‘Aslan is a lion’, said Mr. Beaver, ‘the Lion, the great Lion.’ … ‘Then he isn’t safe?’ said Lucy. ‘Safe?’ said Mr. Beaver … ‘Course he isn’t safe! But he’s good. He’s the King.’ C.S. Lewis in The Chronicles of Narnia got it exactly right: ‘not safe but good.’ For it is straight out of Psalm 68. Alec Motyer says,
“Psalm 68 is a psalm for the threatening day when Jesus’ enemies seem to be on top, their power let loose, their arguments unanswerable. But not so! The wicked will perish (20), kings will flee (12), heads will be wounded (21), and live forfeited (23). It’s as sure as the truth that the Rider in the skies (33) is also the Rider on earth (4). Meantime the same Sovereign One is the defender of the defenseless (3), the deliver of the captives (6), the provider for the poor (10), our daily beneficiary and Savior (19), and he holds ‘the keys of death and of Hades’ (verse 20; Revelation 1:18). We may be as insignificant as Benjamin (27) but we too have our place in the victory march, and it is our God who has ascended on high and has captured captives (18).”
In other words, the victory has already been won, the King is already on his throne, and if we will but look around us, we will see people all over the world bowing down to this King. At first sight Psalm 68 seems like an interesting collection of bit and pieces that do not seem to fit together. But it is not so. Rather it is an ordered representation of a victory parade. The enemy has been overwhelmed and his armies scattered: the throne has been won. In fact, there may be no greater psalm to give us a clearer, more helpful, and reassuring perspective from which we can view our world today than Psalm 68. Join us this Sunday as we unfold this great Ascension psalm together.
Grace to You,
Chad