Mensa Otabil - Let God Arise (09/26/2025)
I’m speaking for the next few weeks; I’ll be discussing issues related to rising, so almost every week my message will have something to say about rising. Somebody might say, «I’m rising!» Alright, so I start today, and my message is titled, «Let God Arise.» How many of you are familiar with that song, «Let God Arise and His Enemies Be Scattered»? We used to really match that song years ago. Psalm 68 is where that phrase is recorded—Psalm 68, verse 1—and it says, «Let God arise; let His enemies be scattered; let those also who hate Him flee before Him.» Let God arise; let His enemies be scattered; let those who hate Him flee before Him. This is both a prayer and an expectation from David, and there is a sequence: God rises, His enemies scatter, and His haters flee. It is both a prayer and a statement: «Let God arise.»
So if we are saying it as a prayer, it will sound like, «Oh, that God will arise and His enemies be scattered and those who hate Him flee before Him.» Now, for those of you who compare Bible passages with different translations, you would know that the King James Version would say, «Let God arise,» while the New King James says, «Let God arise.» But other translations do not have «let» and say, «God arise» or «Arise, God.» The reason the translation differs across versions is that in Hebrew there is no «let.» In Hebrew, it is simply «God arise» or «Arise, God.»
So «Arise, God» can either be a prayer or a statement of faith that God rises all the time, and when God rises, His enemies scatter. We say it as a prayer, «Oh God, arise,» and we say it as a statement: «Arise, God!» The key word is «arise.» Everybody say «arise.» I will take some time to define the word «arise.» To arise means to stand upright; the Hebrew word used means to stand upright. The idea is of one who is ready to act, one who is ready to do something. So when we say «God arise,» it means God is in a state of alertness or readiness to do something.
Secondly, the word «arise» means to be established, to stand, to be established. It is used in the sense of when you say that what I have said will stand. When a person says, «What I have said will stand,» it doesn’t mean what I have said will get up; it means what I have said will not change—it will be established. So when we say, «Let God arise,» that is another meaning: that God is establishing His purposes. «Let God arise; God is upright; God is standing; God is establishing His purposes.»
Thirdly, the word «arise"—and that’s what I like the most—means to show up, to show up on the scene. It is used in a battle sense, and that is the sense in which it is used in this passage. When a champion steps into battle, there is a battle and a champion rises up and appears on the scene. If he is a formidable champion, his enemies scatter. So when God comes on the scene, His enemies scatter. When God appears, when God shows up, His enemies scatter.
Now, the root word or the root verse that David quotes in Psalm 68 occurs in the Book of Numbers because in the Book of Numbers you’ll find a similar phrase made by Moses, and I want us to look at it in Numbers chapter 10, verses 35 and 36. It is a statement associated with the Ark of the Covenant and Israel’s journey in the wilderness. As Israel moved in the wilderness, this statement that we read in Psalm 68 was made. So Numbers chapter 10, verses 35 and 36, says, «So it was, whenever the Ark set out, that Moses said, 'Rise up, O Lord; let Your enemies be scattered; let those who hate You flee before You.' And when it rested, he said, 'Return, O Lord, to the many thousands of Israel.'» The Ark of the Covenant was significant for Israel; it reminded them of God’s presence. They were not to worship the Ark, but they were to remember that God was in their midst because their Ark was in their midst.
If you read about how the people of Israel related to the Ark of the Covenant, when the Ark of the Covenant moved, they moved. So when they were going to a place, the first thing that had to move was the Ark of the Covenant, and the people followed the Ark. When the Ark of the Covenant settled, they settled. It was a way of saying, «When God moves, I move.» We move at the move of the Lord; we do what God does. When God moves, I move. Somebody say, «When God moves, I move.» Yes! When God moves, we move. When God speaks, we speak. When God acts, we act. When God moves, we move. We move at the impulse of the Lord; we move by His direction; we move by His Spirit.
Whenever the Ark of the Covenant was moved, it was taken from the holy of holies. They lift the Ark and place it on the shoulders of the Levites, and when that happens, Moses will say, «Rise up, O Lord; let Your enemies be scattered and let those who hate You flee before You.» That is what David is speaking about in Psalm 68: «Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered before Him.» It means that when God shows up, His enemies despair before Him.
When God shows up, His enemies scatter before Him. Psalm 68, verse 2, says they disperse like smoke that is blown away by the wind or as wax melts before fire. As smoke is blown away, have you seen smoke blown away in the wind? It just goes «poof!» Fire melts wax; that just happens. When God rises, that which seems like an enemy will be blown away like smoke, and that which seems like solid candle wax will melt before the Lord. «Let God arise, and His enemies be scattered!»
