Psalms

Some commentators and bible scholars believe this Psalm was written to commemorate and celebrate the destruction of Sennacherib's army of Assyria.  You can read about this in 2 Kings 18 and 19.  Then verses 8-12 seem to be prophetic of when messiah will judge the earth. 

To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

 ¹ In Judah God is known;
         His name is great in Israel.
 ² In Salem also is His tabernacle,
         And His dwelling place in Zion.

Someone once said that the Holy of Holies in the temple, in Jerusalem was the center of the universe.  For all we know, that may be true.  For the Israelites it was certainly true.  This was the dwelling place of God.  It was where they went to meet Him, to worship Him, and sacrifice and seek after Him.  We should always take great care to keep God at the center of all we are and all we do.  There can be no substitute.  Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.......says put God and the center and everything else revolves around Him.

 ³ There He broke the arrows of the bow,
         The shield and sword of battle.  Selah  
God disarmed the enemy.  They were the mightiest army on the earth.  They were known for their fierce warriors and their brutality.  They struck fear and men and nations at that time.  Yet, this army thought more of itself than it ought.  They were merely a tool of God.  They defied the God of Israel and God responded.  An army with no ability to break things and kill people is no longer an army.       

  
 ⁴ You are more glorious and excellent
         Than the mountains of prey.

The meaning of the mountains of prey isn't clear.  The Psalmist seems to draw a contrast of God's working from Mt Zion with that of other mountains.  The mountains of prey may just be poetic language to describe this massive army that preyed on all who wandered within its reach.

Isaiah 31:4-5 (NKJV)

For thus the Lord has spoken to me: "As a lion roars, And a young lion over his prey (When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him, He will not be afraid of their voice Nor be disturbed by their noise), So the Lord of hosts will come down To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill. ⁵ Like birds flying about, So will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it."

 ⁵ The stouthearted were plundered;
         They have sunk into their sleep;
         And none of the mighty men have found the use of their hands.
 ⁶ At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
         Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.
There is no doubt the deliverance came from the Lord.  No one mistakes this for anything else.  At the word of God they had no ability to offer any resistance at all.  They were brought to nothing instantly.

 ⁷ You, Yourself, are to be feared;
         And who may stand in Your presence
         When once You are angry?

Who can withstand the anger of God?  We all deserve His wrath. 

 ⁸ You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
         The earth feared and was still,
 ⁹ When God arose to judgment,
         To deliver all the oppressed of the earth.  Selah  
Imagine the response of the earth when God's judgment comes from heaven.  The earth will be struck silent and still when God moves. 

         
 ¹⁰ Surely the wrath of man shall praise You;
         With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.
How can the wrath of man praise God?  The taunts and arrogant attitude of an army that seemingly couldn't be defeated was turned to praise to God when the taunts were silenced and the army was destroyed.  Every man knew that what was done came from God.

         
 ¹¹ Make vows to the LORD your God, and pay them;
         Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared.
 ¹² He shall cut off the spirit of princes;
         He is awesome to the kings of the earth.

Every nation, every army, every man should fear God and give thanks and praise to Him.  God is sovereign.  He uses the princes of the earth for His purpose, when He is done they will be cut off.  Compared to the mightiest king, He is eminent.  He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  There is no time when God is worried about an army.  There is no time when God is not in perfect control of all that happens in this world.