Psalm 76:1 ¶ «To the chief
Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song of Asaph.» In Judah is God
known: his name is great in Israel. 2
In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion. 3 There brake he the arrows of the bow, the
shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah. 4
Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of
prey. 5 The stouthearted are spoiled,
they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their
hands. 6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.
This wonderful Psalm of praise was apparently sung at a time of
great success over Israel’s enemies. Commentators have moved this forward as a
prophecy of the Church with Salem, Jerusalem, representing not only Christ but
Christianity. Literally the Psalmist is referring to the capital city of
Israel. This will mean the tabernacle of David and the later temple that
Solomon would build.
God is able to end war by symbolically breaking the weapons of
war. I think of the fiery darts of Satan in our spiritual warfare.
Ephesians 6:16 Above all,
taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked.
And the future reign of Christ the Lord.
Zechariah 9:9 ¶ Rejoice greatly,
O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh
unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and
upon a colt the foal of an ass. 10 And I
will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the
battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his
dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of
the earth. 11 As for thee also, by the
blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is
no water.
Kingdoms of this world can be symbolized as mountains. See an
example of this;
Jeremiah 51:24 And I will
render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that
they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD. 25 Behold, I am against thee, O destroying
mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch
out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee
a burnt mountain.
Here, in this Psalm, the countries are symbolized as beasts of
prey. But God can put them to sleep. See Jeremiah 51 again;
Jeremiah 51:56 Because the
spoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken,
every one of their bows is broken: for the LORD God of recompences shall surely
requite. 57 And I will make drunk her
princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men:
and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose
name is the LORD of hosts.
Picture the sleep of death the Assyrian horde experienced;
2Kings 19:35 And it came to
pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of
the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early
in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
Psalm 76:7 ¶ Thou, even
thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou
art angry? 8 Thou didst cause judgment
to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, 9 When God arose to judgment, to save all the
meek of the earth. Selah. 10 Surely the
wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
11 Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God:
let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be
feared. 12 He shall cut off the spirit
of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.
We are keenly aware of God’s mercy and love but we are also aware
of His wrath and His judgment. We see it all through the Bible and in our reality
we see the mighty brought low, the evil plans of nations brought to nought, and
the sinful ways of wicked men and women turned back on them.
It is also good to see this prophetically as speaking of the end
of human history when Christ comes to judge the nations.
Nahum 1:6 Who can stand
before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his
fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.
Psalm 2:7 ¶ I will declare
the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I
begotten thee. 8 Ask of me, and I shall
give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for thy possession. 9 Thou shalt
break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s
vessel.
10 ¶ Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be
instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with
trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be
angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
Revelation 19:15 And out of
his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he
shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the
fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
I have written previously how the meek of earth are those who are
meek towards God’s will, who follow Him humbly, and how meek is also used of
the poor.
It is clear that Israel received a victory but the Psalmist gives
God all of the glory.
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