A Study by Scott Sperling
Psalm 68:7-14 -
God of Power, God of Grace
7
When You went out before Your people, O God, when You marched
through the wasteland, Selah
8
The earth shook, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
9
You gave abundant showers, O God;
You refreshed Your weary inheritance.
10
Your people settled in it,
and from Your bounty, O God,
You provided for the poor.
11
The Lord announced the word,
and great was the company
of those who proclaimed it:
12
“Kings and armies flee in haste;
in the camps men divide the plunder.
13
Even while you sleep among the campfires,
the wings of [my] dove are sheathed with silver,
its feathers with shining gold.”
14
When the Almighty scattered the kings
in the land,
it was like snow fallen on Zalmon.
We continue this psalm, in which David, presumably as he moves the Ark of the
Covenant, is recounting the greatness of God’s power and the greatness of His grace
towards His people. In this section, David looks back at examples of God’s grace in
protecting His people. “Fresh mercies should put us in mind of former mercies and
revive our grateful sense of them” [Henry].
David writes: “When You went out before Your people, O God, when You
marched through the wasteland, …” (vss. 7). David refers here to the exodus of
the children of Israel from Egypt, when God literally and physically “went out
before His people” in the form of a cloud. The central event of the Old Testament
is the redemption of His people out of Egypt. It is referred to over and over
throughout the Old Testament when God’s grace to His people is spoken of. And
this event points to and is a type of the central event of the New Testament (and
human history), Christ’s redemption of humanity from the slavery of sin. “That one
work of the church’s delivery out of Egypt, representing the redemption of His
people from the misery of sin and Satan’s bondage, is a sufficient proof forever of
the Lord’s love, care, power, and faithfulness, to deliver His own out of all their
misery; which the church, and every member thereof, should always make use of
unto the end of the world: whether we look upon that work in the type singly, or as
it is a representation or pledge of the spiritual delivery of His people, this work we
should often look upon, and still hold it up unto God” [Dickson, 398].
David continues: “… The earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before
God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel” (vs. 8). This refers to the
time when God personally gave the Law to the children of Israel: “On the morning
of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the
mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then
Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the
foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord
descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a
furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet
grew louder and louder” (Ex. 19:16–18). The giving of the Law was accompanied
by an awesome display of God’s splendor and majesty. “In the works of the Lord it
is needful not only to look upon that which may foster faith in God and love
toward Him, but also to set before us what may serve to keep our hearts in fear and
awe of His dreadful majesty” [Dickson, 399]. God knew that we would be more apt
to keep His law if we had a sense of fear of Him. The fear of God is a good thing,
keeping us on a straight path. Yes, we must know of the grace and goodness of
God, but we must also understand His power, might and majesty. We must know
of His ability to make the earth tremble, and to pour forth His judgment upon us.
Certainly at times, God shows forth His power miraculously, but more often God
provides and blesses His people in more ordinary ways, as David points out: “You
gave abundant showers, O God; You refreshed Your weary inheritance. Your
people settled in it, and from Your bounty, O God, You provided for the poor”
(vss. 9-10). “The ordinary sustaining of God’s people bodily and spiritually, in the
possession of any benefit, temporal or spiritual, given unto them, should be
observed, as well as the bestowing of any benefit in an extraordinary way, as here
the ordinary sustaining of Israel in Canaan, is made a part of the song of praise, no
less than their miraculous delivery out of the Egypt” [Dickson, 399].
When a nation turns to God, they are helped in a most important location: on the
field of battle. God Himself speaks of this: “The Lord announced the word, and
great was the company of those who proclaimed it: ‘Kings and armies flee in
haste; in the camps men divide the plunder. Even while you sleep among the
campfires, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with
shining gold’” (vss. 12–13). Then David adds: “When the Almighty scattered the
kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon” (vs. 14). God can turn the
tide in battle by causing “kings and armies to flee in haste.” God even blesses His
people as they “sleep among the campfires.” “The victory was due to the
Almighty arm alone; He scattered the haughty ones who came against His people,
and He did it as easily as snow is driven from the bleak sides of Zalmon”
[Spurgeon].
In this world, we, even the people of God, are faced with great afflictions and trials.
At times, we are locked in mortal combat. Skeptics may mock when they hear it,
but trust me, when you go into battle, you want to do so with God on your side.
There is a reason for all such trials. “The Lord will sometimes exercise His church
with wars, afflictions, and trials, when He intendeth not to punish them, but to give
them the victory over their enemies, and that for His own glory” [Dickson, 400].
(The study of this psalm will continue in the next issue, D.V.)
-----------
Bibliography and Suggested Reading
Alexander,
Joseph
Addison.
The
Psalms
Translated
and
Explained
.
