Preparing to Meet God: Reflections on Psalm 76

“To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. In Judah God is known. His Name is great in Israel.” Psalm 76:1

God is known in Judah... do you know God?

In Amos 4:12, the Lord says, “Prepare to meet your God!” Our lives on earth are best used when they are lived in expectation of meeting God face to face.

God’s Name is great in Judah... is His Name great in your life? How much respect do You have for God? How confident are you in His love for You and in His power to help You?

In Matthew 19:26, Jesus said, “With God all things are possible.” In John 3:16, Jesus said that God loves the world, meaning the people of our world, that’s you, me and everyone else.

“In Salem also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place in Zion. There He broke the arrows of the bow, the shield and sword of battle. Selah!” Psalm 76:2-3

Salem (שָׁלֵם - Shalem) is the ancient name for Jerusalem. Salem means peace or wholeness. [1] By using ‘Salem’ alongside ‘Zion’ (the hill where the temple stood), Asaph emphasizes Jerusalem as God’s dwelling place. God’s favorable presence shielded the people of Jerusalem from the fiery missiles launched against them.

Matthew Henry comments:

“When the house of Israel did His will He placed His majesty among them, and there He broke the arrows of the bow. While they kept closely to His service they were great and safe, and everything went well with them.”[2]

The battle was won in the sanctuary as the people brought their petitions before God.

In 2 Chronicles 20:1-30, the Word of the Lord testifies that as King Jehoshaphat and his people sought the Lord in His holy place and worshipped before Him, God caused their enemies to turn against each other and destroy themselves.

“You are more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.” Psalm 76:4

God is more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey, that is, “than the great and mighty ones of the earth, who think themselves firmly fixed like mountains, but are really mountains of prey, oppressive to all about them.” [3]

“The stouthearted were plundered. They have sunk into their sleep.” Psalm 76:5

Israel’s enemies were stouthearted men of courage and resolution. They were confident of success. They had chariots and horses. But their strength was useless when it was levelled against the nation that God protects.

They have slept not the sleep of the righteous, who fall asleep in Lord, but the sleep of sinners that awake to everlasting shame and contempt. [4]

“None of the mighty men have found the use of their hands. At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.” Psalm 76:6

When God rebukes chariots and horses, they are cancelled. They cannot stand against the Word of God.

In Hebrews 11:3, we read, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

In Matthew 8:8-10, a Roman centurion believed that a word from Jesus could do a miracle. He said:

“Only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, He marveled, and said:

“Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!’”

In Matthew 8:13, Jesus said to the centurion:

“Go your way. As you have believed so let it be done for you.”

And his servant was healed that same hour.

“You, Yourself, are to be feared. And who may stand in Your presence when once You are angry? You caused judgment to be heard from heaven. The earth feared and was still when God arose to judgment, to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah! Surely the wrath of man shall praise You, with the remainder of wrath, You shall gird Yourself.” Psalm 7-10

According to Revelation 15:2-4, those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name,” stand on a sea of glass, and they sing a song with harps. They sing of God’s marvelous works and righteous ways, declaring:

“Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your Name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested.”

God may seem to keep silent while evildoers corrupt and ruin a society, yet in due season He makes His judgment known. His judgment produces songs of victory among those who have trusted in Him.

Praise God that He causes the wrath of man to praise His Name

For example, Mao Zedong wanted the people of China to become literate so they could read his “Little Red Book.” He wanted every village to have a radio so they could hear his speeches. He wanted roads improved so travel would be easier for his officials. Mao once boasted that he would “cut out the tongue of God,” yet today God speaks to millions through the Bible. People listen to Bible teaching broadcast by overseas radio stations, and believers use the roads Mao built to spread the Gospel.

The hardships that we endure for God eventually bring Him glory.

The remainder of wrath God restrains. God sets limits on wrath just as He sets boundaries for the raging sea. He says to the proud waves, “Stop and come no further.” [5]

Once, when a hurricane struck a town where we lived, floodwaters threatened to destroy our home. We prayed and asked the Lord to protect us, and praise God, He stopped the waters just inches from our house.

“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. He shall cut off the spirit of princes. He is awesome to the kings of the earth.” Psalm 76:11-12

In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon set out to discover the meaning of life. He conducted a careful search and explored every earthly avenue. In Ecclesiastes 12:13–14, he shared his conclusion:

“Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

Our lives on earth are best used when they are lived in expectation of meeting God face to face.

[1] Brown-Driver-Briggs (Old Testament Hebrew-English Lexicon)
[2] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid

Promoted To Glory – Psalm 75

“To the Chief Musician. Set to ‘Do Not Destroy.’ A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.”

The musical score for this Psalm, “Do Not Destroy” is used with Psalms 57, 58, 59. [1] The Psalmist asks that God’s anger be replaced with His favor. It is a cry for a Savior to take away that which is unacceptable to God, and replace it with that which is His delight.

“We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your Name is near.” Psalm 75:1

Twice in a row, do we give thanks to God. We cannot thank God enough for all He has done for us. He provides for us the air we breathe and the ground we walk on. He redeems our soul from the pit. He forgives our sins. He heals our diseases. He provides for our needs. He teaches us and helps us to love as He loves. He gives us grace and helps us to be gracious. Praise the Lord!

“When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly. The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved. I set up its pillars firmly. Selah!” Psalm 75:2-3

God, in due time, perfects that which concerns us. When He judges, He judge rightly. He does not pervert justice. He judges all matters in accordance with His Word in the Bible. He manages our trust in Him with integrity and grace.

When the earth and all the inhabitants are dissolved, it is because God is creating a new heaven and new earth wherein dwells righteousness. Christ set up pillars of the new kingdom when He made atonement for our sins, and sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in us.

“I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully.’ And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn. Do not lift up your horn on high. Do not speak with a stiff neck.’” Psalm 75:4-5

Twice, Asaph urges arrogant sinners not to lift up their horns against God. They should not seek to gore God or His Word as raging bulls gores someone in their space.

A stiff neck does not turn easily. It does not want to turn one’s face toward God. The head of the anti-Christ will raise his horns against God, but only to be broken to pieces. The Pharaoh had a stiff neck. He defiantly said to Moses, “Who is the Lord?” Pharaoh paid a great cost to find out.

“For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge. He puts down one and exalts another.” Psalm 75:6-7

Earthly governors receive their power and authority from God. They don’t earn or deserve it, but God gives them grace to rule for a season.

Humsan kingdoms rise and fall. In Psalm 75, Asaph directs us to look at the author of them. God has the power to build up or tear down, to plant or uproot them. This is what God told Jeremiah before Babylon became a world controlling empire. Babylon eventually conquered Jerusalem.

In Jeremiah 1:10, the Lord said, “See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.”

In Ezekiel 18:21, the Lord says, “If a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.” And then in Ezekiel 18:24, the Lord says, “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does... all the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.” These are the terms by which God tears down and raises up.

There are many merchants who claim to have the remedy to all your problems. They will sell their solution to you for a profitable price to pack their pockets with your money.

In Isaiah 55:1-3, the Lord says to us, “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you—the sure mercies of David.”

The sure mercies of David is a reference to Jesus Messiah. His righteousness is free of charge because He paid for it when He died for our sins on the cross, and when He resurrected from the dead, and ascended on high, and sent His Spirit to dwell within us. Our relationship with God is a grace-based relationship not a performance-based one. Otherwise, we could never measure up to God’s righteous expectation of us. Jesus Christ fulfilled God’s expectation for us.

