THOU HAST ASCENDED ON HIGH

It is very easy to ascertain the circumstances that gave rise to this psalm of David. In Numbers 10. 35, whenever the ark set forward, Moses said, “Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee”; in other words, the Lord would be victorious. This is almost identical with verse 1 of Psalm 68. Hence the psalm was sung on an occasion when the ark moved forward triumphantly in David’s reign. This only occurred once, namely when David arranged for the ark to be taken from the house of Obed-edom up to mount Zion, 1 Chron. 15. 1, 25.

During this move, there was opposition, shown by verse 16, “Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in”. God’s purpose was not thwarted, for the ascent was accomplished, “Thou hast ascended on high … thou hast received gifts for men”, v. 18. Typically, Paul understood this to refer to the ascension of Christ, for this verse is quoted in Ephesians 4. 8. The previous movements of the ark can be correspondingly interpreted. The ark going into the land of the Philistines speaks of the death of Christ. Its return to Kirjath-jearim speaks of His resurrection, 1 Sam. 7. 1. And its ascent to mount Zion speaks of His ascension.

Paul uses verse 18 in a very important context: “unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ”, Eph. 4. 7. It is as ascended that He “gave gifts unto men”—a slight change in wording from Psalm 68. Peter’s words in Acts 2. 33 answer directly to the wording of the psalm: “thou hast received gifts”, for the apostle states that Christ, as exalted, “received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit” who was then shed forth. Hence all our spiritual gifts place us in contact with heaven, with the exalted Christ.

Note further that Romans 12. 3 states, as pertaining to these gifts, that “God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith”, and that 1 Corinthians 12. 7 states that “the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal”. In other words, the three Persons of the Trinity are involved in giving gifts to every man.

“He gave … evangelists, pastors, teachers”, Eph. 4. 11.