“Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds” (Psa 68:12-16) – PART 3

[by Tony Cullen – Aired November 26, 2015]

Psa 68:12 Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.
Psa 68:13 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.
Psa 68:14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.
Psa 68:15 The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan.
Psa 68:16 Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.

In tonight’s study, we will be looking at what God is doing with his gold (Hag 2:8, Psa 50:10) and how the purification of the saints is connected to this precious metal where God’s strength is perfected over time in weak earthen vessels that possess the treasure of His holy spirit within, making us sons and daughters (Rom 8:9) that He is bringing unto perfection through a process (2Co 4:7, 2Co 12:9, Heb 6:1).

The first 2 verses:

Psa 68:12 Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.
Psa 68:13 Though ye have lien among the pots(H82400), yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow(H3422) gold(H2742).

These first two verses describe the place we are “among the pots(H8240)” and then the place we end up because of the mercy of God.

We will divide the spiritual “spoil”, but must first lie among beasts who are there to remind us of what we are and how it is only by the grace and faith of Christ that we can grow to have “the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.”

Gold is symbolic of godly character in the positive use, and the gold that we see mentioned in verse 13 of our study (H2742) suggests that this is used and connected to actions like ‘threshing’ and other functions where there will be need for sharp, pointed ‘things’ to accomplish the actions for which the gold was fashioned. In this same verse we see the word “pots” which is defined as a double stall for cattle, and a two-pronged hook for flaying animals on. The Strong’s number used for “gold” connected to the gold of Ophir is (H3800) as opposed to (H2742).

H2742
חרץ חרוּץ
chârûts chârûts
khaw-roots’, khaw-roots’

Passive participle of H2782; properly incised or (active) incisive; hence (as noun masculine or feminine) a trench (as dug), gold (as mined), a threshing sledge (having sharp teeth); (figuratively) determination; also eager: – decision, diligent, (fine) gold, pointed things, sharp, threshing instrument, wall.

H3800
כּתם
kethem
keh’-them

From H3799; properly something carved out, that is, ore; hence gold (pure as originally mined): – ([most] fine, pure) gold (-en wedge).

H8240
שׁפת
Pots – shâphâth
shaw-fawth’

From H8239; a (double) stall (for cattle); also a (two pronged) hook (for flaying animals on): – hook, pot.

I want to mention the two places in scripture where the gold of Ophir is mentioned, to demonstrate how it is connected to the power of God upon the right hand, and connected to the elect who are the power of God’s right hand that will rule during the millennium, but only because God has mercifully put us through a refining process that has made us “more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir”.

Psa 45:9 Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

Isa 13:12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

H211
אופר אפיר אופיר
‘ôphı̂yr ‘ôphı̂yr ‘ôphir
o-feer’, o-feer’, o-feer’
Of uncertain derivation; Ophir, the name of a son of Joktan, and of a gold region in the East: – Ophir.(Mat 24:27, 2Th 2:8)

In order to become more precious than this gold, we must go through an evil experience “to humble them [us] by it” (Ecc 1:13 CLV). This experience will purify us and bring us to ascribe strength unto God as we thankfully worship him for calling us unto this process of being sanctified in this age. His spiritual strength is truly in the elect at this time, where he makes His strength perfect through our weakness (2Co 12:9), and we are learning to trust in God through these experiences and ascribe strength unto Him who works through the many joints that supply to the whole body of Christ (2Co 1:9).

The word “pots” (shâphâth) in our study is connected to the thought that God is working with beasts and that he is bringing us through a process to show us, and the world in due time, that he is the one making us anew as Christ works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Php 2:13). The word “pots” here is connected to ‘hooks’ and reminds us that our bodies are a living sacrifice (Rom_12:1), lambs for the slaughter or instruments of gold that have been fashioned in this life by God to witness of His power and might (Rom 12:1, Isa 53:7, Rom 8:36, 1Jn 4:17).

Pots H8240 (The root of this word is H8239 and means to be brought low)
שׁפת
shâphâth
Total KJV Occurrences: 2

hooks, 1
Eze 40:43
pots, 1
Psa 68:13

The root of this word “pot” is H8239, and is connected to the thought of being ‘reduced’ or ‘brought low’ as in this verse in Psalm 22 that could be translated with the word ‘reduced’ (which is the word used in its definition in Strong’s) or ‘bring me low’ as CLV translates, rather than the words “and thou have brought me into”:

Psa 22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd(H2789); and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought(H8239) me into the dust of death. (KJV)
Psa 22:15 My vigor is dried up like earthenware, And my tongue clings to my jaws; You bring me low (reduce)(H8239) to the soil of death.” (CLV)

H8239 – Strong’s: A primitive root; to locate that is (generally) hang on or (figuratively) establish reduce: – bring ordain set on.

Total KJV Occurrences: 5

brought, 1
Psa 22:15on, 3
2Ki 4:38; Eze 24:3(2)

ordain, 1
Isa 26:12

And to add to the sound pattern given to us in this word study, we are reminded by this word potsherd(H2789), defined in KJV as a broken piece of earthenware, also used in Pro 26:23:

Pro 26:23 Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd(H2789) covered with silver dross.