Edinburgh:
Andrew Elliot, 1864.
Anonymous.
A
Plain
Commentary
on
the
Book
of
Psalms
.
Philadelphia:
Henry
Hooker and Co., 1857.
Barnes,
Albert.
Notes
on
the
Book
of
Psalms
.
New
York:
Harper
&
Brothers
Publishing, 1871.
Bonar,
Andrew.
Christ
and
His
Church
in
the
Book
of
Psalms
.
New
York:
Robert
Carter & Brothers, 1860.
Calvin,
John.
A
Commentary
on
the
Book
of
Psalms
.
3
Vols.
Oxford:
D.
A.
Talboys,
1840. (Originally published in Latin in 1557).
Clarke,
Adam.
The
Holy
Bible
with
a
Commentary
and
Critical
Notes
.
Vol.
III.
London:
William Tegg & Co., 1854. (Originally published in 1831).
Cowles,
Henry.
The
Psalms
with
Notes,
Critical,
Explanatory
and
Practical
.
New
York:
D. Appleton & Co., 1872.
Darby,
John
Nelson.
Practical
Reflections
on
the
Psalms
.
London:
Robert
L.
Allan,
1870.
Delitzsch,
Franz.
Biblical
Commentary
on
the
Psalms.
Edinburgh:
T
&
T
Clark,
1892.
(Originally published in 1860).
Dickson,
David.
An
Explication
of
the
Other
Fifty
Psalms,
from
Ps.
50
to
Ps.
100.
Cornhill, U.K.: Ralph Smith, 1653.
Exell,
Joseph
S.
and
Henry
Donald
Spence-Jones,
eds.
The
Pulpit
Commentary
.
Vols.
17, 18, & 19. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1884.
Hengstenberg, F. W.
Commentary on the Psalms
. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1864.
Henry,
Matthew.
An
Exposition
of
All
the
Books
of
the
Old
and
New
Testament
.
Vol.
II.
London: W. Baynes, 1806. (Originally published in 1710).
Horne,
George.
A
Commentary
on
the
Book
of
Psalms.
New
York:
Robert
Carter
&
Brothers, 1854.
Jamieson,
Robert;
Fausset,
A.
R.;
Brown,
David.
A
Commentary:
Critical,
Experimental,
and
Practical
on
the
Old
and
New
Testaments.
Glasgow:
William
Collins, Queen’s Printer, 1863.
Kidner,
Derek.
Psalms
(in
2
Vols.).
Downers
Grove,
IL:
InterVarsity
Press,
2008
(first
published in 1975).
Kirkpatrick,
A.
F.
The
Book
of
Psalms
with
Introduction
and
Notes
–
Books
II
and
III
(from
The
Cambridge
Bible
for
Schools
and
Colleges).
Cambridge,
UK:
University
Press, 1895.
Lange,
John
Peter,
ed.
and
Philip
Schaff,
trans.
A
Commentary
on
the
Holy
Scriptures:
Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical
. New York: Charles Scribner & Co., 1865.
Maclaren,
Alexander.
The
Psalms
(in
3
Vols.,
from
The
Expositor’s
Bible,
ed.
by
W.
R.
Nicoll). New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son, 1901.
Perowne,
J.
J.
Stewart.
The
Book
of
Psalms:
A
New
Translation
with
Explanatory
Notes
.
London: George Bell & Sons, 1880.
Plumer,
William
S.
Studies
in
the
Book
of
Psalms
.
Philadelphia:
J.
B.
Lippincott
&
Co., 1872.
Scott, Thomas.
Commentary on the Holy Bible
, Vol. III. London: James Nisbet, 1866.
Spurgeon,
Charles.
The
Treasury
of
David
.
6
Vols.
London:
Marshall
Brothers,
Ltd.,
1885.
Tholuck,
Augustus.
A
Translation
and
Commentary
of
the
Book
of
Psalms
.
Philadelphia: Martien, 1858.
Trapp,
John.
A
Commentary
on
the
Old
and
New
Testaments
.
Vol.
II
(Ezra
to
Psalms).
Edmonton,
Canada:
Still
Waters
Revival
Books
(www.PuritanDownloads.com).
(Originally published c. 1660).
VanGemeren,
Willem
A.,
(Gaebelein,
Frank
E.,
ed).
Expositor’s
Bible
Commentary
,
Vol. 5 – Psalms to Song of Songs. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1991.
--
Most
of
these
books
(those
in
the
public
domain)
can
be
downloaded,
free
of
charge, from the
Classic Christian Library,
at:
http://www.ClassicChristianLibrary.com
© 1994-2017, Scott Sperling
A Study by Scott Sperling
Psalm 68:7-14 -
God of Power, God of Grace
7
When You went out before Your people, O God,
when You marched
through the wasteland, Selah
8
The earth shook, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
9
You gave abundant showers, O God;
You refreshed Your weary inheritance.
