2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
The portion of PS 68 that we will examine today deals with a very joyous event in Israel’s history, the processional carrying the Ark to the sanctuary (tent) in Jerusalem. PS 68: 24-27. “O God, Your march of triumph is seen by all, the procession of God, my King, into His sanctuary. The singers are in front, the musicians are behind, in between are the girls beating their timbrels [tambourines]. ‘Praise God in the meeting of His people; praise the Lord, all you descendants of Jacob! ‘ First comes Benjamin, the smallest tribe, then the leaders of Judah with their group, followed by the leaders of Zebulun and Nephtali.” This is a real picture of Davidic worship at its best. It is supported by what we discussed in a previous devotion in this series in 2 SAM 6: 12-19. This is the scene and the sounds that David’s wife, Michal, saw and heard, but didn’t understand. We get more details when we look at 2 SAM 6: 13-15, “After the men carrying the Covenant Box had gone six steps, David had them stop while he offered the Lord a sacrifice of a bull and a fatted calf. David, wearing only a linen cloth around his waist, danced with all his might to honor the Lord. And so he and all the Israelites took the Covenant Box up to Jerusalem with shouts of joy and the sound of trumpets.” Verses 17-19 continue, “They brought the Box and put it in its place in the Tent that David had set up for it. Then he offered sacrifices and fellowship offerings to the Lord. When he had finished offering the sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty and distributed food to them all. He gave each man and woman in Israel a loaf of bread, a piece of roasted meat, and some raisins. Then, everyone went home.” In all of their minds, God had come home.
You may be asking: Why is this important to me? The answer to that question rests in the understanding that often the OT foreshadows what will come in its future in the NT. Remember that among the contents of the Ark of the Covenant were the stone tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were written . Also remember that the Jews of David’s time, as traditional Jews today, were under the old covenant. The Messiah’s first advent hadn’t happened yet. It also helps to remember that David’s son, Solomon, had not yet built the Temple, nor had God departed that Temple [EZK 10: 4] in Ezekiel’s time yet.
This significant event foreshadows two others, one in our past and one in our future. We know that in the beginning of the last week of Christ’s incarnation, He was the object of a triumphal procession into Jerusalem. MT 21: 1-5, “As Jesus and His disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives. There Jesus sent two of the disciples on ahead with these instructions: ‘Go to the village there ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied up with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to me. And if anyone says anything, tell them, ‘The Master needs them’; and then he will let them go at once.’ This happened in order to make come true what the prophet had said [in ZECH 9: 9]: ‘Tell the city of Zion, look, your King is coming to you! He is humble and rides on a donkey and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” MT 21: 9-11, “The crowds walking in front of Jesus and those walking behind began to shout, ‘Praise to David’s Son! God bless Him Who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise be to God!’ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was thrown into an uproar. ‘Who is He?’ the people asked. ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee,’ the crowds answered.” Above, I made the point that the Ten Commandments were inside the Ark. Now, look at RO 10: 4 to fully understand the ties between these two events and the consistency of the Scriptures. “For Christ has brought the Law to an end [He is the Fulfillment of the Law], so that everyone who believes is put right with God.” RO 6: 15 gives us the comfort of knowing that as believers, we are no longer under Law but are under God’s grace. Also note that Christ’s true identity wasn’t recognized by the Jews during His first advent [and still isn’t by traditional Jews]. Once He was crucified and ascended into heaven, He had left earth just as the Father did in EZK 10: 4.
There are events in our future which are also foreshadowed by PS 68: 24-27. First let me say that PS 110: 1-2 contain an important prophetic promise for us. “The Lord said to my Lord, the King, ‘Sit here at My right side until I make Your enemies a footstool under Your feet.’ From Zion the Lord will extend Your royal power. ‘Rule over Your enemies,’ He says.” Where is Christ now? HE 7: 24-25, answers that for us. “But Jesus lives on forever, and His work as our High Priest does not pass on to someone else. And so He is able, now and always, to save those Who come to God through Him, because He lives forever to plead with God for them.” ZECH 14: 4 tells us “He will come to stand with His feet on the Mount of Olives,” i.e. He will come a second time. This time, it will be to establish His Kingdom. While that moment will not be a triumphant entry or a processional, it will lead to the greatest and most joyous event of all, that depicted in REV 21: 1-4. “Then I [John] saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth disappeared, and the sea vanished. And I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared and ready, like a bride dressed to meet her husband. I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne, ‘Now God’s home is with mankind! He will live with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with the, and He will be their God. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared!”
PRAYER: O Lord, You have given us a detailed account of David’s joyous processional carrying the Ark into Jerusalem, so that we could focus on crucial lessons You want us to have from it. To begin, You remind us that righteousness in our lives leads to joy. You remind us that David is dressed in white linen, which is often used as a symbol in the Scriptures for righteousness and goodness. Through this story, You impact us with the reminder of the events it foreshadows and make us realize their significance to us. The promise contained in Christ’s first and second advents as well as Your many reminders that we can look forward to the establishment of Your eternal Kingdom to replace all the faulty and often evil ones of mankind are all brought to mind when we read today’s passage. You want us to hold fast to our faith and to guard the treasure of the Gospel that You have entrusted to us. We dedicate ourselves to obeying these commands. In humility, we offer You our praise, worship, adoration, trust, obedience, honor, loyalty, glory and dedication. In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow, we will look at PS 68: 28-35, the description of the jubilant throng anticipating the final victory of God. That will wrap up our look at this magnificent national song of triumph that is PS 68. As I write this message, war has broken out between Israel and the Palestinians. We must be in an attitude of prayer as lives are lost and events unfold. The most important point of my own prayers is that God’s will shall be accomplished. For it is only in Him that we can find eternal refuge. Join me in praying PS 122: 6, never forgetting for one minute that our Lord loves us more than we can comprehend. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn