The Ark Placed at Zion and David's Song of Thanksgiving

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(2 Samuel 6:18) And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.

The people had brought the ark of God to the place David had prepared for it at Zion.  David had then offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.  When he had finished with the offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord, wishing them all happiness and prosperity and praying to God to bless them with all blessings.

(19) And he dealt among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed every one to his house.

David dealt out to all the people, both men and women, a cake of bread, a piece of flesh, and a raisin cake.  Women had surely not been a part of the procession to bring the ark to Zion, but they now gathered in the celebration of it.  Regarding a "cake of raisins," the KJV translators called the original word "ashiyshah" a flagon and then added the words "of wine."  However, its actual meaning was something pressed together.  I suppose the KJV translators assumed it was wine that came from pressed grapes, but it is highly doubtful that David gave every man and woman in attendance a large bottle of wine.  Other translations have translated the word as some small comfit or cake with fruit.  I picture something like a fig newton.  After they ate their food, all the people then went to their homes.

(1 Chronicles 16:2) And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. (3) And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a good piece of flesh, and a cake of raisins.

1 Chronicles 16:2-3 told of the same event and then expounded on it:

(4) And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to record, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel.

David then appointed some Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord and to thank and praise Him.  He appointed them also to record the events.

(5) Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed Edom; and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps, but Asaph made a sound with cymbals.

David appointed Asaph, one of the three main singers appointed in 1 Chronicles 15:17, to be the chief minister.  From the second rank singers appointed in 1 Chronicles 15:18, David appointed Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed Edom; and Jeiel was to play with psalteries and harps, and Asaph was to use cymbals.

(6) Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

Benaiah and Jahaziel, the priests, were appointed to play the trumpets continually before the ark.

(7) Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.

David first delivered the following psalm of thanksgiving to Asaph and his brethren to be sung by them.  Then they sang David's song of thanks:

(8) Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people.

David called upon the people to give thanks to the Lord, calling upon His name, being the people He chose to have call upon His name.  Make all His good deeds known among the people; speak freely about them in praise to Him.

(9) Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him, talk of all His wondrous works!

Not only speak thanksgiving, but sing it to the Lord, telling of all His wondrous works!

(10) Glory in His holy name; let the heart of them rejoice who seek the Lord.

God's holy name is His very nature, sacred, set apart, and deserving of all reverence and honor.  To glory in that is to give honor, praise, and reverence, to God, recognizing His supreme majesty, power, and holiness.  Let the hearts of them who seek the Lord rejoice because joy comes from a relationship with Him.  When we seek Him, we align with His will, experiencing His peace and fulfillment.

(11) Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face continually.

We are to seek the Lord and His strength, relying on His infinite power rather than our own limited abilities.  We should seek His face continually, pursuing an ongoing personal relationship with Him in all things.

(12) Remember His marvelous works that He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, (13) O you seed of Israel, His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones. (14) He is the Lord our God, His judgments in all the earth.

Remember the Lord's marvelous works, all the wonders of nature and the universe, but also the daily works of provision and protection and salvation.  We are thankful for His word and His guidebook He left for all the earth, those commandments and judgments that keep us on the straight and narrow which lead to life everlasting.  David was speaking those words to God's chosen people Israel, but true Christians are God's spiritual Israel and His chosen saints.

(15) Be you mindful always of His covenant, the word He commanded to a thousand generations, (16) Which He made with Abraham, and of His oath to Isaac, (17) And has confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, to Israel an everlasting covenant, (18) Saying, "To you will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance," (19) When you were but few, very few, and strangers in it.

David exhorted the people to always be mindful of their covenant with God that He commanded to a thousand generations after their forefathers.  He first made that covenant with Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, also called Israel, that He would give them the land of Canaan as their inheritance.  He gave it to them when they were few in number and there were still strangers in it.  Eventually the people did not hold up their end of the bargain and would lose their promised land.  However, Canaan, the promised land, represents the Promised Land of heaven for spiritual Israel.

(20) And when they went from nation to nation and from one kingdom to another people, (21) He suffered no man to do them wrong; yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, (22) "Do not touch My anointed and do My prophets no harm."

