Psalm 68 - overcomer - gifts for God's dwelling
There are themes that run through this Psalm:
1. God is moving and acting. (vv 1-2, 4-9, 17, 24-25)
2. God gives strength (v9, 28-29, 33-35)
3. Preaching the good news (vv11-14, 30-31)
4. Gifts for God's dwelling (vv6, 11-14, 18-19, 25-31)
The main theme above is Gifts for God's dwelling. All the above themes have to do with God giving people as gifts for His church.
From the Psalm I gather 12 conditions for us to become gifts to mankind for God's dwelling:
1. Pray for God to arise and move. vv 1-2
2. Rejoice in God's coming vv3-4
3. Cast up a way for God in the wildernesses v4 (goes with conditions #4, #9, #12)
4. Be the means for God to care for the widows, orphans and lonely and prisoners. vv4-5 (goes with conditions #3, #9, #12)
5. Abide in a local church v12
6. Abide between the 2 lips of the Word of God and with the 2 wings of the Spirit. v13
7. Realize you still have a sinful nature. v13 (goes with conditions #8, #10)
8. Don't be jealous of others. v16 (goes with condtions #7, #10)
9. Bear the Lord's burdens that He daily puts on us. v19 (goes with #3, #4, #12)
10. Rebuke a living of buying things and running after money v30 (goes with #7, #8)
11. Love drawing near to people. That includes being somewhat confrontational at times, like the Lord was. v30
12. Hasten your hands to service to God. v31 (goes with #3, #4, #9)
This Psalm is generally acknowledged to be the most difficult to understand.
"The Psalm is at once surpassingly excellent and difficult. Its darkness in some stanzas is utterly impenetrable. Well does a German critic speak of it as a Titan very hard to master. Our slender scholarship has utterly failed us and we have had to follow a surer Guide. We trust our thoughts may not however prove unprofitable." - C. H. Spurgeon
The remarkable character of the Psalm is indicated by the fact that there are no fewer than thirteen words in it which are not found elsewhere. The Pentecostal Gift of Tongues seems needed for its full exposition. - William Kay.
Hebrew words are defined by how they are used in the Bible. When a word is used in only once (called a hapax) it is a guess on what it means. Except in the book of Job, hapaxes are rare. I think many of the so-called hapaxes in this Psalm are not hapaxes. They are words used elsewhere in the Bible, but translators did not think that the normal meanings made sense, so they called these words hapaxes and guessed a meaning to fit the context.
It must be confessed that in this Psalm there are as many precipices, and as many labyrinths, as there are verses, or even words. It has not inappropriately been designated the cross of critics, the reproach of interpreters. - Simon de Muis.
Names of God in this Psalm:
- Elohim (God) 26x vv1-7, 8x3, 9-10, 15-18, 21, 24, 26, 28x2, 31-32, 34, 35x2
- Jah 2x vv 4, 18
- Adonai (Lord) 6x vv 11, 17, 19, 20, 22, 32
- Shadai (Almighty) v14
- Jehovah (the LORD) 3x vv 16, 20, 26
- El (God) 5x - vv19, 20x2, 24, 35
v 1 - This is a quote of Numbers 10:35, which Moses spoke when the Ark of the Covenant set forward. Moses spoke of God in the 2nd person, but David speaks of Him here in the 3rd person. David also changed Jehovah to Elohim.
The ark typifies Christ. The tabernacle, in which the ark resides, typifies the church.
I translated the Hebrew word paneh meaning "face" or "presence" as "coming" as is done in the New Testament with the Greek equivalent parousia (Mat 24:3, 27).