“For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red. It is fully mixed, and He pours it out. Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down. But I will declare forever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked I will also cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.” Psalm 75:8-10

The sufferings of Christ are called a cup in Matthew 20:22 and John 18:11. The wine is red, denoting the wrath of God, which is infused into the judgments executed on sinners, and is the wormwood and the gall in the affliction and the misery. It is read as fire, red as blood, for it burns, it kills. [2]

In Jeremiah 1:13-16, God gave Jeremiah a vision of a boiling pot pouring out from the north onto all the kingdoms of the earth including Jerusalem and Judah. This boiling solution was the Babylonian army conquering the kingdoms of this world. This cup was God’s wrath poured out on sin. In Revelation 15:7 and 16:1, we read of the angels pouring out the vials of God’s wrath upon the earth. Some drops of this wrath may impact God’s people as we share in common calamities of our fellow human beings, but the dregs of the cup are reserved for the wicked. In the hereafter, they will experience the torments of hell. [3]

Asaph praised God, and gave to Him glory, which is what the angel of the Lord urges people to do in Revelation 14:7. The angel said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

I praise our heavenly Father for basing our relationship with Him on the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. I could never earn or deserve to come into His holy presence. Thanks to God’s Son atoning work on the cross for me, the righteous Judge of heaven and earth has declared me innocent of all charges against me, and He has adopted me into His family as a son.

Psalm 75:6-7 is true for me, and for all who profess Christ “Exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge. He puts down one and exalts another.” It is via faith in Jesus Christ that God promotes us to glory. Amen!



[1] Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary
[2] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[3] Ibid

Arise, O God – Psalm 74

“A Mashcil [instruction] of Asaph. O God, why have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?” Psalm 74:1

God gave this Psalm to Asaph during a day when he was suffering from affliction. God inspired him to write this Psalm to instruct us.

Asaph laments because Israel’s circumstances are causing them to feel rejected by Him. He wants God to clarify the reason “why” He has withdrawn from His sheep. He is their shepherd. It is normal for sheep to worry about wolves, but not about whether or not their shepherd will protect and provide for them. [1]

“Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, the tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed—this Mount Zion where You have dwelt.” Psalm 74:2

In Isaiah 43:3-4, the Lord said to Israel, “I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, and I have loved you, therefore I will give men for you, and people for your life.”

Matthew Henry commented, “Lord, will You now abandon a people that cost You so dear, and has been so dear to You? And if the redemption of Israel out of Egypt was an encouragement to hope that He would not cast them off, much more reason have we to hope that God will not cast off any whom Christ has redeemed with His own blood.” [2]

While on the cross, Jesus cried out, “My God my God, why have You forsaken Me?” It was due to our sins that God turned His face from His Son and let Him die on the cross. We needed a perfect, sinless sacrifice for our sins that would remove them forever with one offering.

After Jewish religious leaders betrayed and crucified Christ, was God done with the Jews? No, Paul wrote In Romans 11:1, “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.”

We must not think that because we are cast down that we are cast off forever. [3] Those who are done with God cast off those who remain faithful to Him. However, in Hebrews 13:5, God’s promise to us who believe in Him is, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

“Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations. The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary. Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place. They set up their banners for signs. They seem like men who lift up axes among the thick trees. And now they break down its carved work, all at once, with axes and hammers. They have set fire to Your sanctuary. They have defiled the dwelling place of Your Name to the ground. They said in their hearts, ‘Let us destroy them altogether.’ They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land. We do not see our signs. There is no longer any prophet, nor is there any among us who knows how long.” Psalm 74:3-9

Asaph wants the Lord to lift His feet, that is, rise up and inspect the damage. The enemy targeted and destroyed their power plants, that is, the holy places where they appeared before God for His blessing and strength. Like a demolition crew with axes and hammers, they attacked key support beams, toppled meeting places and afterwards burned what remained with fire. Their goal was to eliminate any trace of God from the land. Signs were removed. Prophets disappeared. Was this to be their new normal forever?

Asaph laments the disappearance of God’s holy places. Faith in God is vital to the salvation of peoples’ eternal souls. Abandonment of God does more ruin to a society than any other type of attack. The closure of God’s holy places should grieve us. Jesus taught us to pray to the Father, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done.” May zeal for God’s house consume us!

“O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your Name forever?” Psalm 74:10

Asaph wanted to know how long must he hear people misuse and blaspheme God’s Name.

I praise God for my wife. She honors the Name of the Lord. If someone on a TV show even uses the slang words for God such as “Gosh” (God) or “Jee” (Jesus), she turns the show off.

“Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them.” Psalm 74:10-11

The right hand of God is an allusion to Messiah for Jesus Messiah sits at the right hand of God. The right hand is the dominant hand for most people. Asaph wants God to send Messiah to deliver them from their enemies.

Daring defiance against God is detrimental to a society’s development and defense. Israel’s foes took pride in destroying the beautiful carved woodwork in God’s house. God’s house is where God’s Word was read and explained, and where His Name was praised. Israel’s enemies did not want God's worshippers to glorify Him, and edify one another. [4]

Asaph lamented that there were no prophets to tell Israel how long before the spiritual climate improved. People need hope. In Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord gave a word to the exiles in Babylon, saying to them, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

“For God is my King from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. You divided the sea by Your strength. You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters. You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces and gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness. You broke open the fountain and the flood. You dried up mighty rivers.” Psalm 74:12-15

Asaph quiets his mind and encourages his soul in the fact that God is the covenant-keeping God. He professes God is my King of old and that He is working salvation in the midst of the earth. God divided the Red Sea before them when they came out of Egypt. He compares the Egyptians with sea serpents, and Pharaoh with Leviathan. [5] In Genesis 3:15, God promised that the Seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. Although God brought down the Egyptian snake via Moses and the Israelites, Genesis 3:15 is more completely fulfilled in Christ. Jesus Christ redeems His believers from the power of Satan, sin, death and hell.

God broke open the fountain and the flood, and dried up mighty rivers. In Revelation 12:15-16, the Lord gave John a vision of a serpent spewing out water like a flood after God’s people. But God opened the earth’s mouth to swallow the flood. In Revelation 12:17, the Lord told John that the dragon was at war with those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

“The day is Yours the night also is Yours. You have prepared the light and the sun.” Psalm 74:16

God opens the eyelids of the morning light, and draws the curtains of the evening shadow. He has prepared the moon and the sun, the two great lights, to rule by day and by night. [6]

“You have set all the borders of the earth. You have made summer and winter.” Psalm 74:17

All the laws and powers of nature are derived from God. He has certainly all power both to save and to destroy. With God all things are possible! [7]

“Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O Lord, and that a foolish people has blasphemed Your Name.” Psalm 74:18

In Acts 16:16-18, Paul turned toward a slave girl who was possessed with a spirit of divination and said to the spirit, “I command you in the Name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. The Name of the Lord is wonderful and powerful. We should always regard it with the highest respect. Only fools do otherwise. In Luke 10:17, seventy disciples reported back to Jesus, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name.”

“O do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever. Have respect to the covenant for the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty. O do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your Name.” Psalm 74:19-21

In Matthew 10:16, Jesus said to His disciples, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” In Psalm 127:1, the Lord says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”

Having witnessed the destruction of their places of worship, Asaph committed to God the safety and well-being of His servants. Asaph did not want the Lord to forget that many of His servants are poor and that they serve in dark and cruel places. He did not want them to return from their fields of service in shame. To the contrary he wanted them to return as the seventy disciples of Jesus did with joy. Or as David put it, in Psalm 149:6, “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.”

“Arise, O God, plead Your own cause. Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily. Do not forget the voice of Your enemies. The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.” Psalm 74:22-23

Asaph’s cause is really God’s cause.

Our cause is to praise the Name of the Lord and make His praise glorious. Asaph wanted God to silence foolish talk lest like a tidal wave, it sweep the praise of God’s Name away.

In 2 Timothy 2:16-17, Paul wrote, “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene.”

Rather than only defend the influence we have in Christ, let us pray for His kingdom to spread through us and advance into new areas of the world.

Acts 13:49 says, “The Word of the Lord spread through the whole region.” Acts 19:20 says “the Word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.”

Two things that I pray daily are, “Thank You Lord that Your glory covers the earth as the waters cover the sea!” and “Lord, please make Your Word run very swiftly today and may human hearts receive You gladly!” For my online publications, I pray, “Heavenly Father, please use 21st Century Jeremiah publications to help your prophetic speakers to accurately align their messages with the Scriptures even as the prophet Jeremiah did in his day.” Please join with me in these prayers so that the light of God will arise and dispel darkness from peoples’ souls.



