his procession

Posted on June 12, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky

his procession

Psalm 68:24-27 (JDV)

Psalm 68:24 People have seen your procession, God, the procession of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.
Psalm 68:25 Singers lead the way, with musicians following; among them are young women playing tambourines.
Psalm 68:26 Bless God in the congregations; bless Yahveh from the fountain of Israel.
Psalm 68:27 There is Benjamin, the youngest, leading them, the rulers of Judah in their congregation, the rulers of Zebulun, the rulers of Naphtali.

his procession

Being in a parade is exciting, but watching a parade helps you to see the whole picture. From group to group, float to float, a watcher is impressed with the glory.

Such is the procession that the worshiper sees and relates in this psalm. From the singers to the leaders, each in turn showing the splendor of God.

God, make us part of your worship procession.

Posted in appreciation, glory | Tagged | Leave a comment

I will bring them back

Posted on June 11, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
aerial photography of seashore

Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels.com

I will bring them back

Psalm 68:19-23 (JDV)

Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord! Day after day he bears our burdens; God is our rescue. Selah.
Psalm 68:20 Our God is a God of rescue, and escape from death belongs to Yahveh my Lord.
Psalm 68:21 Surely God crushes the heads of his enemies, the hairy brow of one who goes on in his guilty acts.
Psalm 68:22 The Lord said, “I will bring them back from Bashan; I will bring them back from the depths of the sea
Psalm 68:23 so that your foot may wade in blood and your dogs’ tongues may have their share from the enemies.”

I will bring them back

Two major threats against Israel are highlighted in today’s text: the battles against kings on the way to Canaan (Og, king of Bashan was an example) and the ordeal that ended by God parting the Red Sea and protecting Israel as they walked through the parted waters. The point was, in both of these cases the miracle happened because God had said “I will bring them back” (22).

Christian, are you facing an ordeal right now? Are you facing an enemy which is certain to overpower you? Listen to these words from our deliverer God: “I will bring them back.” He does not promise to keep you from battling the enemy. But he does promise rescue.

Lord, thank you for going with us into battle, and promising to bring us back.

Posted in deliverance, enemies, suffering | Tagged | Leave a comment

parting gifts

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
assorted gift boxes on brown wooden floor surface

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

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!

Posted in church, Jesus Christ, ministry, Paul, spiritual gifts | Tagged | Leave a comment

it snowed on Zalmon

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
photo of trees across mountains under cloudy sky

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger on Pexels.com

it snowed on Zalmon

Psalm 68:11-14 (JDV)

Psalm 68:11 The Lord gave the command; a great army of women brought the good news:
Psalm 68:12 “The kings of the armies flee – they flee!” She who stays at home divides the spoil.
Psalm 68:13 While you lie among the sheep pens, the wings of a dove are covered with silver, and its feathers with glistening gold.
Psalm 68:14 When the Almighty scattered kings in the land, it snowed on Zalmon.

it snowed on Zalmon

There are various interpretations of this text, and its various elements. The impression I get is that Israel benefited from God having fought many of their battles for them. The women divided the treasures in peace. The peace of a snowfall on Zalmon (Mount Ebal) depicts a people who do not have to fight, because their God fights their battles for them.

That’s God’s grace. He does not say, “Get your act together, or I won’t deliver you.” He says, “Stand still and see the salvation I give freely.”

It snowed on Zalmon and it snowed on Calvary, after God fought our battle for us, and won the victory for us through Christ.

Thank you Lord, for the peace that is ours through Christ.

Posted in grace, peace, reconciliation | Tagged | Leave a comment

rain and revival

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
abstract art artistic autumn

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

rain and revival

Psalm 68:7-10 (JDV)

Psalm 68:7 God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the desert, Selah –
Psalm 68:8 the land trembled and the skies poured rain before God, the God of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.
Psalm 68:9 You, God, showered abundant rain; you revived your inheritance when it languished.
Psalm 68:10 Your people settled in it; God, you provided for the poor by your goodness.

rain and revival

The rain was real, and so was the revival it caused. David celebrated that rain and the fact that God was in it, bringing new life to a languishing people — his ancestors.

When we pray for God’s rain to come again, we are asking for — for lack of a better word — spiritual revival. We ask the God who can make it rain to flood us with his presence and power and bring new life. Our God can make it rain in the desert. Nothing is too difficult for him.

Lord, send your rain, and revive us again!

