t even know how many of those there are! I will dwell on your mighty acts, my Lord. Lord, I will help others remember nothing but your righteous deeds. (Ps 71:12-16 CEB)
Have we known God since childhood, or come to faith at a later age? Will the next generation listen to us? Do we trust that God has a blessing awaiting after we suffer?
You have taught me since I was a child, and I never stop telling about your marvelous deeds. Don't leave me when I am old and my hair turns gray. Let me tell future generations about your mighty power. Your deeds of kindness are known in the heavens. No one is like you! You made me suffer a lot, but you will bring me back from this deep pit and give me new life. You will make me truly great and take my sorrow away. (Ps 71:17-21 CEV)
Are stringed instruments appropriate? Do we sing and shout for joy, or are we too shy, too conservative for that? Is our conversation God-centered?
I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt. (Ps 21:22-24 ESV)
Does God keep protecting those who are His, who are reborn of Him?
We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the One who is born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. (1 John 5:18 HCSB)
In a dangerous world that takes advantage of people, who can rescue us reliably? You decide!
Hurry Lord (Psalm 70)
In urgent circumstances do we look to the Lord for immediate help? Let’s look at Psalm 70 (cp. Psalm 40:13-17).
For the Chief Musician. By David. A reminder. (WEB)
Have we ever cried out to God to save us in an emergency?
God, come to my rescue. Lord, hurry to help me. (Ps 70:1 ISV)
Have we ever been pursued by those who would ruin our lives, our reputations, our safety?
Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt. (Ps 70:2 KJV)
Do some mock and make fun of us with know-it-all attitudes? Will God shame them?
Let those turn back because of their shame Who say, “Aha, aha!” (Ps 70:3 LSB)
Is there joy in the Lord despite the hatred we sometimes receive from the world?
May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And may those who love Your salvation say continually, “May God be exalted!” (Ps 70:4 NASB)
Is humility a pretense or simply facing the truth, that even the wealthiest of us is in reality poor and needy?
But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay. (Ps 70:5 NIV)
If humility is a reality check and arrogance a delusion, does God lift up the humble because they value truth over self-deception? Do we?
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:10 NKJV)
In urgent circumstances do we look to the Lord for immediate help? You decide!
For the Chief Musician. By David. A reminder. (WEB)
Have we ever cried out to God to save us in an emergency?
God, come to my rescue. Lord, hurry to help me. (Ps 70:1 ISV)
Have we ever been pursued by those who would ruin our lives, our reputations, our safety?
Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt. (Ps 70:2 KJV)
Do some mock and make fun of us with know-it-all attitudes? Will God shame them?
Let those turn back because of their shame Who say, “Aha, aha!” (Ps 70:3 LSB)
Is there joy in the Lord despite the hatred we sometimes receive from the world?
May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And may those who love Your salvation say continually, “May God be exalted!” (Ps 70:4 NASB)
Is humility a pretense or simply facing the truth, that even the wealthiest of us is in reality poor and needy?
But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay. (Ps 70:5 NIV)
If humility is a reality check and arrogance a delusion, does God lift up the humble because they value truth over self-deception? Do we?
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:10 NKJV)
In urgent circumstances do we look to the Lord for immediate help? You decide!
Save Me O God (Psalm 69)
Are we blessed when we are mocked, attacked because of our faith in God? Let’s look at Psalm 69.
For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Lilies.” By David. (WEB)
Do we ever feel overwhelmed by life’s circumstances, by innumerable enemies?
Save me, O God, For the waters have threatened my life. I have sunk in deep clay, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me. I am weary with my calling out; my throat is parched; My eyes fail while I wait for my God. Those who hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head; Those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies; What I did not steal, I then have to restore. (Ps 69:1-4 LSB)
Do we humbly admit our foolishness and guilt? Though we are mocked for our faith, are we zealous for the assembly of the saints?
