CHRIST’S GLORIOUS ASCENSION FORETOLD

Lesson 9

Psalm 47:5 and Psalm 68:18

It is rather amazing that the event of the ascension of our Lord and Savior, which seems to receive so little attention in the church of the present day, is referred to so often in the Psalms. As we have seen earlier, Psalm 24 speaks very clearly of this great event in the history of our redemption. But, Psalms 47 and 68 again refer to it very clearly.

There is a difference of opinion among commentators as to the time when Psalm 47 was written and what was the occasion for writing this Psalm. This is a problem with ever so many of the Psalms, in fact, there is a great deal of guess work in regard to the occasion for most of the Psalms. There are a few whose settings seem to be clearly identifiable, but the majority are not. This does not detract from the importance nor from the message of the Psalms. Those who cannot find the occasion for the writing of Psalm 47 usually deny that verse 5 of this Psalm refers to the ascension of our Lord. However, the words themselves seem to point very definitely in the direction of the ascension. The church has used Psalm 47 for many years to sing of the ascension of Jesus Christ.

The Universal King

The entire Psalm 47 speaks of the Kingship of the mighty God of Israel. It may be a small and inglorious people, but their God will finally be King over all lands and over all peoples. This is a wonderful truth for the people of God. They may rejoice in the greatness of their God. Let all the people of the earth rejoice. Let them all clap their hands. Jehovah is worthy of the honor of all the nations. He has subdued all the enemies of God’s people. When the greatness of this God is sung and His mighty deeds are remembered, Israel tells the peoples in song that their God has gone up with a shout! It was a glorious ascension! He rose with martial music! He went up with the sound of the trumpet! This was befitting the greatness of their King. Let all the people of the earth recognize the exalted position of Israel’s God!

Psalm 47 places the ascension of our Lord in the context of the Kingship which God exercises over all that He has made. This point may never be lost from sight when we consider the ascension. How can anyone do justice to the Kingship or the Lordship of Jesus Christ and not give the proper place to His ascension? The church has often impoverished herself in modern times by not giving due emphasis to the ascension of Christ. Those who do not believe the ascension do not have a full gospel! He indeed is Savior by means of His death and resurrection. He shows Himself as Lord through the ascension. Let the church again realize the importance of every step in our redemption. Let the churches again be filled to capacity on Ascension Day! He has gone up with a purpose. Angels rejoice—while those for whom He ascended scarcely take notice.

A Victory Song

While many commentators do not believe that Psalm 47 speaks of the ascension of Jesus Christ, virtually no one doubts that Psalm 68:18 deals with this event. Psalm 68 has a unique place in the hearts of those who know the Dutch versification of this Psalm. The Psalmist speaks of the victories which the God of Israel has obtained over all His enemies. They are not able to stand before Him. His people may rejoice in these victories because in the destruction of His foes He has also destroyed the foes of His people. The Psalmist then describes the way in which God has upheld and has guided His people in the past. They have always been safe. Their God was with them and He led them. Then the writer speaks of the place which God has chosen for His abode. He has picked out the place where His name was to dwell. Bashan and Hermon may be higher in elevation than Mount Zion, but God has chosen Zion to be the place where the ark of God is to dwell –where the name of God will be honored. The Lord has come up from Mount Sinai where He had given His law. That law paved the way for His dwelling to be in Jerusalem permanently. Before Israel could enter Canaan they had to go by the way of Sinai. From Sinai He now comes to show that His dwelling is based on the very firmest foundation possible. From Egypt to Sinai to Calvary to the Mount of the ascension! This is the way of the history made known to God’s people!

Referred to Christ’s Ascension

The Psalmist now mentions the ascension itself: “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led away captives; Thou hast received gifts among men, yea among the rebellious also, that Jehovah God might dwell with them.” That these words indeed refer to the ascension of our Savior is attested by the words of Paul in Eph. 4:8: “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” There also seems to be an allusion to the words of Psalm 68 in Colossians 2:15 where the Apostle writes: “. . . having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Paul indeed quotes Psalm 68:18 differently than we have it in our text, but he nevertheless uses this verse to speak of the ascension of our Lord.