When His people went from nation to nation, conquering their promised land, the Lord was with them, protecting His people from the kings of those nations and delivering His anointed ones and prophets into their promised land.

(23) Sing to the Lord, all the earth; show forth from day to day His salvation.

David exhorted all peoples of the earth to sing to the Lord and to be that shining light showing forth the Lord's salvation.

(24) Declare His glory among the heathen, His marvelous works among all nations.

The Lord's people are to declare the marvelous works of the Lord to all nations.

(25) For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods.

The Lord is great and to be praised over all other gods and idols of the earth.  He should be feared above all gods as none can stand before Him; He is greater and more powerful than any.

(26) For all the gods of the people are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

All the false gods of the people are merely idols in the universe that the one true God Himself made.

(27) Glory and honor are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place.

Glory and honor surround the Lord; majestic splendor emanates from Him.  Strength and gladness are in His place; He is the very source of strength and joy.

(28) Give to the Lord, you kindreds of the people, give to the Lord glory and strength.

All peoples of the nations were to give the Lord the glory due Him.  They were to give their strength over to His will.  "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." (Romans 12:1)

(29) Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory and honor due His name.  Bring an offering and come before Him; present your own bodies to Him to use as He wills.  Worship the Lord in all His holy splendor.

(30) Fear before Him, all the earth; the world also shall be stable that it be not moved.

All the earth should tremble before the Lord as He holds the very earth in His hands.  He is the one who established it firmly in the universe.

(31) Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice, and let men say among the nations, "The Lord reigns."

Let the heavens and the earth rejoice that it is our Lord who reigns!  Imagine if some feeble idol reigned; there would not be much hope in that.  It is because our Lord reigns that we can have faith and not fear as the unsaved fear.  "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope." (1 Thessalonians 4:13)

(32) Let the sea roar and all its fullness; let the fields rejoice and all that is in them.

The sea roars with awesome power that displays the almighty power of the Lord.  The fields rejoice and display splendor and beauty.  All nature shouts the existence of the Lord in a beautiful and powerful manner.

(33) Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord because He comes to judge the earth.

The earth sings the praises of the Lord.  When Jesus came into the world and was making His triumphal entry into Jerusalem shortly before His death, the people were shouting praises to Him.  The Pharisees tried to shut them up, but Jesus said that if the people were to hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out (Luke 19:40).  All creation is made to glorify God (Colossians 1:16; Psalm 19:1).

(34) O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.

People are encouraged to give thanks to the Lord because He is good, and He can be nothing but good as that is His very nature, so we have nothing to fear.  And that goodness and His love and mercy endure forever.

(35) And say, "Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to Your holy name and glory in Your praise."

People call on God for their only salvation and to gather them together into His Christian church.  They call on God who is their only salvation and deliverance from the prince of the world, Satan, and all his heathen demons.  That salvation is the joy of man who will naturally want to thank and glorify the Lord.

(36) Blessed be the Lord God of Israel forever and ever. And all the people said, "Amen," and praised the Lord.

David ended his song by declaring the Lord God of Israel blessed forever and ever.  All the people answered him with an "Amen," and they praised the Lord.

(37) So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required; (38) And Obed Edom with his sixty-eight brethren, Obed Edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be porters.

David left Asaph and his Levite brethren to minister before the ark continually.  He also left Obed Edom with his sixty-eight brethren.  The way it was written with the punctuation used makes it unclear if Obed Edom and his 68 brothers were also to help minister before the ark, or if they were to be porters.  The fact that Obed Edom was mentioned twice perhaps means he and Hosah were separated from the 68 ministers to be specifically porters.  Then again with the qualifier "also the son of Jeduthun," could we be talking about another Obed Edom?  At this point, it doesn't really matter; suffice it to say that the Levites, the brethren of Asaph and Obed Edom, were left to minister before the ark.

(39) And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place at Gibeon, (40) To offer burnt offerings to the Lord upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, according to all that is written in the law of the Lord, which He commanded Israel.

