Embrace the Word for Wednesday, August 26, 2026
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Psalm 108 declares the certainties of triumph. This Psalm of David expresses great confidence that the LORD will grant the king victory over his enemies and thus, bring salvation to His people. Other than a few minor differences, Psalm 108 is essentially a combination of Psalm 57:7-11 and Psalm 60:5-12. It seems that David borrowed from Psalms that he previously composed and formed a new Psalm for a new occasion. The focus of Psalm 108 is not what David had done in the past, but what a new Davidic king will do in the future. After the opening Psalm of Book 5 of the Psalter, which underscored the fact that the LORD would redeem and gather His exiled people, the next three Psalms are each Davidic. When the Davidic line was broken at the end of Book 3, the Psalmist asked: “Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David?” (See Psalm 89:49). Book 5 quickly addresses the future of the Davidic dynasty with three Psalms of David. Not only does a new Exodus await Israel, so too will there be a new David. This new David will regather the exiles to the Land (Psalm 108); experience a betrayal but ultimate vindication (Psalm 109); and conquer all the world in great triumph (Psalm 110). Psalm 108 begins with praise to the LORD (108:1-4), then prays for the salvation of the people (108:5-6), before he rehearses the LORD’s promises of victory (108:7-9), and closes with a prayer for the LORD to secure such victory (108:10-13).
Psalm 108 opens with a declaration of stability and song: “My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being!” (108:1). David’s statement of a steadfast heart is not a self-accomplishment. David’s heart is steadily rooted in the sure promises of the covenant that the LORD made with him. David’s heart was steadfast in the LORD previously (See Psalm 57:7) because of the LORD, and the future Davidic king will also have a heart that is steadfast in the LORD. Out of the overflow of this steadfast heart in the LORD, David gladly resolves to sing the praises of the One who has made his heart steadfast. His resolution to sing is without reservation. Not only will David have instruments to accompany his glad singing, he himself is so eagerly determined to get started with the song that he purposes to start as the first matter of the day: “Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn!” (108:2). As David wakes everyone up with his glad singing, he is explicit about who will be the focus of the song: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds” (108:3-4). As David sings, he demonstrates his grasp that the promises to Abraham extend to all the nations, as the steadfast love and faithfulness of the LORD reaches to the whole realm of existence.
David moves from praise to prayer: “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!” (108:5). David wanted his praise of the LORD to extend to all the nations, for he desired that the mighty and magnificent love and faithfulness of the LORD be shown throughout the entire realm of creation so that it might be seen by the whole created order. While not explicitly stated, it seems reasonable that David is praying that LORD’s glory be displayed through the implementation of the Davidic covenant. Such an idea is not to suggest that he wants to be exalted, but that David simply wants to see the LORD do what He promised He would do through the Davidic line of kings. David also realizes that when the LORD displays His glory through the implementation of the Davidic covenant, it will mean salvation and deliverance for the LORD’s people: “That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer me!” (108:6). The power of God, which is probably what the phrase “by your right hand” means, will be gloriously displayed in the salvation of the ones whom the LORD loves. David knows that he does not have to decide between the LORD displaying His glory and the LORD delivering His people, for David is aware of the truth that the glory of the LORD and the salvation of the LORD’s people are inseparable realities.
After David moved from praise to prayer, he next moves to the promises of the LORD. The LORD made promises to Abraham and now those promises are linked to—that is, accomplished through—the promises made to David. So David recites God’s own declaration of just what He said He would do: “God has promised in his holiness: “With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter. Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.” (108:7-9). David prefaces his quote of the LORD by qualifying that what the LORD promised was done by the holiness of the LORD. What David means by such a qualifier is the reminder that the LORD is no mere mortal whose words may or may not be true and even may or may not come to pass. The God who is wholly other and is morally perfect has made a declaration. This One True God is owner of the whole earth and sovereign over all inhabitants of the earth. What He says, comes to pass. With exultation, that is, with gladness, the LORD will take possession of “Shechem,” which was the heart of the Promised Land on the west side of the Jordan; and also “the Valley of Succoth,” which was that Land on the east side of the Jordan. Furthermore, the LORD declares that “Gilead,” which was the hill country on the east side of Jordan, and “Manasseh,” which was also on the east side of the Jordan, were his. Pressing further, the LORD makes known that “Ephraim,” which was the northern region on the west side of the Jordan; and “Judah,” the tribe from which king David came, were all His as well. Ephraim was the northern protector, that is “my helmet,” while Judah was the kingly tribe, that is “my scepter.” Finally, the LORD announces what He would do with three perennial enemies of Israel: “Moab” was to the east, “Edom” to the southeast, and “Philistia” to the west. Moab would be degraded as a nation, Edom would be greatly dishonored, and Philistia would simply be profoundly defeated. The LORD, as He proclaimed in Psalm 106 and Psalm 107, would gather His people from the nations, and then He rule over all nations.
David’s recitation of the promises of the LORD moved him to make a plea to the LORD: “Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies” (108:10-11). On the basis of what the LORD has said, David asks for the LORD’s help to see the LORD’s promises come to pass. Edom was an ungodly nation and a persistent threat to David and Israel. David expresses that the only way the destruction of Edom’s fortified city and the defeat of the people of Edom will come about is by the powerful hand of the LORD. If the LORD does not go out with His armies, then victory will not take place. Should the LORD reject His people, they will never triumph. David is simply stating his awareness of their utter dependence on the LORD. So David pleas: “Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes” (108:12-13). While David is certain that he cannot do anything without the LORD, he is also certain that he can do all that is necessary with the LORD. David, or perhaps the future David can be valiant, that is be strong, for the LORD will tread down his foes through him.
As we reflect on Psalm 108, we can consider the missionary authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the final Son of David. It is Jesus who has claim on the nations. After His resurrection, Jesus charged and empowered His church to extend the dominion of His kingdom to the ends of the earth: “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (See Matthew 28:18-20). The dominion of the kingdom is extended as the church makes disciples through the proclamation of the Gospel. As the Risen Lord, Jesus is Lord of all and Lord over all. Jesus can rightfully claim “Mine” to all things. The Lord promises a special manifestation of His presence as His people proclaim His saving rule. In the strength that the Lord provides, His church takes the message of Christ to the ends of the earth: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (See Acts 1:8).
That’s all for Embrace the Word for Wednesday, August 26, 2026. I look forward to being back with you for the Friday, August 28, 2026 episode of Embrace the Word as we take a look at Psalm 109.