Proclaiming God’s Will and Victory

Psalm 68 was written over 2,000 years ago by King David. How could a victory song by an ancient king be relevant to our lives today?

I recently attended Foundation Institute (FI) by God’s grace and the generosity of my Church brethren. Their donations, combined with my fund-raising efforts, provided the exact amount I needed for tuition at FI. I’m convinced that God helped and made it possible for me to attend FI this past year. 

Divine intervention

This may seem like a small miracle to some, but it was very meaningful to me. It showed God’s involvement in my life. The other students of my FI class had similar stories. I recently shared this with some other Church members, and I could tell that they were surprised and encouraged.

A closer look at Psalm 68:11

At the time I didn’t think anything of sharing the story, but I realized something when I read a particular verse in Psalm 68. This psalm was written by David about a military victory. Verse 11 caught my attention. It reads: “The Lord gave the word; great was the company of those who proclaimed it.”

The English Standard Version translates it slightly differently: “The Lord gives the word; the women who announce the news are a great host” (emphasis added). Similarly, the New American Standard Bible puts it: “The Lord gives the command; the women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host.”

These translations, as well as many others, clearly say that women were a part of announcing the military victory, which the song is about. BibleHub.com gives a number of resources that show this was likely talking about women announcing the news.

An ancient custom?

In ancient Israel it was a custom for the women to dance and sing as part of rejoicing in victories. In Exodus 15, after the crossing of the Red Sea, Miriam took an instrument and began to sing and dance, praising God and rehearsing the events that led up to that victory and how God had intervened: “Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!” (verse 21). There are also many more examples of this in the Bible, including Judges 11:34; 21:21; and 1 Samuel 18:6-7. 

What really caught my attention was a comment from Barnes’ Notes on the Bible:

“The idea here is, that when there was a proclamation of war—when God commanded his people to go out to battle, and to take with them the ark, the females of the land—the singers—were ready to make known the proclamation; to celebrate the will of the Lord by songs and dances; to cheer and encourage their husbands, brothers, and fathers, as they went out to the conflict.”

An attitude of celebration

Sometimes it can be hard to accept God’s will if it’s different from our own. I’m sure that some of the women had a hard time accepting that their husbands, brothers, fathers and sons had to go to battle. But since it was according to God’s will, they sang it out with joy. Knowing God’s will for us is one of the greatest blessings we can have.

How can we proclaim God’s will and victory today?

As Christians, we always strive to obey God’s commandments—but what is our attitude like? Do we celebrate the will of God in our lives? Do we joyfully share God’s victories in our lives? What about trials or difficulties for our friends and family? Do we encourage others in our lives with a reminder that God’s will is being worked out and that He will ultimately prevail? Let’s look toward the example of the women of Israel and do these things with joy and thanksgiving.

To learn more, read “What Is God’s Will for You?”

Tammy Valley is a member of COGWA in Houston, Texas, and a recent graduate of Foundation Institute.