While the tabernacle was still at Gibeon, David appointed Zadok and his brethren the priests, to be there to offer burnt offerings to the Lord upon the altar of the burnt offering there continually, every morning and evening, as commanded in the law (Exodus 29:42).

(41) And with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the Lord, because His mercy endures forever.

David also appointed Heman and Jeduthun and others who were chosen and designated by name, to assist the priests at the tabernacle, giving thanks to the Lord because of His great mercy that endures forever.

(42) And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.

David left trumpets and cymbals with Heman and Jeduthun to make a loud sound when appropriate, and the musical instruments of God, those appropriate to accompany the singers in praising God in the tabernacle.  Jeduthun's sons were the porters there.

(43) And all the people departed every man to his house, and David returned to bless his house.

At the end of the celebration of the ark coming to Zion and the appointment of all those who would minister before it, all the people went back to their homes, and David returned to his house to bless it.

The Lord Reigns in Zion

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Chronicles 15:15) And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God upon their shoulders with its staves, as Moses commanded according to the word of the Lord.

The ark had been in the home of Obed Edom for three months, during which time David learned the proper way to move it.  Now, according to the law the Lord gave through Moses, the Levites carried the ark upon their shoulders rather than in a common cart (2 Samuel 6:3).

(16) And David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

David spoke to the chief of the Levites and had him appoint singers with musical instruments that along with the singing would result in loud resounding joy.

(17) So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

The Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, Asaph the son of Berechiah, and Ethan the son of Kushaiah, to be singers with instruments.

(18) And with them their brethren of the second, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed Edom, and Jeiel, the porters. 

Considered a second rank, or perhaps backup to the three main singers, were the fourteen above named men.  It seems they were also porters of the sanctuary when they were not singing.

(19) So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound with cymbals of brass; (20) And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth; (21) And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed Edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.

All the singers were appointed the instruments they should play when they sang.  The three lead singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to play brass cymbals.  Eight men of the second rank were appointed psalteries, which were stringed instruments similar to the lyre.  "Alamoth" was the Hebrew word for "maidens or young women," so perhaps these psalteries were tuned to imitate the sound of young women’s voices.  The other six second rank singers were to play harps on the "Sheminith."  That word meant "eight" so perhaps these were particular eight-stringed harps called lyre harps.  The original word "natsach" that was translated "to excel" meant also "to be eminent" or "set forward."  Perhaps the harps were to be the most prominent or they led the other musicians.

The names of the second rank singers in verses 20-21 are slightly different than first named in verse 18.  Aziel is probably the same as Jaaziel, but Ben is left out and Azaziah added.  Either Ben went by both names or he was replaced soon after being appointed.

(22) And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, for song; he instructed about the song because he was skillful.

Chenaniah, the chief of the Levites, seems to have been appointed the music conductor because he was skillful in that.

(23) And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

Berechiah, the father of one of the lead singers, Asaph (verse 17), and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

(24) And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethanel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

Shebaniah, Jehoshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew trumpets before the ark of God.  These may be the same silver trumpets which were to be blown when the camps and the ark of the Lord moved (Numbers 10:5).

(2 Samuel 6:12) And it was told King David, saying, "The Lord has blessed the house of Obed Edom and all that pertains to him because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed Edom into the city of David with gladness.

When the Lord had struck Uzzah dead for touching the ark, David was afraid to move it any further, and he put it aside in the house of Obed Edom for a time.  David had since learned the proper way to move the ark, and when he had been told that having the ark actually blessed the house of Obed Edom, he was confident he could then move it to the city of David, and that he did with gladness.

(13) And it was that when they who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.

When the Levites had carried the ark six paces, apparently successfully, denoting God's acceptance, they stopped and David sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep (1 Chronicles 15:26) to the Lord.

(14) And David danced before the Lord with all his might, and David was girded with a linen ephod.

David was so glad, in fact, that he danced before the Lord with all his might.  The original word "karar" that was translated as "danced" was only used in the Bible twice and was not the usual word used for dance.  It means specifically "whirl" which implies dancing.  David was whirling with all his might.  He wore a linen ephod like the priests wore.  Perhaps he had laid aside his royal robes because it was lighter and he was better able to dance, and maybe to demonstrate that although he was king, he was willing to be the Lord's minister and servant.

(15) So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

David and all the representatives of the people of Israel brought the ark of the Lord to the city of David with joyful and triumphant shouting, with the trumpets, and surely with all the singers and musicians.

(1 Chronicles 15:25) So David and the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obed Edom with joy.

1 Chronicles 15 also told of David and the elders and captains of the people bringing the ark of God out of the house of Obed Edom with much joy.

(26) And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

This version gives the glory to God who helped the Levites who carried the ark.  This time it was acceptable to Him, and they carried the ark without stumbling.  They offered a sacrifice of seven young bulls and seven rams.

(27) And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites who bore the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers; David also had upon him an ephod of linen.

David, the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the conductor, all wore robes of fine linen.  David also wore an ephod.

(28) Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.

All the leaders representing all of Israel brought the ark of God to the city of David with shouting and loud music.

(Psalm 97:1) The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad!

My chronological Bible study takes me now to Psalm 97, a song of joy about the reign of the Lord.  It is possible the people could have sung such a song as they brought the ark to Zion.  Because the Lord reigns, the entire earth with all its lands can rejoice and be glad.

(2) Clouds and darkness round about Him, righteousness and judgment the habitation of His throne.

The clouds and darkness all around Him may refer to the darkness of the world, but it also might mean that He is covered by clouds and darkness as no man can see Him and live (Exodus 33:20), and often the Lord was described as being in a cloud.  He is a righteous God who executes just judgment because it is His very nature.

(3) A fire goes before Him and burns up His enemies round about.

The very being of God is power consuming all opposition.  Lies, superstitions, and sins cannot stand in His presence.  When He comes to judge, the unrighteous will be as chaff before the flame (Isaiah 5:24).

(4) His lightnings enlightened the world; the earth saw and trembled.

This may be literal in that God's lightnings indeed light up the sky with blazes that make the sun appear dim compared to them.  The inhabitants of the earth see such power and tremble.  

(5) The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

Nothing is able to stand against the Lord of the whole earth and the universe beyond it.

(6) The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory.

The heavens declare the Lord's righteousness.  Whether by angels and messengers from heaven, or by the vastness and awesomeness of the sky and the universe, the people see the glory of God.

(7) Confounded be all they who serve graven images, who boast themselves of idols; worship Him, all gods.

Let those who serve false gods of engraved images and carved idols, and who boast of their ability to save them, be disappointed, confused, and ashamed.  Let all the false gods bow before the one true God of the universe.

(8) Zion heard and was glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of Your judgments, O Lord.

In the context of this post, perhaps Zion heard that the Lord God of the universe represented by His ark was coming to rest there.  They were very glad, as were all the surrounding villages, that the Lord and His righteous judgments reigned.

(9) For You, Lord, are high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.

The Lord is infinitely exalted above all men, kings, gods, and angels.

(10) You who love the Lord, hate evil; He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.

Those who love the Lord must hate evil, as evil cannot stand in the presence of God.  God preserves the souls of His saints and delivers them out of the hands of the wicked.  Although He may choose to preserve their lives and deliver them, this pertains more completely to their souls that no man is able to pluck out of His hand (John 10:29).

(11) Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.

Light is sown and laid up in store for the righteous.  Even if they are not immediately delivered from their circumstances, they know the light is coming and they are very glad for that.  "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)

(12) Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.

The righteous rejoice in the Lord and give thanks that He is a holy God.  The holy righteous and just God can be nothing but that, and that is a reason to rejoice and be thankful.  We need not fear any man or any situation when we know that our God is all holy, all good, and all just, all the time.

The Majesty of God

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(2 Samuel 6:6) And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it for the oxen shook it.

After an intermission of parts of Psalm 78, we return to the story of moving the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim to Jerusalem.  The people had put the ark into a new cart, and the sons of Abinadab, Uzzah and Ahio, drove the cart.  When they came to a certain place, Nachon's threshing floor, the oxen shook the cart and the ark, and Uzzah put forth his hand and took hold of the ark to steady it.

