What is the meaning of Psalm 78:65?

Then the Lord awoke

– “Then the Lord awoke…” (Psalm 78:65) pictures a decisive moment when God rises to act.

– Scripture often shows saints pleading for this very moment:

• “Awake and rise to my defense…” (Psalm 35:23)

• “Wake up, O Lord! Why do You sleep?” (Psalm 44:23)

– God is never truly inactive; the wording communicates how His renewed intervention feels to His people after a season of discipline (Psalm 78:59-64).

– The Lord’s awakening marks the turning point from judgment to deliverance, just as He did at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:24-25) and against Philistine idols (1 Samuel 5:1-4).

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As from sleep

– The simile “as from sleep” speaks to human perception, not divine weakness; He allows time for repentance, then suddenly rises (Isaiah 51:9-10).

– This delay reveals His patience (2 Peter 3:9) while reminding us that His timing is perfect (Habakkuk 2:3).

– For the faithful remnant, the shift from seeming silence to powerful action encourages steadfast trust (Psalm 121:4; Isaiah 40:31).

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Like a mighty warrior

– Once roused, He fights for His people: “The LORD will march out like a mighty warrior” (Isaiah 42:13).

– Other snapshots of God as warrior:

• “The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is His name” (Exodus 15:3)

• “The LORD is with me like a dread warrior” (Jeremiah 20:11)

– His power overwhelms every foe (Psalm 78:66), foreshadowing Christ’s ultimate victory (Revelation 19:11-16).

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Overcome by wine

– Ancient soldiers, flushed with wine, charged into battle with fearless intensity. The comparison highlights God’s unstoppable zeal, not intoxication.

– Similar imagery links divine wrath with the winepress (Isaiah 63:1-6; Revelation 14:19-20).

– Enemies who thought Israel’s God indifferent now meet His fervent judgment (Psalm 76:6-9), proving that complacency toward sin is fatal (Hebrews 10:31).

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summary

Psalm 78:65 assures believers that the living God, though He may seem silent for a season, will rise with passionate, warrior-like power to defend His covenant people and judge their foes. His “awakening” exposes complacency, strengthens faith, and guarantees that no enemy can stand when the Lord decides it is time to act.