The Church follows the admonition to “love your neighbor” because it is their identity in Christ Jesus.
The Psalm appointed for the seventh Sunday of Easter is Psalm 68:1-10. Psalm 68 is an excellent Psalm for the Easter season. It begins with a description of the Resurrection as a great victory! The enemies are conquered (sin, death, and Satan are on the run!) and the righteous ones rejoice. They are provided for in this great victory. Resurrection is victory. God shall arise! Christ has risen!
However, this is not the sum of the LORD’s provision for His people. Beginning at verse 5, the language of the LORD God is as Father of the fatherless, protector of the widows, and the One who frees the prisoners and settles the lonely/solitary. This is the language the prophets of old used to describe the Messianic Age. The lame shall walk, the blind shall, the widows and orphans shall be cared for, the prisoners released, etc. The Messiah will come for those who are outcasts and neglected by society. Why is this so important?
First, it describes who we are as sinners: Separated from God, helpless to care for ourselves, and hopeless in our efforts to access the LORD God. Thus, the Messiah comes to us where we are at, and He brings relief, healing, forgiveness, and salvation. Second, these identifying marks of the Messiah become the marks of the Church. The Church takes care of the outcasts as they live and walk in the faith. The Church follows the admonition to “love your neighbor” because it is their identity in Christ Jesus.
So, the Psalm reading ends with the language of provision: The LORD provides. He takes care of the needy in both body and soul, and the Church is the instrument of His hand. Verses 7 and following use the Exodus as proof, a reminder of how the LORD has provided in the past to bring assurance to the people that He will be faithful and provide in the future; even to the point of sending His Son to die and rise for them.
So, the Psalm reading ends with the language of provision: The LORD provides.
Note: The verse numbering in the Hebrew is slightly different from English translations, starting with verse one. For ease of use, we have followed the most common numberings you will find in your English Bible.
68:1 לַמְנַצֵּחַ (lam-natz-Tze-ach) root: נַצֵּחַ (naw-tsakh) Piel Participle: “music director; choir master”
שִׁיר (Shir) “song"
יָקוּם (ya-Kum) “to rise up; to arise”
יָפוּצוּ (ya-Fu-tzu) root: פוּץ (poots) Qal: “to scatter; to disperse; to be dispersed”
מְשַׂנְאָיו. (me-san-Av) root: שַׂנאָ (saw-nay) “to hate” “The ones who hate”
68:2 כְּהִנְדֹּף (ke-hin-Dof) root: נדּף (naw-daf) Niphal: “to be scattered; to be driven; to be driven about”
עָשָׁן (a-Shan) “smoke”
תִּנְדֹּף (tin-Dof) root: נדּף (naw-daf) Qal: “to destroy; to drive about”
כְּהִמֵּס (ke-him-Mes) root: מּסס (maw-sas) Niphal: “to melt”
68:3 יַעַלְצוּ (Ya-al-tzu) root: עַלְץ (aw-lats) Qal: “to rejoice; to exult”
וְיָשִׂישׂוּ (ve-ya-Si-su) root: שׂשׂ שִׂוּשׂ (soos; sahs) Qal: “to rejoice; to exult; to display joy; to be jubilant”
בְשִׂמְחָה (ve-sim-Chah) “joy”
68:4 שִׁירוּ (Shi-ru) root: שׁיר (sheer) Qal: “to sing; to sing in joy; to praise in song”
זַמְּרוּ: (zam-me-Ru) root: זַמּר (zaw-mar) Piel: “to praise; to praise in/with song”
סֹלּוּ (Sol-lu) root: סֹלּלּ (saw-lal) Qal: to prepare the way; to lift up (voice in song)”
לָרֹכֵב (la-ro-Chev) root: רכב (raw-kab) Qal: “to ride; to be riding; to drive”
בָּעֲרָבוֹת (Ba-a-ra-Vot) from: ערבה (ar-aw-baw) “cloud; desert; steppe”
וְעִלְזוּ> (ve-il-Zu) root: עלז (aw-laz) Qal: “to exult; to triumph”
68:5 יְתוֹמִים> (Ye-to-mim) “fatherless; orphan”
וְדַיַּן (ve-dai-Yan) “judge; defender”
אַלְמָנוֹת (al-ma-Not) “widow”
בִּמְעוֹן (bim-on) “dwelling”
68:6 יְחִידִים (ye-chi-Dim) “lonely; deserted; solitary”
אֲסִירִים] (A-si-rim) “prisoner”
בַּכּוֹשָׁרוֹת; (bak-ko-sha-Rot) “prosperity; happiness”
סוֹרְרִים (so-ra-Rim) root: סרר (saw-rar) Qal Participle: “to be stubborn; rebellious”
צְחִיחָה (tze-chi-Chah) “scorched land; barren land; bare land; burned land”
68:7 בְּצֵאתְךָ. (be-tza-de-Cha) root: צאת (tsaw-ad) Qal: “to march; to step; to stride solemnly”
בִישִׁימוֹן (vi-shi-Mon) “desert; wasteland; wilderness”
68:8 רָעָשָׁה (ra-A-shah) root: רעשׁ (raw-ash) Qal: to quake; to shake”
נָטְפוּ (na-te-Fu) root: נטף (naw-taf) Qal: “to drip; to drop; to pour down”
68:9 גֶּשֶׁם< (Ge-shem) “rain; shower”
נְדָבוֹת (Ne-da-Vot) “free; abundance; generosity”
תָּנִיף (ta-Nif) root: נוף (noof) Hiphil: “to cause rain to fall; to cause snow to fall”
וְנִלְאָה> (ve-nil-Ah) root: לאָה (law-aw) Niphal: “to struggle; to be weary”
68:10 חַיָּתְךָ; (chai-ya-te-Cha) “dwelling place; congregation”
בְּטוֹבָתְךָ. (be-toa-te-Cha) “goodness; kindness”
לֶעָנִי (le-a-Ni) “poor; needy; wretched; afflicted”
Sermon Outline Suggestion
Theme: The LORD Provides
- The LORD Provides the Easter Victory
- Enemies are vanquished
- The righteous rejoice
- The LORD Provides for the Lost
- Soul: Sinners separated are reunited
- Body: The needy and outcast gathered in
- The LORD Provides...
- Through His Son
- Through His Church