10
Your people settled in it,
and from Your bounty, O God,
You provided for the poor.
11
The Lord announced the word,
and great was the company
of those who proclaimed it:
12
“Kings and armies flee in haste;
in the camps men divide the plunder.
13
Even while you sleep among the campfires,
the wings of [my] dove are sheathed with silver,
its feathers with shining gold.”
14
When the Almighty scattered the kings
in the land,
it was like snow fallen on Zalmon.
We continue this psalm, in which David, presumably
as he moves the Ark of the Covenant, is recounting the
greatness of God’s power and the greatness of His
grace towards His people. In this section, David looks
back at examples of God’s grace in protecting His
people. “Fresh mercies should put us in mind of
former mercies and revive our grateful sense of them”
[Henry].
David writes: “When You went out before Your
people, O God, when You marched through the
wasteland, …” (vss. 7). David refers here to the
exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt, when God
literally and physically “went out before His people”
in the form of a cloud. The central event of the Old
Testament is the redemption of His people out of
Egypt. It is referred to over and over throughout the
Old Testament when God’s grace to His people is
spoken of. And this event points to and is a type of the
central event of the New Testament (and human
history), Christ’s redemption of humanity from the
slavery of sin. “That one work of the church’s delivery
out of Egypt, representing the redemption of His
people from the misery of sin and Satan’s bondage, is a
sufficient proof forever of the Lord’s love, care, power,
and faithfulness, to deliver His own out of all their
misery; which the church, and every member thereof,
should always make use of unto the end of the world:
whether we look upon that work in the type singly, or
as it is a representation or pledge of the spiritual
delivery of His people, this work we should often look
upon, and still hold it up unto God” [Dickson, 398].
David continues: “… The earth shook, the heavens
poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel” (vs. 8). This refers to
the time when God personally gave the Law to the
children of Israel: “On the morning of the third day
there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud
over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast.
Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the
people out of the camp to meet with God, and they
stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was
covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on
it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke
from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled
violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder
and louder” (Ex. 19:16–18). The giving of the Law was
accompanied by an awesome display of God’s
splendor and majesty. “In the works of the Lord it is
needful not only to look upon that which may foster
faith in God and love toward Him, but also to set
before us what may serve to keep our hearts in fear
and awe of His dreadful majesty” [Dickson, 399]. God
knew that we would be more apt to keep His law if we
had a sense of fear of Him. The fear of God is a good
thing, keeping us on a straight path. Yes, we must
know of the grace and goodness of God, but we must
also understand His power, might and majesty. We
must know of His ability to make the earth tremble,
and to pour forth His judgment upon us.
Certainly at times, God shows forth His power
miraculously, but more often God provides and blesses
His people in more ordinary ways, as David points
out: “You gave abundant showers, O God; You
refreshed Your weary inheritance. Your people
settled in it, and from Your bounty, O God, You
provided for the poor” (vss. 9-10). “The ordinary
sustaining of God’s people bodily and spiritually, in
the possession of any benefit, temporal or spiritual,
given unto them, should be observed, as well as the
bestowing of any benefit in an extraordinary way, as
here the ordinary sustaining of Israel in Canaan, is
made a part of the song of praise, no less than their
miraculous delivery out of the Egypt” [Dickson, 399].
When a nation turns to God, they are helped in a most
important location: on the field of battle. God Himself
speaks of this: “The Lord announced the word, and
great was the company of those who proclaimed it:
‘Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men
divide the plunder. Even while you sleep among the
campfires, the wings of my dove are sheathed with
silver, its feathers with shining gold’” (vss. 12–13).
Then David adds: “When the Almighty scattered the
kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon”
(vs. 14). God can turn the tide in battle by causing
“kings and armies to flee in haste.” God even blesses
His people as they “sleep among the campfires.”
“The victory was due to the Almighty arm alone; He
scattered the haughty ones who came against His
people, and He did it as easily as snow is driven from
the bleak sides of Zalmon” [Spurgeon].
In this world, we, even the people of God, are faced
with great afflictions and trials. At times, we are
locked in mortal combat. Skeptics may mock when
they hear it, but trust me, when you go into battle, you
want to do so with God on your side. There is a reason
for all such trials. “The Lord will sometimes exercise
His church with wars, afflictions, and trials, when He
intendeth not to punish them, but to give them the
victory over their enemies, and that for His own glory”
[Dickson, 400].
(The study of this psalm will continue in the next issue,
D.V.)
-----------
Bibliography and Suggested Reading
Alexander,
Joseph
Addison.
