God Is Glorious, Majestic and Terrible. Psalm 76:1-12

Transcription

1 1 Commentary by Clyde M. Miller Questions by John C. Sewell God Is Glorious, Majestic and Terrible Psalm 76:1-12

2 2 Text: Psalm 76:1-12, God Is Glorious, Majestic and Terrible Commentary by Clyde M. Miller 1. In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. 2. His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. 3. There he broke the flashing arrows, the shields and the swords, the weapons of war. Selah 4. You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game. 5. Valiant men lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep; not one of the warriors can lift his hands. 6. At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both horse and chariot lie still. 7. You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry? 8. From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet- 9. when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land. Selah 10. Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained. 11. Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared. 12. He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth. NIV

3 3 Introduction: I. The phrase, to the choirmaster, used frequently in the psalm titles, could be translated for the leader, and could refer to the leader of the temple singers, to a priest, or even to a king. A. The word neginoth (KJV) refers to stringed instruments in contrast to wind instruments. B. A psalm of Asaph could mean a psalm written by Asaph or by one of the members of his guild of temple singers, or it could mean a psalm authorized or collected by the Asaph guild. 1. This guild extended from David's day into post-exilic times. C. A song, shir, refers to a happy, joyous song. II. Since many, if not most, of the psalm titles were added long after the writing of the psalms, it is better to interpret each psalm on the basis of its text rather than by its title. A. This psalm treats a familiar theme in the Psalms: God, as king, is triumphantly victorious over His enemies. B. God's enemies are frequently also Israel's enemies; therefore God's victory is theirs as well. III. There is no way to determine what specific event, if any, prompted the writing of the psalm. A. The title in the Greek (LXX), A Song for the Assyrian, suggests that it refers to Sennacherib's defeat in his effort to destroy Jerusalem in 701 B.C.

4 4 B. However, Ps. 76:1 would seem to suggest a time during the period of the United Kingdom. 1. Psalm 76:1, In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. NIV 2. The psalm could well reflect the glorious days of David after God had given him rest from his enemies round about (2 Sam. 22; Ps. 18). a. 2 Samuel 22:1-51, David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior from violent men you save me. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. "The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears. "The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his

5 5 canopy around him the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth. The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot arrows and scattered the enemies, bolts of lightning and routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of breath from his nostrils. "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. "The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight. "To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low. You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I

6 6 can scale a wall. "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn. "I pursued my enemies and crushed them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them completely, and they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet. You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes. They cried for help, but there was no one to save them to the LORD, but he did not answer. I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets. "You have delivered me from the attacks of my people; you have preserved me as the head of nations. People I did not know are subject to me, and foreigners come cringing to me; as soon as they hear me, they obey me. They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds. "The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior! He is the God who avenges me, who puts the nations under me, who sets me free from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you res-

7 7 cued me. Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name. He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever." NIV b. Psalm 18:1-50, I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them. The valleys of the sea were

8 8 exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;

9 9 he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn. I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet. You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes. They cried for help, but there was no one to save them to the LORD, but he did not answer. I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets. You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me. As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me. They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds. The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name. He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever. NIV IV. This psalm blends historical, cultic, and eschatological material.

10 10 A. The first two paragraphs look back to past deliverance granted by Yahweh (1-6). 1. Psalm 76:1-6, In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. There he broke the flashing arrows, the shields and the swords, the weapons of war. Selah You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game. Valiant men lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep; not one of the warriors can lift his hands. At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both horse and chariot lie still. NIV B. In the third paragraph (7-9), there is a glimpse of the final judgment at which time all the earth will be judged and all the oppressed liberated. 1. Psalm 76:7-9, You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry? From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet- when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land. Selah NIV C. The cultic element is emphasized in the fourth paragraph (10-12), where the paying of vows in response to divine deliverance is stressed. 1. Psalm 76:10-12, Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained. Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared. He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth. NIV

