Psalm 68:5-6 "Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation."

“Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God gives the desolate a home to live in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a parched land” (Psalm 68:5-6).

Comment:

This is a complex and confusing psalm that many experts believe is really a collection of unrelated fragments from other psalms. However, it is an affirmation of God as helper of the helpless. Throughout Hebrew Scriptures, widows and orphans are cited as emblematic of helplessness. In a society so strongly patriarchal and familial, a woman without a husband and children without parents were outcasts, without identity and resources. Caring for these most needy persons is an essential part of our spiritual purpose. This passage affirms that God protects the orphans and widows; they may be “imprisoned” by their lack of human status, but their innate relationship to God will lead them out of those prisons. On the other hand, there are others with more status and security in human terms, but their insistence on rebelling against divine guidance will result in a parched and arid life experience.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed