Psalm Chapter 68

To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David.

Psalm 68:1 Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

This is surely to happen. Enemies will flee and the righteous will remain. Whose side are you on?

Enemies are enemies of the righteous. The righteous are those that submit to the righteousness of Jesus our Christ. Since the bible says there are none righteous, God sent Jesus to fulfill the law of righteousness to all those that believe in Him and receive Him into their lives. Receiving the payment that Jesus Christ paid on our behalf for sins, makes us righteous. We can read about this in Romans chapter 3.

Psalm 68:2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

All who sin will perish at the presence of God. That is why God made a way for all who believe in His Son Jesus to escape the coming judgment. All have sinned and all need a savior. God's desire is to see all of us saved, so He sent to us a savior. Jesus fulfilled the law of righteousness and made a way for all to be saved from the wrath to come. We must renounce our sins and turn to Jesus to allow this salvation to come to us.

The wicked are those that reject God's way of salvation. If we reject His way then of course we will perish.

Romans 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

My dad used to play a song, "Born again, Free from sin". by the Louvin Brothers. Before Christ we are separated from God. After we come to Christ we are made righteous, covered with the righteousness of Christ. Reconciled back to God our creator.

Psalm 68:3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

Now we who are made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ can rejoice. We were dead in sin and on the way to an eternal hell but through faith in Jesus, we have escaped that fate and inherit now eternal life.

Psalm 68:4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

The name of JAH is short for Jehovah the name of God. It means "I AM". He is the holy one, the only God. This is why we go to our place of worship with fellow believers in Jesus: To sing, receive the word of God and praise the Lord. We cannot thank Him enough for His wonderful grace. This doesn't mean we don't have a Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are so unified that they are one. This is what God intends for the true believers both Jew and Gentile to be. One in the unity of the Spirit.

Psalm 68:5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

Now we can have God's spirit dwelling within us. Even if one has no earthly father, God is their Father, He cares for the widow and will never leave them alone. God dwells with us and no believer is ever alone.

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

I love the part that says, "Teaching them to observe all things He commands us". This assures us that He is with us forever.

Psalm 68:6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

God takes care of the lonely and those that are in prison. If those people believe in Him.

Psalm 68:7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:
8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.

God cares for the poor who trust in Him. God gives rain, food and help to all who trust in Him.

Psalm 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.
12 Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.
13 Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.
14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.
15 The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan.
16 Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.
17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.
18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

These verses tell of God's remembrance of the inhabitants of the earth and their need of salvation. He sent Jesus who fulfilled the above verse. When Jesus rose from the dead He led the souls in the compartment of hell where the righteous then dwelt apart from the wicked. He then took them to heaven where Jesus dwells now. He gave the gifts of the Spirit to His followers to allow them to publish the gospel into the whole world.

Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists etc. are all gifts of God for the edifying of all believers in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
20 He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death.
21 But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.
22 The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea:

God will one day deliver Israel like the time He delivered them from Egypt and led them through the Red Sea.

Psalm 68:23 That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same.
24 They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.
25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.
26 Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
27 There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.
30 Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.
31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.
32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

The enemy, even Satan has always desired to destroy Israel. Israel was chosen of God to bring salvation to the whole world. Jesus was actually born into this family for that purpose. He was born to die for sins, pay the price for sins and free all who believe and receive Him. He then delivers all who believe from their sins. He came the first time to make a way for all both Jews and Gentiles to be delivered from sin.

Sin separates from God and will destroy us in hell. This is why Satan desires to destroy the very ones to whom Jesus the Messiah was to come through. Satan desired to destroy the way of salvation so that mankind whom he hates will suffer the same fate that he is to suffer, that being eternity in hell.

Christians are also hated because we are the ones who received Jesus Christ and received the eternal inheritance that was first offered to the Jews. The Jews rejected Christ and the Gentiles received Christ. We inherit the same promise that was given to the Jews. All who receive this promise will be free from sin and inherit eternal life. However, our wonderful God has not forgotten the Jews too.

Although many Jews have come to Jesus. In fact the 12 apostles were Jews. Before the coming of Christ the second time, the nation of Israel will also recognize their Messiah was Jesus that their ancestors rejected. There are still enemies, agents of Satan loose to try to stop this from happening. These are the enemies of righteousness that is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. We must resist the thinking of the world and stay rooted and grounded in Jesus our savior.

Jesus came the first time to pay the price for sin with His death on the cross. He will come the Second time to put down all rebellion and usher in His verlasting Kingdom. To all believers, we now have the kingdom within us. He will return with His believers to set up His literally kingdom also. We can get ready for this by receiving forgiveness of sin and receiving Jesus as our own savior. DC

Psalm 69

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