The ark would have been a poor leader if the Lord had not been present with the symbol. Before we move, we should always desire to see the Lord lead the way. The words suppose the Lord to have been passive for awhile, suffering his enemies to rage, but restraining his power. Israel beseeches him to "arise", as elsewhere to "awake", "gird on his sword", and other similar expressions. We, also, may thus importunately cry unto the Lord, that He would be pleased to make bare His arm, and plead His own cause. ... How fitting a prayer is this for the commencement of a revival! How it suggests the true mode of conducting one:—the Lord leads the way, His people follow, the enemies flee. - Spurgeon
v2 - lit. Like the driving away of smoke, you will drive them away. Like the melting of wax from the face of fire, wicked will perish from before the face of God.
v4 - We preach the gospel with this spirit of rejoicing.
What does it mean to cast up a way for Him in the deserts?
I think it means to hasten the coming day of God as in 2Pet 3:12. It is like John the Baptist prepared the way in the people before the Lord's first coming. I think this refers to the church preparing the way before the Lord's 2nd coming. (Isa 40:3; etc).
Take the stumbling-blocks out of the way of God's people (Isa 57:14; Heb 12:13). There are many stumbling blocks in the way of God's people growing.
Where do we cast up the way for God to move? In the deserts or wildernesses. That is not in the mainstream. The wilderness is where revival begins. There is too much resistance in the mainstream. Cast up a way in the wilderness, and if it is fruitful, that will be a testimony so it can spread to people in the mainstream.
The verb "cast up" is not very neat, but kind of quick and dirty, functional and practical.
So far, the steps for revival are:
1. Prayer for God to arise and move. vv 1-2
2. Rejoice in God's coming vv 3-4
3. Cast up a way for God in the wildernesses v4
v5-6 - We know our God as this in this present age.
We present God as this in the gospel that we preach.
God does this in and through His holy dwelling, the church. ref. James 1:27
These are the types of people we meet in the world:
- fatherless - God is Father to them
- widows - God does justice for them
- lonely - God makes them into homes
- prisoners - God makes them fit for use
- rebels - they dwell in a dry land, but can become gifts in v18
This gives another step for revival:
4. Be the means for God to care for the orphans, widows, lonely, prisoners and rebels. vv5-6
6 The Hebrew word kosharot, usually translated here as "prosperity", is only used here, and thus is considered to be a hapax. It is spelled as the feminine plural participle of the verb kosher, which means to be fit for use.
The preachers of the gospel are considered as women in this Psalm (vv11, 12, 14, 25). Being made fit for use (feminine) is developed further in vv 18-19, 27-28, 30-31.
v7 - Lit. God, when You went forth before Your people in Your stepping through the waste land. Selah
This goes back to v1 and to the Exodus and Mt. Sinai.
It is unusual to have a Selah in the middle of a sentence, and this psalm has 2 of them. Pay special attention to the 1st part of this sentence, which I might otherwise miss: In the past, God went forth before His people in the wilderness. He will do the same today. Think about that.
There are 3-4 Selah's in this psalm. What precedes each selah, we should pay special attention to:
here in v7 God went forth before His people in the wilderness waste landv13 To divide the spoil we need to lay between the 2 lips of the Word and the Spirit which are the wings of a sharp threshing instrument. (Selah in LXX only)v19 The God of our salvation daily puts loads on usv32 Sing psalms of the Lord. (also in the middle of a sentence)v8 - Lit. The earth trembled, even the heavens dropped at the coming of God, this Sinai, at the coming of God, the God of Israel.
This is quoted from Deborah's song (Jdg 5:4-5) after Israel's miraculous victory over Jabin, king of Canaan, who had been oppressing them. Deborah is referring back to how God had fought for Israel at the end of their wilderness journey. God is still the same.
v9 - This is God blessing Israel in the land of Israel.
When we sow the seed of God's gospel, we can do nothing without God providing the rain for the seed to grow. He pours rain plentifully when we sow (Amos 4:7). This strengthens us when we are weary (Gal 6:9; etc.).
I asked the Lord, Where is our plentiful rain? He said, I gave it and am giving it. I knew that was true.
