God arises; His enemies are scattered
May 22, 2023 - Monday, Seventh Week of Easter
Psalm 68:2-3ab, 4-5acd, 6-7ab
Psalm 68 celebrates God’s victory over His enemies and choosing Jerusalem as the place of His reign. It begins with a declaration that when God arises his enemies are scattered (Ps 68:2). When Israel was journeying through the desert, the Ark of the Covenant “went before them three days' journey, to seek out a resting place for them” (Num 10:33). And then, the Book of Numbers continue saying: “And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Arise, O LORD, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” And when it rested, he said, “Return, O LORD, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel” (Num 10:35-36). The Ark of the Covenant was also taken into battle to assure victory but the people soon realised that even with the Ark in their midst they could lose a battle if they lived a sinful life (see 1 Sam 4).
The Ark of the Covenant journeyed with God’s people from Mount Sinai to Mount Zion where it was placed in the temple built by King Solomon and considered God’s throne on earth. If Mount Sinai is 2285 meters high, Mount Zion is less than 800 meters above sea level. And yet, God chose to dwell on that tiny hill and not on a towering mountain. But again, as the presence of the Ark of the Covenant did not guarantee a victory in a battle if the people disregarded God’s covenant in their lives, so also the temple built on Mount Zion did not assure the security of the people if they did not take God into account in their life.
If God’s enemies are scattered and flee before him, the righteous ones rejoice before God. Who are those righteous people? In the Book of Genesis, we read that “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God” (Gen 6:9). We know that he and his family were the only ones who survived the flood. David in his song indicates that a king is righteous when he administers justice and the Book of Proverbs states that a righteous person is someone who obeys God and rejoices when justice is done (see Prov 21:15).
The description of God as giving a home to the forsaken can refer to the giving of the promised land to the family of Jacob that grew into a nation. But, the statement can also draw on the experience of the individual people in the Bible. Ruth, for example, who was a Moabite found her home in Bethlehem among the Jewish people and became the great-grandmother of King David (see the Book of Ruth). On the other hand, the statement that God sets prisoners free reminds us of the story of Joseph being sold into Egypt, thrown into prison by his master, and then elevated to the position of second-in-command in Egypt. But it can also refer to the exodus of the entire nation of Israel from slavery in Egypt to freedom and prosperity in the promised land.
The allusions of the Psalmist to the history of Israel and particular biblical stories make the reading of the Psalm an exercise in knowing the history of salvation recorded in the Bible. A patient reader can find more allusions than those few referred to in this reflection and should be able to connect the psalm with the Gospel. Jesus’ proclamation of the Gospel began with a similar statement about God being the defender of the most vulnerable people and the liberator of the imprisoned (see Luke 4:18-19). And the small hill of Golgotha outside of the city wall of ancient Jerusalem has become the place of the redemption of humanity. By rising from the grave, Jesus “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Col 2:15).