The history of the expression, “lead thy captivity captive,” first found in Judges 5:12, strikingly illustrates the remark of a well-known writer, that “he who does not see Christ everywhere in the Old Testament, sees Him nowhere.” The above expression 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.
Description of Christ
Passing on to Psalm 68, we read: “Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men [or rather, in the man]; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them” (Psa. 68:18). Here in this psalm the conflict is over, 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.”
Present Fruit of Victory
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. His conflict with the power of Satan was seen clearly in His death on the cross (see Col. 2:15), and will be exhibited through Him again when He returns for the deliverance of His people Israel in a later day. Psalm 68, though all is based upon and flows out from the virtue of His death, refers to Israel and the future; but if we now turn to Ephesians — the last place where the expression is found — the reference is to His past conflict and victory, when He overcame the whole power of Satan. “When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men” (Eph. 4:8). That is, He brought to naught the power that held us captive; and Satan, as the enemy who has been overcome, now only waits for the execution of his sentence (See Rev. 20:1, 2, 10). Not only so, but we, freed from our captivity, are brought into the enjoyment of the present fruits of the victory in the gifts bestowed by the victorious and ascended Christ (Eph. 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. Dennett (adapted)