[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid
[7] Ibid

Truly God Is Good – Psalm 73

“A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel to such as are pure in heart.” Psalm 73:1

In what ways was God good to Israel? In Matthew 5:8, Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” The Lord brought Israel out of captivity, purified their hearts through prescribed animal sacrifices, and allowed them to see Him and declare Him to others.

God has also been good to Gentiles. He sacrificed His Son Jesus Christ for our sins. Now, thanks to Christ, when Jew or Gentile believes in Him, He forgives our sins, and purifies our hearts by His Holy Spirit. His Spirit helps us to see God through the eye of the Scriptures.

“But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled. My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride serves as their necklace. Violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes bulge with abundance. They have more than heart could wish. They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression. They speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth. Therefore his people return here, and waters of a full cup are drained by them. And they say, ‘How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?’ Behold, these are the ungodly, who are always at ease. They increase in riches. Surely, I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued and chastened every morning.” Psalm 73:2-14

There is a great difference between the Asaph who is thinking about the goodness of God and the Asaph who is thinking about the ungodly.

In Matthew 5:44-45, Jesus said to us, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

When people are hateful, full of curses, abusive and prejudice against God, it poses a challenge to us to love, bless, do them good and pray for them, but the Lord says that we must do so to be children of our Father in heaven, that is, to be His image bearers.

In Psalm 73:2-14, Asaph sets for us an example of how to grieve when we are mistreated. He doesn’t say to suppress or deny your grief. No, he describes to God what he sees. In 2 Chronicles 29:30, Asaph is referred to as a seer by God.

Do the wicked prosper? In Matthew 4:8-9, Satan offered to Jesus the kingdoms of this world if He would bow down and worship him. Jesus rebuked Satan for such a thought, but many are happy to sell their soul to Satan in exchange for his “get rich quick” schemes.

Asaph describes the wicked to God as strong and free from trouble. Likely due to the fact that they have paid off crooked authorities to turn a blind eye to their crimes.

The ungodly are proud to be without God. Their eyes bulge as they gaze at their riches. They have more than heart could wish. They scoff at the thought of changing their ways because they perceive themselves as wiser than God. They say, “Is there knowledge in the Most High?”

In terms of wages, Asaph expresses grief that it feels like he cleansed his heart in vain and washed his hands in innocence. While the wicked prosper, he feels that he is chastened every morning and plagued all the day long. To clear out those feelings, he expresses them to God.

It has been said, “You will not feel comfortable sitting with the grief of others, if you are not comfortable sitting with your own grief.” It is not healthy to deny or suppress grief. It can cause unwanted health and mental issues.

In Hebrews 12:15, the Lord warns us, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.”

“If I had said, ‘I will speak thus,’ behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children. When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me—until I went into the sanctuary of God. Then, I understood their end. Surely You set them in slippery places. You cast them down to destruction. O, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awakes, so, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image.” Psalm 73:15-20

In John 17:19, Jesus said to His Father, “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” When Asaph came before God in the holy sanctuary, the Holy Spirit helped him to consider his position of influence among God’s people. He was known as a Seer by God’s people. He was a worship leader as well. He did not want to be untrue to God’s children... on the one hand, leading people to worship God, and on the other hand, harboring bitterness due to the prosperity of ungodly and wicked people.

What’s more, in God’s holy presence, the Lord revealed to Asaph that the ultimate outcome of wicked and ungodly behavior is not favorable. In due season, God humbles proud people. God created people in His image, but the people that Asaph struggled with hated God.

Matthew Henry spoke of Asaph as restraining himself from speaking amiss for the sake of God’s people. If he revolted against God, He would give the greatest offence imaginable to the generation of God’s children. In Proverbs 30:32, the Lord says, “If you have devised evil, put your hand on your mouth.” Don’t speak an evil thought. “Though he thought amiss, he took care not to utter that evil thought which he had conceived. It is bad to think ill, but it is worse to speak it, for that is giving the evil thought consent to infect others.” [1]

When Asaph felt hatred toward the wicked, he took the matter to God in prayer not to others. In Matthew 18:6, Jesus said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” In Matthew 18:15, Jesus said, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.” Though the ungodly are not “brothers,” we should still consider if we can speak with them directly about their offenses rather than to speak maliciously about them to others. God still loves them.

Asaph could not conquer his thoughts about the prosperity of the wicked by his own strength or reason. So, he went into God’s sanctuary. He consulted with the Scriptures. He prayed. He considered the attributes of God. Then, the Lord opened his eyes to see that even at the height of their prosperity, the wicked were to be pitied not envied. They were ripening for ruin. [2]

“There are many great things, and things needful to be known, which will not be known otherwise than by going into the sanctuary of God by the Word and prayer. The sanctuary is the place for tempted souls.” [3]

The Lord helped Asaph to foresee the ruin of wicked people. By this revelation, he resisted the temptation to speak hatefully against them.

In Ephesians 4:29, Paul wrote, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

In Titus 3:2, Paul wrote, “Speak evil of no man. Don’t be a brawler. Be gentle! Show meekness to all people.”

In Matthew 5:44-48, Jesus said that if we want to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect we must love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute us. Thus, we shall be children of our heavenly Father.

“The destruction of the wicked and ungodly is sure, sudden, and very great.” [4] In Luke 12:20, God said to the man who was rich toward himself but poor to God, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you. Then, whose will those things be which you have provided?”

In 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. Paul wrote that when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, He will execute flaming fire vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. “These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” Thus, “the prosperity of the wicked and ungodly is not to be envied at all, but despised.” [5]

“Thus my heart was grieved, and I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant. I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You. You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.” Psalm 73:21-24

In Judges 14:14, Samson composed a riddle for his foes, saying, “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” The eater was a lion who attacked Samson. The honey was made by bees in the dead carcass of the lion. The Lord is good to bring about honey out of the attacks of our enemies. [6]

When Asaph was attacked by a thought to speak maliciously against the ungodly, he struggled with it, and overcame it by the power of God’s sufficient grace. Rather than curse the thorn in his flesh, he abased and accused himself before God. He confessed to God, “My heart was grieved. I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant. I was like a beast before You.” Thus, the Lord’s presence remained with him. The Lord’s right hand (a reference to Christ) upheld him. The Holy Spirit guided and counseled him, and kept him on the path to glory. [7]

In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” And Paul responded, saying, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:25-26

God’s presence was better to Asaph than the portion of the wicked. Closeness with God yielded a better return on investment than participation with sin. God strengthened Asaph with love. Money can buy a house, but only God’s love makes it a great place to live.

“For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish. You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.” Psalm 73:25-26

In Matthew 18:9, Jesus warned us, “If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.”

In James 4:7-9, James wrote, “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”

See how serious of a matter it is to be close with God! If you are far from Him, don’t spare the tears and tissues, cry out to God to forgive your sins and to return you to nearness with Him.

“But it is good for me to draw near to God. I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works.” Psalm 73:27-28

In John 15:4, Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” The most vital concern for us is to remain in Christ, and not to be drawn away to other places where Jesus does not go. We might be tempted to think that the wicked and ungodly are our worst nightmare, but in fact, the temptation to distance ourselves from God is our greatest foe.

It is good to draw near to God. It is good to trust in Him. It is good to talk about God’s works.



[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Comments sparked by reading Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[3] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid
[6] Comments sparked by reading Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[7] Ibid

Prayers For The King – Psalm 72

“A Psalm for Solomon. Give the King Your judgments, O God, and Your righteousness to the King’s Son.” Psalm 72:1

It is likely that David wrote this Psalm for his son Solomon. The introduction in most Bibles says, “a Psalm of Solomon,” but this is David’s prayer for his son Solomon who became the next king of Israel. What does David ask God to give his son? Divine judgments and righteousness!

Human judgements and righteousness fall short of God’s glory. To judge a nation and lead it rightly as God does, David’s son needed God to reveal His ways to him.