(7) And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error, and there he died by the ark of God.

The Levites were forbidden to touch the ark upon pain of death according to the law in Numbers 4:15.  This was the last straw, if you will, for the Lord.  His ark was being carried in a common cart which was against the law, as it should have been borne on the shoulders of the priests (Numbers 7:9), but it had gone too far when Uzzah touched the holy ark.  God struck him dead at that point.

(8) And David was displeased because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah, and he called the name of the place Perez Uzzah to this day.

David was upset that the Lord had struck down Uzzah.  After all, he had only been trying to save the ark from falling.  The Lord judges the heart of man, so if Uzzah's heart was for his Lord, then he surely is with the Lord now.  However, it was a slippery slope that David's kingdom was on, and the Lord needed to teach David the sacredness of His law if he was to lead God's people.  When little things are permitted to slide, it becomes easier to commit bigger transgressions, but it appears that David did not understand that at this point.  The Lord had made a breach or a breaking forth upon Uzzah, so David called the place Perez Uzzah, which literally meant "the breach or break of Uzzah."

(9) And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, "How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?"

David was then afraid of the Lord, afraid of again offending the Lord in his attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem.

(10) So David would not remove the ark of the Lord to him into the city of David, but David carried it aside into the house of Obed Edom, the Gittite.

David would not at that time move the ark to the city of David, not until he fully understood the Lord's actions regarding it.  He turned aside and carried it into the house of Obed Edom, called a Gittite only because he was from Gath Rimmon, a Levitical city (Joshua 21:24), not because he was from Gath, a Philistine city.  Obed Edom was a Levite as is made known to us later in scripture, so it was an appropriate place in which the ark be held.

(11) And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed Edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed Edom and all his household.

The ark of the Lord stayed in the house of Obed Edom for three months.  Obed Edom had surely known the destruction the ark had made among the Philistines (1 Samuel 5:9) and had seen Uzzah struck dead, but he invited it into his house apparently without fear, surely knowing how to treat it, and the Lord greatly blessed him and all his household.  The historian Josephus said that Obed Edom was very poor before but came into affluent circumstances, being blessed by the Lord.

(1 Chronicles 13:9) And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put forth his hand to hold the ark for the oxen stumbled.

1 Chronicles 13 told of the same event, except that a different name is used for the owner of the threshing floor.  He probably answered to two different names as was often the case with people at this time.  The oxen stumbled, and Uzzah put forth his hand to steady the ark.

(10) And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark, and there he died before God. (11) And David was displeased because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah; therefore that place is called Perez Uzzah to this day.

The Lord struck Uzzah dead for touching the ark which upset David.  He named the place after Uzzah, specifically Perez Uzzah, meaning "break or breach of Uzzah."

(12) And David was afraid of God that day, saying, "How shall I bring the ark of God to me?" (13) So David did not bring the ark to himself, to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obed Edom, the Gittite. (14) And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed Edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obed Edom and all that he had.

David was afraid of what the Lord might do if he continued to try to bring the ark back to the city of David, so he turned aside and carried it into the house of Obed Edom where it remained for three months, and the Lord greatly blessed Obed Edom and his family.

The chronological Bible study structured by Skip Andrews now takes me to Psalm 68:

(Psalm 68:1) (To the Chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David) Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, let them also who hate Him flee before Him.

It is feasible that David could have written this psalm during the three months the ark was with Obed Edom, as he surely reflected on the incident and why God would be so angry.  These were the same words used by Moses when the Levites took up the ark upon their shoulders (Numbers 10:35).  As they raised up the ark, they proclaimed their Lord to be rising up and scattering all His enemies as those who hated Him fled from before Him.

(2) As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, let the wicked perish at the presence of God. 

As smoke is so easily moved by the slightest wind, David wished for the enemies of God to be as easily removed.  As wax cannot withstand fire, so let the enemies of God melt away as easily.

(3) But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God; yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

The very same God who is a terror to His enemies is a source of joy for the people who follow Him, and they exceedingly rejoice in His goodness and mercy.

(4) Sing unto God, sing praises to His name, extol Him who rides upon the heavens by His name JAH, and rejoice before Him.

David called on people to sing praises to God, their Lord, to extol God who was exalted above the heavens.  They were to extol Him by His Name, JAH, the abbreviated name for Jehovah, the self-existent eternal One, "I AM."  

(5) A father of the fatherless and a judge of the widows, is God in His holy habitation.

From His holy habitation in heaven, God is the defender and protector of orphans and widows.

(6) God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound with chains, but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

God brings the solitary, the ones who are alone as with orphans and widows, into families.  All those lonely ones can be brought into the Christian family, into Christ's church.  He brings out all who are bound with chains, oppressed, and slaves to their own sins.  However, the rebellious, who will not hear His call, remain in a dry land devoid of God's blessings.

(7) O God, when You went forth before Your people, when You did march through the wilderness, Selah; (8) The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God; Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

I am struck by the realization that even when His people were faithless and sinful, and God made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, He never left them.  Any perceived punishments by God upon His people were always intended to bring them back to Him, their only hope for salvation in a fallen world.  Their God continued to go forth before His people in the wilderness.  Selah meant a pause for effect, for the buildup to the grandeur of God who could make the earth itself shake and make the heavens drop at His command, whether it was rain and hailstones or manna from heaven.  Even Mount Sinai quaked greatly at the presence of God (Exodus 19:18).

(9) You, O God, did send a plentiful rain, whereby You did confirm Your inheritance, when it was weary.

God sent plentiful rain in the desert, water leaped forward from rocks, manna fell from heaven, and His people were showered with blessings and refreshed when they were weary.  They were His chosen heritage, and although for their good He allowed them to be weary, He watchfully tended to their needs.

(10) Your congregation has dwelt in it; You, O God, have prepared of Your goodness for the poor.

The Lord's congregation had dwelt in His inheritance in their promised land.  The Lord had provided for His poor people when they had no resources of their own.

(11) The Lord gave the word; great was the company of those who published it.

The Lord gave the word, His command, and His people, His prophets, carried it forth.  This sounds like prophecy of Jesus Christ, the Word, whom the Lord gave to the world, and there was certainly a great company of those who proclaimed the news of the Messiah and His good news.

(12) Kings of armies did flee, and she who tarried at home divided the spoil. (13) Though you have lain among the pots, you will be as the wings of a dove covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold. 

Kings of the Canaanites and other pagan nations fled from before the Lord, and even those at home who did not go out to battle against those nations, shared in the bounty.  Even those women at home toiling among the pots would be arrayed in silver and gold.

(14) When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was as snow in Salmon.

I believe the meaning is that when the Lord scattered the pagan kings, the land was pure as the driven snow.  The meaning of "Salmon" is "shady," so perhaps as Salmon went from dark to white when it snowed, so the promised land went from darkness to light when the Lord scattered the kings from it.

(15) The hill of God, the hill of Bashan, a high hill the hill of Bashan.

This is a rather difficult verse.  I don't believe David was calling the hill of Bashan the hill of God.  I believe he meant the hill of God, Zion, was high and grand as the Bashan Mountains that were said to be grand, majestic, and imposing.

(16) Why do you leap, you high hills? The hill God desires to dwell in; yea, the Lord will dwell forever.

I purposely left out all the words the KJV added for context to try to determine the meaning of this verse.  Why did the higher hills boast of superiority?  I believe it represents the larger kingdoms that boasted of superiority.  But the hill of God, the one He, the eternal God, chose in which to dwell, was out of the reach of those leaping high hills.  They could not compare with the grandeur and majesty of the hill of God, His church.

(17) The chariots of God, twenty thousand, thousands of angels, the Lord is among them, Sinai, in the holy place.

