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Psalm 68 | King James Audio Bible
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Psalm 68 expresses divine triumph, blessing, and glorious manifestation of God’s presence among His people. The psalm is a compelling and resonant exhortation to God, a celebration of God’s sovereignty, and an exploration of God’s redemptive and providential actions in the world.
Psalm 68 is a psalm of triumph, evoking the image of a victorious God arising to scatter His enemies and dispel those who harbour hatred in their hearts. The psalm’s opening lines resound with an urgent call for God’s intervention: ‘Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.’ This fervent invocation is a frequent motif in the Psalms, emphasizing God’s power to conquer adversity and vanquish foes.
Imagery employed in the psalm is vivid and striking. The psalmist likens God’s enemies to smoke and wax, driven away and consumed by God’s divine presence, evoking a vivid portrayal of God’s power to eradicate wickedness. In contrast, the righteous are called to rejoice in God’s presence, demonstrating the profound joy that faith in God’s triumph can bring. ‘But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice,’ the psalmist proclaims, setting the stage for a jubilant outpouring of praise.
The psalmist invites the people to sing and praise God’s name, extolling Him as the one who rides upon the heavens, a name synonymous with Jah, which we know as Yahweh, and who reigns supreme. This image of God’s celestial authority reflects the prevailing theme of divine supremacy woven throughout the psalm.
Psalm 68 underscores the compassionate and just nature of God. He is portrayed as ‘a father of the fatherless’ and ‘a judge of the widows,’ offering solace and justice to the vulnerable. God transforms the solitary into families, liberates the bound, and provides for the needy, illustrating His role as a benevolent and caring deity.
The psalmist’s language then transitions to evoke memories of God’s presence in history, particularly during the exodus. The verses describe God’s awe-inspiring power, His role in delivering His people from bondage, and His presence at Mount Sinai, where the earth shook and the heavens dropped in His presence.
The psalm praises God’s bountiful provision of rain and confirms His inheritance in the land, emphasizing God’s role as the provider for His people.
The psalmist celebrates the giving of the word by the Lord and victorious battles waged by the people with divine support. The imagery of God ascending on high, leading captivity captive, and receiving gifts for men speaks of God as the triumphant, generous sovereign.
As the psalm progresses, it extols the God of salvation, acknowledging His role in granting strength and power to His people. God’s capability to wound the heads of His enemies is acknowledged, and His promise to bring His people from various lands and seas is celebrated.
Psalm 68 | King James Audio Bible KJV | Love Revealed By Jesus Christ
Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him.
A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:
The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.
Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.
Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.
When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.
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.
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.
But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.
The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea.
That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same.
They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.
The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.
Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.
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.
Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
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.
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 of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.
Key Themes Of The Psalm For Reflection | Love Revealed By Jesus Christ
- Divine Triumph: The psalm celebrates the divine triumph of God over His enemies and the scattering of those who oppose Him.
- God’s Presence And Power: The psalm vividly portrays God’s presence and power, likening His enemies to smoke and wax, driven away by His might.
- Rejoicing In Righteousness: The psalm calls for the righteous to rejoice and praise God, emphasizing the profound joy that faith in God’s triumph brings.
- Divine Sovereignty: The psalm extols God as the One who rides upon the heavens, representing His supreme authority and reign.
- Compassion And Justice: The psalm underscores God’s compassionate and just nature, describing Him as a father to the fatherless and a judge of widows, providing solace and justice to the vulnerable.
- Historical Recollection: The psalm recalls God’s presence during significant historical events, such as the exodus, where the earth shook and the heavens dropped at His presence.
- Provision and Inheritance: The psalm praises God for providing rain and securing His inheritance in the land, highlighting His role as the provider for His people.
- Divine Support In Battles: The psalm acknowledges God’s role in providing support in battles and ascribing victories to the divine word.
- Triumphant God of Salvation: The psalm extols God as the God of salvation, acknowledging His strength and power and His ability to conquer His enemies.
- Blessing And Generosity: The psalm celebrates God’s generosity, His ascension on high, and the gifts received for men, underscoring His role as a triumphant and generous sovereign.
- Deliverance And Redemption: The psalm emphasizes God’s promise to deliver His people from various lands and seas, signifying His role as their redeemer.
