Worshiping the King of Glory
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Introduction
Introduction
This Psalm is simply titled a Psalm of David. Most would put the writing of this Psalm around the time when the Ark of the Covenant entered into Jerusalem from Obed-edom, during the reign of David recorded in 2 Samuel 6. Yet Spurgeon aptly commented “The eye of the Psalmist looked, however, beyond the typical upgoing of the ark to the sublime ascension of the King of Glory.”
Psalm 22 showed us the suffering of the Good Shepherd. In Psalm 23 we saw the depth of His care for His sheep. Psalm 24 the bookend of a trilogy depicts His return to rule as King. From the cross to the crook and finally to the crown. Jesus - the Good Shepherd died for us, and cares for us, and is coming back for us.
In this Psalm David extols and exalts God as the King of Glory. The procession of the ark would have been accompanied with much singing and music. This Psalm is about worshiping and inviting the King. As they sang to invite and welcome the King into Jerusalem we can learn to sing to welcome the King of glory into our life also.
1 The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord; 2 for he laid its foundation on the seas and established it on the rivers. 3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not appealed to what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully. 5 He will receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 Such is the generation of those who inquire of him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
7 Lift up your heads, you gates! Rise up, ancient doors! Then the King of glory will come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, you gates! Rise up, ancient doors! Then the King of glory will come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord of Armies, he is the King of glory. Selah
Recognize God’s Sovereign Position
Recognize God’s Sovereign Position
1 The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord; 2 for he laid its foundation on the seas and established it on the rivers.
The earth and everything in it - the world and all it’s inhabitants - belong to the LORD. Paul quoted this line in his letter to the Corinthians to establish the principle that in fact there is nothing that belongs to false gods and idols the pagans made offerings to. Everything truly belongs to the Lord - the world and its inhabitants - every person - the days, the food, all of it. God has claim to all of it, including every person who ever lived.
Why does all of it belong to the LORD? Verse 2 tells us - it He who laid is foundations on the sea and established it on rivers. We recognize the truth of this, when you create and make something it is yours and belongs to you. You can do with it as you wish. We recognize this as truth now, this was true since the beginning before God created. Since God created, everything He created belongs to Him.
3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.
16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.
5 He established the earth on its foundations; it will never be shaken.
29 when he set a limit for the sea so that the waters would not violate his command, when he laid out the foundations of the earth.
How you view God’s sovereign position determines how you worship Him. Take for example two different views on our universe and planet.
“The human race is just a chemical scum on a moderate-sized planet, orbiting around a very average star in the outer suburb of one among a hundred billion galaxies. We are so insignificant that I cannot believe the whole universe exists for our benefit.”
“Of all the heavenly bodies created by the LORD, the earth is the one He has chosen to be His own special sphere of activity. Clarence Benson called the earth “the theater of the universe,” for on it the Lord demonstrated His love in what Dorothy Sayers called “the greatest drama ever staged.” He chose a planet, a people, a land and there He sent His Son to live, to minister, to die, and to be raised from the dead that lost sinners might be saved. The earth is God’s, everything on it and in it is God’s, and all the people on the earth are God’s, made in His image and accountable to Him.”
The first quote is from Stephen Hawking and the second from the late Pastor Warren Wiersbe. The one who recognizes God’s sovereign position recognizes the blessed position they themselves share. God may have said
5 Now if you will carefully listen to me and keep my covenant, you will be my own possession out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine,
It came right before He said this
6 and you will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”
It is all His as Creator and He is sovereign in it all - but in His sovereign choice He has chosen to share it with us in His goodness. He sovereignly possesses absolutely all of it, and we are His guests on His planet, stewards of all He has given us for our enjoyment. Praise and worship the LORD for all that you see belongs to the LORD, He created it and is sovereign over all of it!
Remember God’s Requirements
Remember God’s Requirements
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not appealed to what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 Such is the generation of those who inquire of him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
David leads from recognizing God as creator and therefore sovereign and owning everything to acknowledging that such a awesome and sovereign God cannot be approached lightly. The questions asked “who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?” and “who may stand in His holy place?” Who is able to be in the presence of such a sovereign LORD? Who has the right, the ability and the permission to come before God?
We require importance, money, power, etc to have the audience of “powerful men”. Influence and the ability to give and return favors are what’s required by men, but what does God require to stand in His presence? Who can be in the presence of God?
Used to be men were far more concerned with the answer to this question than they are - especially in our time and generation. What is required to be right with God and be able to stand before Him in His presence. Nowadays it seems the question is “how do I add God so I can be happy?”
Not anyone can stand before God, but there are four requirements given for the one who is able to have the presence of the LORD God.
The one who has clean hands
The one who has clean hands
Clean hands means more than having good hygiene. Clean hands speaks more than merely washing your hands in water. Pontius Pilate washed his hands yet they remained unclean. Clean hands means right actions.
The one who has a pure heart
The one who has a pure heart
Clean hands must be joined with a pure heart. Actions are a good beginning but one must keep clean hands by maintaining a pure heart. Jesus spoke towards this as hard as it was to keep from committing the sin Jesus taught that murder begins in the heart.
21 “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. 22 But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.
19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander.
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God!
The one who does not appeal to what is false
The one who does not appeal to what is false
To appeal to what is false is to call upon, trust in or seek out idols. All idols are false and there is only one true and living God who is creator and sovereign.
6 I hate those who are devoted to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord.
2 Ahaziah had fallen through the latticed window of his upstairs room in Samaria and was injured. So he sent messengers, instructing them, “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.” 3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?