God, You know my foolishness, And my guilt is not hidden from You. May those who wait for You not be ashamed because of me, Lord God of armies; May those who seek You not be dishonored because of me, God of Israel, Because for Your sake I have endured disgrace; Dishonor has covered my face. I have become estranged from my brothers, And a stranger to my mother’s sons. For zeal for Your house has consumed me, And the taunts of those who taunt You have fallen on me. When I wept in my soul with fasting, It became my disgrace. When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a proverb to them. Those who sit in the gate talk about me, And songs of mockery by those habitually drunk are about me. (Ps 69:5-12 NASB)
Do we look for both God’s temporal and His eternal salvation?
But I pray to you, Lord, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation. Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters. Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me. (Ps 69:13-15 NIV)
Are we always in trouble in this life, just sometimes more urgent than others?
Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. And do not 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. (Ps 69:16-18 NKJV)
Are the enemies of the cross sometimes more than the followers of God?
You know of my shame, scorn, and disgrace. You see all that my enemies are doing. Their insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. If only one person would show some pity; if only one would turn and comfort me. But instead, they give me poison for food; they offer me sour wine for my thirst. (Ps 69:19-21 NLT)
Does God have eternal punishment planned for those who persecute those loyal to Him?
Let their table before them become a snare. May it become a retribution and a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can’t see. Let their backs be continually bent. Pour out your indignation on them. Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them. Let their habitation be desolate. Let no one dwell in their tents. For they persecute him whom you have wounded. They tell of the sorrow of those whom you have hurt. Charge them with crime upon crime. Don’t let them come into your righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous. (Ps 69:22-28 WEB)
What about us in a world of pain, are our thanks worth more to God than great sacrifice?
And me? I’m afflicted. I’m full of pain. Let your salvation keep me safe, God! I will praise God’s name with song; I will magnify him with thanks because that is more pleasing to the Lord than an ox, more pleasing than a young bull with full horns and hooves. Let the afflicted see it and be glad! You who seek God—let your hearts beat strong again because the Lord listens to the needy and doesn’t despise his captives. (Ps 69:29-33 CEB)
Will we one day live with God forever in a new heaven and earth, a new Jerusalem?
Heaven and earth will praise our God, and so will the oceans and everything in them. God will rescue Jerusalem, and he will rebuild the towns of Judah. His people will live there on their own land, and when the time comes, their children will inherit the land. Then everyone who loves God will also settle there. (Ps 69:34-36 CEV)
Did Jesus also have zeal for God’s house as He turned over the money-changers’ tables?
His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (John 2:17 ESV)
How hard is it to feel blessed when we are ridiculed for our faith?
If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. (1 Peter 4:14 HCSB)
Are we blessed when we are mocked, attacked because of our faith in God? You decide!
For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Lilies.” By David. (WEB)
Do we ever feel overwhelmed by life’s circumstances, by innumerable enemies?
Save me, O God, For the waters have threatened my life. I have sunk in deep clay, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me. I am weary with my calling out; my throat is parched; My eyes fail while I wait for my God. Those who hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head; Those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies; What I did not steal, I then have to restore. (Ps 69:1-4 LSB)
Do we humbly admit our foolishness and guilt? Though we are mocked for our faith, are we zealous for the assembly of the saints?
God, You know my foolishness, And my guilt is not hidden from You. May those who wait for You not be ashamed because of me, Lord God of armies; May those who seek You not be dishonored because of me, God of Israel, Because for Your sake I have endured disgrace; Dishonor has covered my face. I have become estranged from my brothers, And a stranger to my mother’s sons. For zeal for Your house has consumed me, And the taunts of those who taunt You have fallen on me. When I wept in my soul with fasting, It became my disgrace. When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a proverb to them. Those who sit in the gate talk about me, And songs of mockery by those habitually drunk are about me. (Ps 69:5-12 NASB)
Do we look for both God’s temporal and His eternal salvation?
But I pray to you, Lord, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation. Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters. Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me. (Ps 69:13-15 NIV)
Are we always in trouble in this life, just sometimes more urgent than others?
Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. And do not 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. (Ps 69:16-18 NKJV)
Are the enemies of the cross sometimes more than the followers of God?
You know of my shame, scorn, and disgrace. You see all that my enemies are doing. Their insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. If only one person would show some pity; if only one would turn and comfort me. But instead, they give me poison for food; they offer me sour wine for my thirst. (Ps 69:19-21 NLT)
Does God have eternal punishment planned for those who persecute those loyal to Him?
