Enter the King of Glory

Joel 2 (ESV)

Blow a trumpet in Zion;

sound an alarm on my holy mountain!

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,

for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,

a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and thick darkness!

Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains

a great and powerful people;

their like has never been before,

nor will be again after them

through the years of all generations.

Fire devours before them,

and behind them a flame burns.

The land is like the garden of Eden before them,

but behind them a desolate wilderness,

and nothing escapes them.

Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,

and like war horses they run.

As with the rumbling of chariots,

they leap on the tops of the mountains,

like the crackling of a flame of fire

devouring the stubble,

like a powerful army

drawn up for battle.

Before them peoples are in anguish;

all faces grow pale.

Like warriors they charge;

like soldiers they scale the wall.

They march each on his way;

they do not swerve from their paths.

They do not jostle one another;

each marches in his path;

they burst through the weapons

and are not halted.

They leap upon the city,

they run upon the walls,

they climb up into the houses,

they enter through the windows like a thief.

The earth quakes before them;

the heavens tremble.

The sun and the moon are darkened,

and the stars withdraw their shining.

The Lord utters his voice

before his army,

for his camp is exceedingly great;

he who executes his word is powerful.

For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome;

who can endure it?

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,

“return to me with all your heart,

with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

and rend your hearts and not your garments.”

Return to the Lord your God,

for he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;

and he relents over disaster.

Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,

and leave a blessing behind him,

a grain offering and a drink offering

for the Lord your God?

Blow the trumpet in Zion;

consecrate a fast;

call a solemn assembly;

gather the people.

Consecrate the congregation;

assemble the elders;

gather the children,

even nursing infants.

Let the bridegroom leave his room,

and the bride her chamber.

Between the vestibule and the altar

let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep

and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,

and make not your heritage a reproach,

a byword among the nations.

Why should they say among the peoples,

‘Where is their God?’ ”

Then the Lord became jealous for his land

and had pity on his people.

The Lord answered and said to his people,

“Behold, I am sending to you

grain, wine, and oil,

and you will be satisfied;

and I will no more make you

a reproach among the nations.

“I will remove the northerner far from you,

and drive him into a parched and desolate land,

his vanguard into the eastern sea,

and his rear guard into the western sea;

the stench and foul smell of him will rise,

for he has done great things.

“Fear not, O land;

be glad and rejoice,

for the Lord has done great things!

Fear not, you beasts of the field,

for the pastures of the wilderness are green;

the tree bears its fruit;

the fig tree and vine give their full yield.

“Be glad, O children of Zion,

and rejoice in the Lord your God,

for he has given the early rain for your vindication;

he has poured down for you abundant rain,

the early and the latter rain, as before.

“The threshing floors shall be full of grain;

the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

I will restore to you the years

that the swarming locust has eaten,

the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,

my great army, which I sent among you.

“You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,

and praise the name of the Lord your God,

who has dealt wondrously with you.

And my people shall never again be put to shame.

You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,

and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.

And my people shall never again be put to shame.

“And it shall come to pass afterward,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

your old men shall dream dreams,

and your young men shall see visions.

Even on the male and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

Hebrews 2:1 (ESV)

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Ephesians 5 ESV

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Enter the King of Glory

Matthew 21:1-11 records Christ triumphal entry

Who is this? the crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus”

Priests praising God in the temple

Psalm 24:7-10

Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty— he is the King of glory

People in the streets and the priests in the temple were asking the same question: Who is this King? Priests-the Lord Almighty. People-Jesus. Both were right. Who do you say that I am?

The Song of the King

Psalm 24-the Song of the Glorious King (three poems/sections)

Creator- vv. 1-2

Savior- vv. 3-6

King- vv. 7-10

Most likely written when David brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem

Fashioned in Moses’day-Exodus 25

Captured by the Philistines 1 Samuel 4

Rested at Obed-Edom house 2 Samuel 6

The King of All

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it; for He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. 1-2—theologian –In the total expanse of the human life there is not a single square inch which Christ, who alone is sovereign, does not declare, ‘That is mine’

Origin is important-God created, He has the right to rule over everything He made-Genesis 1:1-in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth—He’s not only King of the Jews, but King over everything!

The King’s Audience

If He is King of all creation, then all creation owes to Him allegiance.

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? Verse 3

Who has permission to enter the royal court to have an audience with the King?

Who is worthy?—He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior. Such a generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob vv. 4-6

Inward integrity and outward obedience – vindication-or justification—who can be justified before God?

Every day the priests offered two perfect lambs, one in the morning and one in the evening

Charles Spurgeon: it is possible that you are saying, “I shall never enter into the heaven of God, for I have neither clean hands or a pure heart”. Look then to Christ, who has already climbed the holy hill. He has entered as the forerunner of those who trust Him. Follow in His footsteps, and repose upon His merit. He rides triumphantly into heaven, and you shall ride there too if you trust Him. The Spirit of God will give you the character of God.

The King at the Gates

Call and response-Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty—He is the King of glory

In David’s day, it would have been sung by choirs.

The King of Heaven

The Lord of all creation is the King of all glory

Revealed as the Ark of the Covenant entered Jerusalem.

Revealed as Christ entered Jerusalem.

Revealed as Christ ascended into heaven. – God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name Philippians 2:9 – Colossians 2:15 He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Can you imagine Christ re-entering heaven, completed His redemptive work? Highest glory---maybe the angels cried out—Lift up your heads o ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

The King of your Heart

Allow this King of glory to enter your heart today. Lord and Savior.