The Cosmic Doxology: The God Who Gives Strength Text: Psalm 68:32-35
Introduction: The Universal Mandate to Praise
We live in an age of manufactured realities and boutique identities. Modern man believes he is the center of his own story, the author of his own truth, and the captain of his own soul. He sings praises, to be sure, but the object of his worship is invariably found in the mirror. Our culture is a vast, echoing hall of self-praise. We have kingdoms of the earth, all right, but they are the kingdoms of self, the kingdoms of mammon, the kingdoms of political ideologies, and the kingdoms of fleeting appetites. And each of these kingdoms has its own liturgy, its own hymns, and its own demands for absolute allegiance.
Into this cacophony of self-worship, Psalm 68 issues a command that is as absolute as it is liberating. It is a command for a universal, cosmic doxology. The song of praise is not to be a private affair, a quiet hum in the corner of one's own heart. It is a public proclamation, a global summons. The God of Sinai, the God of the Exodus, the God who ascended on high leading captivity captive, is not a tribal deity. He is the Lord of all the earth, and the end of the story is that all the kingdoms of the earth will acknowledge this fact. This is not a suggestion; it is a prophecy. It is not a hopeful wish; it is a divine decree.
This psalm is a triumphant procession. It begins with the prayer that God would arise and scatter His enemies, and it concludes with the vision of a world where those who were once enemies have become worshippers. This is the logic of the gospel. God's triumph is not merely in the destruction of His foes, but in their conversion. He conquers by making rebels into sons, and He extends His kingdom by turning the kingdoms of this world into the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. This closing section of Psalm 68 is therefore not just a nice way to end a song. It is a postmillennial vision in miniature. It is a picture of what God is doing in history, and it is a command for us to get with the program.
We are called to see the world not as a random collection of disconnected events, but as a grand narrative culminating in universal praise. Our God is not a retiring, quiet deity, hoping someone might notice Him. He is the one who rides on the ancient heavens, whose voice is one of might, and who is, in the final analysis, the source of all strength. The world is His, and the worship of the world is His rightful due.
The Text
Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,
Sing praises to the Lord, Selah.
To Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times;
Behold, He gives forth His voice, a voice that is strong.
Ascribe strength to God;
His majesty is over Israel
And His strength is in the skies.
O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary.
The God of Israel Himself gives strength and might to the people.
Blessed be God!
(Psalm 68:32-35 LSB)
The Global Summons (v. 32)
The psalm concludes with a magnificent, outward-facing command.
"Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, Sing praises to the Lord, Selah." (Psalm 68:32)
After detailing the victories of God on behalf of Israel, from the wilderness to the conquest, the vision expands dramatically. This is not just for the sons of Jacob. The call goes out to everyone. The "kingdoms of the earth" are summoned to the choir. This is a direct repudiation of any theology that would shrink God down to the size of one nation or one ethnic group. The God of Israel is the God of all creation, and His redemptive purposes have always been global in scope. He promised Abraham that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:3). This is what that blessing looks like when it comes to fruition: the nations singing.
This is not a call for a vague, syncretistic sing-along where every nation sings to its own conception of god. They are to sing "to God," the one true God, and "to the Lord," Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God of Israel. The particularity is not erased; it is the very foundation of the universal call. The world is not saved by abandoning the God of Abraham, but by coming to Him through the promised seed, Jesus Christ. The nations are not invited to a potluck of world religions; they are summoned to bow before the King of kings.
The Selah here invites a pause. We are to stop and consider the magnitude of this. Imagine the United Nations General Assembly transformed into a choir loft. Imagine presidents and prime ministers, kings and dictators, laying down their scepters to pick up a hymnal. This is not a political fantasy; it is the promised future of the world. Christ has been given the nations for His inheritance (Psalm 2:8), and one day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10-11). This verse is a command to get a head start on that final chorus.
The Sovereign in the Skies (v. 33)
The reason for this universal praise is grounded in the absolute sovereignty and power of God.
"To Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times; Behold, He gives forth His voice, a voice that is strong." (Psalm 68:33 LSB)
Our God is not a terrestrial god, limited to a particular mountain or shrine. He "rides upon the highest heavens." This is the language of ultimate authority and effortless control. The pagan gods of the ancient world were often associated with the sky, but they were part of it, subject to its whims. The God of the Bible is not in the heavens; the heavens are His chariot. He rides them. This imagery communicates His transcendence and His active, dynamic rule over all things.
These heavens are "from ancient times," from of old. God's rule is not a recent development. Before the mountains were brought forth, from everlasting to everlasting, He is God (Psalm 90:2). He is the Ancient of Days. His authority is not contingent on our recognition of it. He does not become king when we vote for Him. He is King, period. Our choice is not whether He will reign, but whether we will be joyful subjects or crushed rebels.
