Psalm 108 Commentary
Shechem, Sukkoth, Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Judah; are portions of land within the Abrahamic land. The LORD is still talking about His promise to settle Israel in the Promised Land. Their mention, therefore, invokes thoughts of God’s faithfulness in still wanting Israel to enjoy rest.
Shechem and Sukkoth are places previously settled by the patriarchs. We can think of the LORD as wanting Israel to possess what belongs to her. In the statement that “Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine,” the LORD is again detailing the scope of work for Israel. Manasseh and Ephraim are huge portions of land that should fully belong to Israel.
The saint can stop here and think about the many areas yet to be conquered. Are there areas in your life that the LORD hasn’t yet claimed?
Moab, Edom, and Philistia are enemy territories. The rule of the LORD extending from Judah (scepter) is such that these trouble spots have been flattened. The thought here is communicating the triumph of the saint over ungodliness, flowing from the rule of Christ in a saved soul.
If there is trouble, the question of who helps the saint quickly comes up. Let the saint understand that human help is worthless. Human help by either self or others is worthless. You cannot fix yourself. You are not your own doctor. And so the psalmist prays: “Give us aid against the enemy.” This is one prayer the LORD will always answer.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalm 100 verse 4.
Therefore, in the first section of this psalm, the psalmist lifts his voice in praise. His heart is committed to it. To awaken the dawn may be a reference to early morning praises. Probably the saint is alone at this point. But he pushes the gears up and sings among the nations. Let the unbelievers hear you speak about the love and faithfulness of the LORD – even when you have a couple of battle fronts, hence section two of the psalm.
One important lesson from here is that praise is not always in isolation from battles. For the godly, praise is actually the fuel of the battleships.
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