Psa 78:70-72 | KingComments | STEP | After all that God had to do with the people and the way He Himself went, He seemed the big Loser. However, this was only seemingly so. In the same way, it seems today that in the events of the world God is the great Absentee. That too is only an illusion. When the people had forfeited all their rights and there was no basis for restoration, “the Lord awoke as [if from] sleep” ( ; cf. ; ). Thus God will also intervene in the whole world event through the return of the Lord Jesus. The Lord, Adonai, was going to act on behalf of His people. He alone was able to do so as the sovereign Ruler of all, Adonai. We see in the following verses all that “He” did. He was “like a warrior overcome by wine”. It is the battle cry of a hero who knows no fear. With people it is as if they let themselves go without restrain by the wine. With Him, it indicates that He with joy went to work for His people. The first work was to judge His adversaries ( ). He had given His glory into the hand of the adversary. Now He struck this adversary and other adversaries “backward”. This was not an attack in the back, but defeating the adversaries while they were on the run. God smote the Philistines with tumors ( ). Later, these enemies were destroyed by David. Prophetically, the Lord Jesus will destroy the enemies of Israel by His appearing ( ). They did not expect that He would ever again stand up for His people. That was one of the grievous errors of unbelief. He caused an “everlasting reproach” with His adversaries. They had thought to reap eternal glory by attacking God’s people, but the Lord, Adonai, changed that into a reproach that is eternal. To reject “the tent of Joseph” is to set it aside as the location of His sanctuary ( ). Joseph was “the one distinguished among his brothers” ( ), but God had chosen another tribe for His sanctuary. The same was true of Ephraim, the principal tribe of the ten tribes realm. He also “did not choose the tribe of Ephraim”, although there, in Shiloh, the tabernacle had stood. The tribe of God’s choice for the building of His sanctuary was “the tribe of Judah” ( ). Here Jacob’s prophecy is fulfilled ( ). God’s choice is always based on His will and not on anything in man. In the tribe of Judah He chose “Mount Zion which He loved”. His election of Zion is connected with His love. When He acts according to His love, He acts according to His nature, for “God is love” ( ), apart from anything attractive in the object of His love. He loves because He is love. On Mount Zion, which He loved, “He built His sanctuary like the heights” ( ). Solomon actually built His sanctuary, but God provided him with wisdom, directions, materials, and people to do so. God’s sanctuary was built “like the heights”, that is, it is an exalted place (cf. ). In addition to being an exalted place, it is also an unshakable place, “like the earth which He has founded forever”. The earth is often the symbol of stability. Thereby, God has founded His sanctuary, like the earth, for a purpose, namely, to meet there with His people. The people may come there with their sacrifices and He blesses them there. Finally, after the election of the tribe of Judah and Mount Zion, comes the choice of “David His servant” to be king over His people ( ). David was chosen even though he had no natural claim to be king. Nor did he count in his family, he was forgotten by them ( ), but God “took him from the sheepfolds” (cf. ). God’s king is originally a shepherd. According to God’s thoughts, kingship can only be exercised well by a shepherd. We see this perfectly in the case of the Lord Jesus. God allowed David to come “from the care of the ewes with suckling lambs” ( ). That place, behind the ewes with suckling lambs, shows that David cared for these sheep, sheep that give their lambs to drink. This is the quality that someone needs to pasture God’s people. David remained the same in his caring. The only change was that the sheep were now people, which at the same time implies that people are sheep in need of care (cf. ). God entrusted David with the care “to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance”. David should always be well aware of the fact that the people he was pasturing and ruling over were not his people, but the people of God. That people is called “Jacob”. That reminds us of the weakness of the people. God made that people “Israel”, which is the people as God sees them according to His counsel for that people. That people was not the property of David, but God’s property. It is reminiscent of the command the Lord Jesus gives to Peter: “Tend My lambs … Shepherd My sheep … Tend My sheep” ( ). The Lord uses the word “My” every time. Every shepherd in the church of God must be constantly aware that the sheep are not his sheep, but the sheep of the Lord Jesus. Shepherds do not shepherd their own flock, but “the flock of God” ( ). The psalm ends with the testimony about David that he has “shepherded” God’s people and inheritance “according to the integrity of his heart and guided them with his skillful hands” ( ). The key to pasturing the sheep is “integrity of heart”. An integrous heart is focused on God and then on the welfare of the sheep. In leading the sheep, it comes down to “skillful hands”. It takes great skill to lead the flock in the right way. David proved in his care of his father’s sheep that he had both an integrous heart and skillful hands. Here David is clearly a picture of the Lord Jesus, the true Shepherd-King. The Lord Jesus is “the good Shepherd” Who gave His life for His sheep ( ). He is “the great Shepherd” Who was brought back by God from the dead ( ). He is also the “Chief Shepherd” Who is the example for all shepherds in the church ( ). In His care for us as His sheep, He pastures us with the best food and leads us in the path of righteousness for His Name’s sake ( ). We can say that the psalm ends with the rest of the realm of peace, where God’s earthly people will receive and enjoy all the promised blessings. This is not by virtue of any merit on their part, but by virtue of God’s purpose which He fulfills in grace. In the realm of peace, the true David reigns as King and is the one Shepherd Who pastures and leads His people ( ).

