Title: Your God had commanded your strength
Scripture Reading: Psalms 68:28-35
28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.
30 Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.
31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.
32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.
There are a few points we can learn from Psalm 68:28-35.
- God has commanded strength for us
Verse 28 says ‘Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought.’
There are two parts to this verse.
The former part of this verse says that ‘my God had commanded my strength.’
The key thought here is ‘strength’, based on a word that means ‘to prevail, to be mighty.
Nicky Gumbel put it even more personal. It says, ‘you have the energy of God.’
Another translation says, ‘God has ordained her strength. So God’s decree (thy God has commanded) has ordained her strength. It is fixed in the divine purpose of God that she shall be strong.
Matthew Henry says concerning this former part of the verse: ‘whatever is done for thee, or whatever strength you have left of yourself, it comes from God; his power and grace and even the word which he has commanded.’
Ephesians 1:19-20, ‘The utter extravagance of his work in us who trust in him -endless energy, boundless strength! All this energy issues from: God raised him from death.’
But truly God has delivered us out of the hand of our enemies. With the deliverance God has given us Evangel Tabernacle.
- Confident for future victories
In the latter part of Psalm 68:28, the Psalmist speaks to God, encouraged by the former part says, ‘Strengthen, O God! That which thou has wrought for us. It means ‘LORD, confirm what thou has commanded, perform what thou hast promised, and bring to a happy end that good work which thou has so gloriously begun.’ What God has wrought he will strengthen, where he has given true grace, he will give more grace. As all power comes from God at first, so its continual maintenance is also of him.
We have to pray to God, ‘YHWH, please pour strength into victory, which you did so in the past, using it as a foundation for what you would do in the future of Evangel Tabernacle.
I asked you, ‘Do you now feel exhausted, at a low ebb, not knowing how you will be able to cope with all the problems you are facing?
Those who have turned to God in their deepest distress have repeatedly being amazed at the speed with which he had been able to change their fortunes. When our heart is weak and when the forces of evil gather round our soul: then it is God’s irrefutable will that we have the strength of life. There is a spirit in a man that can be regenerated by the strength of God.
Why is God doing this? By the Law of loyalty towards us, by the claims of His grace in the New Kingdom that has come about as a result of Christ. So say, not that you have no strength. Christ gives that which is asked. Then yield it in the worship you render and in all your service.
Psalms 68:29 says, ‘Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.’
Ultimately, this speaks of a time still in the future, certainly a kind of fulfillment now through our obedience to the Great Commission and the resulting advance of worldwide Christianity.
There must be obedience on my part, obedience on Pastor Lily’s part and obedience on the part of the covenant people (which is Evangel Tabernacle members). Obedience to what? The Great Commission
Let me ask you? Why did God strengthen us in the first place? So that He can give us the Tabernacle. The purpose of the strengthening in 2012 was the giving of Evangel Tabernacle. Today, God’s house – the temple – Evangel Tabernacle – is Christ and his body, His church. So how do you look at Christ’s church? David writes ‘The zeal for you house consumes me.’
Kings shall bring presents to you.
The word Kings refers to great men, great sinners, princes, leaders of towns, cities shall bring presents. The word ‘presents’ has reference to Psalms 68:30. In Psalm 68:30 the presents is described as ‘the pieces of silver’. The word “pieces,” רץ, in Hebrew means “piece” or “bar”.It is possible to amend it to בצר which means “precious ore”, possibly “gold.” If so, kings or great men would be “bowed down with gold and silver” (i.e., a tribute to YHWH). The UBS text gives it as ‘things of bronze’. They are tribute brought to God. What are they?
- Gold
- Silver
- Bronze
- The company of spearmen
Psalms 68:30-31 says, ‘Rebuke the company of spearmen, The multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, Till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: Scatter thou the people that delight in war. Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.”
In another translation it says, ‘rebuke the company of spear men; rather the wild beast of the reeds, that is, the crocodile or the hippopotamus. Either of which symbolize the mightiest of the heathen power in our times. The multitude of the bulls represents other heathen powers.
The company of spearmen are definitely the enemies.
But they are also the mountains of Bashan that constantly challenged the God of Sinai. Earlier in Psalms 68:15-17 it says, ‘ The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan.
Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the Lord will dwell in it for ever.The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.’
The mountains of Bashan are constantly jealous of the God of Sinai.
The ‘beast’ or the ‘bulls’ denotes the oppressors, troublers, and seducers of Evangel Tabernacle. They must come to an end, as these people have loved warfare. Our enemies loved to war with us.
Psalms 68:30-31 says they will be humbled and despoiled.
- Worship YHWH
Psalms 68:34-35 says, ‘Ascribe ye strength unto God: His excellency is over Israel. And His strength is in the clouds. O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: The God is Israel is He that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.’
The bible is realistic. There are times when we are ‘in pain and distress’. We don’t ignore the problems we face. Yet God is calling upon His people to choose to worship Him in spite of his circumstances.
The 3 aspects of worship.
- Worship involves the will.
- Worship pleases God. The bible says, ‘This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.’
- Worship affects others.
