Psa 68:22 | KingComments | STEP | What David said to God in causes a blessing of or praise for “the Lord” ( ). In His sovereign exaltation, He bears “us”, that is, the believing remnant, “daily”. “Daily” means every day without exception (cf. ). He bears them with His strength in order that they may bear what He gives them to bear. He not only helps them bear their burdens, but He bears them (cf. ). That God is “our salvation”. They find in His help and in Himself all their happiness and prosperity. God does not give only a temporary sense of blessedness. What God, “the God”, their God, gives, are “deliverances“ ( ). This can also be translated as the God of salvations. From the word “salvation”, the name ‘Jesus’ is also derived. Jesus means ‘the LORD saves’. Here it is said that God saves. From the New Testament we know that God does so in the Person of the Lord Jesus ( ). There are many dangers, misfortunes and trials in the believer’s life, but God delivers or saves him from all these different difficulties ( ). He is the guarantee that each of His own will attain the complete deliverance or salvation of the realm of peace. He is “GOD, the Lord”, Yahweh, Adonai, the God Who has made His covenant with them (Yahweh) and has overall dominion, He rules over all (Adonai). To Him, therefore, “belong escapes from death”. This means both escape from mortal danger and deliverance from the power of death itself, whereby death is presented as a person. This is possible because by Christ “death is swallowed up in victory” ( ). Death is no obstacle for Him to give His people what He has promised. He is the Leader who leads them right through death into the full blessing of the realm of peace ( ). Nor are the enemies a hindrance to the blessing: “Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies, the hairy crown of him who goes on in his guilty deeds” ( ). The enemies of His people are “His enemies”. We can think here of the future king of the North and his allies bringing destruction on Jerusalem. After that destruction, he leaves an occupying force in Jerusalem and marches on to Egypt. While in Egypt, he hears rumors of an attack on his occupying force in Jerusalem. Then he returns from Egypt to recapture Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus will then shatter him, the head of His enemies ( ; cf. ). His enemies have tried to thwart Him in fulfilling His promises. This has always proved to be in vain, for it is impossible to thwart God’s plans. They have paid for their foolish attempts to do so with death en masse ( ; cf. ). The “hairy crown” emphasizes that they have hair on their skulls. The long hair is a symbol of submission and dedication ( ). One of the characteristics of powers under the authority of satan, who are submissive and dedicated to him, is that they have “hair like women’s hair”, that is, they have long hair ( ). Who continues to behave submissively to the devil, “who goes on in his guilty deeds”, chooses death. When “the Lord has said, I will bring you back from Bashan; I will bring you back from the depths of the sea” ( ), it also happens. God delivers His people from the strongest power of which Bashan speaks ( ). Bashan is the Golan Heights, the mountain range east of the Sea of Galilee, to which the remnant fled ( ). So the LORD will bring the remnant of Judah back from there. No one can stop Him in that. Even though His people are hidden in “the depths of the sea” and untraceable by people, God knows where they are and will bring them back to their land from there. The sea is a symbol of the nations ( ; ). Here we find an indication that the ten tribes, scattered and hidden among the nations, will be brought back to the promised land by God around this time. When His people are back in their land, the tables will be turned. God’s people’s “foot” will “shatter [them] in blood” ( ; cf. ; ; ). This is another expression of victory over enemies that is appropriate for Israel, God’s earthly people, but not appropriate for the church, God’s heavenly people. The battle of the gospel is not a literal battle against blood and flesh, but a spiritual struggle against evil powers in the heavenly places ( ). It indicates agreement with the judgment of God that He has righteously exercised over His enemies. Those enemies have defied God in terrible ways and ruthlessly trampled His people. The promise that “the tongue of your dogs [may have] its portion from [your] enemies” indicates God’s abhorrence of these enemies (cf. ).

‏ Psalms 68:22

Escapes From death

What David said to God in Psa 68:18 causes a blessing of or praise for “the Lord” (Psa 68:19). In His sovereign exaltation, He bears “us”, that is, the believing remnant, “daily”. “Daily” means every day without exception (cf. Isa 46:3-4). He bears them with His strength in order that they may bear what He gives them to bear. He not only helps them bear their burdens, but He bears them (cf. Deu 1:31). That God is “our salvation”. They find in His help and in Himself all their happiness and prosperity.

