Listen:  120.3

To get a proper understanding of that verse, let’s read Psalms 68:1-3, “To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David.  Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.  As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.”

This psalm was obviously sung when the Ark of the Covenant was being moved.  Let’s compare this with the very similar language we read in Numbers 10:35, when the ark was being moved, “And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.”  We might think of this as seeking the Lord’s presence and guidance to lead us in the direction He would have us to go.

As the Lord leads, we look for Him to disperse our enemies before us so that our journey might be safe and victorious.  There can be no victory in the journey if the Lord is not leading the way.  Moses’ remarks to the Lord in Exodus 33:15 show us how vital it is that the Lord lead us.  We read there, “And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.”  It is so important that we ask the Lord for His guidance to ensure His presence and strength.  King David prayed in Psalms 25:5, “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”

Who are the Lord’s enemies?  It is those who reject Him as Lord and savior.  They become enemies by their hatred of the Lord and His people.  The Lord Jesus tells us in John 15:18-19, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

In verse 2 of Psalm 68, the enemy is compared to smoke and wax.  Smoke, being driven away by even the slightest wind, speaks of instability.  The wind blows the smoke away so completely that there is no trace of it left behind.  Wax is hard by itself, but is completely helpless against the heat, and will melt away.  The smoke is frail and the melting wax is helpless against the heat.  So are our enemies before the Lord.  As smoke, they darken the sky with their evil and their pride.  As wax, they are hard-hearted, vain, and prideful.  However, in the presence of the Lord, our enemies are brought to naught.   Psalms 37:20 assures us, “But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.”

But, to us who know the Lord Jesus as our savior, we rejoice in the power and love of the Lord.  Let’s read Psalms 68:3 again, “But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.”  Notice the order in this verse.  The righteous, or saved, are glad, they rejoice, and they greatly rejoice in the presence of the Lord.  To be in His presence is not a thing to be feared, but rather something to greatly rejoice in.  Psalms 16:11 tells us, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”  (120.3)