Let their table before them become a snare. May it become a retribution and a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can’t see. Let their backs be continually bent. Pour out your indignation on them. Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them. Let their habitation be desolate. Let no one dwell in their tents. For they persecute him whom you have wounded. They tell of the sorrow of those whom you have hurt. Charge them with crime upon crime. Don’t let them come into your righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous. (Ps 69:22-28 WEB)
What about us in a world of pain, are our thanks worth more to God than great sacrifice?
And me? I’m afflicted. I’m full of pain. Let your salvation keep me safe, God! I will praise God’s name with song; I will magnify him with thanks because that is more pleasing to the Lord than an ox, more pleasing than a young bull with full horns and hooves. Let the afflicted see it and be glad! You who seek God—let your hearts beat strong again because the Lord listens to the needy and doesn’t despise his captives. (Ps 69:29-33 CEB)
Will we one day live with God forever in a new heaven and earth, a new Jerusalem?
Heaven and earth will praise our God, and so will the oceans and everything in them. God will rescue Jerusalem, and he will rebuild the towns of Judah. His people will live there on their own land, and when the time comes, their children will inherit the land. Then everyone who loves God will also settle there. (Ps 69:34-36 CEV)
Did Jesus also have zeal for God’s house as He turned over the money-changers’ tables?
His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (John 2:17 ESV)
How hard is it to feel blessed when we are ridiculed for our faith?
If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. (1 Peter 4:14 HCSB)
Are we blessed when we are mocked, attacked because of our faith in God? You decide!
Let God Arise (Psalm 68)
Will God eventually arise to bring joy and peace to the whole world? Whose side are we on? Let’s look at Psalm 68.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. A song. (WEB)
When God arises will the righteous be glad, rejoice, sing praises and celebrate?
Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, And 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 before God. But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; And let them rejoice with gladness. Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is Yah, and exult before Him. (Ps 68:1-4 LSB)
What does God do for the rejected of society, the fatherless, widows, the lonely, and prisoners?
A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy dwelling. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious live in parched lands. God, when You went forth before Your people, When You marched through the desert, Selah (Ps 68:5-7 NASB)
Has God consistently provided for his people, as the Exodus reveals?
the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor. (Ps 68:8-10 NIV)
When God cleans the house of even great enemies, is what remains as pure as snow on a hill?
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 Zalmon [a forested hill 70 km north of Jerusalem]. (Ps 68:11-14 NKJV)
Are even majestic mountains less impressive than Zion, because the Lord will live there?
The mountains of Bashan are majestic, with many peaks stretching high into the sky. Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains, at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live, where the Lord himself will live forever? (Ps 68:15-16 NLT)
How much greater than all our armies are God’s angelic armies? Did they lead Israel from Egyptian slavery to freedom?
The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary. You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among people, yes, among the rebellious also, that Yah God might dwell there. Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, even the God who is our salvation. Selah. (Ps 68:17-19 WEB)
Is an even greater Exodus still going on, a battle for the souls of nations?
Our God is the God of salvation, and escape from certain death comes through God my Lord. Yes, God will shatter the heads of his enemies—the very skulls of those who walk in guilt. My Lord has spoken: “From Bashan I will bring those people back. I will bring them back from the ocean’s depths so that you can wash your feet in their blood, so that your dogs’ tongues can lap up their share of your enemies.” (Ps 68:20-23 CEB)
The Temple is no longer the place of worship, so where are those exiting a world of sin heading to?
We have seen crowds marching to your place of worship, our God and King. Singers come first, and then the musicians, surrounded by young women playing tambourines. They come shouting, “People of Israel, praise the Lord God!” The small tribe of Benjamin leads the way, followed by the leaders from Judah. Then come the leaders from Zebulun and Naphtali. (Ps 68:24-27 CEV)
In the new heavens and new earth will there again be a temple in Jerusalem?
Summon your power, O God, the power, O God, by which you have worked for us. Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings shall bear gifts to you. (Ps 68:28-29 ESV)
Will the rich and the warmongers be rebuked? Will former enemies come to God and nations worldwide praise Him?
