Reflections on the Psalms: The Portrait of God [Psalm 68]

Stand for the reading of the word [Psalm 68]

Oh … there is so much in this psalm … 35 verses of pure goodness and greatness … and I have struggled with how to best walk us through it.

And many commentators say that this is the most difficult of all the Psalms to understand, particularly because of a few verses that seem somewhat obscure in their meaning. But my goal is not to get down into the weeds here, but to step back from the landscape, and to see the beauty and wonder of what lies before us.

Because—here’s what’s unique about this psalm—maybe more than any other psalm, it contains all kinds of different names for God and titles for God. At least six different Hebrew names of God are used in this psalm: Yah, Yahweh, Adonai, [El]-Shaddai, El, Elohim (which, by itself, is used 23 times). And then on top of that, you’ve got all kinds of different titles for God dispersed throughout. And all of this comes together to paint a majestic portrait of who God is and what God has done, and is doing, in history.

I want to show us a portrait of God in Psalm 68. Specifically, I want to show us 24 different attributes and activities of God that are described in this psalm. I just want us to see God in this morning … to see His revelation of Himself. And then, based upon this portrait of God, I want to draw two simple yet massive implications for our lives … and for this church.

The Portrait of God

Alright, here goes. The portrait of God. We’ll kind of go in order from the beginning to the end of the psalm, but there are some of these names and attributes and activities of God that appear in one place and then again later in the psalm, so we’ll end up jumping around some.

God is awesome [v.35]

But behold your God. First brush on this canvass that Psalm 68 is painting: God is awesome. So I’m jumping ahead already, actually to the last verse of the psalm, where the psalmist writes, “Awesome is God from his sanctuary.” And the reason I’m jumping ahead is because that one statement in verse 35 sums up everything we see in the 34 verses before that. Everything here points to the earth-shaking power, mind-boggling majesty, and awe-inducing splendor of the God who saves.

The psalm (which is attributed to David) pictures God as a whole, throughout history, marching across the heavens and the earth, riding upon clouds, scattering enemies, causing the earth to quake and showers to fall … and all of these images cause you to step back in awe. You can’t read this psalm casually. You can’t consider this God without being overwhelmed by His greatness. A greatness that is revealed in what He does.

God is active [v.1; 4-6; 7-10; 11-14]

That leads to the second attribute of God: God is active. Back to verse 1—the psalm begins by saying, “God shall arise …” In —Numbers 10.

You’ll remember that at Mount Sinai, God gave His people His law, and He also gave them instructions for how He would dwell in their midst through the ark of the covenant, which would be a physical symbol of God’s presence with and protection of His people. So Numbers 10, starting in verse 33.

So they set out from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey. And the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them. And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day, whenever they set out from the camp. (Numbers 10:33–34)

So the picture was God leading His people with a pillar of cloud over them during the day that centered around the ark of the covenant—this symbol of God’s guidance, presence, and protection. And then, in verses 35 and 36.

And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Arise, O LORD, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” And when it rested, he said, “Return, O LORD, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.” (Numbers 10:35–36)

Obviously, you see the similarities between Numbers 10:35 and Psalm 68:1. The psalm starts with this picture of enemies scattering before the presence of God when He is on the move. And then the rest of the psalm shows God on the move. Verses 4–6, He is riding through the deserts. Verses 7–10, He is going out before His people, marching through the wilderness. Verses 11–14, He is leading them to conquer the land of Canaan.

Ultimately, He’s leading them from Mount Sinai in verse 1 to Mount Zion in verses 15–18, where His presence settles among His people in Jerusalem. In fact, some commentators believe this psalm was sung when the ark of the covenant was brought into Jerusalem … we don’t know that for sure, and regardless, it doesn’t really affect the meaning of the psalm … because the point is: “God is not dormant.

This awesome God is not asleep; He is active.” If I were to give a title to this psalm, it would be “God on the Move,” because that is the picture that’s portrayed here. This is God acting in history among and for His people … and the effects of God’s actions upon all peoples. Which leads to number 3 … so what does this awe-inducing, active God do in the world?