The armies of God were an infinite number, as the original word "ribbo" that was translated as "twenty thousand" meant exactly "a myriad, a very great or indefinitely great number."  The Lord's armies and angels are infinite, and He is among them no less gloriously than he was in Sinai, when He, attended with thousands of His angels, solemnly appeared to deliver the law (Deuteronomy 33:2).

(18) You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts for men, yea, the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell there.

This appears to be a prophetic statement about Jesus Christ.  Paul quoted this about Jesus in Ephesians 4:8.  Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and bound captivity.  No longer did people have to be held captive by their sins.  Once Jesus defeated death and rose to heaven, He sent the gift of the Holy Spirit.  He gave this gift even to the rebellious, as most all people are, as we are all sinners.  "But God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)  Because of Jesus and His gift of salvation and of the Holy Spirit, God is able to dwell among us.

(19) Blessed the Lord who daily loads us, the God of our salvation. Selah

The KJV translators added the words "with benefits" after "loads us."  While it is true that the Lord gives His people daily blessings and benefits, David's meaning might have been that the Lord carries us as the original word "amas" translated as "load" also means "carry a load."  Either way, the Lord is certainly the God of our salvation.  "Selah" means a pause.

(20) Our God is the God of salvation, and to God the Lord belong the issues from death.

The Lord is the God of our salvation, and only He is the author of life and death.  And if it's not your time, meaning God's time, then He will make escapes and deliverances from death.

(21) But God shall wound the head of His enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as goes on still in his trespasses.

God shall wound the head of His enemies, seemingly a reference to God putting enmity between Eve's posterity and the serpent Satan whereby it would bruise his head (Genesis 3:15), that hairy head, or disheveled head, as it also means.  That disheveled messed-up sinner who persists in his sins, God will wound.  Note it doesn't say "kill."  Although God could certainly kill at any instant anyone He wishes as He is the only author of life and death, I believe He wounds to give sinners a chance to repent.

(22) The Lord said, "I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring again from the depths of the sea, (23) That your foot may be dipped in the blood of enemies, the tongue of your dogs in the same."

The KJV translators added the words "My people" after "bring," and as the Lord definitely delivers His people from the highest heights and the lowest depths, from wherever and whatever their situation, I tend to think of it as originally written and still speaking of His enemies.  He will bring His enemies from wherever they might be hiding.  It is similar to what God said in Amos 9:  "Though they dig into hell...though they climb up to heaven...though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel...though they be hid from My sight in the bottom of the sea..." they would not escape His judgment.  Such imagery as from verse 23 always makes me uncomfortable, but the sense is that vengeance shall be awarded to the oppressed people, and so overwhelming should be the defeat of the enemy that they would have to wade in their blood and dogs would lick it.

(24) They have seen Your goings, O God, the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.

The enemies of God had seen His actions in the destruction of enemies and the deliverance of His people, and in His procession to the sanctuary, which might allude to His permanent place in His people's promised land.

(25) The singers went before, the players on instruments after, among the damsels playing with timbrels.

This seems to refer to a procession after a victory over their enemies, or perhaps to the eventual procession of the ark to the sanctuary.  It was or would be a joyous procession of singers, musicians, and dancers.

(26) Bless you God in the congregations, the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

David exhorted people to praise the Lord in congregations, not only as individuals, but in public assemblies and processions.  They praised the Lord who would come from the patriarch Jacob, called Israel (Isaiah 48:1), and that was their coming Messiah.

(27) There little Benjamin, their ruler, the princes of Judah, their council, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

This again seems to allude to a victorious procession where little Benjamin, the smallest of all the tribes, led the congregation.  The princes of Judah, the largest of the tribes, and their company, as well as princes from Zebulun and Naphtali, two tribes of the ones farthest away, also participated.  I believe the sense is that all of Israel, now united, came together to praise the Lord.  Perhaps the more pertinent purpose was to bring them all together for the procession to bring the ark to Zion.

(28) Your God has commanded your strength; strengthen, O God, that which You have wrought for us.

Israel's God had ordained their nation strong.  May He continue to strengthen them to fulfill what He had purposed for them.

(29) Because of Your temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents to You.

