Psalms 76

Psalms 76:1-12

The prostration of the creature. To the chief musician, on stringed instruments: a psalm of Asaph, a song. Thus, then, for blessing, man has to be put down into the place of need. With God’s judgments upon the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. We see, therefore, the need of what this psalm presents to us, which naturally follows, also, the one before it. As a psalm of divine government, manifestly exercised, it has the regular 12 verses, and with the regular division also, into four sections of 3 verses each for there is plainly nothing to disturb this. Again, it is a psalm of Asaph, and a song, which the stringed instruments accompany, for the earth is now tuned and ready for its Maker’s praise.

1. The first section shows us the inauguration of the reign of peace. God is known in Judah, the worshiper-tribe, and His Name is great in Israel. The once-divided kingdom is now impliedly united and at rest, in obedience to Him whom so to serve brings into harmony with all His universe. And thus there is relationship between Him and His people never to be disturbed. His tabernacle is at Salem, Jerusalem gone back to the meaning of its older name as Melchizedek’s city -“Peace.” Another Melchizedek now rules in her, “Priest of the Most High God” in full reality, and in Zion is His “fixed” abode (meonatho), “His rest.” And because He is to be at rest, He has broken up all the instruments of war together: the “flashings” -the arrows flashing from -“the bow,” the shield and the sword, and all that makes up war.
2. Never will war have been more pronounced, more deadly, than in that last spasm in which it expires. As we think of the diligent perfecting of the machinery of it now, which leaves the old “flashings” of the bow to be but the types of its far-reaching artillery, how good it is to think of its collapse which is impending when the Prince of peace makes war upon war! Serene, beautiful, like the breaking forth of morning at the end of a night of storm; the glory of the Lord shines forth there where all had been but the prey of the spoiler hitherto. The “mountains of prey” are not any indefinite allusion to the fastnesses of robbers generally, but Jerusalem itself, the city of so many sieges, the constant “prey” of the enemy. The contrast expressed (for which the “more than” of the common version is inadequate) is between the city in its recent awful desolation, and the Light that now enfolds and glorifies her, wrapping all her dwellings in its bright, yet chastened lustre (Isaiah 4:5). The new day is come, that shall have no decline, the “morning without clouds” of prophetic vision (2 Samuel 23:4). On the other hand, night is fallen upon the children of night. Like nocturnal birds of prey, the morning has sealed their eyes, and sunk them in helpless sleep from which there is no waking. It was the necessary doom of such as they were. But there is another reason: and here we have the assurance, once again, of the grace which can consist with holiness. It is the God of Jacob who has thrown His arms around the feeble objects of their attack. And here, notice, it is chariot and horse upon which sleep has fallen. The enemies find their doom because of what they are: here it is simply the means of attack that fail, because God has sheltered His people.
3. In the next section, therefore, it is God Himself who is before the soul: but God revealed in judgment, which is openly manifested from heaven, in omnipotent, discriminative, holy wrath. His power is such that He must needs be feared: who can stand before Him; when He is angry? His judgment is discriminative, as the word used here (din) implies: wise, therefore, and searching, and recognized by the still awe of earth. It is holy, also, for it is in behalf of the meek of the earth, for whose salvation God at last, after long patience, rises up.
4. The fourth section shows the earth entirely in His hands. So complete is His government of it, that the wrath of man, which has just been at its wildest, nevertheless praises Him. Whatever could not be made to do this He could not permit to be. Men are bidden therefore to vow and pay their vows to Him who is the Eternal and their God and to bring presents in sign of their subjection to Him who is truly to be feared. For that to Him it belongs is plain by His judgment of its kings, just now executed. “He cutteth off the spirit of princes: He is terrible to the kings of the earth.”