Psalms 68:22 - Meaning and Application

In these verses, we see three things.

First, there is the gracious promise God makes for the rescue of his people and their victory over their enemies (Psalm 68:22-23). The Lord spoke from his own loving purpose and promise: “I will do great things for my people, as the God who saves them” (Psalm 68:20). God will not disappoint those who trust him by faith and take him as their God.

He promises to keep them safe from danger, as he had done before. “I will bring them again from the depths of the sea,” as he did when he brought Israel out of Egypt’s slavery into the freedom of the wilderness. “I will also bring them again from Bashan,” as he did when he brought Israel from its wilderness hardships into the settled life of Canaan. Bashan was on the other side of the Jordan, where Israel had fought Sihon and Og, and from there they next moved into Canaan.

God’s former acts of power and goodness should strengthen our faith for the future. What he has done before, he can do again. He will “set his hand again the second time” to recover the remnant of his people (Isaiah 11:11). We may even see repeated the wonders our fathers told us about.

But that is not all. He will also give them victory over their enemies (Psalm 68:23). Their feet will be dipped, as they move along, in the blood of their enemies, spilled in great abundance like water, and the tongues of their dogs will lap it up. Dogs licked the blood of Ahab, and in the ruin of the anti-Christian world, blood is pictured as reaching up to the horses’ bridles (Revelation 14:20). David’s victories over Israel’s enemies are foretold here, but they also point ahead to Christ’s victory over death and the grave, for himself and for all believers, in his resurrection and in theirs through his power. They also point to the destruction of Christ’s enemies and his church’s enemies, who will be made to drink blood, because they are worthy.

Second, there is the welcome God’s own people should give to these bright displays of his grace, in both his word and his works. Has he spoken in his holiness? Has he said he will bring them back from Bashan? Then what should we do in response?

We should watch his actions (Psalm 68:24). “Your people have seen your processions, O God.” While others do not notice the work of the Lord or the activity of his hands, his people see the ways of “my God, my King, in the sanctuary.” Here we learn three things. Active faith makes God personally ours, he is God and King, but also my God and my King. Those who take him as theirs can see him acting in every way as their God and King, for their good and in answer to prayer.

We also learn where God’s most notable works are seen, in the sanctuary, in and through his word and his ordinances, and especially among his people in the gospel church. There his many-sided wisdom is made known. These actions in the sanctuary shine more brightly than the rising and setting of the sun, and they more clearly declare his eternal power and deity.

We also learn our duty in response, which is to notice these works. This is the finger of God. Surely God is with us.

We should also give him glory in the most sincere and solemn way. When we see his ways in the sanctuary, let those directly involved in temple service praise him (Psalm 68:25). The Levites, some as singers and others as musicians, had the closest view of his works in the sanctuary, so they were expected to lead in praise. Since this was a day of special victory, young women playing tambourines also joined in to complete the music. As Dr. Hammond says, when Christ went up to heaven, the apostles were to celebrate and spread the news to the whole world, and even the women who saw it were to join gladly in telling it.

Let all Israel also give God glory in their gathered worship. Bless God, not only in temples, but in synagogues, or schools of the prophets, or anywhere a gathering of people comes from the fountain of Israel, from the seed of Jacob. Since public mercies are shared together, they call for public thanksgivings, and all should join in them. As Dr. Hammond says, all Christians are to praise the Messiah with solemn worship and often gather together for that purpose.

And let those who are most honored among them, and who stand out in rank, lead the way in praising God (Psalm 68:27). Little Benjamin, the royal tribe in Saul’s time, is named along with the rulers and princes of Judah, the royal tribe in David’s time, with their council and their captains. At the beginning of David’s reign, Judah and Benjamin had long been at war with each other, but now they join together in praise for victory over their common enemy.

Why are Zebulun and Naphtali named especially? Perhaps because they lived in the north, where they were more exposed to attacks from the Syrians and other nearby enemies, and so should be especially thankful for these victories. Dr. Hammond gives another reason, these were the two learned tribes. Naphtali “gives good words” (Genesis 49:21), and Zebulun had those who handled the writer’s pen (Judges 5:14). These, especially their princes, should join in praising God. It greatly honors God when those who are highest in dignity, power, and reputation lead others in worship and use their influence to advance his service. Dr. Hammond notes from this that, in time, the kingdom of the Messiah will be submitted to by all rulers and learned men in the world.