We are reminded of these verses in Jeremiah:

Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Jer 18:5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

So we see again in these verses that is is only after we are broken or a created marred in the hand of the Potter “piece of earthenware” that we can receive the message of God’s sovereignty and that we have no free moral agency. God must prepare our hearts to receive this very strong meat that takes a lifetime to digest. It is through the holy, holy, holy process (“O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord” of Jer 22:29) that the flesh is destroyed and we become of the generation blessed to have no confidence in that flesh, this flesh which is simply the means to the end, but through that means, becoming more precious than the gold of Ophir (Php 3:3, Heb 3:14, 2Th 2:8).

Jer 18:6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand,.

The silver wings in our study tonight remind us that our growth and ability to be raised in heavenly places with those wings is a result of the goodness of God (his good pleasure; his strong desire) that leads us unto repentance.

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Repentance is connected to riches in this verse of Romans 2, and silver and gold are connected to the peace that we receive that passes all understanding as a result of God’s forbearance and longsuffering that lead us to desire the same things that He does (Php 4:7).

All the silver [H3701 kephesh = strong desire] and yellow (greenish(H3422)) gold belong to God, and are a free gift from our Father that He gives to the cherubim who surround the throne of God and represent the elect of God who become one in the Lord through silver wings of repentance that lead to the perfection of the gold wings that He has been perfecting in the body of Christ throughout the ages.

Gen 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Isa 6:2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

Joh 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Rev 4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
Rev 4:7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
Rev 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy [process], Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

These verses above demonstrate how it is only through Christ that we can be raised, just as Moses is a type of Christ who lifts up the serpent in the wilderness, which is a shadow of this time spoken of in Obadiah 1:21.

God specifically shows us the process of the Cherubims/seraphim who start in the garden of Eden and progress throughout the word of God until the book of Revelation reveals where they sing praise to God for the process that they have been blessed to be part of and that God has accomplished through them as He promised he would. It is indeed a “holy, holy, holy” process unto which we are called (Rev 4:8, 1Pe 1:16).

[See below for links to other studies connected to these concepts (yellow, silver, gold)]

Psa 68:14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.
Psa 68:15 The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan.
Psa 68:16 Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.

Our enemies are being scattered both within and without as we discussed a few weeks back, and God has purposed for all men to hate us both within and without (Mat 10:22, Rev 12:11, Mar 10:18) seeing all the sin of the world is within us and without (1Jn 2:15-16).

It is in knowing what flesh is that we can understand how we can be hated by all men for His name’s sake, and through Christ come to overtake these spirits that want to dominate our thinking and lives. It is a process of overcoming these spirits as these verses demonstrate (Joh 14:11, 1Co 4:7, Dan 3:20, Exo 23:30).

The word “Salmon” (H6756) means shadow or figure or idol and a shadow consists of some light, but some light is blocked by the physical that is yet in the way of the sun (Mal 4:2), that of course is us now, but the time will come when (Rev 21:23) there will be no need for the sun or moon, because we will see him as He is (1Co 13:12). We know that in that day that Christ spoke of when we know that we are in Christ and Christ is in the Father (Joh 14:20, 1Co 3:16) is also a shadow and an earnest relationship (Eph 1:14) that is yet to experience the fulness that will occur when we are changed in a moment and in the twinkling of an eye (1Co 15:52).

So the question is asked “why leap ye, ye high hills?”, or why do you glory, “as if thou hadst not received it?” because that is what lambs do, they leap because anon with joy they receive the word (Mat 13:20, Luk 19:39-40). However, as we mature we ascribe strength unto God more and more as we decrease and He increases. It is His strength that is being perfected in the clouds.

It is the elect who are being scattered today as a little flock that is scattered around the world (Exo 5:12, Jer 50:17, Luk 12:32, Mat 5:13, Jer 23:3)

In our study tonight we can make a very encouraging correlation with the word “scattered” (H6566) mentioned in verse 14 after having talked about gold and what the end result of gathering that scattered gold produces.

Exo 37:9 And the cherubims spread out(H6566) [H8802] their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

The actions of all mankind witness how we are beasts (sheep) scattered by the Shepherd (Joh 2:15). We live this experience of being scattered, and, God willing, we are gathered in this age by a merciful God who is creating a ministry of reconciliation which will be used to shepherd in the rest of God’s creation, each man in his order (2Co 5:18-19, Rev 15:8, Rev 4:10, 1Co 15:23).

Deu 30:3 That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.

Isa 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

Next week, Lord willing, we will see once again the many symbols that God has given us in his word to encourage us of the certainty of the process he has called us unto as we learn to “Ascribe ye strength unto God: [because] his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds”.

For more information on the colour yellow and metals gold and silver:

The Spiritual Significance of Colors In Scripture (The Color Yellow)
Precious Metals In Scripture – Gold (Positive Application) – Part 1
Precious Metals In Scripture – Gold (Positive Application) – Part 2
Precious Metals In Scripture – Silver (Negative Application) – Part 2