The Mountain of the Lord's Victory Text: Psalm 68:15-18
Introduction: The Battle of the Mountains
We live in an age that pretends to be flat. Our secular culture insists that all viewpoints are equally valid, that all claims to ultimate authority are level ground. But this is a lie. Man is an incurably religious creature, and he will always have his high places. He will always have his mountains of significance, his centers of worship, his seats of authority. The question is never whether there will be a mountain, but rather, which mountain will it be? Will it be the proud, imposing, man-made mountains of state power, academic prestige, and cultural influence? Or will it be the mountain that God Himself has chosen?
This is not a new conflict. The world has always been full of rival mountains. In the ancient world, this was understood quite literally. The pagans built their altars on high places, believing they were closer to their gods. Their mountains were seats of power, places of dark worship and demonic authority. The mountain of Bashan, mentioned in our text, was one such place. It was a place of pagan strength, famous for its mighty oaks and fat cattle, a symbol of earthly, creaturely power. It was, in short, a rival worldview.
Into this contest of rival authorities, Psalm 68 speaks a word of divine conquest. This psalm is a victory chant, a triumphal procession celebrating the God of Israel who crushes His enemies and establishes His kingdom. And in these verses, the conflict is framed as a battle of mountains. It is the proud, many-peaked mountain of Bashan versus the humble, chosen mountain of Zion. This is not just a geographical dispute. It is a theological war. It is the kingdom of man, in all its natural glory and demonic power, being confronted by the kingdom of God, which is established not by might, but by divine choice and sovereign grace.
And as we will see, this ancient battle of the mountains is a picture of a far greater reality. It points us to the victory of Jesus Christ, who ascended on high, leading captivity captive. He is the one who establishes the true mountain of God, the heavenly Zion, the Church. And He is the one who, from His throne, distributes the spoils of His victory to His people, equipping us to tear down every rival high place and bring every thought captive to His obedience.
The Text
A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks,
At the mountain which God has prized for His habitation?
Surely Yahweh will dwell there forever.
The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands;
The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.
You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives;
You have received gifts among men,
Even among the rebellious also, that Yah-God-may dwell there.
(Psalm 68:15-18 LSB)
The Rival Mountain (v. 15-16)
The psalmist begins by acknowledging the apparent strength and majesty of the rival.
"A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan. Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks, At the mountain which God has prized for His habitation? Surely Yahweh will dwell there forever." (Psalm 68:15-16)
The language here is poetic and polemical. Bashan is called a "mountain of God," not because it is a place of true worship, but because it is a magnificent part of God's creation, a testament to His power. It is impressive. It is a mountain of "many peaks," rugged, imposing, and full of natural strength. This is the world's definition of greatness. It is what man is drawn to: size, power, visible glory. Bashan represents the kingdoms of this world in all their pomp and circumstance.
But then the psalmist turns the tables with a taunt. "Why do you look with envy...?" The Hebrew here carries the idea of looking askance, of sizing up a rival with hostility. The proud, multi-peaked mountains of worldly power are personified and depicted as jealously glaring at another mountain. Which one? "The mountain which God has prized for His habitation." This is Zion. Geographically, Zion, or the temple mount in Jerusalem, is not particularly impressive. It is not a massive, snow-capped peak. It is a modest hill. Bashan would look down on it, literally and figuratively.
And this is precisely the point. God's economy is always an affront to the world's pride. He does not choose the biggest, the strongest, or the most impressive by human standards. He chooses the weak to shame the strong. He chooses the foolish to shame the wise. He chooses a humble hill, Zion, and makes it the center of the universe, not because of its intrinsic qualities, but because of His sovereign choice. "God has prized it." His desire makes it glorious. His presence makes it unshakable. While the mountains of Bashan will eventually be ground to dust, "Yahweh will dwell there forever."
This is a direct assault on every form of humanism and paganism. Man wants to build his own way to heaven, his own Tower of Babel, his own mighty mountain. But God chooses to dwell in a place of His own choosing, a place consecrated by His grace, not by man's might. The true mountain of God is not a place of natural grandeur, but a place of covenantal presence. And this points us directly to the Church. We are the true Zion, the city of the living God. We are not chosen because we are impressive, but we are made impressive because we are chosen.
The Invincible Army (v. 17)
The reason for Zion's security is not its own strength, but the strength of the God who dwells there. Verse 17 gives us a glimpse of His power.