God does not give only a temporary sense of blessedness. What God, “the God”, their God, gives, are “deliverances“ (Psa 68:20). This can also be translated as the God of salvations. From the word “salvation”, the name ‘Jesus’ is also derived. Jesus means ‘the LORD saves’. Here it is said that God saves. From the New Testament we know that God does so in the Person of the Lord Jesus (Mt 1:21).

There are many dangers, misfortunes and trials in the believer’s life, but God delivers or saves him from all these different difficulties (2Tim 3:11 ; 2Tim 4:18). He is the guarantee that each of His own will attain the complete deliverance or salvation of the realm of peace.

He is “GOD, the Lord”, Yahweh, Adonai, the God Who has made His covenant with them (Yahweh) and has overall dominion, He rules over all (Adonai). To Him, therefore, “belong escapes from death”. This means both escape from mortal danger and deliverance from the power of death itself, whereby death is presented as a person. This is possible because by Christ “death is swallowed up in victory” (1Cor 15:54b). Death is no obstacle for Him to give His people what He has promised. He is the Leader who leads them right through death into the full blessing of the realm of peace (Psa 16:9 ; Psa 48:14).

Nor are the enemies a hindrance to the blessing: “Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies, the hairy crown of him who goes on in his guilty deeds” (Psa 68:21). The enemies of His people are “His enemies”. We can think here of the future king of the North and his allies bringing destruction on Jerusalem. After that destruction, he leaves an occupying force in Jerusalem and marches on to Egypt. While in Egypt, he hears rumors of an attack on his occupying force in Jerusalem. Then he returns from Egypt to recapture Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus will then shatter him, the head of His enemies (Dan 11:40-45; cf. Nah 3:18).

His enemies have tried to thwart Him in fulfilling His promises. This has always proved to be in vain, for it is impossible to thwart God’s plans. They have paid for their foolish attempts to do so with death en masse (Psa 110:6; cf. Hab 3:14).

The “hairy crown” emphasizes that they have hair on their skulls. The long hair is a symbol of submission and dedication (1Cor 11:15). One of the characteristics of powers under the authority of satan, who are submissive and dedicated to him, is that they have “hair like women’s hair”, that is, they have long hair (Rev 9:8). Who continues to behave submissively to the devil, “who goes on in his guilty deeds”, chooses death.

When “the Lord has said, I will bring you back from Bashan; I will bring you back from the depths of the sea” (Psa 68:23), it also happens. God delivers His people from the strongest power of which Bashan speaks (Psa 68:15). Bashan is the Golan Heights, the mountain range east of the Sea of Galilee, to which the remnant fled (Mt 24:16). So the LORD will bring the remnant of Judah back from there. No one can stop Him in that.

Even though His people are hidden in “the depths of the sea” and untraceable by people, God knows where they are and will bring them back to their land from there. The sea is a symbol of the nations (Rev 17:15; Isa 57:20). Here we find an indication that the ten tribes, scattered and hidden among the nations, will be brought back to the promised land by God around this time.

When His people are back in their land, the tables will be turned. God’s people’s “foot” will “shatter [them] in blood” (Psa 68:23; cf. Psa 58:10b; Isa 63:3; Rev 14:20). This is another expression of victory over enemies that is appropriate for Israel, God’s earthly people, but not appropriate for the church, God’s heavenly people. The battle of the gospel is not a literal battle against blood and flesh, but a spiritual struggle against evil powers in the heavenly places (Eph 6:12).

It indicates agreement with the judgment of God that He has righteously exercised over His enemies. Those enemies have defied God in terrible ways and ruthlessly trampled His people. The promise that “the tongue of your dogs [may have] its portion from [your] enemies” indicates God’s abhorrence of these enemies (cf. 1Kgs 21:19 ; 1Kgs 22:38).