Now, note it didn’t say, «Let God arise and my enemies be scattered.» It says, «Let God arise, and God’s enemies.» The people that scatter are not necessarily your enemies; they are the enemies of God. For somebody to scatter, they must not just be fighting you; they must also be fighting God. And when that happens, when God arrives, people scatter from the battlefield. «Let God arise.» Don’t minimize His presence in your midst. Don’t downplay the presence of God. Don’t look down on the presence of God. «Let God arise!»
In the days of Moses, God arose when the Ark of the Covenant arose. When they picked up the Ark of the Covenant, they would say, «Arise, O Lord!» The Lord is arising; He’s going to show up in battle, and let His enemies be scattered. Can you imagine how it was? Because they were in the wilderness, and in the wilderness, there are enemies all around. This is a nation without land; it doesn’t have an army; it doesn’t have protection. They were just slaves who had come out; God had delivered them. As they go through the wilderness, there are enemies all around trying to attack them, steal from them, and destroy them, trying to take their gold and silver.
But when they enter the wilderness, this is how they move. For 40 years, the Ark of the Covenant rises: «Let God arise,» Moses will say, «and His enemies be scattered!» Enemies that wanted to attack them scattered, blown away like smoke in the wind, and they dispersed like wax in fire. May the same power be manifested in your life as you get up on a Monday morning to face the world. Let God arise as you go through the duties of your life. Let God arise!
Now, when we go back to Psalm 68, it tells us how David made God arise. In the days of Moses, it was the Ark of the Covenant lifted. We don’t have an Ark to lift today, so how does God arise for us? Psalm 68, verses 3 and 4: «But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God; yes, let them rejoice exceedingly. Sing to God; sing praises to His name; extol Him who rides on the clouds by His name Yah, and rejoice before Him.»
So how does God arise? God arises when we rejoice in the Lord. Rejoicing in the Lord means you are glad. We can’t rejoice in the Lord if we allow our hearts to be weighed down by sorrow. When we rejoice, we exclaim, «Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!» You extol Him by His name Yah, «Hallelujah!» Rejoicing in the Lord means you go through life with joy. If you go through life depressed, bowed down, defeated, crying, and weeping, God will not arise on your behalf because God arises when our hearts are filled with gladness and we rejoice in Him. You have to learn to rejoice in the Lord, to celebrate the Lord, to see the beauty of His holiness, to praise Him. We rejoice in the Lord, and then God arises.
Secondly, the Psalm says God arises when we magnify His mighty works. We extol Him who rides on the clouds. We declare how wonderful He is. He’s the one who rides on the clouds; He’s the maker and ruler of the universe. When we magnify the Lord, we recognize what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do. When we do that, God arises. When we want God to arise, we exalt the name of the Lord; we see Him so high that everything else is so low. That is how God wants us to approach every day.
You get up in the morning: «This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.» The joy of the Lord is our strength. We go through the day magnifying the Lord, praising His name, exalting His name, and when we do that, God arises. When we magnify the Lord, He shows up on the scene. When we magnify the Lord, He shows up on the scene. When we call His name, He answers; He shows up as a man of war because the Lord is a man of war. You want God to arise on your case? Then rejoice in Him, magnify His works, exalt His name, and praise Him. Because when we do that, the Lord shows up.
You know, many times we spend so much time talking about the devil that we spend very little time talking about God. You have to remember that whatever you magnify will manifest. If you magnify Satan, he will manifest. If you magnify demons, they will manifest. If you spend all your time talking and listening to people discussing marine spirits, mummy water spirits, and other spirits, they will manifest. If you talk about witches, they will manifest. Whatever you magnify will manifest. If you talk about God, He will arise. If you exalt His name, He will arise. If you praise Him, He will arise. If you praise the devil, he will arise.
If you have demonic activity around you, check whom you have been magnifying. That is the one arising in your case. Everywhere you go, somebody says, «I’m a witch,» or «I’m a wizard,» and you wonder why you’re experiencing too much demonic activity around you. Check whom you are magnifying; that is what is arising. But if you magnify the Lord, then He will arise, and His enemies will be scattered. There will be no place for demons and demonic activity in your life. Whatever you magnify will manifest; if you magnify God, He will manifest His power.
Now let’s go to verses 7 to 10 of Psalm 68. We are still in Psalm 68, and David continues the Psalm and says, «O God, when You went out before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness, Selah, the earth shook; the heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God. Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God— the God of Israel. You, O God, sent a plentiful rain whereby You confirmed Your inheritance when it was weary. Your congregation dwelt in it; You, O Lord, provided from Your goodness for the poor.» David is saying that when we praise God and He arises, this is what happens.