Among many great verses in this psalm, this one is my favorite.
v10 - Most English translations translate it as "Your flock has dwelt therein", but the Hebrew word does not mean "flock". The word can either be a noun meaning "living thing", "animal" or it can be the verb participle "living". LXX & Vulgate translated it as "creatures", but the word is singular. NET translated it as "You live among them", which I think is much better. (2Cor 6:16; etc). God's living as a human being is the Sermon on the Mount.
The suffering ones are the 5 kinds of people in vv5-6.
v11 - I want to be part of this great army publishing the glad tidings. The word for "publishers" is feminine. As publishers of the glad tidings, we are like women publishing the news. The Lord already won the victory.
The word that the Lord gives is what He prepared in His goodness for the meek in the previous verse.
The ten thousand maids of Israel, like good handmaids of the Lord, aroused the sleepers, called in the wanderers, and bade the valiant men to hasten to the fray. O for the like zeal in the church of today, that, when the gospel is published, both men and women may eagerly spread the glad tidings of great joy. - Spurgeon
The Lord did give his word at His ascension, and there were a multitude of them that published it, and by this means kings of armies were put to flight: they conquered by the word: there is not such another way to rout kings and their armies. - William Strong.
The Hebrew verb for "publishing" means to publish glad tidings (Isa 52:7; etc) with "good tidings" built into the word. Out of 24 uses of the word, 23 are for good tidings. The only exception is 1Sam 4:17, where it refers to the messenger, who normally brought good news.
v12 - There are many enemies in the world and heavenlies opposing the gospel. Do not fear them. They will flee when we preach the gospel in the Word which God gave. The kings include world rulers that oppose the gospel, but mainly evil rulers in the heavenlies. Eph 2:2; etc
The word flee is repeated twice identically. This is very unusual.
In order to "divide the spoil" of the saved souls, we need to be abiding in a house, a local church so that the saved ones can be taken out of the world and grow.
This gives another requirement for revival:
5. Abide in a local church
When the Lord gives success to His gospel, the very best of his saints are made glad and feel themselves partakers in the blessing. - Spurgeon
I have been giving out gospel tract dispensers to businesses around my church. Chain stores will not accept them, but almost every local business that I have asked has said yes. Right now I have them in 10 businesses: 1 Bowling Alley, 2 Health Care, 2 Liquor stores, 1 Hookah lounge, 1 coin laundry, 1 body piercing, 1 Chiropractor, 1 Vietnamese restaurant. But there are also enemies of the gospel. I placed one at a video game store with the manager's permission, but an enemy of the gospel stole it. I put another one there in a different location, but that was stolen again. I pray for the thief to repent and be saved. Also I had placed one in another liquor store, but the owner said that some customers started arguing loudly about it, so he took it away. The kings of enemy armies will flee, they will flee, so long as we go out by faith sharing what the Word really says.
v13 - This is where this Psalm becomes mysterious. It is mysterious because there is so much meaning packed into this verse.
It is a hard passage, a nut for the learned to crack. ... we will let it rest among the unriddled things. - Spurgeon
I translate this verse: if you (masculine plural) will lay between 2 lips which are wings of a dove, being covered in silver but her pinions in leprous-green, of a sharp threshing instrument.
Translation notes:
The Hebrew word shiphataim means "2 lips" or, by extension, "2 borders", as the lips are the border of the mouth. Most translate it here as "sheepfolds" guessing that this word is a misspelling of mishptaim in Jdg 5:16. LXX, Vulgate, YLT and Goldingay translate it as something like "boundaries".
The adjective, yirakrak, which I translated as leprous-green is only used here and in Lev 13:49 & 14:37 where it refers to leprosy in a garment or house and in Leviticus is translated "greenish".The Hebrew word charootz, which I translated as sharp threshing instrument has 3 main meanings: gold 6x (Prov 3:14), diligent 5x (Prov 10:4), and sharp threshing instrument 4x (Isa 41:15). There are also 3 other one-time translations of the word charootz: maimed (Lev 22:22), moat (Dan 9:25) & decision (Joel 3:14). I think "maimed" and "moat" are extensions of the meaning "sharp threshing instrument" in that they have been cut. I think "decision" is an extension of the meaning of "diligent" since the meaning is to not procrastinate. I also think the meaning of "diligence" is an extension of the meaning "sharp threshing instrument" because harvesting requires diligence (Prov 10:5; 6:8; etc).
