Ps 68

Devotion 1 of 1: Ps 68

I would like to focus on one interesting verse, v.18a, “You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive…” Paul quoted this verse in Eph 4:8a, “Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive...”
"You have ascended on high" was a prophecy of Jesus ascending to heaven after His resurrection. But what does “He led captivity captive” mean? I believe it means He took the OT saints, who had resurrected when He died, to heaven with Him when He ascended! Matt 27:52-53 says, “…and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.”
Why did this happen? I believe the OT saints witnessed to many Jews that Jesus had risen from the dead. Perhaps that was another reason, besides the Galilean disciples speaking supernaturally in different languages of the Roman Empire (Acts 2:5-12), why 3000 souls got saved at Peter’s preaching—they had been prepared to believe that Jesus was really the Messiah!
But where does the Bible record that they ascended to heaven with Jesus? It doesn’t! But Acts 1:9 does say, “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” I believe the “cloud” was probably the OT saints. They all surely wore white linen garments, so I think they could have looked like a white cloud ascending to heaven with Jesus.
This is how the OT saints, who were waiting at Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:22), were taken out of their “captivity” to another “captivity” in heaven forever being “slaves” of righteousness and serving God for eternity! In God’s timing, we will join them in heaven, too!

2 TIM 3: Free sharing!
V.16-17 say, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
The Scripture is the Bible, the Word of God. Christians believe God inspired 40 people from many places and various backgrounds over 1500 years to write His message to Israel and all mankind. And out of many available writings, the ancient Jewish scholars and NT Christian leaders prayerfully considered each document and came to the conclusion that only 39 books in the OT and 27 in the NT were the inspired Word of God.
The last OT book, Malachi, was written around 400BC, and about 100 years later, it was included in the Scriptures, completing the OT Bible. The NT Bible was put together about 200AD and made official around 400AD. But debate still continues among scholars about the exact details of these processes.
As Christians, we must believe that God guided the OT and NT leaders to determine which writings were genuinely inspired by God to be included in His message to humanity. Let’s treasure His Word and study it to be equipped for every good work!