11 The prophets and psalmists often use past judgments of God as evidence of the final judgment of the world. 3. This contemplation leads to exhortations to be faithful to God. V. The psalm is symmetrically divided into four stanzas of three verses each. A. As frequently, God is pictured as dwelling in Jerusalem where he had chosen to put His name (1-3). 1. Psalm 76:1-3, In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. There he broke the flashing arrows, the shields and the swords, the weapons of war. Selah NIV 2. This feature identifies the psalm as a Zion psalm (cf. Pss ; 84; 87; 122). a. Psalm 46:1-11, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Come and see the works of the LORD, the

12 12 desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah NIV b. Psalm 47:1-9, Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth! He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved. Selah God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted. NIV c. Psalm 48:1-20, (**Check this verse, only 1-14 came up***.) Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth. Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King. God is in her citadels; he has shown himself to be her fortress. When the kings joined forces, when they advanced to-

13 13 gether, they saw her and were astounded; they fled in terror. Trembling seized them there, pain like that of a woman in labor. You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish shattered by an east wind. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD Almighty, in the city of our God: God makes her secure forever. Selah Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love. Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness. Mount Zion rejoices, the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments. Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation. For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. NIV d. Psalm 84:1-12, How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. Hear my prayer, O LORD

14 14 God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob. Selah Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. NIV e. Psalm 87:1-7, He has set his foundation on the holy mountain; the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God: Selah "I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush and will say, 'This one was born in Zion.' " Indeed, of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her." The LORD will write in the register of the peoples: "This one was born in Zion." Selah As they make music they will sing, "All my fountains are in you." NIV f. Psalm 122:1-9, I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel. There the thrones for judgment

15 15 stand, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you." For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity. NIV 3. God accepted David's choice of Jerusalem as a permanent resting place for the ark of the covenant (cf. 2 Sam. 7; 1 Kings 8; Pss. 24; 132). a. 2 Samuel 7:1-29, After the king was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent." Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you." That night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying: "Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"' "Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my

16 16 people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. "'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.' " Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation. Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your

17 17 servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD? "What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign LORD. For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant. "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like your people Israel the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God. "And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of your servant David will be established before you. "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer. O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your

18 18 blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever." NIV b. 1 Kings 8:1-66, Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant from Zion, the City of David. All the men of Israel came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month. When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark, and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites carried them up, and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted. The priests then brought the ark of the LORD's covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles. These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt. When the priests withdrew from the Holy

19 19 Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple. Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud; I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever." While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. Then he said: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised with his own mouth to my father David. For he said, 16 'Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built for my Name to be there, but I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.' "My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a temple for my Name, you did well to have this in your heart. Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, who is your own flesh and blood he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.' "The LORD has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with our fathers when he brought them out of Egypt." Then Solomon stood before the altar of the

20 20 LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven and said: "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it as it is today. "Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me as you have done.' And now, O God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true. "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. "When a man wrongs his neighbor and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath before your altar in this tem-

21 21 ple, then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty, and so establish his innocence. "When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their fathers. "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance. "When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this templethen hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men), so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers. "As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has

22 22 come from a distant land because of your name- for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm when he comes and prays toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. "When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the LORD toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. "When they sin against you for there is no one who does not sin and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their conquerors and say, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly'; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their conquerors to

23 23 show them mercy; for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace. "May your eyes be open to your servant's plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, O Sovereign LORD, brought our fathers out of Egypt." When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying: "Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers. And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day's need, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other. But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time." Then the king

24 24 and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the LORD. Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the LORD : twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the LORD. On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the LORD, and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar before the LORD was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings. So Solomon observed the festival at that time, and all Israel with him a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. They celebrated it before the LORD our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the LORD had done for his servant David and his people Israel. NIV c. Psalm 24:1-10, The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who