One would think, since the word here seems to be used in parallel to "silver" that the meaning would be "gold", as in Prov 16:16 & Zec 9:3. However, the word charootz is not the usual word for gold. It is always used negatively or as something inferior. It is never used to signify God's divine nature or beauty like the usual word for gold, zahav, does. It is a derogatory word for "gold" meaning "yellow metal" from Akkadian and Aramaic. On the other hand, a sharp threshing instrument goes with the context of publishing God's Word and reaping the spoil.
Selah comes from LXX.
if - adds a 2nd condition to the promise in the previous verse to divide the spoil. The first condition was to abide in a house, a local church. This second condition is to lay between 2 lips.
you - "she within a house abiding" in the previous verse becomes "you" (masculine plural) in this verse. This makes it clear that the "she within a house abiding" applies to us, the whole church. In publishing the gospel, we are likened to women. In meditating in the Word, we are likened to men.
will lay - not just "walk", nor even just "abide", but restfully "lay". Meditate in the Lord's word day and night. (Ps 1:2). At times in my life I feel I have been laying between the Lord's lips. This has been when I memorize and sing Psalms and when I am meditating on the portion of the word that we are covering in church or in a Bible Study group. At 68 years old, it is much harder to memorize verses. Psalms are much easier for me to memorize after I make them singable. between 2 lips - For us to lay between 2 lips means to abide intimately in God's word night and day. The Lord's word to us should be the "word of Your lips" (Psalm 17:4). They are like the Lord's kiss. It is easy to be related to the Word like the Pharisees who searched the Scriptures yet did not have the Word abiding in them (John 5:38-40). Abiding in the Lord's Word enables us to pray according to God's mind so that we can bear much fruit (John 15:7-8).The word of the Lord's lips restricts our thoughts and conduct, especially from doing unto others as they have done to us (Psalm 17:4). The Lord's Word should be to us like 2 lips tenderly restricting us on 2 sides: mercy and truth (Ps 25:10; etc), faith and works (1Thes 1:3;etc), grace and commandment. We need to share both sides of the truth (Ps 40:10), which is what this Psalm and most portions of Scripture do.
wings of a dove - The 2 lips of the Lord's Word are also wings of a dove being covered with silver. The dove is the symbol of:
the Spirit (John 1:32).being in love (SoS 1:15;etc)guileless simplicity (Mat 10:16; Hos 7:11)mourning (Isa 38:14;etc).The Spirit and the Word are one (Eph 6:17;etc). We need the 2 wings, the Word and the Spirit, in order to follow the Lord wherever He goes to preach the gospel (Joh 3:8; etc). We should never think that the Spirit and the Word are rivals. They are 2 wings, without both we will not fly but crash.
The dove is the symbol of being in love with the Lord (SoS 1:15;etc) with our eyes on Him (Mat 6.22). We preach the gospel while in love with our Lord. We can have nothing between the Lord and us. See hymn "Nothing Between".
I am glad that the dove is the symbol of guileless simplicity (Mat 10:16). We do not need to be very smart to be fruitful in the gospel, but completely guileless.
Charles Colson in his great autobiography, Born Again, (which you can borrow as an audiobook from Hoopla), was being charged with crimes he did not have knowledge of. When speaking at a prayer breakfast in Owosso, MI, Colson said, "I am not guilty of most of the crimes they accuse me of." Colson was surprised at the words "most of the crimes" that came out of his mouth. Why could he not say that he was not guilty of all the crimes? He did not feel he could say that he was not guilty of all of the crimes. So he changed his plea from "not guilty" to "guilty" because he was guilty of smearing Daniel Ellsberg who had illegally released the Pentagon Papers. Colson admitted guilt so that nothing would inhibit his witness for the gospel. His lawyer was furious with him and thought he was a silly dove.
being covered with silver - Our speech needs to be and is being purified as silver as the Lord's word is purified (Ps 12:6).