Third, we should seek him and depend on him to complete what he has begun (Psalm 68:28). In the first part of the verse, the psalmist speaks to Israel: “Your God has commanded your strength.” In other words, whatever is done for you, and whatever strength you have to help yourselves, all of it comes from God, from his power and grace, and from the word he has commanded. You have no reason to fear while you have strength that comes from God’s command, and no reason to boast if you have no strength except what comes from him.

In the second part, he speaks to God, encouraged by past experience: “Strengthen, O God, what you have done for us.” Lord, confirm what you have commanded, carry out what you have promised, and bring to a joyful end the good work you have begun so gloriously. What God has worked, he will strengthen. Where he gives true grace, he will give more grace. Some take the whole verse as a believer’s prayer to the Messiah, whom David calls God, as he also did in Psalm 45:6, Psalm 45:8.

“Your God,” meaning God the Father, has commanded your strength. He has made you strong for himself, like the man of his right hand (Psalm 80:17), and has stored up strength in you for our sake. So we pray that you, O God the Son, will strengthen what you have done for us and complete your work in us.

This also points to the strong invitation God gives to those outside his people to come in and join the church, as in Psalm 68:29-31. Part of this was seen when many non-Jews joined the Jewish faith in David’s and Solomon’s day. But its fullest meaning is the conversion of the Gentiles, the nations, to faith in Christ, making them fellow heirs and members of the same body as Israel’s people (Ephesians 3:6).

Some will submit because they are afraid, as in Psalm 68:30. Those who stand against Christ and his gospel, who refuse his rule, who attack his preachers and followers, and who are fierce and restless, like a crowd of bulls, are asked to be rebuked. This means, Lord, check their pride, calm their hatred, and break their plans, until their consciences are convinced and God’s providence has pressed them down, so that at last they submit with pieces of silver, glad to make peace with the church on any terms. Even Judas gave back his silver when he said, “I have betrayed innocent blood.” See also Revelation 3:9.

Many have been spared from ruin by being rebuked in this way. But if people still refuse to submit, the prayer turns into a warning that they will be scattered. This fits the words, “Scatter the people who delight in war,” those who enjoy opposing Christ and will never be at peace with him. It may especially refer to the unbelieving Jews, who fought against the holy seed and would not submit, and so were scattered across the earth.

David had been a man of war himself, but he could honestly say that he never loved war or bloodshed for its own sake. For those who do love conflict, and who refuse the best offer of peace, he is sure God will scatter them. People who lose all sense of human kindness, and even of Christian duty, by delighting in war and strife should expect, sooner or later, to have enough of it (Isaiah 33:1; Revelation 13:10).

Others will submit willingly, as in Psalm 68:29 and Psalm 68:31. Because of your temple at Jerusalem, kings will bring gifts to you. David speaks this in faith, because the temple had not yet been built in his time, only its materials and plans were being prepared. He means that there is such beauty and blessing in God’s temple, in his worship, and in fellowship with him, and in the gospel of Christ that came from Jerusalem, that even kings will want to honor him.

These gifts will be rich and fitting for kings to bring, and even kings, who often care deeply about honor and status, will seek Christ’s favor at great cost. They will offer themselves to God as living sacrifices, along with the best they have to give. He names Egypt and Ethiopia, two lands where such visitors would be least expected (Psalm 68:31). Princes will come out of Egypt like ambassadors, seeking God’s favor and submitting to him, and they will be accepted, because the Lord of hosts will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt, my people” (Isaiah 19:25).

Even Ethiopia, which had stretched out its hands against God’s people (2 Chronicles 14:9), will one day stretch out its hands to God, in prayer, in gifts, and in trust. It will happen soon. The call is clear, make peace with your opponent quickly. From every nation, some will be gathered to Christ and owned by him.