Scripture Reading: Psa. 68:19-35
Ⅵ
Psalm 68 reveals the enjoyment of God in His house:
A
The enjoyment of God in His house comes after the building up of His dwelling place, the church—v. 18b.
B
"Blessed be the Lord, who day by day loads us with good; / God is our salvation. Selah"—the good here is the Triune God—the dove wings covered with silver and its pinions covered with greenish yellow, glittering gold—vv. 19, 13; Rom. 8:28; Matt. 19:17; Phil. 1:19-21a.
C
"God is to us / A God of deliverance, / And with Jehovah the Lord / Are the goings forth even from death"—when we enjoy God as our saving life, we escape death—Psa. 68:20; Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 1:8-9; 4:16.
D
In God's house we also enjoy His victory over the enemies—Psa. 68:21-23; Matt. 16:18; Rom. 16:20.
Ⅶ
Psalm 68 reveals the praising of God according to His New Testament economy:
A
"They have seen Your goings, O God, / The goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary"—"they" refers to the enemies, "goings" refers to God's activities, and the "sanctuary" signifies the church—v. 24.
B
"Singers go before; players after; / In the midst of virgins sounding the tambourines"—"virgins" signifies the believers—v. 25; 2 Cor. 11:2; Phil. 4:4.
C
"Bless God in the congregations, / Even Jehovah, O you who are of the fountain of Israel. / There are little Benjamin, who rules them, / And the princes of Judah in their company, / The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. / Your God has commanded your strength; / Strengthen, O God, that which You have done for us"—Psa. 68:26-28.
D
In the praise rendered to God by His elect, there is portrayed a scenery in typology concerning God's New Testament economy in the accomplishment of God's redemption for His salvation by Christ and in the spreading of the glad tidings of Christ's accomplishment with the beautiful words of the gospel:
１
Psalm 68:27 speaks of "little Benjamin":
ａ
As the son of sorrows, Ben-oni, Benjamin typifies Christ, who, as the Man of sorrows in His incarnation and human life on earth, accomplished God's eternal redemption for His full salvation—Gen. 35:18a; Isa. 53:3.
ｂ
As the son of the right hand, Benjamin typifies Christ, who, as the Son of the right hand of God in His resurrection, victory, and ascension, ministers in the heavens to carry out the application of God's redemption for His salvation—Gen. 35:18b; Heb. 1:3; 5:5-10; 7:25; 8:2.
２
Psalm 68:27 speaks of "the princes of Judah:
ａ
Judah typifies Christ as the victory for God's people (the lion with the power and the scepter) and the peace (Shiloh) to God's people—Rev. 5:5a; Gen. 49:8-12.
ｂ
Judah reveals the victory of Christ (vv. 8-9), the kingdom of Christ (v. 10), and the enjoyment and rest in Christ (vv. 11-12).
ｃ
Judah, as the kingly tribe, was accompanied always by Benjamin, as a warrior tribe, for God's kingdom on the earth—v. 27; Rom. 5:17.
３
Psalm 68:27 speaks of "the princes of Zebulun":
ａ
Dwelling at the haven of the sea (Galilee) for a haven of ships (Gen. 49:13), Zebulun typifies Christ as the "haven" of the evangelists for the transportation and spreading in the preaching of God's gospel.
ｂ
On the day of Pentecost, at least one hundred twenty gospel "ships," all of whom were Galileans, set out to spread the gospel—Acts 1:8, 11; 2:2-4.
４
Psalm 68:27 speaks of "the princes of Naphtali":
ａ
Naphtali typifies Christ as the One who is released from death in resurrection, signified by the "hind let loose" (Gen. 49:21; Psa. 22, title; 18:33; S. S. 2:8-9), and gives beautiful words for the preaching of His gospel (Matt. 28:18-20).
ｂ
People of both Zebulun and Naphtali were men of Galilee (4:12-17; Acts 1:11), from whom the gospel of Christ has been spread, preached, and propagated.
ｃ
In typology Zebulun and Naphtali form a group for the spreading and the propagating of the glad tidings of Christ's redemption for God's salvation.
Ⅷ
Psalm 68 reveals the spreading from the temple into the city of God:
A
"Strengthen, O God, that which You have done for us. / Because of Your temple at Jerusalem"—following God's strengthening of what He has done for His elect, the influence of the enjoyment of God in His house spreads to the entire city of Jerusalem—vv. 28b-29a; cf. Eph. 3:16-17a; John 16:13; Rev. 4:5; 5:6.
B
The house of God signifies the local church, and the city of Jerusalem signifies the kingdom, the strengthening and safeguard of the church.
Ⅸ
Psalm 68 reveals the gaining of the earth for God:
A
The influence of the enjoyment of God will gain the whole earth for God—vv. 29b-31; Matt. 19:28; Isa. 2:2-3; Zech. 14:16-17; Rev. 21:24.
B
The kingdoms of the earth are charged to praise God—Psa. 68:32-34.
C
The psalmist concludes by praising and blessing God—v. 35.