Commentary - Psalm 78:65-72

Bird's-eye view

This final section of Psalm 78 brings the long, sorrowful history of Israel's rebellion to a glorious and decisive conclusion. Asaph has spent the bulk of this psalm recounting the cycle of Israel's sin and God's judgment, followed by God's mercy, followed by more sin. It is a grim story. But history is not a hamster wheel; it is a story going somewhere. And here, the story takes its pivotal turn. God's apparent slumber during the time of the judges and the corruption at Shiloh was not indifference. It was the quiet before the storm of His decisive action.

The passage describes a great tectonic shift in Israel's history. God rouses Himself like a warrior, rejects the premier tribe of Joseph and Ephraim, and makes a sovereign, unilateral choice. He chooses Judah. He chooses Zion. And He chooses David. This is not a democratic election; it is a divine appointment. The establishment of the monarchy in David and the sanctuary on Zion is God’s answer to the chaos and apostasy that marked the previous era. This is God taking His rebellious people in hand and giving them a shepherd, a king who is a type of the great Shepherd-King to come, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 78 is a Maschil, a psalm of instruction. It is one of the great historical psalms, alongside Psalms 105, 106, and 136. Its purpose is to teach the coming generations about the mighty acts of God and the persistent unbelief of His people, so that they might set their hope in God and not forget His works (vv. 1-8). The psalm traces Israel's history from the Exodus through the wilderness wanderings, the conquest, and the period of the judges. The recurring theme is God's faithfulness in the face of Israel's faithlessness. This final section (vv. 65-72) serves as the climax of that history, showing how God sovereignly resolved the crisis of leadership and worship that had plagued the nation for centuries.

This resolution is not just a political arrangement; it is a redemptive-historical turning point. The choice of Judah and David sets the stage for the entire Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7) and ultimately points to the coming of the Messiah, the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Son of David.

Verse by Verse Commentary

v. 65 Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep, As if He were a warrior overcome by wine.

The language here is striking, what we call anthropomorphic. It is designed to get our attention, and perhaps to make the religiously prim among us a little uncomfortable. Of course, the God who neither slumbers nor sleeps (Ps. 121:4) does not actually doze off. The "sleep" is a metaphor for His patience, His holding back of judgment during the period of Israel's deep sin, particularly the wickedness at Shiloh when the Ark was captured (vv. 59-64). It seemed as though God was inactive, but He was not. And when the time came for Him to act, it was sudden and dramatic. The image is of a mighty warrior who, having taken his rest, leaps to his feet with a shout, full of vigor and ready for battle. The comparison to a warrior "overcome by wine" is not to suggest drunkenness, but rather the boisterous, unrestrainable, and loud energy of a man roused to action. God's intervention was not quiet or subtle; it was a thunderous affair.

v. 66 He struck His adversaries backward; He put on them an everlasting reproach.

When God acts, it is decisive. The "adversaries" here are primarily the Philistines, who had captured the Ark and humiliated Israel. God struck them with tumors and routed them (1 Samuel 5-6). He turned their victory into a source of shame. The point is that God vindicates His own name. The reproach was "everlasting" because this defeat would be remembered as a permanent testimony to the folly of trifling with the God of Israel. When God's people are unfaithful, He may use their enemies to discipline them, but He will never allow His own glory to be ultimately tarnished. He will always have the last word, and it will be a word of judgment on His enemies and, as we shall see, a word of grace for His people.

v. 67 He also rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

Here is the great turning point. The "tent of Joseph" refers to the tabernacle at Shiloh, which was in the territory of Ephraim. For centuries, Ephraim, the tribe of Joshua, had held the preeminent position among the tribes of Israel. They were the leaders, the most powerful tribe in the northern confederation. But their leadership had culminated in the corruption of the priesthood under Eli's sons and the loss of the Ark. So God, in His absolute sovereignty, rejects them. This is a stark reminder that God's blessing is not a birthright that can be presumed upon. Proximity to the means of grace is no guarantee of grace itself. God is not bound to our traditions or our expectations. He is free to choose and to reject according to His own good pleasure.

v. 68 But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved.

