Psalm 68:15-18

The first major section of Psalm 68 (verses 4-18) concludes with verses 15-18. The psalmist relates briefly how Yahweh brought his people out of Egyptian bondage (v. 7a), led them safely through the wilderness (v. 7b), and gave them the promised land of Canaan for a heritage (vss. 6, 9-14). Now, in verses 15-18, he/she tells how Yahweh chose Zion/Jerusalem to be his dwelling place:

"O mighty mountain, mountain of Bashan;
O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
Why do you look with envy,
O many-peaked mountain,
at the mount that God desired for his abode,
where the Lord will reside forever?
With mighty chariotry, twice ten thousand,
thousands upon thousands,
the Lord came from Sinai into the holy place.
You ascended the high mount,
leading captives in your train
and receiving gifts from people,
even from those who rebel against the Lord God's abiding there."

1. Yahweh came from Mount Sinai (v. 17c), where the gave his people the law (Exodus 19-24), to Mount Zion (vss. 16c, 17c), which David captured from the Jebusites (2 Samuel 5:6-10), and where Solomon built the temple (1 Kings 6). By these events, Yahweh made the temple on Mount Zion his dwelling place (vss. 16b-c, 17c-18a; see 1 Kings 6:11-13; Psalms 76:2; 78:58-69; 84:1; 132:1-14).
2. Yahweh chose Mount Zion as his dwelling place above all other mountains in the land of Canaan; so, the other mountains "envy" Mount Zion (v. 16a).
3. Yahweh entered Jerusalem/Zion as king, leading his angelic army against his enemies (v. 17a-b), defeating and capturing enemy soldiers and receiving tribute (gifts) from foreign nations too awestruck to oppose him (v. 18b-c).
Our God is incomparable. He can and does do awesome things in our world. May we have eyes to see his mighty works and ears to hear his words of comfort and challenge.

John Willis