No one ever revealed the Father to us better than His Son Jesus Christ. In Matthew 1:1-17, the earthly genealogy of Jesus is traced back to David. Jesus Messiah fulfilled the prayer for his son Solomon whereas Solomon, being human, could not. There are many allusions to Jesus in this Psalm. In fact, the name Solomon means “peace” or “peaceful one.” In Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is referred to as the Prince of Peace.

David asked God to give his son divine judgments and righteousness. Let us also ask God to give our children discernment between right and wrong, and grace to do what is right. In 1 King 3:9, Solomon prayed a similar prayer for himself, “Give to your servant a hearing heart, to judge your people, to discern between good and evil.” In 1 Kings 3:11, “God summarized Solomon’s prayer as a request for understanding to discern what is right.” [1]

“He will judge Your people with righteousness, and Your poor with justice. The mountains will bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He will bring justice to the poor of the people. He will save the children of the needy and will break in pieces the oppressor.” Psalm 72:2-4

Only God judges righteously. Refuses bribes! Says “no” to public prejudices against innocent people. “The mountains (superior courts) shall bring peace, and the little hills (inferior courts) righteousness when King Solomon ensures there is justice in the courts.” [2]

When Solomon walked with God, he judged righteously, and peace ensued. However, according to 1 Kings 11, toward the end of his life, Solomon’s idolatrous wives turned his heart from the Lord, and he began to oppress, not save, “the children of the needy.”

“The oppressive policies and spiritual decline during Solomon’s reign had lasting consequences for the kingdom of Israel. After Solomon’s death, the kingdom was divided as a direct result of his actions. In 1 Kings 12:4 , the people approached Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, saying, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.’" [3]

When Jesus Messiah was on earth the first time, He healed and fed the poor. He broke the oppressive power of death over children when He raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead, and when He resurrected the widow of Nain’s son from the dead! He also casted a demon out of a Syro-Phoenician woman’s daughter. When Jesus Messiah returns, all oppression shall end.

Governing authorities should especially attend to the poor and needy. They may be too timid or too proud to ask for help. Can they afford a good lawyer? Probably not! Can the rich take advantage of their lack of legal defense? No, not if the judges are paying close attention to what is going on in their district, and ensuring all citizens are treated equally under the law.

In 2 Kings 4:1-7, a widow of a prophet had creditors threatening to take her two sons as slaves to pay off her deceased husband’s debts. The Lord used the prophet Elisha to help her. He told her to gather as many empty jars as possible from her neighbors. She did. Afterwards, her single small jar of olive oil kept pouring and filled every single jar she had. Then, Elisha instructed her to sell her surplus oil to pay her debts. She did and kept her sons. God saved a poor and needy woman from losing her sons.

“They shall fear You as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, like showers that water the earth. In His days, the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.” Psalm 72:5-7

The fear of God shall remain as long as the sun and moon endure. Christianity shall remain until the end of time here on earth.

Christ gives believers in Him the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is like rain upon mown grass. Though His convictions cut them to the heart and leads them to repent, He also comforts them with the Gospel, saying, “Your sins are forgiven. You are saved.” Thus, they rise up stronger than before.

When Solomon walked with God, some of the aspects of Messiah’s rule happened in Israel, but his rule was imperfect. Matthew Henry wrote, “Solomon indeed built the temple, and the fear and worship of God were well kept up, for some time, under his government, but it did not last long.” Thus, this passage must point to Christ’s kingdom.

Righteousness and peace rain down when people call on the Name of Jesus. There is power and authority in the Name of Jesus. In Luke 10:17, seventy disciples reported to Jesus with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name.”

Jesus endues His followers with His Spirit so that they listen and act on the cries of the poor and needy. Jesus saves souls that are condemned to hell by proclaiming the Gospel to them through His servants. Precious is their blood in His sight. It is the Name of Jesus Christ that shall endure forever! All nations shall call Him blessed.

In Revelation 14:6-7, John receives a vision of an angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. He says with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give glory to Him! For the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” The action the angel seeks from the nations is twofold: “Fear God! Give Him glory!” In other words, repent and believe! Relinquish sin and receive Christ! Stop denying God’s existence and importance! Acknowledge Him and worship Him!

When Christ returns, righteousness shall be preferred and practiced. Righteousness shall abound and be popular. The righteousness of Christ empowers people to be honest and just, and to love one another, and thus, it produces abundance of peace. Holiness and love shall be perfect in Christ’s kingdom, and never diminish.

“He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him, and His enemies will lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles will bring presents. The kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts. Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him. All nations shall serve Him.” Psalm 72:8-11

Christ’s kingdom shall be extended far, and wide, even to the end of the world. He shall have dominion from sea to sea. Solomon had dominion from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. According to 1 Kings 4:21, Solomon’s area of influence was great. But according to Matthew 24:14, the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ shall reach to all nations, and according to Revelation 11:15, the kingdoms of the world shall become His kingdoms. [4]

When Solomon walked with God, his influence reached even to those who dwell in the palaces. According to Psalms 72:10, kings of Tarshish, Sheba, Seba and the isles shall bring presents to Him that they may hear His wisdom. The kings in Solomon’s day did this, but it was really the wisdom of the Lord that they came to hear and to support.

In 2 Chronicles 9:23-24, all the kings of the earth sought the wisdom of Solomon, and brought presents to him. In Matthew 2:11, wise men of the east, probably men of the first rank in their own country, came to worship Jesus and bring Him presents. [5]

In Romans 12:1, the Scripture urges us to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service. The best present we can bring to Christ is our lives laid down for His glory. Offer to Him spiritual gifts of prayer and praise! [6]

According to Revelation 7:9, redeemed people from every nations shall worship the Lord.

“For He will deliver the needy when he cries, the poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy and will save the souls of the needy. He will redeem their life from oppression and violence, and precious shall be their blood in His sight.” Psalm 72:12-14

In 1 Kings 3:16-28, at the beginning of his reign, Solomon personally judged the case of two poor women who argued over whose baby died and whose baby lived. These two women shared a house together. One night while all were asleep, one woman rolled over on her baby, and he died. So, she got up and took the other woman’s living baby out of her bed, and replaced him with her dead baby. Then, insisted from then forward that the living baby was hers. The Lord gave to Solomon a word of wisdom by which the lying woman was exposed.

In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Jesus Christ did numerous miracles for the poor and needy. John 21:25 says that “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” The greatest miracle that He did for all poor souls was redeem our lives from oppression and violence of sin, death and the devil. Precious is our blood in His sight!

“And He shall live! And the gold of Sheba will be given to Him! Prayer also will be made for Him continually, and daily He shall be praised. There will be an abundance of grain in the earth, on the top of the mountains. Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon. And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.” Psalm 72:15-16

According to 1 Kings 10:10 and 2 Chronicles 9:9, the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 120 talents of gold—which equates to roughly 4.5 tons.

Just in my short lifetime, I have managed ministries for the Lord where I have witnessed millions of dollars donated for the support of the ministry of the Gospel. Personally, I am not rich, but the Lord gave me the privilege of facilitating the donations of others to support His ministry.

Prayers shall be made continuously for the king, and daily he shall be praised. As people prayed for Solomon, God made his reign a blessing to them. An earthly king can do some things to help his people and his lands to flourish, but with God’s intervention all things can be blessed.

A handful of the Gospel seed sown in the mountainous and barren soil of the Gentile world, produced a wonderful harvest gathered in to Christ, fruits that “wave like Lebanon.” [6]

In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, believers in Christ are urged to make supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, for kings and all in authority. So, we should praise the Lord when our nation prospers under their guidance, for the Lord is the one helping them to do what is right.

