FRAMEWORKS:
Psalm 24
Of
David. A psalm.
[Preliminary
Comments: This simple psalm ascribed to David reflects
on who God is – the Creator and the Holy One of Israel. He ponders
on who can come into His presence at the Tabernacle in Jerusalem
and realises afresh it can only be those who are righteous and
faithful to God (not idol worshippers). Such people can be assured
that when they seek the lord, they will be blessed by Him. But
then he imagines the Lord coming into the city as one triumphant
in battle [v.7,8] but when he seems to repeat that [v.9,10] he
simply ascribes Him as ‘The Lord Almighty', the One above all
others. Four times he refers to God as ‘The King of glory'. One
or two version speak of ‘this glorious king' but that loses the
sense of the Glory that surrounds God in scripture, that reveal
Him as the unique and perfect One.]
Part
1: Possible Worshippers
v.1,2
God is The Creator
v.1
The
earth is the Lord
's, and everything
in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
v.2 for
he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.
v.3,4
Who can come into His presence – the faithful righteous
v.3
Who
may ascend the mountain of the Lord
?
Who may stand in his holy place?
v.4 The
one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.
v.5,6
Those people who then seek Him, they will be blessed
v.5
They
will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God their Savior.
v.6
Such
is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.
Part
2: Welcoming in the King of Glory
v.7,8
Open the way to let the mighty and all-glorious One in
v.7
Lift
up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
v.8 Who
is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
v.9,10
Let welcome Him in, realise His wonder, His glory
v.9
Lift
up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
v.10
Who
is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty—
he is the King
of glory
[Additional
Thoughts: Note and meditate on the different names or
descriptions of God here: ‘the Lord' [v.1], ‘God… Saviour' [v.5],
‘God of Jacob' [v.6], ‘King of glory' [v.7,8,9,10]. Initially
there is concern about how any of us could approach Him, but that
gives way to simply welcoming Him into the city. Interestingly
there is no call to praise or worship, simply to welcome Him into
the city.]
Continue
to Psa 25