So look at what happens when God arises: First, He shakes and moves established powers. He shakes and moves established powers. In the wilderness, He shook Mount Sinai. Things that appear immovable will move. The mountain shook at the presence of the Lord. When God shows up in your life, He will shake and move things. When God shows up in your family, He will shake and move things. When God shows up in your office, He will shake and move things. When God shows up in our world, He will shake and move powers. I don’t know what mountain is established, but let God arise, and His enemies be scattered. There is shaking; there is moving; mountains are moving; powers are moving; systems are moving. When God arises, there is shaking.
Not only that, when God arises, He opens the heavens and favors His people. He says, «You, O God, sent a plentiful rain.» Oh, may the Lord send plentiful rain—plentiful favor, plentiful miracles, miracles upon miracles, favor upon favor. Because when He arises, He opens the heavens and sends plentiful rain; He favors His people.
And when God arises, He confirms His word to His people. The psalmist says, «You confirmed Your inheritance when it was weary, and Your people dwelt in it.» May God confirm His word to you. When He arises, He confirms His word. When He arises, He confirms His inheritance. Even when you are tired and weary, God will confirm His word towards you.
If you are down and out, God will confirm His word towards you. Let God arise, and every enemy of God that pursues the people of God be scattered. The people of God enjoy the presence of God.
Finally, I want to take you to the New Testament to show you a case study of what happens when God arises. Acts chapter 16, verses 25 to 26. You know the story of Paul and Silas; they are in the city of Philippi, and they cast out a demon. People are offended because a demon has been cast out, impacting business. So they prevail on the political system to arrest Paul and Silas and put them in prison.
But in prison, Paul and Silas knew how to make God arise. The Bible says, «But at midnight,» somebody say, «but at midnight!» Say it one more time: «But at midnight!» But at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately, all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were loosed.
Let God arise! Let God arise! How does God arise? When we rejoice in Him, when we magnify His name, when we exalt His name, then He shows up on the scene. As it happened in the Old Testament when God showed up on Mount Sinai, there was shaking. When we magnify the Lord in our midnight hour, He shakes foundations, breaks chains, and opens doors. He shakes foundations, breaks chains, and opens doors. This week, foundations will shake; this week, chains will be broken; this week, doors will open because this week, God is arising on our behalf as we rejoice in Him. No sorrow, no depression; the joy of the Lord!
As we magnify Him, as we call on His name, as we praise Him and worship Him, God arises. When it is dark in the midnight hour, God arises. Somebody may be in a midnight hour, but God is arising on your behalf if you will spend time worshipping, praising, and thanking Him and magnifying Him. God will show up. Maybe you feel there is no way out of your situation; you are in a prison, locked in, and you can’t break out. But God will arise; foundations of men will shake; He will overthrow the thoughts of evil people; He will open all doors that have been shut to you, and God will break every chain.
Somebody say, «Let God arise!» Say it again: «O God, arise! O God, arise! O God, arise! O God, arise! My help, I arise! My strength, arise! O Lord, arise! O Lord, You are wonderful; You are worthy to be praised. I honor You. I declare You; there is none like You; there is none besides You; none can compare with You. I praise You, Lord!» Why don’t you give the Lord some praise this morning and begin to declare His majesty, declare His power? Lift up holy hands to the Lord and begin to worship the Lord this morning because God is about to arise; God is about to arise. His enemies will scatter in the wilderness. Let God arise. Let God arise. Let God arise. Let God arise!
Our God is rising up; the Lord is rising; the Lord is rising. He shows up on the battlefront. Let God arise, and let the enemies of God scatter. They think they are fighting you, but they are fighting God. They think they are coming against you, but they are coming against God. They think they are touching you, but they are touching God. Let God arise! Let God arise! Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered; let His enemies be scattered! Oh, I sense that Monday God will arise; Tuesday God will arise; Wednesday God will arise; Thursday God will arise; Friday God will arise; Saturday God will arise; Sunday you will come with a testimony. God arises, and His enemies are scattered!
We worship You, Father. We declare Your majesty. We declare Your holy name, Yah! You are Yahweh, the Holy One, the Awesome One, the Magnificent One, the Unconquerable One. You cannot be conquered; You cannot be broken; You cannot be divided; You are all one; You are altogether. Arise, O Lord, on behalf of Your people, and show up on the battlefront on behalf of Your people. In Jesus' name, amen and amen. Why don’t you give the Lord some praise this morning? Give the Lord some praise this morning! Say, «God arise! God arise! God arise! Enemy scatter! Amen!»