‏ Psalms 78:70-72

God Chose Judah, Zion and David

After all that God had to do with the people and the way He Himself went, He seemed the big Loser. However, this was only seemingly so. In the same way, it seems today that in the events of the world God is the great Absentee. That too is only an illusion. When the people had forfeited all their rights and there was no basis for restoration, “the Lord awoke as [if from] sleep” (Psa 78:65; cf. Psa 44:24; Isa 51:9). Thus God will also intervene in the whole world event through the return of the Lord Jesus.

The Lord, Adonai, was going to act on behalf of His people. He alone was able to do so as the sovereign Ruler of all, Adonai. We see in the following verses all that “He” did. He was “like a warrior overcome by wine”. It is the battle cry of a hero who knows no fear. With people it is as if they let themselves go without restrain by the wine. With Him, it indicates that He with joy went to work for His people.

The first work was to judge His adversaries (Psa 78:66). He had given His glory into the hand of the adversary. Now He struck this adversary and other adversaries “backward”. This was not an attack in the back, but defeating the adversaries while they were on the run. God smote the Philistines with tumors (1Sam 5:6-12). Later, these enemies were destroyed by David. Prophetically, the Lord Jesus will destroy the enemies of Israel by His appearing (Isa 51:9).

They did not expect that He would ever again stand up for His people. That was one of the grievous errors of unbelief. He caused an “everlasting reproach” with His adversaries. They had thought to reap eternal glory by attacking God’s people, but the Lord, Adonai, changed that into a reproach that is eternal.

To reject “the tent of Joseph” is to set it aside as the location of His sanctuary (Psa 78:67). Joseph was “the one distinguished among his brothers” (Gen 49:26), but God had chosen another tribe for His sanctuary. The same was true of Ephraim, the principal tribe of the ten tribes realm. He also “did not choose the tribe of Ephraim”, although there, in Shiloh, the tabernacle had stood.

The tribe of God’s choice for the building of His sanctuary was “the tribe of Judah” (Psa 78:68). Here Jacob’s prophecy is fulfilled (Gen 49:8-10). God’s choice is always based on His will and not on anything in man. In the tribe of Judah He chose “Mount Zion which He loved”. His election of Zion is connected with His love. When He acts according to His love, He acts according to His nature, for “God is love” (1Jn 4:8 ; 16), apart from anything attractive in the object of His love. He loves because He is love.

On Mount Zion, which He loved, “He built His sanctuary like the heights” (Psa 78:69). Solomon actually built His sanctuary, but God provided him with wisdom, directions, materials, and people to do so. God’s sanctuary was built “like the heights”, that is, it is an exalted place (cf. Isa 2:2).

In addition to being an exalted place, it is also an unshakable place, “like the earth which He has founded forever”. The earth is often the symbol of stability. Thereby, God has founded His sanctuary, like the earth, for a purpose, namely, to meet there with His people. The people may come there with their sacrifices and He blesses them there.

Finally, after the election of the tribe of Judah and Mount Zion, comes the choice of “David His servant” to be king over His people (Psa 78:70). David was chosen even though he had no natural claim to be king. Nor did he count in his family, he was forgotten by them (1Sam 16:11), but God “took him from the sheepfolds” (cf. 2Sam 7:8). God’s king is originally a shepherd. According to God’s thoughts, kingship can only be exercised well by a shepherd. We see this perfectly in the case of the Lord Jesus.

God allowed David to come “from the care of the ewes with suckling lambs” (Psa 78:71). That place, behind the ewes with suckling lambs, shows that David cared for these sheep, sheep that give their lambs to drink. This is the quality that someone needs to pasture God’s people. David remained the same in his caring. The only change was that the sheep were now people, which at the same time implies that people are sheep in need of care (cf. Mt 9:36).

God entrusted David with the care “to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance”. David should always be well aware of the fact that the people he was pasturing and ruling over were not his people, but the people of God. That people is called “Jacob”. That reminds us of the weakness of the people. God made that people “Israel”, which is the people as God sees them according to His counsel for that people. That people was not the property of David, but God’s property.

It is reminiscent of the command the Lord Jesus gives to Peter: “Tend My lambs … Shepherd My sheep … Tend My sheep” (Jn 21:15-17). The Lord uses the word “My” every time. Every shepherd in the church of God must be constantly aware that the sheep are not his sheep, but the sheep of the Lord Jesus. Shepherds do not shepherd their own flock, but “the flock of God” (1Pet 5:1-3).

The psalm ends with the testimony about David that he has “shepherded” God’s people and inheritance “according to the integrity of his heart and guided them with his skillful hands” (Psa 78:72). The key to pasturing the sheep is “integrity of heart”. An integrous heart is focused on God and then on the welfare of the sheep. In leading the sheep, it comes down to “skillful hands”. It takes great skill to lead the flock in the right way. David proved in his care of his father’s sheep that he had both an integrous heart and skillful hands.

Here David is clearly a picture of the Lord Jesus, the true Shepherd-King. The Lord Jesus is “the good Shepherd” Who gave His life for His sheep (Jn 10:11). He is “the great Shepherd” Who was brought back by God from the dead (Heb 13:20). He is also the “Chief Shepherd” Who is the example for all shepherds in the church (1Pet 5:4). In His care for us as His sheep, He pastures us with the best food and leads us in the path of righteousness for His Name’s sake (Psa 23:2-3).

We can say that the psalm ends with the rest of the realm of peace, where God’s earthly people will receive and enjoy all the promised blessings. This is not by virtue of any merit on their part, but by virtue of God’s purpose which He fulfills in grace. In the realm of peace, the true David reigns as King and is the one Shepherd Who pastures and leads His people (Eze 37:24a).