 

Posted in presence of God, restoration | Tagged | Leave a comment

cloud rider

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
above atmosphere clouds flight

Photo by Snapwire on Pexels.com

cloud rider

Psalm 68:4-6 (JDV)

Psalm 68:4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name. Exalt him who rides on the clouds – his name is Yah – and celebrate before him.
Psalm 68:5 God in his sacred dwelling is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows.
Psalm 68:6 God provides homes for those who are abandoned. He leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a scorched land.

cloud rider

Having established the future of the wicked, David now describes what God is doing for his poor prisoners. He describes God as ascending to the heights (18) and riding on the clouds (4). He sets free the captives, providing them prosperity and a home.

We should be singing this song even more so today, since we know that Christ ascended, and is providing us a prosperous eternal home, which he will give us when he returns to reign.

Lord, thank you for what you have provided for us today, and for the promise of eternal rest in our future.

Posted in future, Jesus Christ, providence | Tagged | Leave a comment

David saw the future

Posted on June 6, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
ball shaped circle close up dark

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

David saw the future

Psalm 68:1-3 (JDV)

Psalm 68:1 God will arise. His enemies will scatter, and those who hate him will flee from his presence.
Psalm 68:2 As smoke is blown away, so you blow them away. As wax melts before the fire, so the wicked will be destroyed before God.
Psalm 68:3 But the righteous will be glad; they will rejoice before God and celebrate with joy.

David saw the future

David saw the future. He saw God rising after all his enemies did their worst — even to his Son. David saw the final destiny of these enemies. God blows them out like smoke. They are consumed like the wax in a candle. They will be destroyed.

You can deny that future all you want to. It will happen. God will prevail and he will eventually destroy his enemies.

True followers of Jesus will rejoice when all evil is eradicated from the universe. In fact, we can start celebrating that fact today. Our God is infinite and evil is not.

Lord, we celebrate your final victory over the darkness.

Posted in destruction in hell, eternal life, sin | Tagged | Leave a comment

harvest of fear

Posted on June 5, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
green tractor plowing the fields on focus photography

Photo by Jannis Knorr on Pexels.com

harvest of fear

Psalm 67:6-7 (JDV)

Psalm 67:6 The land has produced its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.
Psalm 67:7 God will bless us, and all the ends of the land will fear him.

harvest of fear

This psalm has a simple premise: if God blesses his people, it will result in the nations coming to him. All the details are not spelled out. But that simple premise is a statement of dependence on God for witness. When God answers our prayer for a good harvest, it is not for the purpose of us having a good life. It is for the purpose of attracting the nations to our God because of his goodness and power.

Is your life a testimony to God’s power? If not, you need to keep praying this prayer.

God, smile on us, so that the nations around us might see your power, and fear your name, and come to your Christ!

Posted in evangelism, prayer, relationship with God, witness | Tagged | 1 Comment

praise from the peoples

Posted on June 4, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
old town with buildings under cloudy sky

Photo by Nick Bondarev on Pexels.com

praise from the peoples

Psalm 67:3-5 (JDV)

Psalm 67:3 The peoples will praise you, God; all the peoples will praise you.
Psalm 67:4 The nations will rejoice and shout for joy, because you judge the peoples with fairness and lead the nations in the land. Selah.
Psalm 67:5 The peoples will praise you, God, all the peoples will praise you.

praise from the peoples

Note that the praise of which the psalmist speaks is from the peoples (plural), not people (singular). The singular word (Hebrew ‘am [עַם]) usually refers to the people of Israel. But peoples is parallel with nations (verse 4).

So, the sequence the psalmist describes is this: God smiles on his people (verse 1); they are empowered to make his name known, and spread the good news of his salvation among the nations (verse 2), and that witness results in praise from the peoples because God steps in as their judge and leader (today’s text).

What started as a smile from God on a particular people would spread onto the other nations. A nation blessed by God would spread his word, his love, and his blessing to the surrounding nations. This is how missions worked in the great missionary century.  The good news of the gospel was spread by those who had the blessing of new technology and science to share with needy nations.

But in order for that process to start, there have to be citizens of a particular nation who seek his face for their own people.

Lord, smile on us, so that we can spread your gospel.

Posted in missions, praise, prayer, witness | Tagged | Leave a comment

only a smile

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
left human hand photo

Photo by Jonas Ferlin on Pexels.com

Psalm 67:1-2 (JDV)

Psalm 67:1 May God show favor to us and empower us; may he make his face shine upon us. Selah.
Psalm 67:2 – so that your way may be known on the land, your salvation among all nations.

It begins with only a smile — but a smile from the right person. The psalmist posits a scenario that begins with God shining the light of his smile upon the land. That smile produces a harvest, which produces praise, which leads to the respect of the surrounding nations, who learn to fear God and walk in his ways.

What a concept. Salvation from a smile.

Lord, smile on us!

Posted in blessings, evangelism, missions, praise, prayer | Tagged | Leave a comment