He subdues all who rebel against Him [v.2; 6; 12; 14; 21-23]

Third picture in this portrait of God: He subdues all who rebel against Him. When God arises, his enemies scatter. Those who hate him flee from him. Like smoke is driven away by the wind. Like wax melting before fire, “so the wicked perish before God!” (verse 2)

Verse 6, “He leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious (those who rebel against God) dwell in a parched land.” Verse 12, “The kings of the armies” who oppose God—“they flee, they flee!” Verse 14, “The Almighty scatters kings” like snow on Mount Zalmon. Verses 21–23 are particularly graphic—“God strikes the heads of his enemies, the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways”—likely a reference to the youthfulness and strength of those who set themselves up against God—God says (verse 22), “I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, that [my people] may strike [their] feet in their blood, that the tongues of [their] dogs may have their portion from their foe.”

We don’t know what all these images mean, but we can’t help but to think about the fall of Babylon in Revelation 18–19, which symbolized the world system and all of its ways that are arrayed against God, falling down in utter destruction. Mark it down: God eventually, completely, and ultimately subdues all who rebel against Him.

God satisfies all who trust in Him [v.4]

And at the same time, God satisfies all who trust in Him. So this is number 4. At the end of verse 2—“So the wicked shall perish before God! But … the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy!” We get the point … glad exultation, joyful jubilation … the righteous have nothing to fear before this God, for His favor is upon them. God satisfies to the uttermost all who trust in Him.

He is the one true God [v. 4; 33; 34]

Keep going—number 5 in this portrait of God: He is the one true God. When verse 4 says, “Lift up a song to whom who rides through the deserts,” and later verse 33 echoes this, saying, “To him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens” (verse 33), “whose power is in the skies” (verse 34) and who brings “rain in abundance” on the earth, almost all commentators believe this is a deliberate reference to the Canaanite rain god, Baal.

The Canaanites worshiped Baal, calling him the “Rider on the clouds,” attributing the rain to His doing. And so David is making clear here exactly what we read about in the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 17–18: Baal doesn’t bring the rain. God brings the rain. Baal can’t bring fire from the sky. God brings fire from the sky. Baal isn’t god over the heavens. God is the only God over the heavens. He is the one true God.

He is the covenant keeping Lord [v.4]

Number 6, He is the covenant keeping Lord. So verse 4 says, “Sing to Yah,” which is the name for God that’s used here in the beginning of the verse. But then in the middle of the verse, David says, “His name is the LORD,” and he uses Yahweh there … the covenant name that God revealed to His people as an expression of His commitment to love and to care for them. So this awesome, active God, this one true God who subdues rebels and satisfies the righteous, is committed to His people. Evidence is in these next characteristics of God.

He is Father of the fatherless [v.5]

Number 7, He is Father of the fatherless. Oh, don’t you love this? The majestic God over all creation … cares for the orphan.

He is Protector of the widow [v.5]

Number 8, He is Protector of the widow. That’s who God is in His holy habitation (verse 5). One writer said, “Compassionate concern emanates from God’s divine residence”.

He loves the lonely [v.6]

He cares for the fatherless, He protects the widow, and, number 9, He loves the lonely. Verse 6—“God settles the solitary in a home.” The picture here is a pursuing God who goes after the abandoned and the alone and the imprisoned.

He rescues the captive [v.6]

Number 10, He rescues the captive. He pursues the oppressed and the enslaved, bringing them from their imprisonment to His prosperity.

He provides for the needy [v.7-10]

And in all this, number 11, He provides for the needy. Listen to this imagery, starting in verse 7, and remember this is what happens when God “rides through the deserts”—through the wasteland? What does God do when His people are in the wilderness?

O God, when you went out before your people,

when you marched through the wilderness, Selah

the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,

before God, the One of Sinai,

before God, the God of Israel.

Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;

you restored your inheritance as it languished;

your flock found a dwelling in it;

in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. (Psalm 68:7–10)

Oh, you can’t help but to read this and just picture God’s provision for His people in the wilderness. When they were thirsty, he would give them water from rocks. When they were hungry, he would literally rain down bread from heaven. Oh, see it: God is near to the needy. He delights in providing for the destitute. He finds pleasure in harnessing all of His power on behalf of the fatherless and the widow and the lonely and the captive and the needy. Yes.