It is easy for the Lord's word among us to become mixed with myths. It is good to ask each other, does the Lord's word really say that? The important truths we believe and stake our life upon must be founded directly upon the Word, not upon the trust in the understanding of a servant of the Lord, no matter how greatly that servant has been used by God. We should appreciate the Lord's servant for helping us see the truth in the Word, but we believe it because the Word says it.
and her pinions in leprous green - We still have a sinful nature, and we still bear the signs of having been a sinner. This attracts people. Do not hide the scars of leprosy. This also keeps us humble. (2Cor 12:7-10)
We are like one leper telling another where to get healed and fed. (2Ki 7:3-9)
If I were writing this psalm, I would put leprous green before "being covered with silver", but the Lord put it after to show that the leprous green never leaves us in this age. Many servants of the Lord today seem to have forgotten that they still have the sinful nature, which can destroy us (1Cor 9:27).
of a sharp threshing instrument -
As ones publishing the good news, we are to be the Lord's sharp (Heb 4:12) threshing instrument for His harvest (Isa 41:5), winged with the Word and the Spirit (Joh 16:8).
Another requirement to be a gift:
6. Abide between the 2 lips of the Word of God and with the 2 wings of the Spirit.
7. Realize you still have a sinful nature.
v14 - lit. scattered kings in her. The Almighty scatters kings by means of her that is publishing the good news.
This goes back to v12 for both "the kings" and the "she". When the Lord causes the rulers of this age to flee, there is revival in the strongest place of darkness. "She" in this verse refers back to "she in a house abiding" in v12. The Lord scatters the kings of this age through her, and we, the women publishing the Word and abiding in a house, cause the revival in the dark mountain (Ps 51:7; etc).
Whatever may be the precise meaning, it was intended to portray the glory and completeness of the divine triumph over the greatest foes. In this let all believers rejoice. - Spurgeon
Tzalmon is the name of a mountain (Jdg 9:48) and the name of one of David's mighty men (2Sa 23:28). Tzelem means "image". Tzal means shadow. The mon ending is common for proper names (i.e. Simeon, Ammon, Amon, Hesbon, Hermon, Jeshimon, Rimon, Salmon, etc). It could be translated it as "dark mountain".
v15 - The Hebrew word gavnoonim was translated by LXX and Vulgate as "curdled". Most modern translations translate it as "many peaked" which is just a guess to fit the context. It seems to be a plural of the word gavon, only used in Lev 21:20 where it is translated "hunchbacked" and disqualifies a person, through no fault of his own, from serving as a priest. I translated it as "hunchbacked".
Zion certainly was not a high hill comparatively; and it is here conceded that Bashan is a greater mount, but not so glorious, for the Lord in choosing Zion had exalted it above the loftier hills. The loftiness of nature is made as nothing before the Lord. He chooses as pleases him, and, according to the counsel of his own will, he selects Zion, and passes by the proud, uplifted peaks of Bashan; thus doth he make the base things of this world, and things that are despised, to become monuments of his grace and sovereignty. - Spurgeon
Mount Bashan is slightly higher than Mount Zion (2600 ft vs 2510 ft). "Bashan" is part of the land given to Israel to the tribe of Manasseh (Deu 3:13). It is a mount of God because it is part of Israel, but not the mount of God that God chose for His holy temple. The tribe of Manasseh was not chosen to be priests but they were God's chosen people.
v16 - lit. the LORD will dwell there to the end.
I think this verse explains how Mt. Bashan, a mount of God, became a hunchbacked mountain. There are many hunchbacked mountains. What makes them hunchbacked is that they are looking at other Christians, Christian groups, or the Jewish people to condemn them for errors.
If you are jealous of other Christian groups then your group becomes a hunchbacked mountain, a deformed expression of Christianity (Phil 2:3).
