How to Be Victorious and Triumphant Throughout Life
Psalm 68 NKJV
The Glory of God in His Goodness to
Israel
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.
1 Let aGod
arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those also who hate Him flee
before Him.
2 bAs
smoke is driven away,
So drive them away;
cAs wax
melts before the fire,
So let
the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But dlet
the righteous be glad;
Let them rejoice before God;
Yes, let them rejoice
exceedingly.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
eExtol 1Him who rides on the 2clouds,
And rejoice before Him.
5 gA
father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
Is God
in His holy habitation.
6 hGod
sets the solitary in families;
iHe
brings out those who are bound into prosperity;
But jthe rebellious dwell in a dry land.[1]
Psalm 68 NLT
For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David.
1 Rise
up, O God, and scatter your enemies.
Let those who hate God run for
their lives.
2 Blow
them away like smoke.
Melt them like wax in a fire.
Let the wicked perish in the
presence of God.
3 But
let the godly rejoice.
Let them be glad in God’s presence.
Let them be filled with joy.
4 Sing
praises to God and to his name!
Sing loud praises to him who
rides the clouds.*
His name is the Lord—
rejoice in his presence!
5 Father
to the fatherless, defender of widows—
this is God, whose dwelling is
holy.
6 God
places the lonely in families;
he sets the prisoners free and
gives them joy.
But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. [2]
Introduction: in
his introduction to this sixty-eighth psalm, commentator James Montgomery Boice
relates how it has been utilized throughout history by political and military
leaders who believed they were fighting for righteousness.1 As the
centuries have rolled by, the first verse has been a battle cry for many
commanders as they led their troops into conflict: “Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered!”
We,
too, can make this bold declaration as we march into the conflicts of our daily
lives. As believers, we are soldiers in a battle. However, we do
not fight against human opponents; rather, our fight is against spiritual foes,
that is, Satan and his demonic army (Ep. 6:10–12; 2 Co. 10:3–4). God’s
enemies are our enemies. They not only oppose God’s will and work in the world
but also attack us, His redeemed people. Satan and his evil forces possess
great power in this world, and they constantly strive to defeat us through
temptation, difficult circumstances, and other people who do their bidding.
Not
all temptation comes from Satan. Much of the temptation we face comes
from within ourselves (Js. 1:14). We are involved in a never-ending
internal battle: the war against our corrupt human nature, referred to in the
Bible as the flesh (Ga: 5:19–20; 1 Co. 6:9–10). Scripture lists some of
the sins produced by our flesh …
Ø Sexual
Immorality
Ø
Moral Impurity
Ø
Lust
Ø
Hatred
Ø
Strife
Ø
Jealousy
Ø
Anger
Ø
Selfishness
Ø
Divisiveness
Ø
Stealing
Ø
Greed
Ø
Drunkenness
Ø
Substance Abuse
Ø
Verbal Abuse
Ø
Dishonesty
Ø
Pride
Add to
these sins the numerous human weaknesses we deal with, such as discouragement,
disappointment, unkindness, impatience, laziness, and lack of discipline, to
name a few. On top of that, life in general is difficult.
The
point is clear: we constantly wrestle against enemies seeking to defeat
us—spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Some of these hold the potential
to destroy us and others as well. But all of them can keep us from being
everything God wants us to be and accomplishing all that He wants us to do.
They can bar us from the abundant life Christ came to give us (Jn. 10:10).
They can rob us of our joy, peace, confidence, effectiveness, and eternal
rewards.
Nevertheless, God’s Word tells us that we can triumph over these enemies. We do not have to live in defeat. God’s power is greater than all our sins and circumstances. Through His Spirit and His Word, we can be victorious (Ps. 44:5; Ro. 8:37; 2 Co. 2:14; 2 Co. 10:4; 1 Jn. 4:4; 1 Jn. 5:4).
