18. Thou hast ascended on high. The ark
was conducted to the summit of Zion; God himself took possession of the high
places of the earth. The antitype of the ark, the Lord Jesus, has ascended into
the heavens with signal marks of triumph. To do battle with our enemies, the
Lord descended and left his throne; but now that the fight is finished, he
returns to his glory; high above all things is he now exalted. Thou hast led captivity captive. As great conquerors of old led whole nations into
captivity, so Jesus leads forth from the territory of his foe a vast company as
the trophies of his mighty grace. From the gracious character of his reign it
comes to pass that to be led into captivity by him is for our captivity to
cease. The Lord Jesus puts death to death. Thou hast received gifts for men,
or, received gifts among men: they have paid thee tribute, and will in every
age continue to do so, delighting in thy reign. Paul’s rendering is the Gospel
one: Jesus has “received gifts for men,” of which he makes plentiful distribution, enriching his church with
the priceless fruits of his ascension, such as apostles, evangelists, pastors,
and teachers, and all their varied endowments. In him we are endowed with
priceless treasures, and we give him ourselves, our all. Yea, for the rebellious also. These gifts the rebels are permitted to share in; subdued
by love, they are indulged with the benefits peculiar to the chosen. The
original runs, “even the rebellious,” or, “even from the rebellious,” of
which the sense is that rebels become captives to the Lord’s power, and
tributaries to his throne. That the Lord God might dwell among them. In his conquered territory, Jah Elohim would
dwell as Lord of all, blessing with his condescending nearness those who were
once his foes. When Canaan was conquered, and the fort of Zion carried by
storm, then was there found a resting-place for the ark of God; and so when the
weapons of victorious grace have overcome the hearts of men, the Lord God makes
them to be his living temples. Moreover, the ascension of Jesus is the reason
for the descent of the Lord God, the Holy Spirit.
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