Psa. 3 title

A quotation of Moses’ prayer in Num. 10:35, uttered when the Ark of the Covenant set out from Mount Sinai. Psalm 68 is the highest peak of the divine revelation concerning Christ in all the Psalms. It is written in poetry, with types and signs, portraying the steps in God’s move on the earth in Christ. The Ark (typifying Christ — Exo. 25:10-22 and notes) was the center of the tabernacle (also typifying Christ — John 1:14). God’s move in the tabernacle with the Ark among Israel, His elect, from Sinai to Zion typifies the Triune God’s move in Christ as His all-inclusive embodiment from Christ’s incarnation to His ascension. In the type, God’s move was from Sinai (vv. 8, 17b), beginning with the decreeing of the law and the erecting of the tabernacle, which signifies the incarnated Christ, through the wilderness (vv. 4, 7b), which signifies the earth, to Mount Zion (v. 16), God’s dwelling place, which signifies God’s dwelling place in the heavens (Rev. 14:1). In the reality, God’s move in Christ and through Christ for the accomplishing of His New Testament economy began with Christ’s incarnation, which was the setting up of the real and living tabernacle in whom God dwelt and through whom He could move on earth; continued through Christ’s human living on the earth with His crucifixion and resurrection; and concluded with Christ’s ascension to Zion in the heavens. This unique move of God is portrayed in vv. 1-18 of this psalm. See note Eph. 4:8¹.

The enemies here typify Satan and his forces of evil in the heavenlies (Eph. 6:12). This prayer is actually the aspiration of all God’s elect. Cf. note Psa. 68:12¹.

Indicating that Israel, God’s elect, triumphed in God and exulted before Him in His move on the earth. Today we too should exult in the move of God on earth from Christ’s incarnation to His ascension.

A shortened form of Jehovah.

God causes the believers in Christ as the needy ones (the orphans and widows), the bound ones (the prisoners — v. 6), and the solitary ones (v. 6) to dwell in His habitation, the church (1 Tim. 3:15). The church is a building that includes such people.

Lit., it.

Signifying the weak ones (1 Pet. 3:7), i.e., all the believers in Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9-10), who can do nothing except proclaim the glad tidings of God’s victory in Christ (v. 12a).

This signifies the announcing of the glad tidings (vv. 12-13) of Christ’s victory and the spoil gained by Him as the portion of God’s elect. While we announce the glad tidings, we enjoy the Triune God as the spoil gained for us by Christ (see note Psa. 68:12⁴ and note Psa. 68:13²).

Here the defeated and scattered kings typify Satan and the evil world-rulers (Eph. 6:12), who were defeated by God through His move in Christ (Heb. 2:14; Col. 2:15).

Referring collectively to the women in v. 11.

Abiding at home signifies not going out to the battle. Although we did not fight in the battle, we enjoy Christ’s victory and divide the spoil.

Signifying all the gains of the accomplishment, consummation, attainment, and obtainment of Christ as the reapings of the victory of His death, resurrection, and ascension. This “spoil” is actually the riches of the processed and consummated Triune God as the portion of God’s elect, typified by the dove, the silver, and the gold in v. 13. See note Psa. 68:13².

Signifying resting in God’s provision and care for His elect.

The dove signifies the Spirit (Matt. 3:16), and the wings signify the moving power of the Spirit; silver signifies Christ in His all-inclusive redemption for His believers’ justification as the entrance into His full salvation; pinions (the feathers at the end of a bird’s wings that supply the strength to fly and soar) signify the soaring power of the Spirit; and gold signifies God in His divine nature. Here the gold is greenish-yellow, green signifying the divine life and yellow, the divine glory. Hence, greenish-yellow gold signifies God in His nature glittering in His life and glory. The contents of the above items, as the spoil (v. 12) gained by Christ in His victory for the enjoyment of God’s elect, are actually the Triune God — the Spirit, Christ, and God the Father — with all the items of His complete, full, and all-inclusive salvation.

Heb. Shaddai. See note Gen. 17:1^2a.

See note Psa. 68:12¹.

Lit., it.

Others translate, mountain of God.

The dwelling place of God is built on Mount Zion (Psa. 76:2b), signifying the highest peak in the universe, the heavens (Heb. 12:22; Rev. 14:1). The built-up church as the reality of Zion is not earthly but heavenly. See note Psa. 48:2^1b.

Referring to Christ’s ascension to the third heaven, the highest peak in the universe (cf. Isa. 14:13). See note Eph. 4:8¹. Paul’s quoting of this verse in Eph. 4 in reference to the building up of the church is a strong proof that the building up of the temple in the ancient times is a type of the building of the church. It also provides a strong basis to say that the temple, the house, and the city referred to in the Psalms typify the church.

See note Eph. 4:8².

When Christ ascended to the Father, He presented to the Father all the ones whom He had captured and brought with Him. The Father then returned all these captured ones to Christ, making each of them a gift to Christ. See note Eph. 4:8^3b.