Jesus Christ does not need our prayers to do what is right. He always does what is right. But the Old Testament saints prayed for His coming. And now that He has come, let us pray for the success of His Gospel and the advancement of His kingdom, and pray for His second coming. [7]

“His Name shall endure forever. His Name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him. All nations shall call Him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only does wondrous things! And blessed be His glorious Name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen. The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” Psalm 72:17-20

While Solomon’s name is still well-known on earth, it is the Name of Jesus Christ that is exalted above all other names. Jesus Christ is also a descendant of David. People in all nations call Him blessed. They speak well of Him, and are happy in Him. The Name of Jesus shall be celebrated from now and throughout eternity. Every tongue shall joyfully confess His Name and every knee gladly bow before Him. In Christ, people “live happily forever after.” The whole earth will be filled with His glory! On this note, David ends his prayer. “Amen!”



[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Ibid
[3] Biblehub.com
[4] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid
[7] Ibid

God’s Righteousness – Psalm 71

“In You, O Lord, I put my trust. Let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in Your righteousness and cause me to escape. Incline Your ear to me and save me. Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually. You have given the commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.” Psalm 71:1-4

David prays that he might never be made ashamed of his dependence on God. Access to God’s throne of grace in time of need is a gift that Jesus Christ purchased for us with His blood.

David prayed that God would rescue him based on God’s righteousness and not his own. In Isaiah 64:6, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.” In Philippians 3:9, Paul wrote of being found in Christ, “not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.” All God’s saints are saints based on God’s forgiveness and His crediting the righteousness of His Son Jesus Messiah to their account.

Whatever others did, David chose to trust in God his Savior. God alone was his strong refuge. God was his impenetrable fortress. God delivered David from cruel criminals.

“For You are my hope, O Lord God. You are my trust from my youth. By You I have been upheld from birth. You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You.” Psalm 71:5-6

Being brought forth from the womb safely was as much a miracle then as it is now. The pagans around Israel, and later the Israelites as well, offered their sons and daughters in fiery sacrifices to idols made of wood and stone. Nowadays, people all over the world are torturing and executing their preborn children via various kinds of abortion methods.

According to 1 Samuel 17:12-14, David was the youngest of eight sons of Jesse. Imagine the loss to humanity if his parents had aborted his birth!

In the 1700’s, God mightily used John and Charles Wesley to revive the faith in Christ all over the world. John Wesley was the 15th child of Susanna Wesley. Charles Wesley was her 18th child. Together with her husband Samuel, Susanna had a total of 19 children.

David had been upheld by God from his birth. God kept him in the faith during his teen years. In 1 Samuel 17:34–36, youthful David told King Saul that he had killed both a lion and a bear while protecting his father’s sheep.

David did not take his life for granted. He used it to continuously praise the Lord!

“I have become as a wonder to many, but You are my strong refuge.” Psalm 71:7

Everyone seemed to be waiting to see the moment that David would abandon God. How long could he keep up his zealous pursuit of God. Surely, they thought, he was just going through a phase and he would get over it. Eventually, he would become like them. But no, David trusted in God to keep the fire in his soul burning.

In 2 Timothy 1:12, Paul wrote, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” In 1 Peter 1:5, Peter wrote, “You are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

“Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day.” Psalm 71:8

Proverbs 23:7 states: “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” When we think about God’s love for us as recorded in the Bible, it fills our minds with overflowing joy so that we want to praise Him and bring Him glory. I am at my best with witnessing for Christ when I am redeeming my free time by playing worship music and singing His praises. Jesus is worthy of all the glory!

“Do not cast me off in the time of old age. Do not forsake me when my strength fails.” Psalm 71:9

“To be cast off and forsaken of God is a thing to be dreaded at any time, especially in the time of old age and when our strength fails us; for it is God that is the strength of our heart.” [1]

There are so many predators in the world. They like to prey on weak and vulnerable people. They use phone, text and internet messages to try to scam the elderly out of their retirement money. In Matthew 10:16, Jesus advised us to “be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” In other words, we need shrewdness like a serpent and gentleness like a dove. Jesus taught us to love our enemies, but not to support their criminal activities.

“For my enemies speak against me. Those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together, saying, ‘God has forsaken him. Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.’ O God do not be far from me. O my God, make haste to help me! Let them be confounded and consumed who are adversaries of my life. Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor who seek my hurt.” Psalm 71:10-13

David admitted his need for God to defend him against the lies of false witnesses. He needed God to help him overcome their schemes to defraud him. He asked God to stand up for him so they would see that he was not without help. Instead of being confused, defrauded and hurt by them, David asked God to flip the script. Let them reap what they have sown! Give them a taste of their own bitter medicine so that they will not cheat people anymore.

“But I will hope continually and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits. I will go in the strength of the Lord God. I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.” Psalm 71:14-16

David’s joy and song of praise spring forth from his faith and hope in God. Instead of depending on his own strength and righteousness, he depended on the Lord’s. The oil of God’s anointing never stopped flowing for David. The Spirit of God helped David to overcome the odds against him. Thus, he gave to God alone all the glory.

“O God, You have taught me from my youth, and to this day I declare Your wondrous works.” Psalm 71:17

It is a blessing from God to have a revelation of who He is and what He can do. He gives us the air we breathe. He keeps our heart beating. He gave His Son to die for our sins on the cross. He does so much for us daily. We do well to regard what He says to us in the Bible.

“Now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.” Psalm 71:18

Rather than just survive during his old age, David wanted to thrive. He wanted to impact his whole world for God, as well as to be a witness to the generations that are still to come.

I am old, but the Lord continues to use my life to touch many people. The Holy Spirit leads me to daily use maps to visualize all nations and pray for them with uplifted hands before the Lord. The Lord has blessed 21st Century Jeremiah blogsite with viewers from 165 countries. Praise the Lord! I am old now, but the Lord is touching more people now through me than at any time in my past. Glory to God!

“Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You who have done great things. O God, who is like You?” Psalm 71:19

There is none like the Lord! He is above “all powers! Above all kings! Above all nature and all created things! Above all wisdom and all the ways of man!” He was “here before the world began. Crucified. Laid behind a stone. He lived to die. Rejected and alone. He took the fall and thought of me above all.” [2]

“You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth. You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side. Also with the lute I will praise You—and Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, and my soul, which You have redeemed. My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long, for they are confounded, for they are brought to shame who seek my hurt.” Psalm 71:20-24

David believed that God would rescue him from his troubles. God would increase his greatness and comfort! So, David decided to express his joy with a lute. A lute is like a modern day guitar but smaller. There were no musical recordings in his day, thus, David learned to play an instrument so his voice was not without music accompaniment. Thus, as David strummed the strings of the lute, his lips rejoiced. His soul sang. His tongue uttered the praises of God’s redeeming grace. He praised God for His faithfulness. As David worshiped the Lord, the Lord dealt with those who sought to confuse and hurt him.

Many years later, a descendant of David was led in a similar way to him. In 2 Chronicles 20, the nation of Judah was surrounded by a coalition of enemies. At first, King Jehoshaphat bowed his face to the ground in prayer, but then, the Levites stood up and began to praise the Lord with loud and high voices. After that, King Jehoshaphat was led to send the singers of praise out in front of his troops. 2 Chronicles 20:21-22 says, “As they went out before the army, they were saying, ‘Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.’ Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, and they were defeated.”

In 1983, Michael and Stormie Omartian wrote a song entitled, “Praise His Name and See It Happen.” I like the lyrics... “Praise His name and see it happen. Let the power of God become alive in your life. Praise Jesus! Praise Jesus! Sing Hallelujah, Hallelujah! Praise His name and see it happen! Let your voice resound, on this holy battleground! The battle’s His! You’ve done your part if He be glorified in your heart.” In other words, trust God to do what is right, and praise Him for His help.



[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Above All lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music, song by Lenny LeBlanc

God’s Delays Are Not His Denials – Psalm 70

“This psalm is titled to the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.”

This psalm of David, as others was set to music, and sent by him to the Chief Musician. He asked God to remember and deliver him from all the challenges that were being waged against him.

“Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O Lord!” Psalm 70:1

David asked God to respond quickly to his prayer. He believed God was listening to Him, but felt that a slow response to his request would be more than he could endure. In his first, “make haste” he uses the Hebrew word “Elohim” (God) while in his second, “make haste” he uses the word “Yahweh” (Lord). In 1 Timothy 1:2, Paul wrote, “Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.” I see David addressing the Father and the Son in this prayer (knowingly or unknowingly) by God’s Spirit. David wrote of God’s Son in Psalms 2:12 and 89:27.