I think this verse is giving a background to verse 18 to come. In the Old Testament, only the descendants of Aaron could serve as priests. Don't be jealous about that. That is what God chose. But after Christ's ascension to come in v18, all God's people can serve as New Testament priests (1Pet 2:5) so no Christians should be jealous of others.
Tratzdon is usually translated "look with envy" in this verse, which seems to be a best guess. LXX translated it as "suppose" and Vulgate as "suspect". It is not used anywhere else in the Bible, but is used in the apocryphal book of Sirach, where LXX translated it "lie in wait". (Isa 29:21)
Another requirement to be a gift:
8. Don't be jealous of others.
v17 - The Lord had come down to earth at Mt. Sinai. The tabernacle is a prefigure of the incarnation of Christ. The chariots of God are the heavenly armies (2Ki 6:17; etc).
The presence of God is the strength of the church; all power is ours when God is ours. Twenty thousand chariots shall bear the gospel to the ends of the earth; and myriads of agencies shall work for its success. Providence is on our side, and it "has servants everywhere." There is no room for a shade of doubt or discouragement, but every reason for exultation and confidence. - Spurgeon
v18 - Through Sinai the Israel people were established. Through them God was literally incarnated and ascended. Eph 4:8-12. After ascending, Christ set captives free to be captivated by Him. He gave these ones who are captivated by Him to be gifts to men. To be gifts to men we need to be captivated by Christ. We are gifts to man to truly help human beings.
The gifts are for the church, the dwelling place of God.
The gifts are for the sharing of the gospel and the discipling of those that believe. "Rebellious" goes back to "leprous green" in verse 13 and is the same word "rebellious" in v6. This includes the rebellious in Mt. Bashan and other envious mountains.
Gifts can open doors for the gospel (Prov 18:16).
v19 - God gives us provisions and burdens day by day. Receiving and bearing these daily provisions and burdens enlarges us to experience more of God's salvation to become gifts to the church.
God puts burdens on us and we put burdens on ourselves. It is important to discern in prayer the burdens God has put on me, and carry them out. I got saved reading Mat. 11:28-30 in a gospel tract. At the time I was sleeping 14 hrs a day but had no rest for my soul. Rest comes in bearing the Lord's wonderful yoke.
Happy nation, to be subdued by a King whose yoke is easy, and who secures his people from all fear of foreign burdens which their foes might try to force upon them. - Spurgeon
"It doesn't make any difference whether the provision is some staff member who works here, or whether it's some material thing like the walls, the wood, or the cement. And the older I get, the more I marvel at it.
You see the only thing the dear Lord needed here was somebody who could unload the wagons. He sent the wagons - and still is sending them - and they've been full of what was needed. We've unloaded them and stuck what He provided hither, thither and yon. That's really all that's been necessary. He's sent some wagon loads for certain needs, and He's sent other wagons when there were other needs.
And whether it's been people or materials, or whether it's been cash - or the weather - whatever was needed, He has sent it.
Paul makes the statement in 1Corinthians 4:7, "What do you have that you didn't receive?" The understood answer is, "Nothing." So he said, "Why do you act, then, like you're so great, and you're doing everything yourself?" That's a rough paraphrase, but it's true.
That's really the way I look at this - the grace of God, the hand of God, has somehow, some way, provided in ways that I don't understand and don't see - and I don't think we ever could see or understand.
Some folks have the philosophy that you need special people to unload the wagons. you need to hire somebody with special qualifications who can be a cook, an electrician, a plumber or a lifeguard.
We've said, "No, you can do it with volunteers." ...
But the thing is, people with "credentials" have shown up at the right time! I think that's part of the wonder of it all, that God has so faithfully provided. And it's been the same way with programs and other needs." - Holman Johnson in his book Barakel God's Miracle about how he started the Barakel Christian Youth camp with nothing - chapter 1 "Unloading the Wagons".
