Psa 68:28 | KingComments | STEP | God has made His people strong in their battle against the king of the North ( ; ; cf. ). Now they ask Him to give even more strength and to reinforce what He has done to them. There is a desire for more strength so that what God has done will be even more evident. We are able to nullify what God has done to us by working on it ourselves. Here we see that the strength we have been privileged to experience from God should lead us to ask for even more strength so that it becomes ever more evident that God is at work in our lives. Their request to show Himself strong in relation with God’s action on their behalf applies first and foremost to His temple in Jerusalem ( ). They would like to see God’s strength put into action in kings of foreign powers who bring Him gifts for the sake of His temple in Jerusalem. That is what those kings will do when they see that with all their might they are powerless against the mighty God (cf. ). At the birth of the Lord Jesus they brought gold, frankincense and myrrh ( ). At His return they will bring gold and frankincense ( ). There will be no myrrh with them then, because myrrh speaks of the suffering and dying of the Lord Jesus and that is accomplished. The second question concerns the revelation of His power toward their enemies. They ask Him to “rebuke the beasts in the reeds” ( ). By the beasts they mean the nations and possibly the Egyptians in particular (cf. ). “The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples” represents the oppressors and misleaders of the peoples or tribes of apostate Israel (cf. ). The leader of apostate Israel, the antichrist, submits himself with “pieces of silver” to the nations. He buys the favor of God-hostile nations (Europe) to oppose the disciplinary rod of God (Assyria). But in faith the psalmist sees the victory of God: “He has scattered the peoples who delight in war.” All the armies that have gathered and find joy in war against God and His people are scattered by Him like chaff in the wind. He drives them out and exterminates them. God will judge the rebellious nations. A remnant from those nations will come to His dwelling place in Jerusalem. There will “envoys come out of Egypt” to bow down to the true God, the God of Israel ( ; ). “Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God” (cf. ). This means that they will do what they need to do quickly: Begging Him to spare them. This is what stretching out their hands to Him speaks of.

‏ Psalms 68:28

Kings Bring Gifts

God has made His people strong in their battle against the king of the North (Psa 68:28; Zec 12:5-6; cf. Jos 1:9). Now they ask Him to give even more strength and to reinforce what He has done to them. There is a desire for more strength so that what God has done will be even more evident. We are able to nullify what God has done to us by working on it ourselves. Here we see that the strength we have been privileged to experience from God should lead us to ask for even more strength so that it becomes ever more evident that God is at work in our lives.

Their request to show Himself strong in relation with God’s action on their behalf applies first and foremost to His temple in Jerusalem (Psa 68:29). They would like to see God’s strength put into action in kings of foreign powers who bring Him gifts for the sake of His temple in Jerusalem. That is what those kings will do when they see that with all their might they are powerless against the mighty God (cf. Isa 49:7 ; Isa 60:5). At the birth of the Lord Jesus they brought gold, frankincense and myrrh (Mt 2:11b). At His return they will bring gold and frankincense (Isa 60:6). There will be no myrrh with them then, because myrrh speaks of the suffering and dying of the Lord Jesus and that is accomplished.

The second question concerns the revelation of His power toward their enemies. They ask Him to “rebuke the beasts in the reeds” (Psa 68:30). By the beasts they mean the nations and possibly the Egyptians in particular (cf. Eze 32:2a). “The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples” represents the oppressors and misleaders of the peoples or tribes of apostate Israel (cf. Psa 22:12).

The leader of apostate Israel, the antichrist, submits himself with “pieces of silver” to the nations. He buys the favor of God-hostile nations (Europe) to oppose the disciplinary rod of God (Assyria). But in faith the psalmist sees the victory of God: “He has scattered the peoples who delight in war.” All the armies that have gathered and find joy in war against God and His people are scattered by Him like chaff in the wind. He drives them out and exterminates them.

God will judge the rebellious nations. A remnant from those nations will come to His dwelling place in Jerusalem. There will “envoys come out of Egypt” to bow down to the true God, the God of Israel (Psa 68:31; Isa 19:20-22). “Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God” (cf. Isa 45:14). This means that they will do what they need to do quickly: Begging Him to spare them. This is what stretching out their hands to Him speaks of.