A well-known pastor, James Boice said, “The kings and other rulers of this world do not act like this. They surround themselves with the noblest and richest of their lands, those who can enhance their glory and strengthen their power. The highest glory of God is that he cares for the miserable and surrounds himself with them.” God is the Father of the fatherless, Protector of the widow … He loves the lonely, He rescues the captive. Yet as you see Him surrounded by the weak, don’t think for a second that He is weak.

God is sovereign over nature [v.9]

Number 12, God is sovereign over nature. He owns the rain. He owns it. He determines when it falls on the earth, and when it is withheld in the clouds. Remember Job 38—God asks Job,

Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,

or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,

which I have reserved for the time of trouble,

for the day of battle and war?…

Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain

and a way for the thunderbolt …

Has the rain a father,

or who has begotten the drops of dew?…

Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,

that a flood of waters may cover you?

Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go

and say to you, “Here we are”?

Who has put wisdom in the inward parts

or given understanding to the mind?

Who can number the clouds by wisdom?

Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens? (Job 38:22–37)

And the answer is clear: Only God. The Author of creation has authority over creation.

He is sovereign over nations [v.11; 29]

He is sovereign over nature, and, number 13, He is sovereign over nations. So it’s not just the rain that responds to His bidding … it’s kings who come and go according to His command. In verse 11, kings flee (they flee!) before God. And then in verse 29, they bring gifts to God. And God is sovereign over both activities. He causes them to run from Him … and He causes them to revere Him. He holds the kings of the earth in the palm of His hand.

He is powerful above us [v. 14]

Which reminds us, number 14, God is powerful above us. Verse 14 is one of only two times in all the Psalms when the Hebrew word [El]-Shaddai is used to refer to God. It’s a name of God that emphasizes His might and majesty, and this word, when translated into the Greek in 2 Corinthians 6:18 in the New Testament, literally means “all powerful.”

So we see His omnipotence here, but behold the beauty of this psalm … for in all of His awe-evoking might, God is not just powerful above us.

He is present with us [v.15-16]

Number 15, God is present with us. Isn’t this wonderful? That this psalm which depicts God in all of His might and all of His power and all of His glory … pictures God with His people … among His people. That’s what verses 15–16 are all about … how God has chosen to dwell among His people.

David basically does a bit of trash talk with the mountains, saying to Mount Bashan, known as a towering, many-peaked mountain, “You think you’re great … but you look with hatred, with envy that God has chosen Mount Zion on which to dwell.” And Zion was (and is) virtually a hill in comparison with a mountain like Bashan, but this hill in Jerusalem is the place where God chose to establish His people, and eventually for Solomon to build His temple. Psalm 132:13–14 says, “The Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place.” God says, “This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell.”

And that’s the point. Mount Bashan may be marked by height, but Mount Zion is marked by holiness, for it is the place in the OT where God chose to dwell among His people … and it basically becomes the focal point for the rest of the psalm. It’s the place where the people of God and the enemies of God and, eventually, the kingdoms of the earth will come … symbolically a picture of all the earth ultimately worshiping God, who has revealed Himself to us. So the God who is powerful above us is also the God who is present with us.

Alright, we’re getting there … just keep seeing these paintbrushes glide across this portrait of God.

He commands a heavenly army [v. 17]

Number 16, God commands a heavenly army. Verse 17 depicts God coming to dwell among His people, surrounded by 20,000, and “thousands upon thousands” of chariots. What a picture! And if this psalm was sung when the people of God brought the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem, you can only imagine the thrill of that scene … as this journey which began at Mount Sinai centuries before with the ark of the covenant, God’s presence and power leading His people, now culminates in the entrance of the ark into Jerusalem. So David depicts the presence of God flanked by thousands upon thousands of chariots.

He conquers in earthly victory [v.17-18]

God commands a heavenly army, and, number 17, God conquers in earthly victory. The language in verse 18 refers to God ascending on high, leading a host of all He has captured in His train, and receiving gifts among men, even from among those who rebelled against Him.

