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parting gifts

Psalm 68:15-18 (JDV)

Psalm 68:15 Mount Bashan is God’s towering mountain; Mount Bashan is a mountain of many peaks.
Psalm 68:16 Why gaze with envy, you mountain peaks, at the mountain God desired for his residence? Yahveh will dwell there forever!
Psalm 68:17 God’s chariots are tens of thousands, thousands and thousands; the Lord is among them in the sanctuary as he was at Sinai.
Psalm 68:18 You ascended to the heights, taking away captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious, so that Yah – God might dwell there.

parting gifts

The Apostle Paul appears to have misquoted this passage in Ephesians 4:8.

Ephesians 4:8 (JDV)

For this reason it says: When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to humans.

Actually, Paul’s statement is easy to reconcile. His quote is actually only the first part of the verse. When he said “he gave gifts to humans” he is referring to the fact that those gifts he received (from the terrified Egyptians who wanted the Hebrews to just go away) went to the Hebrews themselves. So, although God did the Passover miracle, the Israelites received the gifts.

In the same way, When Jesus rose from the dead, and ascended to his throne in the sky, he left some parting gifts for his people. The equipping ministries of Ephesians 4:11 are Christ’s parting gifts to enrich the lives of his wandering congregation.

Thank you, Lord, for the parting gifts!