Psalm 68

A Song of Victory

When have you felt victorious? What was the cause of your great feelings?

At one point in life, we all feel like winners. We invested time and talent into a contest; we emerge from it victorious. It is an expansive, addictive feeling. We're on top of the world, and we never want this feeling to end. We won once; we can win again.

These are the feelings evoked in Psalm 68. This psalm is flush with shouts of victory for the people, with clear references to liturgical use (a formal procession with song in 68:25-28). This public chant flowed from anticipation of God's activity, to realization, back to anticipation. YHWH acted once on behalf of the people; he would act again.

Psalm 68 began with somewhat of a credal statement: God will come to act against his people's enemies and will be victorious (68:2-3). The faithful will worship with joyous celebration because of his victory (68:4-6); justice will return to the land (68:6-7). How could believer be confident in the Lord's coming? Remember the Exodus experience (68:8-11); God saved his people, revealed his power, and kept his promises to the patriarchs. This event that founded the nation would be the template of YHWH's future activity.

The tone shifted from anticipation to the fact of divine edict (68:12-15). God declared victory over the enemies of the nation. This was a time to divide the spoils, not to remain penned up in the city (numerous people remain in the sheepfolds). Notice the victory belongs to God alone. In 68:16-17, his adobe (the Temple in Jerusalem) is the envy of all other mountains (i.e., high places where sacrifice is offered to the gods). From Sinai, God led his uncountable forces up to the Temple on Mt. Zion and received tribute (68:18-19). The procession of the divine was a cause for praise, for he will act on behalf of the people. He will save them from death and will utterly shame his enemies (68:20-24).

The procession of YHWH from Sinai (the Exodus) to the Temple in 68:18 was now made a formal procession of the people (68:25-28). The psalm hinted at a subtle insight: salvation was a journey from slavery in Egypt to the desert Exodus to the settlement of Promised Land (made final with the establishment of the Temple in Jerusalem). In other words, redemption was a pilgrimage led by YHWH. Before the Babylonian exile, this triumphalism might make sense in a Davidic monarchy. However, the tone shifted back to anticipation. The procession became a petition, a plea for God's help; “Give us your victory, O Lord, just as you did in Egypt!” This prayer has a humbling affect, at best; at worst, it was a desperate plea for action in the face of immanent threat. (68:29-32)

The psalm ended with a universal command to praise (68:33-36). The nations saw the glory of YHWH in the desert; they should give him praise for his power over nature (his voice is the thunder in 68:34) and his command of the heavens. The God of all will protect the people he chose (68:36).

While there is a flow to the psalm, biblical scholars are unsure about it's construction and use. There is evidence of textual corruption (68:12-15) and possible editing. Because of the references to the Exodus journey, some scholars believe this psalm was part of Sukkoth, the Feast of Booths, that commemorated the Exodus journey. Nonetheless, the psalm's theme of victory and its use as a liturgical chant were clear.

Psalm 68 does give us some insight into our Christian spirituality. Our God will led us to victory, just as he did in the desert. Ours is a pilgrimage to a place promised to us. We can revel in what God has done for us and look forward to his triumph at the end of the age.  With God, we are victorious!

How does Christ's victory over death strengthen you? How do you anticipate God's victory in your future?