Rebuke the beast in the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples. Trample underfoot those with bars of silver. Scatter the peoples who take pleasure in war. Ambassadors will come from Egypt; Cush will stretch out its hands to God. Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; sing praise to the Lord, Selah (Ps 68:30-32 HCSB)
Will all nations realize that the God of Israel is the one true God, who gives strength and power?
to the one who rides the heavens, the ancient heavens. Behold! He thunders with a mighty voice. Ascribe power to God, whose glory is over Israel, whose power is in the skies. You are awesome, God, from your sanctuaries. The God of Israel is the one who gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God! (Ps 68:33-35 ISV)
Did Paul quote this Psalm revealing Jesus’ intention as He ascended into heaven?
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Eph 4:8 KJV)
Will God eventually arise to bring joy and peace to the whole world? Whose side are we on? You decide!
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. A song. (WEB)
When God arises will the righteous be glad, rejoice, sing praises and celebrate?
Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, And 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 before God. But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; And let them rejoice with gladness. Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is Yah, and exult before Him. (Ps 68:1-4 LSB)
What does God do for the rejected of society, the fatherless, widows, the lonely, and prisoners?
A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy dwelling. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious live in parched lands. God, when You went forth before Your people, When You marched through the desert, Selah (Ps 68:5-7 NASB)
Has God consistently provided for his people, as the Exodus reveals?
the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor. (Ps 68:8-10 NIV)
When God cleans the house of even great enemies, is what remains as pure as snow on a hill?
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 Zalmon [a forested hill 70 km north of Jerusalem]. (Ps 68:11-14 NKJV)
Are even majestic mountains less impressive than Zion, because the Lord will live there?
The mountains of Bashan are majestic, with many peaks stretching high into the sky. Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains, at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live, where the Lord himself will live forever? (Ps 68:15-16 NLT)
How much greater than all our armies are God’s angelic armies? Did they lead Israel from Egyptian slavery to freedom?
The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary. You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among people, yes, among the rebellious also, that Yah God might dwell there. Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, even the God who is our salvation. Selah. (Ps 68:17-19 WEB)
Is an even greater Exodus still going on, a battle for the souls of nations?
Our God is the God of salvation, and escape from certain death comes through God my Lord. Yes, God will shatter the heads of his enemies—the very skulls of those who walk in guilt. My Lord has spoken: “From Bashan I will bring those people back. I will bring them back from the ocean’s depths so that you can wash your feet in their blood, so that your dogs’ tongues can lap up their share of your enemies.” (Ps 68:20-23 CEB)
The Temple is no longer the place of worship, so where are those exiting a world of sin heading to?
We have seen crowds marching to your place of worship, our God and King. Singers come first, and then the musicians, surrounded by young women playing tambourines. They come shouting, “People of Israel, praise the Lord God!” The small tribe of Benjamin leads the way, followed by the leaders from Judah. Then come the leaders from Zebulun and Naphtali. (Ps 68:24-27 CEV)
In the new heavens and new earth will there again be a temple in Jerusalem?
Summon your power, O God, the power, O God, by which you have worked for us. Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings shall bear gifts to you. (Ps 68:28-29 ESV)
Will the rich and the warmongers be rebuked? Will former enemies come to God and nations worldwide praise Him?
Rebuke the beast in the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples. Trample underfoot those with bars of silver. Scatter the peoples who take pleasure in war. Ambassadors will come from Egypt; Cush will stretch out its hands to God. Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; sing praise to the Lord, Selah (Ps 68:30-32 HCSB)
Will all nations realize that the God of Israel is the one true God, who gives strength and power?
to the one who rides the heavens, the ancient heavens. Behold! He thunders with a mighty voice. Ascribe power to God, whose glory is over Israel, whose power is in the skies. You are awesome, God, from your sanctuaries. The God of Israel is the one who gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God! (Ps 68:33-35 ISV)
Did Paul quote this Psalm revealing Jesus’ intention as He ascended into heaven?
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Eph 4:8 KJV)
Will God eventually arise to bring joy and peace to the whole world? Whose side are we on? You decide!
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