Psalm
68 is one of many passages of Scripture that teach us how to be victorious and
triumphant in life. The heading to the psalm identifies
David as its author, but the occasion for its writing is not stated. Among the
many views about its origin, the most accepted is that David wrote it for the
moving of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (2 S. 6). This came on
the heels of another great victory: the taking of Jerusalem for Israel’s
capital (2 K. 5:6–7). Yet even as David celebrated these glorious
triumphs, he knew that more battles lay ahead of him and the nation. He
recalled and praised God for His help in the past, and He prayed for God’s
continued power for the future.
The
transporting of the ark was an illustration of Israel’s, and our, great need
for God. The ark represented God’s presence among His people. It
was carried in front of the procession to Jerusalem, and the people followed
behind. This order symbolizes our need for God to march ahead of us as we
proceed through life.
As David emphasized in this
psalm, God had marched ahead of Israel throughout her challenging but glorious
history. From Mount Sinai to the wilderness to the promised land to Jerusalem,
God had led them all the way. Commentator John Phillips described Psalm 68 as
“a tremendous orchestration of history and prophecy.”2 As David led
the people to ponder the past, he also pointed them to the future: the entire
world will one day worship God at Zion. Israel and the world’s greatest victory
is yet to come.
Just as God will lead Israel to His ultimate purpose for her, we may rejoice in the confidence that God will march ahead of us as we persevere through the conflicts of life. God will rise up in our behalf and scatter our enemies. His will for us and His work in us will be performed (Ph. 1:6). As we follow Him, we will prevail over the challenges of life.
This
is, How to Be Victorious and Triumphant
Throughout Life.
Pray for God’s coming (vs. 1–6).
As the procession to transport
the ark to Jerusalem began, David prayed for God to come and to march ahead of
the faithful Jews who followed the ark to Zion. The ark symbolized God’s
presence among His people, and the call for God to arise was a call for Him to
lead His people to victory over their foes.
a. That
He will rise up and overthrow all who oppose Him (vv. 1–2).
David
prayed for God to rise up like a mighty, fearless warrior and overthrow all who
opposed Him (v. 1). His bold cry echoed Moses’ prayer when
the ark of the covenant moved ahead of the Hebrews in the wilderness (Nu.
10:35). David prayed that God’s victory over His foes would be swift and
complete, like …
• smoke blown away by the wind (v. 2a)
• wax melted in the fire (v. 2b)
b. That
He will make the righteous victorious (v. 3).
The
righteous are inseparably linked with God. Through their trust in God and their
compassionate behavior, they represent God on earth. They seek to do God’s
work, and He works through them. Their enemies are actually God’s enemies, for
they are His chosen people. God fights in their behalf; therefore, a victory
for God is a victory for the righteous. Thus, David prayed that God would make
the righteous victorious, bringing joy and happiness to their hearts and giving
them cause to rejoice.
c. That
everyone will praise His name (vv. 4–6).
As the
people followed the ark to Jerusalem, David instructed them to praise God’s
name (v. 4a). Israel’s triumphant king offered four
reasons for the people to exalt God:
First,
God is the mighty warrior who rides on the heavens or clouds (v. 4b).
This “poetic description of God’s exalted majesty”3 is significant
because the pagans gave this exact title to Baal. David’s statement is a direct
contradiction of their claim. As God led Israel to victory over her idolatrous
foes, He would prove that He—not Baal—is superior to all things.
Second,
God’s name is the Lord (v. 4c).
JAH is a shortened form of Jehovah or
Yahweh, God’s sacred name by which He identified Himself to His people. Usually
translated as the Lord, it is the
name by which God makes and keeps His covenant. David instructed the people to
praise God by this name because JAH—not Baal—is the one true God, and He will
make His people victorious out of faithfulness to His covenant with them.
Third,
God watches over His people, especially those who cannot help themselves (v.
5–6a). He is the father of
the fatherless, and the judge
(dayyan)—advocate, defender, protector—of widows (Ps. 10:14; Je. 49:11).
