Sing to God
Psalms 68:4 - Worship should be a natural, joyful response to God’s greatness and goodness, showing our love and gratitude for Him.
“Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.”
Psalms 68:4 NIV
It’s always fascinating to find out the history behind each psalm. It’s believed that Psalm 68 was written by David in celebration of the ark of the covenant arriving into Jerusalem as described in 2 Samuel 6. He was also celebrating the fact that God had given Israel victory over its enemies, which made Jerusalem safe enough to become the permanent home of the ark.
The verse begins with a call to worship and should be a reminder to all believers of the importance of vocally praising — singing — to God. Even in biblical times, singing was done communally and with instruments (although not over-amplified as is today’s practice).
A prime example of this can be seen in 2 Chronicles 5:13: “The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” In this case, it was the Levites who were singing and playing instruments to glorify God while Solomon’s temple was being dedicated.
What are believers supposed to do? “Sing in praise of His name”. As you’ve read in other Heaven On Wheels devotionals, a name was more than just a label in Hebrew culture. It actually represented the essence of a person. God’s name — YHWH, Yahweh, Jehovah — represents His eternal omnipresence and faithfulness, and here believers are being encouraged to focus on God’s deeds and His nature.
Photo © 2023, Barbara Sande
The image of God riding the clouds depicts His sovereignty (ruling over everything) and His majesty. Who isn’t awed by the sight of a towering cumulus cloud like the one pictured above? God is portrayed as coming with the clouds in Isaiah 19:1 (“See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt.”) and Daniel 7:13 (“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.”
In the New Testament (Matthew 24:30), Jesus says He will return on clouds - “And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.”
Once again David repeats that believers should “rejoice before Him” and express their gratitude and joy not only for God’s blessings and protection, but for His presence with His people. It’s an encouragement for us to find joy in Him for our salvation and hope of eternal life!
The verse ends with a declaration of “His name is the Lord”. The original Hebrew uses the word יָהּ — yâ — which is a contraction of יְהֹוָה - Yᵊhōvâ (Jehovah). It’s a reminder to those listening to or singing the psalm that God is unique in that He has a living relationship with His people, unlike the false gods of the nations surrounding Israel in biblical times or the many false gods that confront people today.
I see two primary teaching points in this verse. First, it is vitally important to worship God through singing and praising His name. Second, worship should be a natural, joyful response to God’s greatness and goodness, showing our love and gratitude for Him.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I lift my voice to praise You, for You are mighty and worthy of all honor. You ride upon the heavens, and Your name is exalted above all. Fill my heart with joy as I sing of Your greatness, and let my life be a testimony to Your glory. May I always trust in Your power and proclaim Your name with gladness. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.