A Home for the Ark

Historically there had been a long delay in finding a proper place for the abode of God in Israel. The ark was taken with the people on their journey through the desert. Even when the people had come into the land of promise and were led by the Judges for many years, there was no permanent place for the dwelling of God. No wonder that David wanted to build Him a house. But, it is not that house, that temple, which is the most important thing; the symbol of His presence is found in the ark! When that ark has arrived on Mount Zion, the place has been found where He will cause His name to dwell forever. That ark came to Mount Zion in the midst of the rejoicing of God’s people. In fact, David is so overcome by the event that he gives gifts to the people! This Psalm now reflects the things which have taken place on that glorious day. Symbolically the Psalmist speaks of the thousands and twenty thousand chariots of God that accompanied Him in His ascent to this place which He had chosen for Himself.

Christ’s Welcome Home

This is the way in which the ascension of Jesus Christ must be seen. He has ascended. He goes above in triumph. He takes His seat at the right hand of the majesty in the heavens. His work has been accomplished. He has left His enemies behind. They have been vanquished. God’s people are now safe. Their Lord is ascended to the throne-room of the universe. He is Lord. Let all adore Him!

When the Psalmist describes the ascension and all that is connected with it, he says that He led away captives. Paul says that “He led captivity captive.” God’s people had been captives again and again. This situation is ended. No longer are the servants of the God of Israel to be held in chains. Not only has He freed them, He destroyed their captors and the place which held them captive. Death and Hell are now captive. So complete is the victory which He has won and which He now celebrates in His ascension.

His Gifts

Psalm 68 speaks of the· fact that the Lord has received gifts from among men. Those who are now held captive by Him have to bring tribute. They are to lay their gifts on the altar of the God of Israel. He hereby simply carries out the usual custom of those who have gained victory over a people, that the people are now to bring gifts of obeisance to the conqueror. Paul, however, speaks of this verse in a different way. He says that “he gave gifts to men.” Is there a contradiction? Not at all. The conqueror indeed receives gifts and He receives them in order that He may distribute these gifts among His people! David gave gifts to the people when they had finally brought the ark to Mount Zion. Christ sends forth His gifts immediately after the ascension. He had told His disciples that that would be one of the glorious results of His leaving them. He would ascend and send the greatest gift imaginable, the Holy Spirit to dwell with them forever. Nor has He ceased to give gifts ever since that time.

His Triumph

The Psalm has spoken of the triumph of Israel’s God over all His enemies and the author now mentions specifically that even the rebellious will bow the knee. These, too, are vanquished. They fought against Him, but, in the final analysis, no one shall be able to withstand Him. His triumph is complete. This is precisely the purpose of our Lord‘s ascension. He has conquered those who had risen against Him, so that He may be able to dwell with them! This may sound like a paradox to many, but, that is the way in which He causes His Kingdom to come. This is understood by His disciples and later by the rest of His people. He does not conquer in the spirit of the conquerors of the ages. He conquers for the benefit of the conquered!

When the ark was safely placed on Mount Zion, the kingdom of Israel could come into its own. This theocracy surely could not function properly as long as the symbolic presence of Israel’s God was far removed from the place which He had designated as His dwelling place. The palace of the King of Israel will have no permanency as long as the ark is not in its proper place. God saw to it that this was accomplished.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is beautiful and it is glorious when we follow our Lord from Bethlehem through Judea and Galilee to the crucifixion and to the resurrection, but it is not complete. True, He already exclaims on the cross: “It is finished.” His resurrection is an evidence of His victory over death and the grave, but He has not yet attained the place which is rightfully His. He must ascend to the place where He was before so that He may not only rule His church, but may rule over all things. The ascension accomplishes it. Christ Jesus is on the throne of the universe. Let all men bow to Him!

Questions for discussion:

1. Is the revelation of God a revelation of events or of words? Or of both? 2. Is it necessary for us to know what the occasion was for the writing of each one of the Psalms? Does it help to know this for the right interpretation? 3. Can we ever say that the one event in the history of our redemption is more important than the other? Can we say that one is of lesser importance than the other? 4. Why does the New Testament often quote the Old Testament in an imprecise way? Is this proper? May we do this? 5. Do we receive more gifts from the ascension of Christ than from most of the other events? Would it be more proper to exchange gifts on Ascension Day than on Christmas Day? Explain. 6. If one believes in the redemption through Christ, but not in His Lordship, does he have a full gospel? Is this deficient faith quite common?    

SUFFERING FOR PRINCIPLE

Lesson 10

Psalm 69

Without a doubt, Psalm 69 is a Messianic Psalm. No other Psalm except, perhaps Psalm 22, is quoted as often in the New Testament. But, when we say that this is a Messianic Psalm it does not mean that the entire Psalm has reference to the Messiah. No, there are parts of the 69th Psalm which speak of the sins committed by the author. This does not in any way refer to Him who knew no sin. But, throughout this Psalm there are phrases and sentences which refer to the Suffering One, the Messiah.

Zeal for God’s House

In order to understand the various comments which the Psalmist makes concerning the sufferings of the Christ, one must see the framework in which he places these sufferings. It is the zeal for the house of the Lord which has eaten Him up. These words came to the minds of the Apostles when they saw the way in which Jesus cleansed the temple of all those who sold sacrificial animals within the temple of God. He would not allow that and made a rope of cords and chased them out of the temple. Besides, He overturned the tables of the moneychangers. This kind of action was certain to bring the wrath of the leaders of the people on His head. However, He did not hesitate! This temple was to be the house of prayer and not a place for merchandise. Our Lord honored the principle –and because He did so, those in authority never forgave Him but opposed Him with all their might. The disciples knew the Scriptures and the words of Psalm 69:9 came to their minds at once. They, however, also knew the Scriptures well enough to realize that their Lord had now opened the way to all the persecutions the author of Psalm 69 endured. Anyone who honors the basic principles which God bas laid down in His word can expect persecution.

Not only did our Lord honor these principles, He says that the zeal for the house of God has consumed Him. This is far more than holding to certain principles. It is His meat and drink to do the will of Him who has sent Him. Let them keep their hands off the house of God. Let them return to the word which He has spoken. Let them recognize this place as the house of prayer. The Reformers gained strength from this word of Scripture. That zeal for the things of God is all too often wanting. The “antithesis” as our Lord lived it and as our father s proclaimed it, is seldom found today. Then there is no suffering for the cause of Christ, but there are also no triumphs in His name!

Rejection

There is some doubt whether David wrote this Psalm. Some scholars believe that the contents of this Psalm fit the time and person of Jeremiah better than David. This may well be true. There are, however, various statements in this Psalm which remind one very much of the contents of Psalm 22. When the Psalmist begins by saying that the waters are come to his soul, that he is come into deep waters where he is not able to stand and that his throat is dry by virtue of crying out, we have the teaching of Psalm 22. However, he goes on. He complains that there are so many who hate him without cause that he is not able to number them. He has become a stranger to his brethren and an alien to his mother’s children. But those are the things which come upon the head of Him who upholds the principles which God has laid down at all costs. Then even those who are the most closely related to him, even by ties of blood, turn against him. This was the experience of our Lord. We read that even His brethren did not believe on Him. They also heaped their scorn upon Him during the time of His earthly ministry. It was only later , after the resurrection and after Pentecost, that at least some of His brothers according to the flesh believed on Him and even received high positions among the believers.

When one’s zeal is as great as this Psalm says concerning the Christ, there will naturally be conflicts. A Nicodemus was ready to accept Him as a Rabbi sent by God. But, He doesn’t accept this. His zeal does not permit it. His zeal is so great that there are those who wonder about His sanity later. His zeal does not turn away even from the cross. Here we see obedience at its highest. Here we see true zeal at its best. It consumes Him! And . . . He will be consumed by it!

The Suffering Messiah

The Messianic passages are interlaced with the various comments made about a sinner as everyone else is. The Psalmist speaks of himself and then of Christ. This Psalm must therefore be read very carefully. The writer of this Psalm has, no doubt, been very zealous for t he things of God. Elijah claims that he too had been very zealous for His God and that was the reason others now wanted to kill him. But, these words are not applicable to anyone in the way they are applicable to the suffering servant of Jehovah! No one has exhibited such zeal. No one has been so faithful. He maintains the honor of God even though it will cost Him His life. The disciples realize this so early in His ministry (John 2:17).