25 25 seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty he is the King of glory. Selah NIV d. Psalm 132:1-18, O LORD, remember David and all the hardships he endured. He swore an oath to the LORD and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob: "I will not enter my house or go to my bed- I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob." We heard it in Ephrathah, we came upon it in the fields of Jaar: "Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool- arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests be clothed with righteousness; may your saints sing for joy." For the sake of David your servant, do not reject your anointed one. The LORD swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: "One of your own descendants I will place on your throne- if your sons keep my covenant and the statutes I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for ever and ever." For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling: "This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I

26 26 have desired it- I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy. "Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one. I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head will be resplendent." NIV 4. God was thought to dwell symbolically over the cherubim overshadowing the mercy seat (cf. Ex. 25:22). a. Exodus 25:22, There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites. NIV B. God is highly praised because of a great victory won for His people (4-6). 1. Psalm 76:4-6, You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game. Valiant men lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep; not one of the warriors can lift his hands. At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both horse and chariot lie still. NIV C. God is terrible when His anger is aroused, and no one can stand against Him (7-9). 1. Psalm 46:7-9, The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. NIV

27 27 D. When man recognizes God's wrath as but a manifestation of His mighty power, proper homage will be paid to God (10-12). VI. The psalmist expands his spiritual horizons from a consideration of God's provincial care of Israel (1-6) to His universal control of humanity (7-12). A. Psalm 76:1-6, In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. There he broke the flashing arrows, the shields and the swords, the weapons of war. Selah You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game. Valiant men lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep; not one of the warriors can lift his hands. At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both horse and chariot lie still. NIV B. Psalm 76:7-12, You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry? From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quietwhen you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land. Selah Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained. Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared. He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth. NIV Commentary: God's Presence in Zion Psalm 76:1-3, In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. There he broke the

28 28 flashing arrows, the shields and the swords, the weapons of war. Selah NIV Note: This paragraph contains three synonymous couplets, which means that each verse contains a single thought. Psalm 76:1, In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. NIV I. Is known and is great are synonymous phrases indicating God's renown. II. Judah and Israel include the whole covenant people. Psalm 76:2, His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. NIV I. His tent is synonymous with his dwelling place. II. Salem, an old name for Jerusalem (cf. Gen. 14:18), is synonymous with Zion, often used to indicate the entire city rather than merely the specific hill of Zion. A. Genesis 14:18, Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, NIV III. Though God is omnipresent, that is, everywhere at once (Ps. 139:1-12), he is represented as symbolically dwelling in Jerusalem. A. Psalm 139:1-12, O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for

29 29 me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. NIV B. Solomon, in his prayer of dedication for the temple, recognized the fact that God cannot be contained in material structures (1 Kings 8:27) Kings 8:27, "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! NIV Psalm 76:3, There he broke the flashing arrows, the shields and the swords, the weapons of war. Selah NIV I. God's presence in Jerusalem is demonstrated by His defending the city from foreign armies. A. Flashing arrows, literally fiery shafts of the bow (NASB, margin), is likely a poetic metaphor either for firetipped arrows or for the lightning speed of the arrows. B. Weapons of war is literally battle, but frequently means the necessary things for carrying on warfare. C. In this context where the shields and the swords are mentioned, the latter definition applies. 1. These terms are used synonymously in this passage.

30 30 II. It is God's defense of Jerusalem or the nation that causes His name, that is, His character, to be known in Israel (Ps. 76:1). A. Psalm 76:1, In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. NIV The Foe Falls at the Lord's Rebuke Psalm 76:4-6, You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game. Valiant men lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep; not one of the warriors can lift his hands. At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both horse and chariot lie still. NIV Note: This paragraph contains synthetic parallelism in which each succeeding line adds something to the former. Psalm 76:4, You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game. NIV I. Drastic emendation of the text is not necessary. A. Our text, which follows the LXX, is sufficiently clear, although the Hebrew for the everlasting mountains (RSV), reads the mountains of prey (KJV, NASB). B. The NIV rendering, mountains rich with game, emends the text. C. While it is true that the phrase, the everlasting mountains, is a common Hebrew expression (cf. Deut. 33:15; Hab. 3:6), there is nothing difficult in the Hebrew text of our passage as it stands.