The picture is likened to an earthly king returning from battle in victory, now encompassed by all the spoils of that victory. You just think about this—and you read the history in the book of Numbers—but God’s people brought out of slavery in Egypt … through wilderness wanderings into the land of Canaan … where they claimed the land that God had promised to them, conquering pagan nations around them … and now, finally, they are settling here … celebrating the God who has protected His people and conquered their enemies. God commands a heavenly army, and he conquers in earthly victory.

He daily bears our burdens [v.19]

Number 18, He daily bears our burdens. Verse 19—“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up”—oh, isn’t that a great verse? So David has recounted centuries of history to this point, but now he transitions to say, “This is not just in the past. God—this same God—daily bears us up.” Literally, “Day by day He carries our load.” God carries us. “How did we get here?” David asks. God carried us. And He will continue to carry us.

He ultimately saves our souls [v.19-20]

He daily bears our burdens, and, number 19, He ultimately saves our souls. The end of verse 19 says, “God is our salvation.” The beginning of verse 20 says, “Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.” Yes! God doesn’t just daily bear our burdens; He ultimately saves our souls! Not only has God led us in the past … and not only will God carry us in the present … but God will deliver us in the future … ultimately from death. What confidence we can have in this God!

He is my/our God and King [v.24]

Which leads right to the next one. Number 20. He is my/our God and King. After recounting God’s destruction of His enemies again in verses 21–23, David says in verse 24, “Your procession is seen, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary …” Did you catch that? He says, “Your procession is seen, O God,” and He’s referring to the grand, majestic God whom he has described for the last 23 verses, but then, he stops and says, “This is not just the procession of God … this is the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.” This is not just the God and the King over all; this is the God and the King over me.

The psalmist looks up and essentially says, “The last 23 verses, this God that I’ve been describing in all of His grandeur and might and beauty and glory … this is my God … He is my King.” There’s a personal picture to the psalmist’s praise here. Now that doesn’t mean he’s disconnected Himself from the people of God. Because right after this, he says, “Bless God in the great congregation, the Lord, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!” And then he begins describing tribes from the north to the south. He is also our God and king.

He draws peoples to Himself [v.28-31]

Which leads to the next characteristic, this one an activity, of God. Number 21, He draws peoples to Himself. God draws people to himself. So David says in verse 28, “Summon your power, O God, the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.” And you read that, and you begin to think, “What does David want God to do? What does David want God to summon His power for?” And the answer is in the verses that follow

Because of your temple at Jerusalem

kings shall bear gifts to you.

Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,

the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.

Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;

scatter the peoples who delight in war.

Nobles shall come from Egypt;

Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God. (Psalm 68:29–31)

The whole picture is precisely what is prophesied throughout the rest of the Old Testament and into the New Testament … summon Your power to draw kings to worship you. To draw peoples from Egypt and Cush (or Ethiopia) to worship You. This psalm is describing the ingathering of all the nations, all the peoples, to give praise and honor and glory to God. Even the hardest among them. “The beast among the reeds” in verse 30 was basically a nickname for Egypt, the nation that had for centuries oppressed the people of Israel. The “bulls” and “calves” symbolize hostile peoples, both large and small, and the psalmist says, “Summon your power, O God, to draw them to Yourself.”

He deserves praise throughout the earth [v.32]

He draws peoples to Himself because, number 22, He deserves praise throughout the earth. The psalmist erupts in verse 32, “O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord, to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens.” And the rest of the psalm is addressed to these kingdoms all across the earth, a synonym for the peoples and nations of the world, and David says to all of them, “Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies. Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!”

Oh, see the connection? God dwells among His people … He protects His people … He provides for His people … He shows His power among His people … for a purpose! He gives power and strength to His people so that all the peoples might come and give Him praise.

God doesn’t just deserve praise from one people. God deserves praise from all peoples. He deserves praise throughout the earth. And He will get it. That’s the whole point of the psalm.

He is the Divine Warrior [whole psalm]

Characteristic number 23, God is the Divine Warrior.

He is the Divine Warrior who is on the move in the world … blessing His people … leading His people … guiding His people … empowering His people … for the sake of His praise among all the peoples. He is caring for orphans and widows and the enslaved and the impoverished … and He is conquering enemies left and right … so that all the nations … all the kingdoms … might know that He is God.