The Lord is pleased to deliver us, and to do it quickly. Have we asked Him to intervene?

The Lord says in Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

In Job 21:15, Job described the wicked as those who say, “Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? What profit do we have if we pray to Him?” We must reject those thoughts.

Our Lord Jesus was beaten, flogged, crucified and buried, and then, three days later He was up and walking among His disciples and telling them to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. He is our Savior. Saving is what He does!

In 1 Corinthians 15:57, Paul wrote, “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In 2 Corinthians 2:14, he wrote, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ.”

“Let them be ashamed and confounded who seek my life. Let them be turned back and confused who desire my hurt. Let them be turned back because of their shame, who say, ‘Aha, aha!’” Psalm 70:1-3

David gave those who desired his hurt over to God. He asked God to turn them back. He asked

God to shame and confuse them. James Boice wrote, “The kindest thing we can pray for people who do wrong is that their plans will fail, for it may be that in their frustration they will see the folly and true end of evil and be reached for God.” [1]

David’s enemies exclaimed, “Aha! Aha!” “It was bad enough that David’s enemies wanted him dead. They also poured ridicule on him.” [2]

“Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You. Let those who love Your salvation say continually, ‘Let God be magnified!’” Psalm 70:4

“David thought that to praise God was to magnify Him – that is, to make Him larger in one’s perception. Magnification does not actually make an object bigger, and we can’t make God bigger. Still, to magnify something or someone is to perceive it as bigger, and we must do that regarding God.” [3]

“But I am poor and needy; make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer. O Lord, do not delay.” Psalm 70:5

David was poor and needy because he lacked the means to protect himself from the relentless attacks of those who hated him. He needed God to intervene before his enemies overwhelmed him. Thus, he asked God to hurry up.

We have various sayings about God’s timing. For example, “God’s timing is perfect.” “God’s delays are not God’s denials.” “God has three answers, ‘Yes,’ ‘no,’ and ‘wait.’

In 2 Peter 3:8, Peter wrote, “With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” God’s existence is eternal. He is not impatient. In John 11, even in the case of His friend Lazarus who died before Jesus got to him, Jesus resurrected him. In this incident, our Lord’s delay was for His glory. Lazarus had been dead four days. Who could cast doubt and say that his resurrection was just a coincidence?

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that “He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time.” God says in Isaiah 60:22, “I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.” Habakkuk 2:3 says, “Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Lamentations 3:25-26 says, “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him... It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

God responded to David’s complete dependence on Him. He did so before it was too late.

Since our Lord is a Savior, why not give Him the opportunity to save You? In whatever way you are poor and needy, ask God to be generous with you. God fills our gaps with grace.

In Ephesians 3:19, Paul prayed that we would “be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height... of the love of Christ.” In Ephesians 3:20-21, Paul gave glory to God because God is the One “who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” God is for us! He loves us!



[1] Enduring Word Commentary
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid

Not Fooled - Psalm 69

“To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Psalm of David.” Psalm 69:1

The Hebrew word for “lilies,” either describes an instrument so shaped, or denotes a tune by that name to which the Psalm was to be sung. This is a song of love, or, of beloved ones. [1]

“Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing. I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail while I wait for my God.” Psalm 69:1-3

David uses picturesque language to describe his circumstances to God. You or I might say, “Help Lord! I am drowning. I cannot touch the bottom. I am going under. Soon, I will be silent. My eyes will go dark.”

Once, while floating in the water off the coast of Tai-O Island, I was enjoying being moved along by a current in the water. I did not grow up near an ocean. I had no idea that I was caught in a rip current. From a nearby pier, my Hong Kong friends began signaling to me and yelling something at me. Finally, I heard one say, “Swim for your life.” As I swam toward the pier, the current grew stronger. I asked the Lord to help me and He did. I made it to the pier, but was exhausted.

Thank God for revealing to us when we are in danger and for rescuing us when we ask for help!

“Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. They are mighty who would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully. Though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it. O God, You know my foolishness; and my sins are not hidden from You. Let not those who wait for You, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because of me. Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel. Because for Your sake I have borne reproach. Shame has covered my face.” Psalm 69:4-7

At first, King Saul wanted David dead. Later, it seems, evildoers within Israel wanted their law-loving king dead. They were more than the hairs on his head. They advocated that he be forced to restore things that he had not stolen. David did not want those who waited on the Lord to suffer confusion or shame due to his actions. At same time, he voiced his circumstances to God, saying that he was experiencing reproach and shame for the sake of God’s glory.

In Psalm 69, David is a type of Christ in regards to suffering. The Pharisees attacked Jesus relentlessly. In John 15:25, Jesus applied the prophecy, “They hated me without a cause” to Himself. 1 Peter 2:22 states that Jesus “committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.” Jesus experienced unjust treatment by people in Israel.

“I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother’s children, because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.” Psalm 69:8-9

Both David and Jesus were mistreated by family members. In 1 Samuel 17:28, David’s oldest brother, Eliab, accused him of pride and wickedness. In John 7:5, the brothers of Christ did not believe in Him. In John 1:11, Jesus came to His own and His own received Him not. [2]

Zeal for God’s house consumed both David and Jesus. Zeal made both Christ and David to forget themselves, and do that which generated insults toward them for doing it. [3]

“When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, that became my reproach. I also made sackcloth my garment. I became a byword to them. Those who sit in the gate speak against me, and I am the song of the drunkards.” Psalm 69:10-12

While David fasted and wept for souls, they cast insults at him. When David replaced his royal robe with the garment of a griever, they laughed at him. Drunkards made up songs about him. He was a headliner among gossipers in public places. They considered him contemptible.

In 1 Corinthians 4:9, Paul wrote, “I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death. We have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.”

All who care for souls as Christ does will incur insults from Satan’s servants. Or as Paul put it in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

“But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, in the acceptable time. O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, hear me in the truth of Your salvation.” Psalm 69:13

In contrast to those who scorned prayer, fasting, grieving for souls and zeal for God’s house, David remained committed to praying and seeking the Lord for mercy.

“Deliver me out of the mire and let me not sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters. Let not the floodwater overflow me, nor let the deep swallow me up. And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.” Psalm 69:14-15

The mire, the deep waters and the floodwaters that David referred to in verses 1-2 of this Psalm are people who hate him. They dug pits for him. David did not want to be assassinated by them.

Ecclesiastes 8:8 says, “No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, and no one has power in the day of death.” In Psalm 68:20, David wrote, “To God the Lord belong escapes from death.” In Hebrew 10:39, Paul wrote, “We are… those who believe to the saving of the soul.”

“Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good. Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. And do not hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in trouble. Hear me speedily. Draw near to my soul and redeem it. Deliver me because of my enemies. You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor. My adversaries are all before You.” Psalm 69:16-19

David’s enemies successfully convinced many that only fools were for him. This is how some people treat believers in Christ. David asked the Lord to offset his trouble with lovingkindness. The Lord was merciful to David and redeemed his soul. The real fools were those without God.

“Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” Psalm 69:20-21

Jesus experienced ridicule and blasphemy from rebels. David wrote prophetically about Jesus when he wrote of reproach breaking His heart. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was full of heaviness. He looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but found none. While on the cross, His torturers gave Him gall for food, and vinegar to drink. [4]

The gall and vinegar was a pain reliever given to those who were about to die. Jesus refused it to bear the full brunt of the pain that our sin deserved. His heart was broken because those who crucified Him did not know what they were doing. They were murdering the very one who loved them the most. The Savior who delivers lost souls from hell!

Sin matters! Sin cost Jesus great pain, grief, and death. Murder, lying, deceiving, hatred, gossip, fornication, adultery, unforgiveness, greed, thievery, and rivalry are sins. Sin is the deadliest pandemic. It ends with death. And for those whose sin debt has not been paid, sin costs them an eternity of separation from God. An eternity in hell!

Hell is horrible! It is forever! It is the incinerator for those who trashed God and God’s Word. The worst humanitarian crisis is to be a lost soul on the way to hell.

The good news is Jesus Christ wants to save us. He wants to redeem us. In John 5:21, He said, “As the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.”

In John 5:24, Jesus said, “He who hears My Word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

In other words, faith in Christ seals the deal. The believer in Him has eternal life.

“Let their table become a snare before them, and their well-being a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, and make their loins shake continually.” Psalm 69:22-23

In Romans 11:9-10, Paul quoted these verses almost word for word and applied them to the judgments of God upon the unbelieving Jews.

In 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16, Paul wrote of his countrymen who rejected Jesus Messiah, saying that they “killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us. They do not please God and are contrary to all men. They forbid us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.” God’s wrath, and Paul’s was about their rejection of Messiah.

The table of the religious leaders became a snare to them. The table in this verse refers to the altar of the Lord. By their affection and adherence to the Old Testament altar they denied Messiah to whom the altar was a symbol according to Hebrews 13:10.

“Pour out Your indignation upon them, and let Your wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their dwelling place be desolate. Let no one live in their tents.” Psalm 69:24-25

Those who reject God’s Son should fear His wrath. In John 3:36, Jesus said, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life. He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” Behold the goodness and severity of God!

According to John 11:48, the very thing the religious leaders tried to prevent by crucifying Christ was fulfilled. Their dwelling place was left desolate. The temple and Jerusalem was destroyed. According to the 1st-century historian Josephus, approximately 1.1 million Jews died during the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, many of whom were pilgrims trapped in the city. Another 97,000 were captured and enslaved. Many were forced into hard labor or killed in the arena. [5]

“For they persecute the ones You have struck and talk of the grief of those You have wounded. Add iniquity to their iniquity and let them not come into Your righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.” Psalm 68:26-28

The religious leaders slapped and spit on Christ when He stood in their council chamber. They shouted insults at Him while He hung on the cross dying for their sins and for the sins of the world. They turned souls against Jesus. Jesus had said to them in Matthew 23:15, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” The names of rejectors of Christ will not be written with the righteous in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

“But I am poor and sorrowful. Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.” Psalm 69:29

What did David think of himself? He was poor of spirit. He needed the Lord to save him and bring him to heaven. All of his hope was in God and not in himself.

“I will praise the Name of God with a song and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull, which has horns and hooves.” Psalm 69:30-31

“The Bible explicitly commands singing to God in approximately 50 instances, with over 400 references to singing in total.” [6] The first and great commandment is to love God with all one’s being. God wants to be loved. Think about it! Would you rather have a relationship with a disappointing person who is always apologizing to you, or a relationship with someone who adores you, and is grateful for you?

Don’t get me wrong, we all need the Lord’s sacrifice on the cross to atone for our sins. But let us press on into praising His Name. Singing God love songs! Magnifying and giving Him thanks!

“The humble shall see this and be glad. And you who seek God, your hearts shall live. For the Lord hears the poor and does not despise His prisoners. Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them.” Psalm 69:32-34

“The psalmist here, both as a type of Christ and as an example to Christians, concludes a psalm with holy joy and praise.” [7]

Humble people are unashamed to profess faith in Christ. They rejoice when prodigals, like them, come to their senses, and seek God. The world might despise them, but God does not. He hears them. Therefore, they praise God with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

Sing to God is what Paul and Silas did after they were imprisoned for the Lord. As they sang to the Lord, the earth was moved! Just as the stone before the tomb of Jesus could not stop His resurrection, neither could the prison stocks retain Paul and Silas. They stood upright and declared Good News to their prison guard. He believed in the Lord, and so did his entire family.

“For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and possess it. Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it, and those who love His Name shall dwell in it.” Psalm 69:35-36

Jesus Christ was the King on the holy hill of Zion who gave His life for our salvation. His Gospel of the Kingdom has spread from Zion to the ends of the earth. In 1 Corinthians 4:15, Paul wrote of birthing the Corinthians into the faith by preaching the Gospel to them. The Lord also used the words of Paul and John to birth me into the Christian faith. Now, I am a descendant of God’s servants who “shall inherit the land.” I love His Name. I pray that this is your testimony too.


[1] Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary
[2] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
[5] historyhit.com/66-ad
[6] https://www.9marks.org/article/sing-to-one-another
[7] Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Let God Arise – Psalm 68

“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song. Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered. Let those also who hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.” Psalm 68:1-2

David prays that God would appear in His glory as when the sun rises and dispels darkness. He prays for haters to be blown away as smoke before wind. He prays that the wicked will melt as wax does in the presence of fire. Just so, may God’s presence with us melt them.

David’s prayed a prayer that Moses taught the nation of Israel to pray in times of war. In Number 10:35, Moses prayed, “Rise up, O Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.” David expanded on it.

Jesus Messiah was the Messenger of the Covenant that guided Israel through the wilderness. [1] He defeated their physical enemies. Then, later in the Gospels, when He resurrected from the dead, He defeated the greatest enemies of Jew and Gentile, namely, death and hell.

Revelation 12:17 indicates that Satan’s war is with those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

We can pray for our enemies by asking God to remove the serpent’s venom from their blood. Replace animosity toward God with affection for Him! Replace pride with humility! Replace lies with truth! Replace doubt with faith! If they perish in their sins, they will experience hell.

In 2 Peter 3:7, the Lord says that the heavens and the earth are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. In 2 Thessalonians 1:8 , the Lord says that He will take “flaming fire vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In Acts 17:22, 30-31, while standing near the Areopagus in Athens, Greece, Paul declared that the “times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Repentance of sin and profession of faith in Jesus Christ are necessary for salvation.

“But let the righteous be glad. Let them rejoice before God. Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.” Psalm 68:3

Those who rejoice in God have reason to rejoice with exceeding joy. Nevertheless, we pray for this joy to fill all who live in a right relationship with Him.

“Sing to God, sing praises to His Name. Extol Him who rides on the clouds, by His Name Yah, and rejoice before Him.” Psalm 68:4

David refers back to Moses again. In Deuteronomy 33:26, Moses blessed Israel, saying, “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to help you, and in His excellency on the clouds.” David invites us to sing praises and rejoice in Yah, the God of our salvation.

“A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families.” Psalm 68:5

God is great, but He does not despise fatherless children, the widows, or the lonely. He is all-sufficient to them. His grace fills the gaps in their lives. He fills the voids with His presence.

He who rides on the heavens by His name Jah, is worshipped by angels as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the sovereign director of all the affairs of states and nations. Yet, He glories in being a Father of the fatherless. Though God is high, He regards the lowly. Happy are those that have an interest in such a God as this. He is a Father worth having.

While I was teaching English in China, my wife and I met a woman and her three daughters right after their husband/father went to be with the Lord. Before he passed away, he urged them to believe in Jesus, and they did. The widow’s name was He Rae Hua. She wrote a poem to the Lord entitled, “The Love I Lost and the Love I gained.” The Lord met all her needs wonderfully. I had the privilege to take part in the marriage ceremonies of two of her daughters.

Suffering children are safe in God’s arms. Healing comes from His hands. There is none like God. [2] God is the creator and builder of families. He enjoys surrounding lonely people with lovers.

“He brings out those who are bound into prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.” Psalm 68:6

God loosens chains that bind people. In Acts 12:6-19, the Lord sent an angel to retrieve Peter from Herod’s prison. Peter was chained between two soldiers. The angel caused the chains to fall off Peter’s hands. The angel walked Peter past two sets of security guards. The angel opened the city’s iron gate. None of these highly trained guards noticed Peter missing until the next day.

The rebellious dwell in a dry land. God’s blessing is not on what is obtained by fraud. The best land becomes a dry land to them. God’s provision for the Israelites in the wilderness was constant whereas sometimes the Nile River failed the Egyptians. Their Nile god was no god.

