HIS ALMIGHTY POWER

Psalm 76: 1-12

A PRESBYTERIAN PSALTER - by Pastor Max A Forsythe

This psalm is a jubilant war song, a song of praise to the King of kings and a hymn to Israel's divine ruler. Any divisions in the unity of thought here are minor. We may note the following distinctions however. In the beginning there is the revelation of God's great power in the destruction of Zion's foes. There follows an injunction to consider that none can ever resist Him when He puts forth His power as judge and savior. Finally there is the observation that man's opposition only enhances God's greater glory and thus we are left with the conclusion that all souls should render to Him the thanks and glory due His Name.

Today let us consider the setting of this Psalm within the probable historic event. No known event corresponds so closely with the allusions of this psalm as the destruction of Sennacherib's army, in 2 Kings 19 to which the Greek translation of the Old Testament refers it! This event occurred about seven hundred years before the time of Christ. As the Scripture records it, an angel of the Lord put to death almost 200,000 of the soldiers of the Assyrian Army surrounding Jerusalem. A great victory for the God of Israel, a resounding defeat for the soldier king Sennacherib.

This event has been long remembered by military men who have had some biblical exposure. In 1968 I was assigned to a Hawk Missile Battalion in Europe. I arrived a few short months after the conclusion of the Sixty-Seven Arab-Israeli War. My battalion had been one of several on regular alert for dispatch to participate in that conflict. In fact the whole battalion had spent several days parked at an airfield ready to load up. Several of my new Jewish and Christian friends were still struggling with the spiritual implications of being prepared to enter into the "holy war", especially since there was no official word on which side we would be joining. That was the real kicker for any who had any concern for God working out His purpose in History. Images of Armageddon filled many minds. The essential question for some remained: could we, would we, dare we raise a weapon against Israel?

Perhaps in that case of anticipated combat, we miss the essential point of this psalm. Let us focus now upon the teachings of God's Word here. In verse one we note that God is indeed known to His own people in both Judah and Israel. By extension we may even conclude that He is known today by His Church even while He remains unknown by the worldly peoples outside. In verse two there are two references God's special presence. First there is His tabernacle or abiding place and second in the original language is a pointed reference to the den of the Lion of Judah, or the Lion's lair. A powerful warning indeed to all the enemies of the Most High.

Do the Assyrians dare to approach His den, then know that God defends His own. In verse three we see their broken weapons and the utter futility of challenging the God of the Ages. None of these weapons were of any use when He sent forth His powerful Word. The Psalmist enjoins us to pause and consider this truth. Selah. There is no power under heaven nor earth which can challenge His final decisions. For this strength God is to be praised!

The second phrase of verse four is extremely difficult to translate. Certainly the beginning reference to "One giving light" implies the majesty of God. But in addition to this there is the implication of these words in the original Hebrew which hint at the ultimate danger of approaching God's presence as an enemy. We can find support for this in another passage from Isaiah related to the Assyrian crisis of Hezekiah's reign. Isaiah 31: 4 reads" "This is what the Lord says to me: 'As a lion growls, a great lion over his prey - and though a whole band of shepherds is called together against him, he is not frightened by their shouts or disturbed by their clamor - so the Lord Almighty will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.'" Perhaps this fourth verse could be translated thus: You O God are more excellently glorious than the mountains of fallen enemies. In another sense we may find meaning in this verse by comparing the greatness of our God to the mountains of wealth accumulated by His enemies.

Which ever sense is appropriate, the Psalmist describes the scene where the Assyrian Army lies in ruin. There in the camps outside Jerusalem lie the fallen warriors of Sennacherib. There they are lying dead. Now they are no present threat to Israel! At the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem, the Chief Cupbearer challenged Israel to put their own men on horses that he would provide so that his men could ride them down. Now the very cavalry regiments of which the Assyrian bragged lie fallen forever. What are we to make of this situation? The strong arm of the Lord was triumphant by His power alone!

Like the Psalmist we too are to stand in awe of His power and might. And to this awe we are called in verses seven to nine. There we see that mere mortal men are not to be feared. God alone is Lord, and no one, not men, not angels or any powers have any more hope of standing against the Lord of Hosts than an ice cube in a busy micro wave oven! There at the foot of Zion's mountain God's judgment was given from heaven above. The land heard of the great destruction of the Assyrian hosts. Even those who knew not God, heard and if the historical records are correct many peoples were encouraged to question the power of Assyria. Even the meek and the afflicted found some immediate relief when the bullies of Assyria were utterly destroyed. The psalmist encourages us to ponder the cause of their destruction. Selah.

It is to Him that we should bring praise. And it is here in verses ten and eleven that we come to the whole point of teaching in Psalm Seventy-Six. An older translation of this verse states that "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." In this thought we may let the wicked plot against our King, we may let them rage as they may, whatever is done, God may use to His purpose. Our modern translation treats this verse differently by translating the wrath of God against men. However, in both cases God is to be praised. The survivors in either case have real cause to be restrained in their actions. It is this type of restraint that we felt in Europe in 1968 with our concerns about fighting against God's people. Back then, we were somewhat naive in our assessment. Today I would think that we would be better able to distinguish between the secular State of Israel and God's own people.

However my best friend in that Hawk battalion was a Jewish soldier who had made up his mind that he could not fight against his own people. He was prepared to pay any consequences for that solemn personal vow. What are we to learn from this Psalm? There it is in verse eleven: "Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them". Now to make solemn vows unto the Lord is a matter of choice, but to discharge our vows is our required duty. He who would defraud God is a miserable wretch indeed. God keeps his covenant and his promises. God's own people should not be slack in keeping theirs. My Jewish buddy usually found it inconvenient to travel to Jewish religious services unless he was scheduled for Saturday work details.

At least he understood that God alone should be feared. Yet he was unwilling to go further and offer unto Him precious gifts and unwavering devotion. In our last verse today, the psalmist notes that God can and does break the spirit of rulers, and He is indeed feared by those who understand His power. Do you today understand His ultimate power? Are you willing to give Him praise and love and worship? Are you willing to give Him all that is His own, or would you prefer like the humanist buddy from the sixties to be content with not opposing God only. You see there is a no difference between opposing God and being uninterested in worshiping and serving Him. May we today by His grace given to us not only recognize Jesus as Sovereign Lord, but also become aware of our own personal obligations as we seek to serve Him this week, always and forever. Amen.

	Resources Used:
Alexander, Joseph	Commentary on Psalms.
Bratcher, Robert G.	A Translator's Handbook on the Book of Psalms.
Kirkpatrick, A.F.	A Book of Psalms.
MacLaren, Alexander.	The Psalms.
Spurgeon, C.H.	The Treasury of David.
Foundation for Reformation. New Geneva Study Bible . (1995) Thomas Nelson, Inc. New King James Version. (1982)
Psm 076a	29 January 89 & 12 November 95

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