He speaks a dependable Word [v.11]

He is the Divine Warrior who (number 24) speaks a dependable Word. Here’s what I mean by that … oh, don’t miss this! This psalm is reveling the reality that God will be praised among all the peoples. That was the whole point back in verse 11—look back at it with me—“The Lord gives the word; the women who announce the news are a great host.”

This verse looks back to Exodus 15, where, after God delivered His people from Egypt, bringing them out of slavery and across the Red Sea, Miriam the prophetess takes a tambourine in her hand, and all the women go out after her with tambourines and dancing, and they shout, “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea” (Exodus 15:1,21).

God gives the Word … He will conquer … and He will deliver … and He will lead … and He will guide … all things according to His purpose … and so they sing. And now the psalm ends in verse 33: “To him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.”

Mark it down, ladies and gentlemen … God is awesome and God is active. He subdues all who rebel against Him and He satisfies all who trust in Him. He is the one true God, the covenant keeping Lord, the Father of the fatherless, the Protector of the widow, the lover of the lonely, the rescuer of the captive, and the provider for the needy. He is sovereign over nature and nations.

He is both powerful above us and present with us. He commands a heavenly army filled with thousands upon thousands of chariots, and He comes to conquer in earthly victory. He daily bears our burdens and ultimately saves our souls. This is my God and King. This is our God and King. And mark it down: He will draw the peoples to Himself because He deserves praise throughout the earth. He is the Divine Warrior, and He has spoken a dependable Word.

You say, “How do you know?” We know all these things because Psalm 68 is not the end of this story of this God on the move. For, centuries after this, this awesome God actively came to us in the person of Jesus the Christ.

He subdued demons. He satisfied sinners. The one true God came to His people, announcing, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me … he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18–19).

Oh, the One who is all-powerful above us came to be bodily present with us … and He came to conquer. He lived a perfect life, He died a sinner’s death, and then He rose from the grave, conquering sin, Satan, and death itself, canceling the debt that stood against men and women. Colossians 2:15 says He nailed that debt to a cross. “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them.”

Christ has conquered, and He has said to all who are weary and burdened, “Come to Me, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). He will bear our burdens today (cast your cares on Him, for He cares for you—1 Peter 5:7) and He will save your soul forever.

The One who is sovereign over nature (the wind and the waves obey His bidding) is sovereign over the nations … and one day “every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10–11).

The Implications for Us …

Give glory to this God

So what does this mean for us? We see twenty-four attributes/activities of God in Psalm 68 and two mammoth implications for us. One, give glory to this God. “Sing to this God!” (Psalm 68:32) “Sing praises to the Lord, who rides in the heavens.” (Psalm 68:32–33) “Ascribe power to God … whose power is in the skies.” (Psalm 68:34)

Stand in awe of Him. Do not be casual with this God. Do not be complacent with this God. Oh, do not rebel against this God. Confess your sin to this God. Receive mercy from His throne, find salvation from your sin, and experience satisfaction for your soul. Blessed be God.

Give your life to His mission

Give glory to this God, and give your life to His mission. Oh, don’t miss this! God is still on the move. This didn’t stop with an ark entering into Jerusalem … or the building of a temple in Mount Zion … for when Jesus came and died, the curtain of that temple was torn in two … and God’s presence now dwells in every person on the planet who turns from their sin and trusts in Him.

Christian, the presence—the Spirit—of this God dwells in you. And His Spirit is on the move. He has not saved you from your sin and filled you with His power so that you can sit on the sidelines as a spectator in the church. He has saved you for the salvation of the nations.

Jesus possesses all authority in heaven and on earth, and He has told us, our heavenly commander has charged us: “Go and make disciples of all the nations …” (Matthew 28:19–20). Bring all the kingdoms of the earth, all the nations of the earth, all the peoples of the earth, to praise My Name.

And so we pray … and we give—oh, we give sacrificially … we rearrange our lives so that we can give more to the mission of God—we pray, we give, and we go. We go wherever God leads whenever God moves us … because we love His glory more than we love our lives. And we know … we know … this Divine Warrior has spoken a dependable Word … so we go with total confidence that every nation, tribe, tongue, and people will one day gather around the throne of God and give Him the universal praise He is due.