A Gift So That We May Give

Psalm 68:18 

    Yesterday we were reminded of our calling to look up to our Creator Who supplies us with all our daily needs, and Who saves us by His Son's blood and Spirit. It is well for us also to consider the fact that our Savior ascended up on high and has dominion over all things in heaven and on earth for our good.

    For thirty years He dwelt with us and then died for our sins. For three days He was in His grave, and then arose with a new, glorious life. For forty days He remained here below showing us His victory over death.  And then He ascended up into heaven fulfilling the prophecy which we find in Psalm 68:18. There we read, "Thou hast ascended up on high, Thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.''

    We cannot appreciate that truth too much. His cross is of infinite value, and we must preach Christ crucified.  But if you want to know what He earned for us by that cross, you must look up into heaven and see Him there at God's right hand. Then you see what He is now preparing for us, and what power He has to bring us there into all that glory. See that and you have a well-founded reason to sing (PRC Psalter):

    O Lord, Thou hast ascended 
    On high in might to reign;
    Captivity Thou leadest 
    A captive in Thy train,
    Rich gifts to Thee are offered 
    By men who did rebel,
    Who pray that now Jehovah
    Their God with them may dwell.

    Did you notice the change here? Psalm 68:18 has. "...Thou hast received gifts for men." The versification has, "Rich gifts to Thee are offered.''  Both are true. Christ received gifts for those for whom He died. But one of those gifts is to enable them to give the gifts of praise and thanks to God by turning them away from their rebellion, and giving them a life of love to God.  What a victory then did He win for us! Praise and thank Him for it.

Read: Ephesians 4 
Psalter versification: #183:1

Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
I Samuel 12 
I Samuel 13 
John 7:1-30 
Psalm 108 
Proverbs 15:4

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Quote for Reflection:

At the Lord’s Table:  “Do we taste, experience, appropriate the love of God in Christ? Do we know that we have fellowship with God? When we eat and drink at the table of the Lord, do we taste that God comes to us in Christ? God comes to us through Christ and in the Spirit and makes His abode with us, and causes us to experience the blessedness of His fellowship and presence.”  -- Herman Hoeksema