Psalm 68

Order of Service

• Scripture Reading — Psalm 68
• Sermon
• Prayer

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Sermon Title: The Ascension of God and the Victory of His People

Scripture: Psalm 68

I. The Occasion of the Psalm: The Procession of the Ark into Zion

A. The psalm likely commemorates the procession of the ark of the covenant recorded in 2 Samuel 6, when David brought the ark from Obed-edom's house into Jerusalem B. The opening verse draws directly from Numbers 10:35: "Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered" C. Key imagery of procession appears in verses 24–25: singers, musicians, and virgins with tambourines ascending to the sanctuary D. Verse 18 — "You ascended on high" — describes God, represented by the ark, ascending to Mount Zion as his permanent holy dwelling

1. The ark functions as a portable Sinai, bringing God's presence established at Sinai now into the sanctuary
2. In 2 Samuel 6, David plants stakes in the ground, signifying the permanent dwelling of God's presence on Mount Zion — no longer a portable tabernacle

II. Power Through Weakness

A. The weak among the people are exalted

1. God settles the lonely/solitary in a home and leads out the prisoners (verse 6)
2. The fatherless, widows, and women are highlighted as recipients of God's care and instruments of his victory
3. Verse 13 echoes Deborah's rebuke of Reuben in Judges 5:16: men lying among the sheepfolds while women — Deborah and Jael — accomplished the victory over Sisera (Judges 4–5)
4. Benjamin, "the least of them," leads the procession in verse 27, echoing Judges 5:14
5. Benjamin and Judah (south) with Zebulun and Naphtali (north) represent the united kingdom ascending together to worship

B. The weak among places are exalted

1. Bashan, with its many-peaked, snowcapped mountains, is great and majestic in comparison to the small hill of Zion (verses 15–16)
2. Yet God chooses Zion for his dwelling, and his presence makes the little hill loom over the mighty Bashan
3. Verse 17 — chariots of God are "twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands" — God's host accompanies his people
4. As John Knox said: "One man with God is always in the majority" (cf. Romans 8:31)

III. The Ascension of God and Victory Over All Nations

A. God's ascension to his holy habitation coincides with victory over all enemies B. The nations come under his rule: verse 31 — nobles from Egypt and Kush stretch out their hands to God, echoing Exodus language C. Verse 32 summons all kingdoms of the earth to sing praise to the Lord

IV. The Fulfillment in Christ — Ephesians 4

A. Paul quotes Psalm 68:18 in Ephesians 4:4–10, applying the ascension of God through the ark into Zion now to Christ ascending far above the heavens B. Christ ascends to the ancient heavens and takes his seat at God's right hand in the heavenly sanctuary C. As E. Ellis notes: God shares the booty of his victory with his people in the psalm; Paul applies this to the gifts Christ gives to the church after his victory over sin and death

1. In the psalm, Yahweh receives gifts; Paul sees Christ first receiving and then distributing gifts to his people
2. The Hebrew word for "receive" can also carry the sense of receiving in order to give to others
3. Gifts include: eternal life, intercession, sanctification, justification, righteousness — all flowing from the gift of the Spirit given at Pentecost

D. The primary gifts Paul highlights in context (Ephesians 4:11–12) are offices of Word ministry

1. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers — all centered on bringing God's Word to his people
2. Their purpose: to equip the saints for ministry and build up the body of Christ to maturity

E. The climax of Psalm 68 in verse 33: "Behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice"

1. "Behold" appears only once in the psalm — it is the exclamation point, the moment everything has been building toward
2. The voice of the Lord goes out from the heavens — echoing Christ's words in Matthew 28:18–19: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations"
3. Christ's ascension sends the voice of the Lord to all kingdoms of the earth, calling them to ascribe glory to him
4. Word ministry in the church continues this work, as Christ rules and reigns from his holy mountain at the right hand of God the Father