And from this place of supreme authority, "He gives forth His voice, a voice that is strong." The voice of God is creative power. At the beginning, He spoke and light came into being (Gen. 1:3). His voice is the thunder that shakes the wilderness (Psalm 29:8). But most importantly, His voice is the gospel. The mighty voice of God is the proclamation of His Son, the Word made flesh. This is the voice that raises the dead, the voice that calms the storm, and the voice that will one day judge the world. When this strong voice goes out, it accomplishes its purpose. It does not return void (Is. 55:11). The reason the kingdoms of the earth will one day sing is because this strong voice will have reached them and conquered them with grace.
Ascribing What is Due (v. 34)
The right response to this revelation of God's power is to acknowledge it, to attribute it to Him alone.
"Ascribe strength to God; His majesty is over Israel And His strength is in the skies." (Psalm 68:34 LSB)
To "ascribe" strength to God does not mean we are giving Him something He doesn't have. It means we are giving Him the credit for the strength that is inherently His. It is an act of truth-telling. We are confessing that all power, all might, all ability, originates with Him. The world is full of pretenders to the throne of strength. We see it in military might, in economic power, in political influence. But all of these are derivative. They are borrowed. God is the source. To ascribe strength to God is to reject all idolatry of human power.
Notice the parallel structure here. "His majesty is over Israel, and His strength is in the skies." This is not setting up a contrast, but showing two theaters of the same divine operation. God's strength is universally displayed in the heavens, in the clouds, in the created order. No one can escape this general revelation. But His glorious majesty, His special, covenantal presence, is revealed "over Israel." The God who holds the galaxies in place is the same God who tabernacled with His people.
For us, in the new covenant, this means that God's majesty is over the Church, the true Israel of God (Gal. 6:16). His glorious, saving presence is found among His people. The world sees His raw power in the thunderstorm, but they see His saving majesty in the transformed lives of His saints. We are the theater where God displays not just His omnipotence, but His grace, His mercy, and His wisdom. And the world is meant to look at the church and, seeing our good works, glorify our Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16).
The Awesome Giver (v. 35)
The psalm concludes with a final declaration of who God is and what He does, culminating in a burst of praise.
"O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and might to the people. Blessed be God!" (Psalm 68:35 LSB)
God is "awesome from Your sanctuary." The word for awesome here is the same root as the word for fear. It means He is terrible, fearsome, worthy of reverence and awe. And this awe-inspiring power radiates from His dwelling place, whether that is the earthly temple, the highest heaven, or in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Where God is, there is holy dread. This is why our worship must never be flippant or casual. We are coming before the awesome God.
But this verse contains one of the most glorious paradoxes of the faith. This awesome, terrible God is not a hoarder of His power. He is a giver. "The God of Israel Himself gives strength and might to the people." He does not just display His strength for us to admire from a distance. He imparts it. He shares it. The omnipotent God empowers His weak and frail people.
This is the heart of the Christian life. We are not called to live for God in our own strength. That is the essence of legalism and the recipe for burnout and despair. We are called to live by His strength. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). God's grace is sufficient for us, because His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). The Christian is not a strong person who has a little help from God. The Christian is a weak person who has the infinite strength of God at his disposal.
And what is the only appropriate response to this reality? "Blessed be God!" This is not a polite sign-off. It is an explosion of grateful worship. Blessed be the God who is mighty enough to ride the heavens. Blessed be the God who is gracious enough to give that might to His people. Blessed be God for His sovereignty. Blessed be God for His grace. Blessed be God.
Conclusion: From Spectators to Participants
This psalm does not leave us as mere spectators of God's power. It calls us to be participants in His praise and recipients of His strength. The vision of the kingdoms of the earth singing to God is not something we are to passively wait for. We are the instruments God uses to bring it about.
How do the kingdoms of the earth learn to sing praises to the Lord? They learn it when the people of God, filled with the strength of God, go to them with the mighty voice of God, which is the gospel. The Great Commission is the marching order that fulfills the prophecy of this psalm. We are to go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that Christ has commanded (Matt. 28:19-20). And teaching them includes teaching them the songbook of the redeemed.
We do not go in our own strength. We go because the God of Israel Himself gives strength and might to His people. When you feel weak, when the task seems impossible, when the enemies of God seem to be winning, remember this psalm. Remember the God who rides on the heavens. Remember His strong voice. Ascribe to Him the strength that is His, and then ask Him to give you a portion of it for the task at hand.
The story of the world is moving in one direction. It is moving toward a global chorus, a cosmic doxology. Every day, God is adding new voices to that choir. He is calling people out of every tribe and tongue and nation and kingdom. Our job is to be faithful heralds of the King, inviting the world to the coronation, and teaching them the words to the song. And the song is this: Strength belongs to God, He gives it to His people, and for this, He is to be blessed forever.