He cares for the solitary or lonely, placing people in their lives who will
love and look after them. Some scholars understand this statement to be
referring to the homeless, noting that families
(bayith) is usually translated as house. Commentator Albert Barnes stated, “He
is the friend of the cast out—the wandering—the homeless; He provides for them
a home.”4 He also cares for the prisoners, those unjustly bound
or oppressed, leading them out of bondage and into joy (v. 6b).
Fourth,
God executes justice on all who rebel against Him (v. 6c).
In contrast to the Jews, who dwelled in a land flowing with milk and honey, the
rebellious live in a dry land—a parched, sun-scorched, barren land. This image
is of a land void of God’s blessing, and it symbolizes His judgment on those
who defy Him. It teaches an important lesson: not only do those who rebel
against God face eternity separated from Him, but they also forfeit the
bountiful blessings of God in this life.
Thought 1. Every
day, as we march into battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil, we
need to ask God to go before us. We can expect to encounter temptations,
challenges, and even dangers. But if we follow Him closely, God will lead us
through them.
God is
greater than any challenges we may face. He is bigger than our problems, needs,
weaknesses, and circumstances. We need not fear anything that lies before us,
even death, for He is with us (Ps. 23:4; Is. 43:2). He promises to guide
us each step of the way (Ps. 32:8). He has fully equipped us for battle,
but we must clothe ourselves in His armor and arm ourselves with His Word. We
must also devote much time to prayer. Through God’s presence and power, we can
be strong, and we can stand fast against our enemies. If we follow the Lord and
walk in the power of His might, He
will make us victorious (Ep. 6:10–18).
Ø “Nay, in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him that loved us” (Ro. 8:37).
Ø “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and
maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place” (2 Co. 2:14).
Ø “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the
Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye
may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the
whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with
truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with
the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And
take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and
watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ep.
6:10–18).
Ø “He delivereth me from mine enemies:
yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast
delivered me from the violent man” (Ps. 18:48).
Ø “Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Ps. 23:4).
Thought 2. David’s
prayer in these verses will ultimately be fulfilled when Jesus Christ returns.
He will return to earth as a mighty warrior, completely destroying His
enemies—all the evil and rebellious oppressors on the face of the earth. The
image of God riding on the heavens points to Jesus’ coming back to earth in the
clouds (v. 4; Re. 1:7; 19:11). We need to pray for Christ to come and
for God’s will for this earth to be accomplished.
Ø “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in
earth, as it is in heaven” (Mt.
6:10).
Ø “Wherefore gird up the loins of your
mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto
you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pe. 1:13).
Ø “He which testifieth these things
saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Re. 22:20).[4]
Prayer
God, You care for those who might struggle to feel like they belong. Thank you for welcoming everyone into Your Kingdom and family. Please make us aware of the people who need extra love and care. Show us how to offer the same hospitality that You give to others. In Jesus' name, Amen.
a Num. 10:35
b [Is. 9:18]; Hos. 13:3
c Ps. 97:5; Mic. 1:4
d Ps. 32:11
e Deut. 33:26
1 Praise
2 MT deserts;
Tg. heavens (cf. v. 34 and Is. 19:1)
f [Ex. 6:3]
3 Lit. Lord, a shortened Heb. form
g [Ps. 10:14, 18; 146:9]
h Ps. 107:4–7
i Acts 12:6–11
j Ps. 107:34
[1] The New King James
Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
* 68:4 Or rides through the deserts.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. 2015. Holy Bible: New
Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2015. Psalms: Chapters 42–106. Vol.
II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership
Ministries Worldwide.
1 James
Montgomery Boice. Boice. An Expositional
Commentary-Psalms, Volume 2: Psalms 42–106. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
2 John
Phillips. Exploring Psalms, Volume 1.
WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
3 John F. Wallvood, ed. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.
4 Albert Barnes. Barnes Notes on the Old Testament. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
[4] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2015. Psalms: Chapters 42–106. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
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