They have seen Your procession, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the maidens playing timbrels. (Psalm 68:24-25)
To truly appreciate what David conveyed by these words, we must understand the context established in the previous verses. Before making the statement above, David spoke of God’s people returning from faraway lands and from the islands of the sea, in the day when God visits retribution upon His enemies. In short, God’s people will return to the land, triumphantly, and witness the Hand of God execute justice upon the wicked, and at the same time, render salvation for the righteous. At that time and, in this manner, God’s people will see “Your procession…into the Sanctuary” — when the redeemed of the nations will flow to Jerusalem to worship the King “in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2).
Let’s add another layer to this: an alternate rendering of this verse says, “They saw Your ways, O God, the ways of my God, my King, in holiness.” This is interpreted to mean that, when God administers justice to the wicked of the world — i.e. “God will wound the head of His enemies” (68:21) — men will witness and understand that God deals with people according to their deeds. Rabbinical commentators expound upon it this way: because He is holy and just, the Almighty will mete out punishment in accordance with the extent of the person’s wickedness, in other words, measure for measure. Because Pharaoh cast the infant sons of Israel into the waters of the Nile, the sons of Egypt were drowned in the waters of the sea. In that instant, God’s ways were made apparent.
When Israel saw the destruction of their once powerful enemies and realized that, for the first time, they were truly free, they broke out into singing; the women joined Miriam with timbrels and dances as they began the procession toward Sinai and their rendezvous with the Most High. The point is: when God moves — and especially in a way that renders salvation and deliverance for His people — men will see and know that He is righteous and just. Throughout history, His Hand has been evident to those who desired to see His holiness and emulate His righteous ways, and He will continue to be revealed to those search for Him with all their hearts.
And finally there is this promise: those who continue in the pursuit of holiness will be gathered from faraway lands and the isles of the sea; He will bring them, in a procession of praise and adoration, to the Sanctuary in His holy mountain. Then the righteous from all ages will be assembled to worship the King in the beauty of holiness.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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