Rough Stuff

Psalm 68:15-26

15The majestic mountains of Bashan

stretch high into the sky.

16Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains,

at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live,

where the LORD himself will live forever?

17Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots,

the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary.

18When you ascended to the heights,

you led a crowd of captives.

You received gifts from the people,

even from those who rebelled against you.

Now the LORD God will live among us here.

19Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!

For each day he carries us in his arms.

Interlude

20Our God is a God who saves!

The Sovereign LORD rescues us from death.

21But God will smash the heads of his enemies,

crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways.

22The Lord says, “I will bring my enemies down from Bashan;

I will bring them up from the depths of the sea.

23You, my people, will wash your feet in their blood,

and even your dogs will get their share!”

24Your procession has come into view, O God—

the procession of my God and King

as he goes into the sanctuary.

25Singers are in front, musicians are behind;

with them are young women playing tambourines.

26Praise God, all you people of Israel;

praise the LORD, the source of Israel’s life.

If you’re doing congregational readings of the Psalms in church, you may want to skip over verses 21 and 23 of this psalm. There’s some stuff in there that seems pretty nasty.

So what’s this doing in the Bible? If Jesus taught us in the New Testament to love our enemies, why are we being invited here to wash our feet in our enemies’ blood?

First of all, it’s God’s battle, not ours. David is not saying, “Let me mangle a few Philistine limbs today, Lord!” He trusts God to fight for him instead.

Second, we can trust God to act with justice. His decisions are always right, though we may not always understand them. He decides if and when judgment will fall upon people, and we are in no place to question God’s actions. God wants peace, but apparently it was necessary at this time to rescue his people from their enemies by allowing the wicked to suffer the consequences of their ways.

Finally, note the tenderness with which God treats his own people: “He carries us in his arms” (verse 19). God is ultimately about love, and the New Testament makes it clear that God desires for everyone to come to him and receive mercy (1 Timothy 2:3-4).

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long;

This day the noise of battle, the next, the victor’s song;

To him that overcometh, a crown of life shall be;

He with the King of glory shall reign eternally.

GEORGE DUFFIELD

Bible Networking

In Ephesians 4:8 Paul refers to Psalm 68:18 and uses it in connection with Christ. In Paul’s context the “gifts” are the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.

Notable Quotable

“Israel continues to teach the church how to worship with exuberance and jubilation. Public worship is, every time it occurs, a victory celebration.”

EUGENE PETERSON