More Than Meets the Eye

Have you ever had a dream that mixed your present with your past—in one situation? Maybe that’s the best way to understand some of the prophetic Psalms of David. Some of what he wrote intermingles Israel’s past and David’s present. Some even add a third dimension—the future.

David knew the past well, because he was a student of the Old Testament law (the first five books of the Bible, which were available to him even during his time). In one of the prophetic Psalms (68), David uses some interesting imagery, which is worth studying. But first, he praises God for His past wonderful works, some of which will happen again.

Psa 68:7  O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:  (8)  The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.	God went before the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness in the book of Exodus. He led them in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. We can praise Him for that, because it shows He goes before His children—then and now (Prov. 3:5-6). The earth shook, even Mount Sinai. Only God can do that, and He did. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. Exo 19:18 You’ve heard of God moving heaven and earth… You have it here in Ps. 68 (and in 2 Sam 22:8). It was practice. He’ll do it again. Read 2 Peter 3:10-12.
(9)  Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.	David is praising God for rain in this verse. Though God sent rain as a curse to Noah, here it is a blessing. God made and kept His promise (Deut 11:10-12).  It was practice. He will do it again for Israel in a time of need, according to the prophet Ezekiel. And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. Eze 34:26 (Understand, we are talking about the Middle East here, where rain is a blessing.)
(10)  Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.  (11)  The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.	David continues his praise—regarding goodness for the poor. That goodness extends beyond the physical. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them. 1Sam 2:8. This was Hannah’s prayer after God blessed her with a child. Then David praises God for his word and those that published it. Published doesn’t mean printed, as we think of it. It means spread it forth. Today, yes, we are glad for those who physically publish the Word, but also for preachers and teachers who bring it forth accurately.
(12)  Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.  (13)  Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.  (14)  When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.	More praise from David, the army captain, who often led the Israelite army in war against the enemy (as did others before him), and plundered the enemy, so that the Israelites came out of the fight with goods to take home to their families. They ended up more “well off” from these battles. David also thought back through the Israelite’s history, when they were slaves in Egypt, living among the pots. But they rose up from that like a dirty dove that cleaned itself and rose to beauty. They moved into the promised land. (though they were later scattered from it.) That was practice. They will rise again. They already started in 1948, when they became a nation again. Born-again Christians will be part of the rising up to come. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,  (6)  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Rev 1:5-6