"The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness." (Psalm 68:17 LSB)
The kings of the earth boast in their chariots. Pharaoh's army was formidable because of its chariots. But their power is nothing. It is a child's toy collection compared to the armies of the living God. His chariots are "myriads, thousands upon thousands." The Hebrew is emphatic, suggesting a number beyond calculation. These are the angelic hosts, the armies of heaven. When Elisha's servant was terrified by the Syrian army surrounding their city, Elisha prayed that his eyes would be opened. And what did he see? "The mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha" (2 Kings 6:17). This is the reality behind the veil. The church may look like a small, insignificant hill, but it is surrounded by an invincible, invisible army.
And the Lord Himself is in their midst. The scene is compared to His appearance at Sinai. When God descended on Sinai to give the law, the mountain smoked and trembled, and the people were terrified by His holy power. That same terrifying, holy, glorious presence now resides on Zion. The God of Sinai, the God of holy fire and absolute law, is the God who dwells with His people. This is both a comfort and a warning. It is a comfort to us, because the power that shook Sinai is the power that defends us. It is a warning to our enemies, because the God who judged Israel's disobedience in the wilderness is the same God who will judge all who oppose His kingdom.
Our confidence must not be in our numbers, our budgets, or our political influence. Our confidence is in the fact that the Lord of Hosts is with us. The chariots of God are on our side. The battle belongs to the Lord, and He has never lost a battle yet.
The Ascended King and His Gifts (v. 18)
This verse is the pinnacle of the passage, and the Apostle Paul tells us exactly what it is about. It is a prophecy of the ascension of Jesus Christ.
"You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives; You have received gifts among men, Even among the rebellious also, that Yah-God-may dwell there." (Genesis 68:18 LSB)
This is the language of a triumphant king returning from battle. After defeating his enemies, the king would ascend to his capital city in a victory parade. He would lead a train of conquered enemies, "captives," in his procession. And he would receive tribute, "gifts," from the conquered peoples and distribute that plunder to his own subjects.
Paul quotes this verse in Ephesians 4 and applies it directly to Jesus. "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men" (Eph. 4:8). The resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ was His victory parade. He ascended to the heavenly Zion, the right hand of the Father. Who were the captives He led? He led sin, death, and the devil captive. He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in His cross and resurrection (Col. 2:15). He conquered our conquerors.
And having won the victory, He received gifts. The psalm says He "received gifts among men." Paul says He "gave gifts to men." There is no contradiction here. The victorious king receives tribute in order to give it away as plunder. Christ, having been given all authority in heaven and on earth by the Father, now pours out the spoils of His victory on His church. What are these gifts? Paul tells us: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, all for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:11-12). The gifts are gifted men, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to build up the church.
But notice the most astounding part. He received these gifts "even among the rebellious also." This is the gospel in its raw power. The spoils of Christ's victory are not just for the well-behaved. He gives His gifts even to rebels. He takes His enemies, conquers them with grace, and then enlists them in His army and equips them with gifts. Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor, becomes Paul the Apostle. You and I, rebels by nature, are captured by His grace and then gifted for His service. This is the radical nature of God's grace.
And what is the ultimate purpose of this victory, this ascension, this gift-giving? The psalm concludes: "that Yah-God-may dwell there." God conquers His enemies and lavishes grace upon rebels for one ultimate purpose: to make a home for Himself among them. The goal of redemption is communion. The goal of the gospel is to restore the tabernacle of God among men. Christ ascended on high so that, through His Spirit, God might dwell in us and with us forever.
Conclusion: The Conquering Kingdom
This passage is a declaration of the victory of God's kingdom. The proud mountains of this world, with all their apparent power, are nothing but envious, impotent rivals to the true mountain of God, the Church of Jesus Christ. We may look small and insignificant, like Zion compared to Bashan, but we are defended by the numberless chariots of God and inhabited by the Lord of Sinai Himself.
Our King, the Lord Jesus, has already won the decisive battle. He has ascended on high, leading our enemies captive. He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, and from that throne of ultimate authority, He is directing the course of history. He is pouring out His Spirit and giving gifts to His people, equipping us for the great task of discipling the nations.
He takes rebels, men and women like us, and He transforms us into loyal soldiers and gifted servants. He does this so that His presence might fill the earth, so that the knowledge of the Lord would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. The envious mountains of paganism and secularism will all be brought low. Every high place will be torn down. And the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and all the nations shall flow to it (Isaiah 2:2).
Therefore, we do not fight for victory; we fight from victory. The King has ascended. The captives are led. The gifts have been given. Our task is to faithfully deploy those gifts, to announce the victory of our King, and to live as loyal citizens of His unconquerable mountain.