God is a jealous God - jealous for what is true and He will not share His glory with another - let alone with what is false.
The one who has not sworn deceitfully
The one who has not sworn deceitfully
The words we speak are an indication of the state of our heart, our inner man or woman. One who makes deceptive promises has no welcome before God.
34 Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.
These answers from David may cause one to despair, for who can fulfill this and stand before the LORD. It is usually the priest and in particular the High Priest, who could enter the presence of the LORD. I look at this list and I know my hands arent always clean, my heart not always pure. Idolatry in our heart is often sneaky, subtle, as well as stubborn. Under this list I fall short and I could not stand in the presence of God - if we are honest and truthful none of can, and no one who has lived or will live ever could either, except one man - Jesus.
God established a better covenant through His work and person. Jesus has the clean hands, pure heart, He has never looked to another, and has never sworn deceitfully.
Our Lord Jesus could ascend the hill of the Lord His hands were clean and His heart pure.
In HIS righteousness given to all who believe we can ascend His holy hill and stand in His holy place
22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction.
The Old covenant a righteous walk was a precondition for fellowship with God and in the New covenant our righteous walk is the result of fellowship with God that comes from faith. Make no mistake however in both covenants God remains concerned with the moral conduct of man - especially those who identify as His.
He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation - such is the generation of those who inquire of him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Those who seek after God will be blessed with righteousness. This is something that each generation must do. It is a continual seeking with the element of a pursuit. This indicates something closer than just presence for this seeks the face of God much more intimate and close.
David compares the seeking to that of Jacob and his match with the Lord. Jacob held on by faith until he received a blessing from the Lord. Jacob being far from perfect was the Lord’s and now God is referred to as the God of Jacob.
30 Jacob then named the place Peniel, “For I have seen God face to face,” he said, “yet my life has been spared.”
Worship the King of Glory, because while no one is worthy to stand in His presence righteous, He has sovereignly through Christ, made us worthy as we seek His face.
Receive God’s Reign
Receive God’s Reign
7 Lift up your heads, you gates! Rise up, ancient doors! Then the King of glory will come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, you gates! Rise up, ancient doors! Then the King of glory will come in. 10 Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord of Armies, he is the King of glory. Selah
This psalm ends with a repetition. In Hebrew repetition communicates emphasis. The ideas found here are marvelous and important enough to warrant repeating. Lift up your heads, you gates and rise up ancient doors - this line is repeated twice. This is a call for the city to open and be ready to receive the ark. The ark represented the presence of the Lord.
Lift up your heads refers to the practice of making a wider entrance - gates opened wider, or even pulled off their hinges. Could also refer to headdresses or helmets. A metaphor for readying oneself for worship. Lowering you head in humility and raising one’s head in rejoicing and praising.
Gates are the entrances of places of worship where the reminder is where they are. Focus your thoughts be mindful and ready to offer up true praise.
Then the King of Glory will come in - this too is repeated twice. Open wide the entrance and make room and prepare yourself and then the King of Glory will come in. We will not try to fit the King of Glory through a small opening, but only when the opening and the gates have been readied all the way.
“When the King of England wishes to enter the city of London, through the Temple Bar, the gate being closed the herald demands entrance. ‘Open the gate.’ From within a voice is heard ’Who is there?’ The herald answers ‘The King of England!’ The gate at once is opened and the king passes, amidst the joyful reception of his people. An ancient custom alluded to in the Psalm.
“Ancient rabbinical sources tell us, in Jewish liturgy, Psalm 24 was always used in worship on the first day of the week. The first day of the week is our Sunday. So, putting these facts together, we may assume that these were the words being recited by the temple priests at the very time the Lord Jesus Christ mounted a donkey and ascended the rock approach to Jerusalem.” James Montgomery Boice.
Who is the King of Glory? This question also posed twice and both times the short answer us the LORD and more specifically the Lord strong and mighty and the LORD mighty in battle. The Lord of armies the King of Glory.
The idea is plain it is assumed that when the King of Glory is welcomed with open gates and doors He is pleased to come in. The King of Glory will meet with man when approached correctly and the doors are opened to Him.
The thought that the doors might be opened and He not enter in, isn’t even considered
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
20 See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
SELAH - The psalm ends with a reflective pause. I mean to consider this King of Glory receiving those who are unworthy and to even be received by those who are unworthy. G. Campbell Morgan connected Psalm 22-24 this way “By our calendars, yesterday He passed through Psalm 22. Today He is exercising the office of Psalm 23. Tomorrow He will exercise the final authority Psalm 24.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
The King of Glory shall come in fulfilled when the ark entered into Jerusalem, fulfilled when Christ ascended into heaven, fulfilled every time a heart opens to receive Jesus Christ as King to reign.
Why was the gates of Jerusalem addressed twice? The King of Glory is Jesus Christ and we know that Jesus entered on Palm Sunday, but the whole city didnt receive Him. The Psalm may have been sung that day but wasnt applied to Him. Instead of receiving Him they rejected Him and sent Him to die and He rose the third day winning the victory against satan, sin and death and He ascended back into heaven. The second address looks forward to the glorious event at the end of the tribulation when Christ again marches to Jerusalem to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. It will be a triumphal procession such as has never been seen before. Once startled by His suffering they will stand lifted open as He enters at the height of His glory!
We can enter with our King at that time but we must worship and praise Him and receive Him as our reigning King now. Though unworthy to stand before Him we must stand before Him - in Jesus’s righteousness and trusting only in Him. We realize the fulfillment of this Psalm when we open the gates of our hearts to receive our King of Glory and His reign.