31 Deuteronomy 33:15, with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills; NIV 2. Habakkuk 3:6, He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal. NIV D. The mountains of prey can be understood as the place from which God had taken spoil as he conquered the foe. Psalm76:5-6, Valiant men lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep; not one of the warriors can lift his hands. At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both horse and chariot lie still. NIV I. The phrase last sleep is apparently an allusion to death (KJV, NASB), as is the phrase, lie still. II. God's glory and majesty (4) are manifested in His victory over the enemy. A. Psalm 76:4, You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game. NIV III. The word rider (cf. NASB, is from a word meaning chariot (KJV, NIV). A. Probably charioteers are intended. B. It is hardly appropriate to say that chariots were cast into a dead sleep (KJV).

32 32 God's Universal Judgment Psalm 76:7-9, You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry? From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet- when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land. Selah NIV Note: This paragraph extends the central idea of the first two in that it looks to the judgment of all men. It employs synthetic parallelism and is pregnant with temporal and purpose clauses emphasizing the divine purpose in judgment. Psalm 76:7, You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry? NIV I. God's anger is roused against the arrogant oppressors. A. Terrible are you, (RSV), is not too strong a translation in this context. Psalm76:8, From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet- NIV I. When God utters judgment, the world fears. II. From heaven reveals that the psalmist understood that God's throne is actually in heaven (cf. the notes on Ps. 76:2). A. Psalm 76:2, His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. NIV B. God pronounced sentence against the evildoers. Psalm 76:9, when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land. Selah NIV

33 33 I. God's purpose in His judgment was to save all the afflicted of the land. II. The translations oppressed (RSV, NRSV) and meek (KJV, ASV) or humble (NASB, NASB95 NEB) reflect a possible difference in meaning between two similar Hebrew words, but it is likely that they are only two different forms of the same word (cf. Brown, Driver, and Briggs' Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, p. 776). III. When the oppressed are declared to be saved by the Lord, it should be understood that in addition to their state of oppression they also humbly trust in God, for these are the only ones whom God will deliver (cf. Ps. 18:27). A. Psalm 18:27, You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. NIV B. The universal element so characteristic of Biblical eschatology involves the whole world, so that the earth fears and is still (Ps. 76:8), and God saves all the oppressed of the earth (Ps. 76:9). 1. Psalm 76:8, 9, From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet- when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land. Selah NIV Human Response to Divine Wrath Psalm 76:10-12, Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained. Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands

34 34 bring gifts to the One to be feared. He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth. NIV Note: This paragraph employs synthetic (10,11) and synonymous (12) parallelism. Emphasis is here placed upon homage which the world should give to God. Psalm 76:10, Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained. NIV I. The boldness of the language creates a problem of interpretation. A. The Hebrew, however, as rendered in our text, does not need drastic emendation. 1. Ps. 76:10 may be elliptical, meaning that God will take vengeance upon those who oppress the righteous, which will in turn cause the righteous to praise him. 2. Or it could be that the psalmist is saying that the defeated nations will serve as involuntary witnesses to God's power. B. The first line is not difficult to interpret. 1. Wrath could also mean fierceness, raging anger. 2. Fierce nations, such as Assyria and Babylonia, vented their wrath against Israel and Judah, but God worked providentially to so magnificently deliver His people from their enemies as to cause Israel to praise God (cf. Isa. 10:5-19; 31:6-9; 32:16-20; 38:1-20; 48:14-21). a. Isaiah 10:5-19, "Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my

35 35 wrath! I send him against a godless nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets. But this is not what he intends, this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations. 'Are not my commanders all kings?' he says. 'Has not Calno fared like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad, and Samaria like Damascus? As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols, kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samariashall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?' " When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, "I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. For he says: "'By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings. As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations; as men gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp.'" Does the ax raise itself above him who swings it, or the saw boast against him who uses it? As if a rod were to wield him who lifts it up, or a club brandish him who is not wood! Therefore, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors; under his pomp a fire will be kindled like a blazing flame. The Light of Israel will become