Christian Art | Our Lord Jesus On The Cross | God The Father | God The Son Office Of Readings | Advent December 23rd | A Reading From The Treatise Of Saint Hippolytus Against The Heresy Of Noetus | The Hidden Sacrament Is Revealed ‘The hidden sacrament is revealed.’ In this reading, Saint Hippolytus writes against the Noetic heresy, which denied the real distinction between the Father and the Son by treating them as the same person acting under different names. The purpose of Saint Hippolytus is to defend the Church’s confession of one God who is not solitary, but who exists with his Word and Spirit. Hippolytus begins by setting a principle: knowledge of God comes from the Holy Scriptures, not from speculation or private reasoning. Faith is not shaped by human preference but by what God has chosen to reveal. The Father determines how He is believed, the Son how He is glorified, and the Spirit how He is received. This establishes Scripture as the rule of faith and guards against theological invention. Hippolytus then affirms that God existed alone before creation, with nothing co-eternal alongside Him. At the same time, God was not without reason, wisdom, or power. Hippolytus insists that plurality within God does not compromise divine unity. God contains within himself Word, wisdom, and counsel. Creation begins when God wills and manifests His Word. The Word is not created from nothing but proceeds from God and acts as the agent of creation. The Word is first invisible to the created world, though known to God. When God chooses, He makes the Word visible, described as ‘Light of Light’. This language safeguards both distinction and unity: the Word comes from God and reveals God, without being separate from Him. The manifestation of the Word is ordered towards salvation, so that the world may see and be saved. Hippolytus identifies this Word clearly with the Son of God. Through him all things were made, and he alone comes forth from the Father. The Law and the prophets belong to the same saving plan. God speaks through them by the Holy Spirit, so that they proclaim not their own ideas but the Father’s will. Revelation is therefore coherent: creation, prophecy, and incarnation belong to one divine purpose. Hippolytus appeals to the Gospel of John to show continuity between prophecy and fulfilment. The Word spoken of by the prophets is the Word made flesh. Though the world was made through him, it failed to recognise him. This failure does not negate God’s plan but reveals the depth of the mystery now disclosed. A Reading From The Treatise Of Saint Hippolytus Against The Heresy Of Noetus | The Hidden Sacrament Is Revealed There is, brethren, one God, the knowledge of whom we gain from the Holy Scriptures and from no other source. Whatever things the Holy Scriptures declare, at these let us look; and whatever they teach, let us learn it; and as the Father wills our belief to be, let us believe; and as he wills the Son to be glorified, let us glorify him; and as he wills the Holy Spirit to be bestowed, let us receive him. Not according to our own will, nor according to our own mind, nor yet storming by force the things which are given by God, but even as he has chosen to teach them by the Holy Scriptures, so let us discern them. God, subsisting alone, and having nothing coeval with himself, chose to create the world. And conceiving the world in mind, and willing and uttering the Word, he made it; and at once it appeared, formed it in the way he desired. For us it is sufficient simply to know that nothing was coeval with God. Outside him there was nothing; but he, while existing alone, yet existed in plurality. For he did not lack reason, or wisdom, or power, or counsel. All things were in him, and he was the All. At a time and in a manner chosen by him he made his Word manifest, and through his Word he made all things. He bears this Word in himself, as yet invisible to the created world. He makes him visible, uttering the voice first, and begetting him as Light of Light. He presents him to the world as its Lord; and whereas the Word was visible formerly to God alone, and invisible to the world which is made, God makes the Word visible in order that the world might see him and be able to be saved. This is the mind which came forth into the world and was manifested as the Son of God. All things came into being through him, and he alone comes from the Father. He gave us the Law and the prophets; and in giving them, he made them speak by the Holy Ghost, in order that, receiving the inspiration of the Father’s power, they might declare the Father’s counsel and will. Thus, then, was the Word made manifest, even as the blessed John says. For he sums up the things that were said by the prophets, and shows that this is the Word, by whom all things were made. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him, and without him nothing was made. And later, The world was made by him, and the world did not know him; he came to his own, and his own did not receive him. Christian Prayer With Jesus Lord God,You are one, and from You come the Word and the Spirit.You have chosen to make Yourself known, not by human effort,but by what You have revealed in the scriptures. You spoke Your Word, and all things were made.You made that Word visible, so that the world might see and be saved.Grant that we may receive what You give,believe what You teach,and worship You as You have shown Yourself to be. Keep us […]
Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead. This is the seventh sign, or miracle, of John’s Gospel. We know more through this sign of our own resurrection. Jesus has power over death. Jesus is life and he gives us life [ … ]
Saint Ambrose of Milan offers a mystagogical catechesis—a reflection on the meaning of the rites that follow Christian baptism. Delivered during the Easter Octave, these instructions were addressed to the newly baptized, known as neophytes, and aimed to deepen their understanding of the sacramental mysteries they had just experienced. Ambrose’s theology is sacramental, scriptural, and symbolic, drawing deeply from the liturgical tradition and the imagery of Scripture to reveal the hidden grace of the sacraments [ … ]