And here is the other side of that sovereign coin: divine election. God's rejection of Ephraim was not so that there would be no leader, but so that He could install His chosen leader. He "chose the tribe of Judah." This was not because Judah was morally superior; the history of Judah in Genesis is sordid enough to disabuse us of that notion. It was a choice of sheer grace. And with the tribe, He chose the place: "Mount Zion which He loved." God's love here is a covenantal, choosing love. He set His affection on this particular mountain in Jerusalem to be the place where His name would dwell. The political capital and the spiritual center of the nation were now to be united in one place, chosen by God Himself.

v. 69 And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has founded forever.

The sanctuary God established on Zion was to be a place of permanence and stability. It was built "like the heights," meaning it was exalted, visible, and secure, like the high heavens. And it was founded "like the earth," which God established to be firm and lasting. This contrasts sharply with the portable tabernacle that had moved from place to place. God was signaling a new era of stability for His people under His chosen king and in His chosen city. This earthly sanctuary, of course, was a type and shadow of the true, heavenly sanctuary, and of the church of Jesus Christ, which is founded on the rock and against which the gates of hell will not prevail (Matt. 16:18).

v. 70 He also chose David His servant And took him from the sheepfolds;

Having chosen the tribe and the place, God now chooses the man. The choice is again an exercise of pure sovereignty. He "chose David His servant." Notice the humility of the origin: He "took him from the sheepfolds." God did not go to the established schools of power or the noble houses. He went to the pasture. He bypassed all of Saul's sons and all of Jesse's older, more impressive sons to select the youngest, the one out keeping the sheep. God delights in exalting the humble and using the unexpected to accomplish His purposes, so that no flesh may glory in His presence (1 Cor. 1:27-29).

v. 71 From following the nursing ewes He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance.

The training ground for the king of Israel was the sheep pasture. David's task was simply magnified. He went from shepherding four-legged sheep to shepherding the two-legged sheep of God's own flock. The skills were transferable: care, protection, guidance, and courage. He learned to fight lions and bears in order to protect his father's flock, and this prepared him to fight Goliaths in order to protect God's flock. The people are described as "Jacob His people" and "Israel His inheritance." They belong to God. David is an undershepherd, appointed by the Great Shepherd to care for His precious possession.

v. 72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And led them with his skillful hands.

The psalm ends with this summary of David's reign. It was characterized by two essential qualities of leadership: character and competence. He had "the integrity of his heart." Despite his grievous sins, for which he deeply repented, the basic orientation of David's heart was toward God. He was a man after God's own heart. And he had "skillful hands." He was not just a well-intentioned bungler. He was a competent warrior, a wise administrator, a gifted musician, and a brilliant leader. God equipped the man He called. This combination of integrity and skill is the foundation of all true godly leadership, and it finds its perfect and ultimate expression in the Lord Jesus, the Son of David, who shepherds His people with a perfect heart and rules all things with hands that are infinitely skillful.

Application

The central lesson of this passage is the absolute sovereignty of God in the work of salvation and in the ordering of history. We are constantly tempted to think that God is somehow bound by our plans, our traditions, or our sense of what is important. This psalm reminds us that God is utterly free. He rejected the established leadership of Ephraim and chose the unlikely tribe of Judah. He passed over the impressive and chose a shepherd boy.

This should be a profound encouragement to us. Our salvation does not depend on our pedigree, our natural talents, or our strategic importance. It depends entirely on God's free and gracious choice. He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, not because we were worthy, but simply because He loved us. Just as He chose David from the sheepfold, He calls us out of our own obscurity and sin to be part of His people.

Furthermore, this passage shows us that God's answer to the chaos of human sin is to provide a true shepherd. David was a good shepherd, but he was an imperfect one. He points us to the great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. When our lives, our churches, or our nations are in turmoil, the solution is not a new program or a better committee. The solution is to look to the King whom God has chosen, the Lord Jesus. He rules with perfect integrity and infinite skill. Our task is to submit to His shepherding, to trust in His care, and to follow where He leads.