Heb. Jah Elohim.

This indicates that Christ uses all the gifts, i.e., all the believers in Christ as gifted persons, who do the one work of the ministry, to build up the Body of Christ as God’s dwelling place on earth today (Eph. 4:7-12, 16).

The enjoyment of God in His house (vv. 19-23) follows the building up of His dwelling place (v. 18b).

Signifying not the “good” of material things but the Triune God Himself enjoyed by us as the spoil of Christ’s victory (see note Psa. 68:12⁴ and note Psa. 68:13²). See note Rom. 8:28³.

The way to go forth from death is to enjoy God in Christ as the resurrection life (John 11:25).

In God’s house we also enjoy His victory over the enemies. See note Rom. 16:20^1b.

Following the Septuagint; the Hebrew text reads, shatter.

Here they refers to the enemies, to the unbelievers; goings refers to God’s activities; and the sanctuary signifies the church.

Signifying the believers (Matt. 25:1 and note Matt. 25:1^3b).

Some MSS read, the Lord.

In the praise rendered to God by His elect in vv. 24-28, a scenery in typology is portrayed concerning God’s New Testament economy in the accomplishing of God’s redemption by Christ for God’s salvation and in the spreading of the glad tidings of Christ’s accomplishment with the goodly words of the gospel. Benjamin, mentioned here, had two names, the first of which was Ben-oni. This name, given to him by his mother Rachel as she was dying in childbirth, means son of my affliction (Gen. 35:18a). As the son of affliction, Benjamin typifies Christ, who, as the man of sorrows (Isa. 53:3) in His incarnation and human life on earth, accomplished God’s eternal redemption for His full salvation (Heb. 9:12). Whereas Rachel named her son Ben-oni, Jacob immediately changed the child’s name to Benjamin, which means son of the right hand (Gen. 35:18*b). To be at the right hand is to be in a position of glory and honor. As the son of the right hand, Benjamin typifies Christ, who, as the Son of the right hand in His resurrection, victory, and ascension, ministers in the heavens to carry out the application of God’s redemption for His salvation (Heb. 8:1-2; 7:25). Christ was incarnated to be Ben-oni, the man of sorrows, but in resurrection He became Benjamin, the Son of the right hand in glory and honor (Psa. 80:17; Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33; 5:31).

Judah is the lion with the power and the scepter, and he is the peace (Shiloh) to God’s people (Rev. 5:5a; Gen. 49:8-10). Whereas Benjamin typifies Christ mainly in His humanity, Judah typifies Christ mainly in His divinity. In His divinity Christ is not a man of sorrows but a lion with power and authority (signified by the scepter). In particular, Judah typifies Christ as the victory for God’s people and the peace to God’s people. In the application of redemption, Christ is our peace (Eph. 2:14-15).

Judah, the kingly tribe, was accompanied always by Benjamin, a warrior tribe (Gen. 49:27), for God’s kingdom on the earth. In typology Judah and Benjamin, who were joined geographically, form a group for the accomplishment and application of Christ’s redemption for God’s salvation. With Benjamin the emphasis is on the accomplishment of redemption; with Judah the emphasis is on the application (in Christ’s ascension) of redemption.

Dwelling at the shore of the sea (Galilee) and being a shore for ships (Gen. 49:13), Zebulun typifies Christ as the “shore” of the evangelists for the transportation and spreading in the preaching of God’s gospel. After Christ accomplished all the things that are to be proclaimed as the gospel, on the day of Pentecost at least 120 gospel “ships,” all of whom were Galileans (Acts 2:7; 13:31), set out from the “shore” to spread the gospel. See note Gen. 49:13¹.

According to Gen. 49:21 (see note Gen. 49:21¹), Naphtali is a hind let loose, and he gives beautiful words. Naphtali typifies Christ as the One who is released from death in resurrection, signified by the hind let loose (Psa. 22, title; S.S. 2:8-9), and gives beautiful words for the preaching of His gospel (Matt. 28:18-20).

In typology Zebulun and Naphtali form a group for the spreading and the propagating of the glad tidings of Christ’s redemption, accomplished for God’s salvation. The people of both Zebulun and Naphtali were men of Galilee (Matt. 4:12-17; Acts 1:11), from whom the gospel of Christ has been spread, preached, and propagated.

The word in vv. 28-29a indicates that after 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 because of the house of God, which was at Jerusalem. The house of God signifies the local churches, and the city of Jerusalem signifies the kingdom, the strengthening and the safeguard of the church.

The word in vv. 29-35 indicates that the influence of the enjoyment of God in His house and His city will gain the whole earth for God. The scenery portrayed in these verses will consummate in the coming age of restoration (Matt. 19:28; Acts 3:20-21), in which all the earth will come to Jerusalem to worship God and to receive instruction and enlightenment (Isa. 2:2-3; Zech. 8:20-23; 14:16).

Signifying the Egyptians.

Signifying the nations.

I.e., Ethiopia.