30 Days in the PsalmsSýnishorn

Day #11: Psalm 68

We’ve prayed alongside David in confession and repentance, and we’ve lifted our voices with him to express confidence and hope in the God who is our rock and our fortress. Today, David leads his people in a jubilant song of praise for what God has done, is doing, and will do on their behalf. “Let the righteous be joyful,” David calls out. “Let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy” (v. 3, NRSV). This is not the prayer of silent waiting (as in Psalm 62), but of enthusiastic worship: “Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds—his name is the Lord—be exultant before him” (v. 4).

This prayer of praise is rooted first and foremost in who God is. David recognizes him as “Father of orphans and protector of widows,” the Holy One who “gives the desolate a home to live in and leads out the prisoners to prosperity” (vv. 5–6). It’s also rooted in Israel’s collective memory of God’s past faithfulness and mighty acts of deliverance (vv. 7–18). Who God is and what he has done in the past is the foundation of their current hope: “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belongs escape from death” (vv. 19–20). Because God has not changed, David and his people can cry out confidently for his help in their “right here, right now” need: “Summon your might, O God; show your strength, O God, as you have done for us before” (v. 28).

In a beautiful turn at the end of the prayer, David envisions the nations as observers of God’s faithful, powerful, saving work on Israel’s behalf—and he invites them to join the song of praise! “Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord ... Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies. Awesome is God in his sanctuary, the God of Israel” (vv. 32–35a).

Today is a good day to join your voice with the great multinational, multiethnic, and multilingual crowd of worshipers around God’s throne (Revelation 7:9–10) and to join them in crying out David’s closing line: “Blessed be God!” (v. 35b).