Another requirement to be a gift:
9. Bear the Lord's burdens that He daily puts on us.
v21 - I don't like to include these kinds of verses, but God always does. After becoming a Christian we must not continue in our sin (2Pet 2:20-22; etc).
v22 - Bashan is a mountain east of the Jordan that was ruled by Og, the last of the Rephaim giants (Deut 3:11). The size of Og's bed is given as an indicator of his size. His bed was 13.5 feet long, so Og was probably 12-13 feet tall. The remaining giants such as the Anakim or Goliath were not this big. Og attacked Israel when they were about to enter the promised land, and Israel took possession of Og's land.
From the depth of the sea, I think, refers to the Egyptian army that chased Israel, and was buried in the depths of the Red Sea (Exo 15; etc).
God will bring back the spirit of these enemies to attack Israel again at the final battle of this age using different people (Rev 16:12-16).
In vv15-16, Bashan was mentioned as a mount of God, not chosen for God's dwelling place so they were jealous. It seems jealousy of God's chosen people is the motivation for Armageddon.
v23 - To us, except in a spiritual sense, the verse sounds harshly; but read it with an inner sense, and we also desire the utter and crushing defeat of all evil, and that wrong and sin may be the objects of profound contempt. Terrible is the God of Israel when he cometh forth as a man of war, and dreadful is even the Christ of God when he bares his arm to smite his enemies. Contemplate Revelation 19. - Spurgeon
ref. Rom 16:20
v24 - God's goings forth in the sanctuary are His goings forth in the church. The church's and Israel's attackers have seen this (Phil 1:28). As the church we need to give people the opportunity to see God's goings forth in the church (Mat 5.14-16).
v25 - The singing goes back to v4. Here are more details. We need to be undefiled by the lust that is in the world like the 1440,000 Christians in Rev 14.
The Hebrew word here for "virgins" is almot, the same word used for Mary, the Lord's mother, in Isa 7:14.
v26 - This takes place in the church meetings. This prepares us to be the people in v25.
I think this refers to the NT age. The leader is the Apostle Paul who is of the tribe of Benjamin (Phili 3:5) and who was the least (1Cor 15:8-10) and still speaks from his epistles. He is the most gifted member given for God's dwelling, the church (v 18; ).
The Lord's half-brothers, James and Jude (1Cor 15:7), were from the tribe of Judah, as was Jesus.
The Hebrew word, rigmatam, may mean "crowd of stones" from the verb rigam which means "to stone". Most of the Jews at the time of Christ were from the tribe of Judah, which is what "Jew" means.
The rest of the Lord's apostles were from the area of Zebulun and Naphtali (Mat 4:14).
The tribe of Levi is also mentioned in the NT, such as Barnabas, and many priests (Act 4:36), but none of these wrote the New Testament.
v28 - lit.... Strengthen, O God, this, You worked for us.
a prayer for God to strengthen us. This theme started in v9 and is in the concluding v35. For us to be gifts given for the building up of the Body of Christ, we need to the Lord's strength. (Eph 3:16)
v29 - The gifts from the kings strengthen God's working through us. Thisis both for material gifts for God's work and for bringing the gospel to all nations. (Isa 56:7; Mark 1:17; 1Kings 8:41-43; Acts 15:15-18)
v30 - God commands strength to us in v28, and we pray for Him to strengthen this, His working for us. A living of buying and chasing silver will dissipate the strength that God gives us.
In order to be gifts for God's dwelling, we need to be freed from the love of money. This is especially important for leaders in the church (1Tim 3:2) and especially in the last days (2Tim 3:2) as this will be the dominant characteristic of the culture.
Human gifts to the church also need to be able to rebuke based on the word (2Tim 3:16). The Lord rebukes worldly living through the persons who are His gifts to the church.
The statement to rebuke a living of buying and damaging themselves in chasing money is followed by telling the Lord to send out peoples that love drawing near. The word "drawing near" could be translated as "doing battle". This prayer asks the Lord to send out people that love confronting the real situation with people. Not people that go along with complimenting "the Emperor's new clothes". When we take the risk to draw near to others without a false front, we delight in doing that.