David may have been looking forward to the Lord's temple being built in Jerusalem where kings would bring presents to Him to honor Him and His religion.  Indeed, when David's son Solomon built the temple, this was so.

(30) Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, everyone submit himself with pieces of silver; scatter you the people who delight in war.

Spearmen and bulls appear to represent fierce and warlike enemies of God; they, with their nations of people, would eventually come into submission to God and offer gifts or tribute and become subject to Him.  

(31) Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God.

This appears to be prophecy about Jesus Christ when salvation would be available to all Gentiles from the farthest reaches of the world.  All people would come to know God, from princes to slaves.

(32) Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises to the Lord; Selah.

All kingdoms of the world would sing praises to the Lord for their redemption and salvation, "which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10).

(33) To Him who rides upon the heavens of heavens of old, lo, He does send out His voice, a mighty voice.

Sing praises to the One who dwells in the highest heavens that have existed since the beginning of time!  The Lord sends out His mighty voice as a mighty thunder, but perhaps the meaning is rather that He sends out His gospel of salvation to the world, and that is a very mighty voice that has the power to change and save lives.

(34) Ascribe you strength to God, His excellency over Israel and His strength in the clouds.

Acknowledge that the Lord is all powerful and able to do whatever He pleases, and it pleased Him to make Israel His people (1 Samuel 12:22).  His power sustained and protected His people but was not confined to men on earth.  His excellent, infinite, omnipresent, omniscient, power was over the entire universe.

(35) O God, terrible out of Your holy places, the God of Israel, He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God.

In this day and age, we always think of terrible as bad, but in Biblical context, it meant awesome, and yes, it was terrible to those enemies of God.  The God of Israel inspired awe and fear; His saints to whom He gave strength and power, obeyed with fear and trembling, and His enemies fled in horror.  Blessed be our God!  Amen!

I must say this was one of the hardest chapters of the Bible I've ever attempted to study.  I am ashamed to say that it even brought dread every time I read a complicated verse.  Now I am delighted to read that Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, wrote:

I know not how to undertake a comment on this Psalm: it is the most difficult in the whole Psalter; and I cannot help adopting the opinion of Simon De Muis...“In this Psalm there are as many precipices and labyrinths as there are verses or words. It may not be improperly termed, the torture of critics, and the reproach of commentators.” To attempt any thing new on it would be dangerous; and to say what has been so often said would be unsatisfactory. I am truly afraid to fall over one of those precipices, or be endlessly entangled and lost in one of these labyrinths. There are customs here referred to which I do not fully understand; there are words whose meaning I cannot, to my own satisfaction, ascertain; and allusions which are to me inexplicable. Yet of the composition itself I have the highest opinion: it is sublime beyond all comparison; it is constructed with an art truly admirable; it possesses all the dignity of the sacred language; none but David could have composed it; and, at this lapse of time, it would require no small influence of the Spirit that was upon him, to give its true interpretation.

I see that I am in good company!  And I trust that the Holy Spirit will illuminate the mind and spirit of those who read this psalm with whatever He deems pertinent at the time.  

In The Treasury of David by C. H. Spurgeon, he quoted R. H. Ryland, British clergyman and antiquarian, who pointed out something I had not seen in the psalm, perhaps because my mind was somewhat closed because of the difficulty of it all.  The psalm speaks of God and the Lord all through it.  However, David, undoubtedly by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, actually spoke of Elohim (verse 2), Adonai (verse 11), Shaddai (verse 14), Jehovah (verse 16), Jah (verse 18), and AI (verse 19).  

All these Hebrew names of God have distinct meanings; no one name could encompass all that the Lord God is, except perhaps for "I AM" which is what God Himself told Moses was His name (Exodus 3:14).  Elohim meant "ruler, god;" Adonai, "lord;" Shaddai, "almighty, most powerful;" Jehovah, "self-existent, eternal;" Jah, short for Jehovah; and AI short for Ayil meaning "strong, mighty, almighty."  The eye-opening name for me was AI.  AI was a shortened name of Ayil as Jah was for Jehovah.  AI being a name for God is quite interesting as men are now trying to create an AI god.