“O God, when You went out before Your people when You marched through the wilderness, Selah! The earth shook. The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God. Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, whereby You confirmed Your inheritance, when it was weary. Your congregation dwelt in it. You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.” Psalm 68:7-10

God made a way for His people where there seemed to be no way. [3]

David’s song reiterates what Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 4:33: “Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live?”

Deborah the prophetess wrote in her song of victory, “Lord, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the field of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens poured, the clouds also poured water. The mountains gushed before the Lord.”

The Lord provided for Israel in the wilderness. He rained manna and quail upon them. He did miracles for them when they were weary. God provided out of His goodness for the poor.

“The Lord gave the Word. Great was the company of those who proclaimed it.” Psalm 68:11

The Lord gave Israel victory over their enemies. From the time they entered Canaan, during the times of the judges, until David’s days. God was their Commander-in-Chief. He gave the Word as generals do for their armies. God gave His judges commissions and assured them of success.

The Hebrew word for company (צָבָא) is feminine in gender and refers to a group or choir of women proclaiming God’s victory over their foes. In Exodus 15:20, the prophetess Miriam led a group of women in worship to the Lord for His victory over Pharoah. In Judges 5, the prophetess Deborah sang to the Lord after He gave Israel a victory over General Jabin’s 900 chariots of iron. In 1 Samuel 18:7, the women of Israel celebrated David’s victory over 10,000 Philistines. In Luke 1:46-55, Mary’s soul magnified the Lord when the angel told her that she would bring forth Israel’s Messiah. In Luke 1:51-52, she said, “He [God] has shown strength with His arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.”

Israel’s victories over their foes are a foreshadowing of Messiah’s victories over death and hell. Christ’s resurrection defeated our spiritual enemies. Their power was broken. In Matthew 28:7, Christ’s victory was first proclaimed by the women (the she-publishers) to the disciples. [4]

“Kings of armies flee, they flee, and she who remains at home divides the spoil. Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, you will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Zalmon.” Psalm 68:12-14

Enemy armies have fled before God. They retreated in fear without firing an arrow. They did not regroup and try again. Israel was enriched by their losses.

When the Almighty scattered kings for Israel, she was white as snow, purified and refined by seeing God’s Word embodied with mighty miracles.

God advanced Israel from a low and despised position to a place of splendor. She became one of the most prosperous kingdoms on earth. While God adorned Israel with wings of silver and feathers of gold, idolaters were still worshipping wood and stone, and groveling in vile lusts.

“A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan. A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan. Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks? This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in. Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.” Psalm 68:15-16

David prefers God’s mountain over Bashan. Zion was the hill which God had chosen, therefore though Bashan exceeded it in size, it lacked the Lord’s special presence. God dwells in Zion. [5]

“The chariots of God are twenty thousand. Even thousands of thousands! The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.” Psalm 68:17

Angels are the chariots of God, His chariots of war, which He make use of against His enemies, as He did for Elijah. [6] In 2 Kings 2:11, a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. In 2 Kings 16:15-17, when the servant of Elisha was afraid, Elisha prayed, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” “Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

In Deuteronomy 33:2, Moses wrote, “The Lord came from Sinai... He came with ten thousands of saints. From His right hand came a fiery law for them.” In Acts 7:53, martyr Stephen scolded his executioners, “You have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”

The enemies David fought with had chariots (2 Samuel 8:4), but what were they, for number or strength, to the chariots of God? In Psalms 20:7, David testified, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the Name of the Lord our God.”

In Matthew 26:51-53, Peter used his sword to strike a guard who came to arrest Jesus. Jesus told Peter to put his sword away. Jesus asked Peter, “Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?”

“You have ascended on high You have led captivity captive. You have received gifts among men, even from the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell there. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! Selah! Our God is the God of salvation. And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.” Psalm, 68:18-20

In Ephesians 4:8, Paul quotes the phrase “captivity captive” and “received gifts among men.” He applies its interpretation to Christ ascending on high and giving His people gifts of the Holy Spirit. Christ triumphed over the gates of hell. He opened the gates of heaven to believers. He received gifts for men. The gifts according to Ephesians 4:11 were apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, and teachers. Anointed servants of God to edify the body of Christ!

What does God do for those who are willing to receive from Him? He daily loads us with His benefits. He is the God of our salvation.

The Lord helps us escape from death. In Revelation 1:18, the keys of hell and death are in the hand of the Lord Jesus. Having made an escape from death in His resurrection, Jesus Christ has both authority and power to rescue from death.

“But God will wound the head of His enemies, the hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.” Psalm 68:21

In Genesis 3:15, God foretold that the Seed of the woman would crush Satan’s head. Jesus Christ is that Seed. He crushed Satan’s stronghold on human souls by dying on the cross to remove our sins from us and by opening the way for the Holy Spirit to fill us.

“The Lord said, ‘I will bring back from Bashan. I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, that your foot may crush them in blood, and the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.’” Psalm 68:22-23

The land of Bashan was on the other side of Jordan where they had wars with Sihon and Og. There, the blood of their enemies flowed like water and dogs lapped it up. Dogs also lapped up the blood of Israel’s evil King Ahab and evil Queen Jezebel. In 1 Kings 22:38, dogs lapped up Ahab’s blood after he died in battle. In 2 Kings 9:30-37, dogs consumed all of Jezebel’s corpse except for her skull, hands and feet.

“They have seen Your procession, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after. Among them were the maidens playing timbrels. Bless God in the congregations, the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.” Psalm 68:24-26

What witness did God’s people give to those who heard of their triumph? They saw them entering God’s sanctuary. They saw singers of praise followed by Levites playing joyful music, and ladies playing timbrels. God’s Spirit uplifted their souls to sing joyful songs.

“There is little Benjamin, their leader, the princes of Judah and their company, the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.” Psalm 68:27

People from the tribe of Benjamin (former King Saul’s tribe) entered first, then, princes of Judah (the royal tribe of King David) followed, and after them, princes from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. Why are Zebulun and Naphtali particularly mentioned? Perhaps, because they had suffered more attacks from the Syrians than any other tribe, yet, survived and thrived.

“Your God has commanded your strength. ‘Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us. Because of Your temple at Jerusalem, kings will bring presents to You.” Psalm 68:28-29

What God does, He will strengthen! Missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, once said, “Depend on it. God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God's supply.”

God strengthens what He wants for us. One way that He strengthens it is by moving the hearts of rulers to support our effort. In Nehemiah 2:8-9, Nehemiah testified that the reason his king granted him supplies was because the good hand of God was upon him. In 1 Kings 9:10–14; 26–28, King Hiram of Tyre sent timber, gold, and craftsmen to help with the construction of the temple in Jerusalem. God also moved King David’s heart to strengthen His kingdom on earth.

“Rebuke the beasts of the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver. Scatter the peoples who delight in war. Envoys will come out of Egypt. Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.” Psalm 68:30-31

“The ‘beast’ and the ‘bulls’ denote the oppressors, troublers, and seducers of the nations. They must come to an end.” [7] David asked the Lord to scattered those who enjoy war. Egypt and Ethiopia needed to humble themselves before God. To repent! To stretch uplifted hands to Him!

“Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth! O, sing praises to the Lord! Selah! To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice! Ascribe strength to God. His excellence is over Israel, and His strength is in the clouds. O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!” Psalm 68:32-35

David urges us to sing praises to the Lord. Indeed, we should measure our spirituality by the measure of our love for God. He is worthy! Do the images we look at yield worship to God? Do our choices of food and drink honor God? May all we do bring glory to God!

God rides upon the heavens of heavens. During a battle, an army on high ground holds the advantage over an opposing army. God’s army is above all others. David urges us to give our strength and power to God. Go all in with God! Bless Him and Him alone! To God be the glory!



[1] Matthw Henry’s Commentary
[2] Based on lyrics from the song, “There is None Like You” by Lenny LeBlanc
[3] Based on lyrics from the song, “God Will Make a Way” by Don Moen
[4] Matthw Henry’s Commentary
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid
[7] Enduring Word Commentary with quote from VanGemeren