City Life Starter

Written by Nate Warren

The Word

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:

“When He ascended on high,

He led captivity captive,

And gave gifts to men.”

9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

Ephesians 4:7-10

Reflection

In today’s Ephesians passage, Paul refers to Psalm 68. At first, it seems that his reference to this passage is directed specifically toward making his point about grace/gifts which starts in verse 7 and continues through verse 11. Indeed, he is doing just that, but this tiny reference is loaded with purpose and meaning beyond Paul’s overt argument. He references this passage from Psalm 68:18:

You have ascended on high,

You have led captivity captive;

You have received gifts among men

Wait a minute! Paul misquoted the verse?! It says that God has received gifts from humanity. Paul says that God gave gifts to humanity. Did Paul just change the Word of God!? Let’s look at the end of the poem, Psalm 68:35:

The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.

It’s the last line of the psalm that clarifies this tension. Paul wants his readers to catch his mistake, prompting them to examine the entire Psalm in light of all that he has been saying in the previous chapters.

In verses 9 and 10, Paul drives home his association between God in Psalm 68 to Jesus. He insists that only Jesus, who is God, but has lived a mortal existence as a human, could be the God who ascends to power above all the rulers in heaven and earth. 

Paul side-steps his primary point by using an argument of that point to reveal a breadcrumb toward further understanding of the apocalypse, the revelation, which he has been explaining in the preceding chapters of the letter. We will learn what this main point is as we continue reading, but for now, we can revel in the layers of beauty of the Gospel that are revealed in the Word of God, that “angels long to examine.” (1 Peter 1:12, paraphrase)

Application

I can’t help but be in awe of this beauty. The scriptures are a complex tapestry which tells the story of God through the ages of human history. Paul, guided by God’s Spirit, wrote in a tiny thread in this tapestry that dares to be pulled. When we pull this thread to its source (Go read Psalm 68), it reveals another beautiful and complex depiction of God’s character and action, and also leaves more threads of discovery – various references of Hebrew imagery.

I invite you to join me in being awestruck of the story that God has told by His Word, spoken into creation, lived through Jesus, and articulated through the words of scripture. In response to this awe, let us resolve to pull all of the threads, that is, follow all of the hidden meanings and references, so the awe will keep growing in us, making us praise the God whose Word has led us to life.

Prayer

Father,
May Your Word be the lamp to our feet. In our endeavor to learn all you have revealed by the scriptures, may Your Spirit guide us into its truth. May we be awestruck by the beautiful story you have revealed in creation, in Jesus, and in us. 

Amen.