Blessed is that rebuke, which does not break but bend; for subjection to the Lord of hosts is liberty, and tribute to him enriches him that pays it. The taxation of sin is infinitely more exacting than the tribute of religion. The little finger of lust is heavier than the loins of the law. Pieces of silver given to God are replaced with pieces of gold. - Spurgeon
The Hebrew word chaya goes back to v10 "Your living has dwelt therein." It could also be translated as "creature".
The Hebrew word qanah is a very common word that means "buy", and the form here matches the participle form, "buying". It could also be translated "reed".
The Hebrew word mitraphas is the reflexive form of raphas, which means to foul by trampling (Prov 25:26). The reflexive form means to make yourself foul by trampling yourself.
The Hebrew word ratzi has been translated by some as "pieces", which is just a guess found no where else in the Bible. Ratzi is the construct form of ratzim, which means "running". It is a very common word. The phase means "trampling themselves in running after silver."
The Hebrew word bizar appears only here and in Dan 11:24, where it means to distribute wealth.
The Hebrew word qrabot is the feminine plural participle of the common word qarab, which means "draw near". When used in the context of war, it means to "confront in battle". It can also mean to have an intimate relationship with, to listen to or to bear responsibility as opposed to being aloof (Exo 36:2).
I translate this whole verse literally as:
Rebuke a living of buying by leaders
among the calves of the peoples,
who are trampling upon themselves in running after silver.
Send out peoples that delight in drawing near.
To be gifts for the church we need to also
10. not be enslaved to buying things and running after money
11. love drawing near to people. That includes being somewhat confrontational at times, like the Lord was (Joh 4:7)
v31 - Right after the prayer for the Lord to send peoples that love drawing near, ambassadors come out of Egypt, and Ethiopia hastens his hands to God. Since these 2 countries are the only ones mentioned, there must be many gifts to the body of Christ that come from these 2 countries (Isa 18:7-19:25). Christians from Iraq have told me that the Egypt Christians are very strong Christians and are a help to all the Christians in the middle east. The book Love Casts out Fear by Brother Nathan tells the true story of how Egyptian Christians made amazing sacrifices to serve the Lord, and the Lord is there.
I like how Ethiopia will hasten his hands to God. (1Sam 10:7; etc). This is to carry out the loads that God puts on us in v19.
Old foes shall be new friends. - Spurgeon
The Hebrew word chasmanim, translated "envoys" or "ambassadors" only appears here in the Bible. LXX and Vulgate translated it as Ambassadors.
Another requirement to be a gift:
12. Hasten your hands to service to God.
v32 - This seems to be the millennium because kingdoms sing to God, not just individuals or sojourners.
This is another rare instance where Selah comes in the middle of a sentence. See v7.
v33 - God has been moving since the days of old. He is still the same, and still moving among men. (Mic 5:2)
Our knowledge reaches but to a small fragment of the life of God, whose "goings forth were of old, even from everlasting." ...
To this hour, the voice of God is power. This gospel, which utters and reveals his word, is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. - Spurgeon (Rom 1:16)
The last phrase literally says "Behold, He gives in His voice a strong voice."
This goes back to v28 and v9 and continues with the following 2 verses to the end of this psalm. This is one of the themes of this psalm, that God gives us the strength to be gifts to the church and to bear the loads he daily puts on us v19.
God gives the church strength through His voice in His word. Whenever I hear His voice in the word I am wonderfully strengthened.
v34 - Let us never by our doubts or our daring defiances appear to deny power unto God; on the contrary, by yielding to him and trusting in him, let our hearts acknowledge his might. When we are reconciled to God, his omnipotence is an attribute of which we sing with delight. - Spurgeon
v35 - God's strength today comes out of His holy dwelling places, His local churches (Psalm 110:2-3a). For us to experience God's strength we need to be connected to a local church and to all His people (v12).
-copyright Steve Miller 1/6/2023