The
Psalms
Translated
and
Explained
. Edinburgh: Andrew Elliot, 1864.
Anonymous.
A
Plain
Commentary
on
the
Book
of
Psalms
.
Philadelphia: Henry Hooker and Co., 1857.
Barnes,
Albert.
Notes
on
the
Book
of
Psalms
.
New
York:
Harper & Brothers Publishing, 1871.
Bonar,
Andrew.
Christ
and
His
Church
in
the
Book
of
Psalms
. New York: Robert Carter & Brothers, 1860.
Calvin,
John.
A
Commentary
on
the
Book
of
Psalms
.
3
Vols.
Oxford:
D.
A.
Talboys,
1840.
(Originally
published in Latin in 1557).
Clarke,
Adam.
The
Holy
Bible
with
a
Commentary
and
Critical
Notes
.
Vol.
III.
London:
William
Tegg
&
Co.,
1854. (Originally published in 1831).
Cowles,
Henry.
The
Psalms
with
Notes,
Critical,
Explanatory
and
Practical
.
New
York:
D.
Appleton
&
Co., 1872.
Darby,
John
Nelson.
Practical
Reflections
on
the
Psalms
.
London: Robert L. Allan, 1870.
Delitzsch,
Franz.
Biblical
Commentary
on
the
Psalms.
Edinburgh:
T
&
T
Clark,
1892.
(Originally
published
in 1860).
Dickson,
David.
An
Explication
of
the
Other
Fifty
Psalms,
from
Ps.
50
to
Ps.
100.
Cornhill,
U.K.:
Ralph
Smith,
1653.
Exell,
Joseph
S.
and
Henry
Donald
Spence-Jones,
eds.
The
Pulpit
Commentary
.
Vols.
17,
18,
&
19.
New
York:
Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1884.
Hengstenberg,
F.
W.
Commentary
on
the
Psalms
.
Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1864.
Henry,
Matthew.
An
Exposition
of
All
the
Books
of
the
Old
and
New
Testament
.
Vol.
II.
London:
W.
Baynes,
1806. (Originally published in 1710).
Horne,
George.
A
Commentary
on
the
Book
of
Psalms.
New York: Robert Carter & Brothers, 1854.
Jamieson,
Robert;
Fausset,
A.
R.;
Brown,
David.
A
Commentary:
Critical,
Experimental,
and
Practical
on
the
Old
and
New
Testaments.
Glasgow:
William
Collins,
Queen’s Printer, 1863.
Kidner,
Derek.
Psalms
(in
2
Vols.).
Downers
Grove,
IL:
InterVarsity Press, 2008 (first published in 1975).
Kirkpatrick,
A.
F.
The
Book
of
Psalms
with
Introduction
and
Notes
–
Books
II
and
III
(from
The
Cambridge
Bible
for
Schools
and
Colleges).
Cambridge,
UK:
University Press, 1895.
Lange,
John
Peter,
ed.
and
Philip
Schaff,
trans.
A
Commentary
on
the
Holy
Scriptures:
Critical,
Doctrinal,
and
Homiletical
.
New
York:
Charles
Scribner
&
Co.,
1865.
Maclaren,
Alexander.
The
Psalms
(in
3
Vols.,
from
The
Expositor’s
Bible,
ed.
by
W.
R.
Nicoll).
New
York:
A.
C. Armstrong and Son, 1901.
Perowne,
J.
J.
Stewart.
The
Book
of
Psalms:
A
New
Translation
with
Explanatory
Notes
.
London:
George
Bell & Sons, 1880.
Plumer,
William
S.
Studies
in
the
Book
of
Psalms
.
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1872.
Scott,
Thomas.
Commentary
on
the
Holy
Bible
,
Vol.
III.
London: James Nisbet, 1866.
Spurgeon,
Charles.
The
Treasury
of
David
.
6
Vols.
London: Marshall Brothers, Ltd., 1885.
Tholuck,
Augustus.
A
Translation
and
Commentary
of
the Book of Psalms
. Philadelphia: Martien, 1858.
Trapp,
John.
A
Commentary
on
the
Old
and
New
Testaments
.
Vol.
II
(Ezra
to
Psalms).
Edmonton,
Canada:
Still
Waters
Revival
Books
(www.PuritanDownloads.com).
(Originally
published c. 1660).
VanGemeren,
Willem
A.,
(Gaebelein,
Frank
E.,
ed).
Expositor’s
Bible
Commentary
,
Vol.
5
–
Psalms
to
Song
of Songs. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1991.
--
Most
of
these
books
(those
in
the
public
domain)
can
be
downloaded,
free
of
charge,
from
the
Classic
Christian Library,
at:
http://www.ClassicChristianLibrary.com
