MORE GLORIOUS THAN THE MOUNTAINS

God’s covenant people knew His name, His dwelling place, and His power, vv. 1-3. These three sum up all that a man needs to know about his God. “His name” is more than a designation to distinguish the God of Israel from the gods of the nations, for in the Bible a person’s name implies his character, in the same way as we speak today of a man’s “good name”.

God’s character is “more glorious than the mountains of prey”. If we accept that this psalm was written to commemorate the taking of Jebus, the mountainous stronghold that became mount Zion, then the “mountains of prey” refer to the impregnable fortress hitherto unconquered. God always conquers His dwelling place, taking it from the power of an enemy who relinquishes it unwillingly.

The spoken rebuke from the God of Jacob is enough to stop and render powerless the most formidable foe, v. 6. God acts in grace towards His own (remember Jacob), but in judgment towards His enemies, vv. 7-9. He acts on behalf of “the meek (or lowly) of the earth”, v. 9. Whenever the people of God acknowledge their own inadequacy in the face of a superior foe, God is always willing to act for them.

Such is the superiority of God in controlling the affairs of men, then even when in His permissive will He allows “the wrath of man” to manifest itself, even this will eventually praise Him. We have no greater example of this than in the cross; there the wrath of man was allowed its full course, and the Victim was God’s own Son. However, Calvary now brings great praise to Him in heaven and on earth. Many times since there have been instances of temporary trouble for the people of God turning eventually to perpetual praise to Him. God is indeed “more glorious and excellent” than all His enemies; although He allows their wrath, He does not allow it to run its full course for the “remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain”, v. 10. Although other translations vary slightly in this latter verse, it is nevertheless true that God overrules man’s evil will. The Saul who breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples, Acts 9. 1, became Paul the apostle “through the will of God”, 1 Cor. 1. 1. Our response is that of the psalmist, “let all … bring presents unto him”, v. 11.