In his “Messiah,” Handel refers to the words found in Psalm 69:20: “Reproach has broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.” Although the New Testament does not quote these exact words, they nevertheless give us a clear picture of that which the suffering Savior endured. The reproaches of His people were as a dagger in His soul. He was fully human . . . it broke his heart! Where shall He find comfort or a comforter in the midst of His own sufferings? There was none. He had to bear it all alone. No one made His suffering easier. His own disciples augmented His suffering. The suffering of Jesus Christ has such a central part in the teaching of Scripture so that it may be said that no one can understand the Scriptures until he has first come to grips with the teaching of the sufferings of the Man of Sorrows. There, in the sufferings of Jesus Christ, there at the cross, we see how great our sins and miseries are. There we see what it took to pay the ransom! No, comforter s are not to be found on the via dolorosa! Even His God does not comfort Him there. The reproaches of His people strike deep into His heart; but when God forsakes Him! Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 together with Psalm 69 give us an unmistakably clear picture of the coming sufferings of the Messiah. No suffering Messiah, says the Jew. Then you will sing Psalms 22 and 69 until you are hoarse, but will never understand them!

In verse 21 the writer speaks even more specifically concerning the sufferings of Christ. It is said sometimes that Isaiah 53 could have been written at the foot of the cross. The same could be said of this verse. “They gave me also gall for my food; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” These words were literally fulfilled on t he cross. Jesus had cried out: “I thirst.” Immediately they gave him this mixture of gall and vinegar to drink. They are t he ones who are fulfilling the Scriptures which they know so well. It must have been difficult for them when they returned to their homes that night after the crucifixion and realized that they had done these things to Him who they despised. The Scriptures will be fulfilled! Whether deliberately or unwittingly, they are the instruments in the hand of God to cause to come to pass that which He had spoken so many centuries ago.

Although there are many similarities between the content of Psalm 22 and Psalm 69, they are by no means the same. Psalm 69 proceeds on the assumption that everything is seen from the point of view of His zeal for the house of the Lord. This element is lacking in Psalm 22. Thus, even though two passages of the Scriptures may sound similar, their similarity is often not as great as might appear on the surface. Those in the Old dispensation who stood up for their beliefs suffered, so did the Christ, so will all those who have the mind of Christ and walk in His way. Despite the promise of this world that it will tolerate the various views of Christianity, it will never tolerate the kind of zeal which characterized our Lord and those who were His most devoted followers.

Plea for Judgment

Mention is still made in this Psalm concerning the desolation of the habitation of those who have done great wickedness. The Apostles realize immediately that these words refer to Judas. He had lost his place in the Apostolic college and his house was left desolate. These are also the words which introduce a section wherein the writer speaks of the great wickedness of those who have persecuted him. He is then ready with his judgment on them. He asks that such may be blotted out of the book of life. He hopes that there will be no forgiveness for those who have done these awful deeds. He then contrasts his own life with that of these workers of iniquity.

Although this is indeed a Messianic Psalm, this latter part does not breathe the spirit of Jesus Christ but rather the spirit of one who seeks vengeance. When He was reviled, He reviled not again. He prayed for those who despitefully used Him. He prayed for the transgressors! If the injury and sorrow which came upon Jesus Christ had come upon a mere mortal, what vindictiveness we would have seen. This again reveals our Lord in His wonderful forgiving love. Nowhere do we see our sin and misery as clearly as in His suffering, and nowhere do we see His love more clearly than in His suffering and death.

The Messianic Psalms are important to reveal Jesus Christ to us in prophecy. We see Him then in contrast to the various experiences of men of God of the past. He always shines as the all–together lovely One. He patterned His own life after the Scriptures which spoke of Him. We may not neglect these Scriptures!

Questions for discussion:

1. What is included in “the zeal for thine house”? 2. Why should the “zeal” of the Man of Sorrows be the reason for the hatred of those who prayed for that same zeal? 3. Can anyone read the account of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ and logically not believe in total depravity? 4. Did men hate Him without cause? 5. Catholicism makes much of the broken heart of Christ. May we also speak of this broken heart? Explain. 6. Didn’t Jesus ask for the vinegar which they gave Him?