The history of the expression “lead thy captivity captive,” first found in this scripture, strikingly illustrates the remark of a well-known writer, that “he that does not see Christ everywhere in the Old Testament, sees Him nowhere.” It is here addressed to Barak. “Awake, awake, Deborah; awake, awake, utter a song; arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.” After the victory over Sisera, the Holy Spirit put a song of celebration into the lips of Deborah and Barak, in which they are made to recall the former state of Israel, the gathering of the people, and the circumstances of the conflict. The words occupying our attention take the form of an exhortation in the prospect of the struggle, urging Barak to grapple with, and to bring into captivity, the power which had been holding Israel captive. Passing onward to Psalms 68, we read, “Thou hath ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men (or rather, as in the margin, in the man); yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.” (v. 18) Here the conflict is over (see vv. 1, 2, 12); but the words are not, as in Judges, an exhortation, but a description—a description of the victorious issue of the conflict in the ascension and exaltation of Christ as Man. But there is more, as another has remarked, for. “He has led captive the power of the enemy who ruined all—conferred blessing, and as Man, and in His human nature, He has received gifts even for rebellious Israel, that Jehovah Elohim might dwell among them.” We learn, therefore, that the divine energy of the Spirit, that wrought in and through Deborah and Barak for the overthrow of the enemies of Israel, was but a foreshadowing of that divine power which was displayed in and through Christ in His conflict with the power of Satan in His death on the cross (compare Colossians 2:15), and which will be exhibited through Him when He returns for the deliverance of His people Israel in a later day. The psalm, though all is based upon and flows out from the virtue of His death, refers to the latter; but if we now turn to Ephesians—the last place where the expression is found—the reference is to the former—His overcoming the, whole power of Satan. “When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men,” etc. (Chapter 4:8) That is, He has brought to naught the power that held us captive; and Satan, as the enemy who has been worsted and overcome, now only waits for the execution of his sentence. (See Revelation 20:1,2,10) Not only so; but we, freed from our captivity (compare Hebrews 2:14,15), are brought into the’ enjoyment of the present fruits of the victory in the gifts bestowed by the victorious and ascended Christ. (Ephesians 4:7-14) The effect for Israel will be that their Lord God will once more dwell among them in power and blessing; while believers now have already entered upon the blessings won for them in the provision made “ for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,” and can joyfully anticipate the full result in the future glory of the victory.
E. D.