Asaph offers us a brief invocation followed by an oracle message from God. The underlying theme is fundamental to the Ancient Near Eastern understanding of how God operates within His Creation. As the feudal Sovereign Lord, He comes to visit and His approach means different things to different people. He comes to wipe away sin; those who cling to their sin will be wiped away with it. The cleansing will come as a relief to those longing for His holiness. That His visit likely brings suffering to all, in one form or another, is taken for granted.
Thus, the invocation notes that God’s approach, the nearness of His authority (“name”), is a rich blessing worthy of thanks. A sudden rush of mighty miracles is the herald of His approach. The rest of the psalm quotes God.
God alone decides when His visit is appropriate; He calls the assembly according to ineffable wisdom of His whims. In rather literal terms, His Presence dissolves the fallen realm of existence and exposes the original image of what God intended. However, we understand this in the parabolic sense that He brings His power to bear against sin and to make His moral character plainer to our human eyes.
He comes against human boasting, and shatters human pretense. In the Hebrew world, the sharp horns of any large ruminant represented its power and authority. Thus, objects made from horns or artistic representations of horns (such as the raised corners of an altar) represented at least a pretense to divine authority. God says it is for Him to pass judgment on any such claim to authority; let none raise a horn in His Presence for fear of being treated as arrogant against His authority.
There is a break in the oracle here as the psalmist puts into proper perspective God’s authority. No place that any fallen human could go — symbolized by mention of the four cardinal compass directions — nor the whole world together, offers sufficient power for a to human secure his place in history. God alone decides who will be elevated or struck down. Human political affairs that matter to God are entirely in His control. In the end, all human authority that ignores God’s Laws will drain the cup of His wrath. For his part, Asaph will celebrate that this same God has chosen Israel.
One final quote from God: He will break down the authority of the wicked and confirm His support for those who cling to His revelation.
