Psalms 78:68

My Notes

What Does Psalms 78:68 Mean?

The psalmist recalls God's sovereign choice: but chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.

But chose (bachar — to select, to pick out, to elect deliberately) — the choosing is divine initiative. God selected Judah — not because Judah was the largest, the most righteous, or the most impressive tribe. The choosing was God's prerogative, based on God's purposes, not on Judah's qualifications.

The tribe of Judah — the context (v.67) establishes the contrast: moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: but chose the tribe of Judah. The tabernacle had been at Shiloh in Ephraim's territory (v.60). God rejected Shiloh/Ephraim and chose Judah. The rejection of the old center (Shiloh) and the election of the new center (Zion) is a sovereign, unrequested, God-initiated transfer of the place of his presence.

The mount Zion — the specific location within Judah that God chose: Mount Zion, the hilltop in Jerusalem where David placed the ark and Solomon built the temple. Zion is not geographically impressive — it is not the tallest mountain or the most strategic location. The choosing is not based on natural advantage. It is based on divine love.

Which he loved (ahav — to love, to desire, to delight in) — the choosing is motivated by love. God did not choose Zion by calculation. He chose it by love. The mountain is loved — desired, delighted in, the object of divine affection. The location where God chose to dwell is the location God loved. The dwelling and the loving are inseparable.

Verse 69 elaborates: he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever. The sanctuary on Zion is compared to the permanence of the earth itself. God built — the sanctuary is God's construction, not David's or Solomon's. And the building is permanent: like the earth — established, enduring, reflecting the permanence of God's love for the place he chose.

The verse teaches that God's election — of a tribe, of a mountain, of a people — is motivated by love and executed by sovereignty. The choice is God's. The love is God's. The building is God's. And the permanence reflects the character of the one who chose.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What does God choosing Judah over Ephraim reveal about the sovereign, unrequested nature of divine election?
• 2.Why does the text say God chose Zion because he 'loved' it — and what does love-motivated election mean?
• 3.How does Zion's unimpressive geography parallel the unimpressive qualifications of those God typically chooses?
• 4.How does knowing you were chosen by love (not merit) change the way you understand your own election in Christ?

Devotional

But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved. Chose. The word is sovereign election — God selecting, picking, deciding. And the decision was not based on Judah's qualifications or Zion's strategic value. It was based on love. Which he loved — the mountain God chose was the mountain God loved. The choosing and the loving are the same action.

Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim (v.67). The old center was rejected. Shiloh — where the tabernacle stood in Ephraim — was set aside. Not because Ephraim was worthless. Because God chose differently. The sovereignty of the choice is established by the rejection that accompanied it: God said no to Ephraim so he could say yes to Judah. The election involves both selection and rejection.

The mount Zion. Not the tallest mountain. Not the most strategically positioned. Not the most naturally impressive location in the land. A hill — modest, unspectacular, chosen not for its height but for God's love. The most important location in biblical history was selected by affection, not advantage. God does not choose what is impressive. He chooses what he loves — and his choosing makes it significant.

Which he loved. The love is the explanation. Why Judah? Love. Why Zion? Love. Why this mountain and not that one? Love. The choosing of God is not random or arbitrary. It is love-driven — the sovereign selection of a God who desires what he chooses and chooses what he desires. You cannot separate the election from the affection. The chosen is the loved.

If you are in Christ, you are the chosen. The same love that selected Zion selected you (Ephesians 1:4: chosen in him before the foundation of the world). The same affection that made an unimpressive hilltop the center of God's presence makes an unimpressive person the temple of the Holy Spirit. You were not chosen because you were impressive. You were chosen because you were loved. And the love that chose you is the same love that chose Zion — sovereign, deliberate, and permanent.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture