Responding to the King of Glory
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Tonight we’re in a Psalm that has been song over and over again since it was written.
-We find it in Handel’s Messiah—Lift up your heads oh ye gates (Jacksonville)
-----Who is this King of Glory—Chris Tomlin and Third Day
This is one of those Psalms that critics cannot fully agree on. Some think it was sung when bringing the Ark of the Covenant back from battle. Some think it was sung when the Ark was restored back after it had been taken. Either way, scholars tend to agree it had something to do with the Ark. The song was specifically set aside to be sung and taught on a Sunday.
—In the church age, the Psalm is thought to be an ascension Psalm and we’ll get to more of that in a minute.
---We can easily tell from reading it that it was sung in worship and it has grandure, and majesty and it draws one into worship even in individual reading.
Let’s read Psalm 24
Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest! ().
Inside the priests were intoning:
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. Selah (). James Montgomery Boice
The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
1. The earth is the LORD’s, and all it contains
1. The earth is the LORD’s, and all it contains
Again the name Yahweh is used so even though we’re talking beyond the Jewish world, to all of creation—it is recognized that MY God owns all.
-so God owns all, because he made all.
—There is nothing in all of existence that God doesn’t claim.
Tremper Longman
Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary 24:1–2. God the Creator
He owns everything and everyone, and everything and everyone are completely dependent on him.
And thus He has authority over all
Paul even quotes this in
For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”
“We have walked into the LORD’s world.” Dale Davis
If you ever watch a nature show like Nature or Earth—you see amazing things, beautiful birds, and forests and wolves, and mountains and host of things---and many say, wow, look how beautiful nature is—and that’s true,
—but our recognition of verses like these move us to say, “Wow, look how great God is—these creatures and plant-life are, as says, gushing forth, God’s glory.”
Fullness: wealth, fertility
The mines that are lodged in the bowels of it, even the richest, the fruits it produces, all the beasts of the forest and the cattle upon a thousand hills, our lands and houses, and all the improvements that are made of this earth by the skill and industry of man, are all his. Matthew Henry
The mines that are lodged in the bowels of it, even the richest, the fruits it produces, all the beasts of the forest and the cattle upon a thousand hills, our lands and houses, and all the improvements that are made of this earth by the skill and industry of man, are all his.
The world, and those who dwell in it.
The world, and those who dwell in it.
-this is the same with people
—all men, should submit to God, as creation does, as we’ve seen in and .
“Man lives upon the earth and parcels out its soil among his mimic kinds and autocrats; but the earth is not man’s. He is but a tenant at will, a leaseholder upon the most precarious tenure, liable to instantaneous ejectment.” Spurgeon
---To you and I, the world is not our home—as Spurgeon says, we are tenants, but if you know the Lord, your eviction is not a scary thing, but a ticket home.
From this passage we see that God is the universal King
acknowledged or not.
2. For He has founded it upon the seas
2. For He has founded it upon the seas
He who built the house and bears up its foundation surely has a first claim upon it.” Spurgeon.
And established it upon the rivers.
And established it upon the rivers.
—God lifts up his world and sustains it. He keeps it going.
Continuous process—he establishes it—present tense
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
“The Son of God supplies all the glue that holds the universe together.” Dale Davis
---If not for God’s constant care and provision-it couldn’t keep going, it would spin into the sun, or fall into the seas, or just stop.
Turek and Geisler Anthropic Constants
“The hungry jaws of ocean would devour dry land if a constant fiat of Omnipotence did not protect it.” Spurgeon
—the only way the world keeps going is through the common grace that God pours out.
—this is not a decree that b/c God owns it nothing bad happens—it’s still a fallen world but it does continue the promises of Genesis
And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”
---we can trust God’s Word and His Word tells us that He will keep things going. And while we should be good stewards of the earth—the earth’s end or continuing is up to Him and is sustained by Him.
He will keep things going even in the sin man brings
3. Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
3. Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
And who may stand in His holy place?
And who may stand in His holy place?
---this section brings us to a question and answer segment— like a recitation.
---people would have been used to the questions and used to the answers given.
The song leader asks the question, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord and who may stand in His holy place? And he waits for the answer.
-The Hill of the Lord is Zion—where the temple is—it contains God’s sanctuary—a holy place because of his presence
—at first glance, what silence this question should meet---who could do this thing? Who can approach the holy God?
==Surely not unclean man who wanders the earth with an unclean, leprous, sinful heart.
It is uphill work for the creature to reach the Creator.” Spurgeon
---Some call this the ascension Psalm that would have been later used to celebrate Jesus ascending into Heaven to the right hand of the Father
-Who can ascend to the holy hill of the Lord and also be holy enough to stand and not be obliterated by awesome weight of glory and holiness of Yahweh? Well only his Son—the lamb who was slain-who has defeated death and ascended.
---Jesus gives us an answer to the question
We know who cannot ascend—someone who is not sanctified, someone who is cursed.
4. He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
4. He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
in verse 4 we’re given the answer
notice here that God is giving us a picture of who can approach Him not in terms of outward sacrifice, but in moral terms---so this shows us how we’re acting is important—and leaves only animal sacrifice and other aspects of Levitical law----it does not negate the law, but shows the importance of conduct.
“That stipulation is not meant to frustrate worship but to facilitate proper worship.” Dale Davis
Worshiping God could not be done by the wicked
If we speak of salvation and live terribly—we have no claim on salvation
“It is vain to prate of inward experience unless the daily life is free from impurity, dishonesty, violence, and oppression.” Spurgeon
Craigee says, “The recognition of the kingship of God must result in the worship of God by those who recognize his royal authority; to worship presupposes moral integrity—and that, in a sense, is the central point in the Psalm.”
—here are the two parts of the righteous: hands: deeds and actions, heart(inward)
-the outer and the inner
-the moral and the ethical
-the heart and the hands
-this describes the type of person who can ascend the hill of the Lord and be in God’s presence
---he must do right, and also have not done wrong
----and as we’ve seen through the OT—God requires mercy over sacrifice
---
and then in the NT as well, Jesus requires the inner to be clean-for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
“Appearance of holiness is not enough, because the clean hands are expressive of a pure heart.” Van Germeren
—So the outside does right because of what has happened inside.
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.
And has not sworn deceitfully.
-as with much of the OT—the Psalmist brings in the negative side as well
—this is not new---with blessing there is always consequence for disobedience and the same is true here
—Lifting up the soul was a way of saying full commitment—a worshiper of God could not be fully committed to falsehood, but fully committed to righteousness.
Falsehood—also means idols or idolatry—worthless things.
—having clean hands and a pure heart necessitates not living in falsehood, lying, false words---someone with clean hands and a clean heart does not do those things.
5. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD
5. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD
And righteousness from the God of his salvation..
And righteousness from the God of his salvation..
---verse 5 is very interesting when we put it together with verse 4. The latter part tells us that the person with the clean heart and hands from verse 4 has received salvation.
----God gives the saved one here righteousness and blessing
----we remember that none is righteous—no not one, but the saved are imparted righteousness from Christ.
-so recognize here, that fallen man in himself does not have a clean heart and therefore does not have clean hands.
—it is only after he is saved that he is given a new heart, as Ezekiel says--a heart of flesh, and then he receives righteousness from his Lord along with great blessing.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
“It must not be supposed that the persons who are thus described by their inward and outward holiness are saved by the merit of their works; but their works are the evidences by which they are known.” Spurgeon
So—who can ascend the hill of the LORD? Jesus can, and if you belong to Jesus, He brings you with Him!
Spurgeon-the approachableness of Jesus
God is awesome and through Jesus—He is approachable
6. This is the generation of those who seek Him,
6. This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob.
Who seek Your face—even Jacob.
----these people mentioned here, the saved, make a clear distinction between themselves and other generations.
---there may have been those in the past who sought their own glory and who did not seek the LORD
---they neglected their worship of God---they did not exalt the King of Glory
----but not this generation—not us!
---Why mention Jacob—remember Jacob’s tenacity? He wouldn’t let God go until he’d been blessed—we’re to be people who carry on in worship and make worship our lifestyle, with that kind of tenacity.
“many of the people at the Lord’s hill are desperate people holding on to Yahweh by their fingernails because they know they have nowhere else to turn.” Dale Davis
---this comes through a right view of God—who desires to save, a right view of ourselves, who could never save, and a right view of salvation—that it is only by grace---by Him we live and move and have our being—so without him there is no life.
“The group of people with whom God is pleased walks with integrity, not because of outward constraint but from an internal desire to please Him. To seek him is an expression of a sincere desire to live in accordance with God’s standards.” Van Germeren.
We seek your face, that’s how this generation is to be known—as God seekers
----seek your face, meaning to have relationship with
----we’ll be known as the generation that is in relationship with the King of Glory.
ANd a desire for God is a great thing with great effects
As Spurgeon said, “To desire communion with God is a purifying thing. Oh to hunger and thirst more and more after a clear vision of the face of God; this will lead us to purge ourselves from all filthiness and to walk with heavenly circumspection.”
“Really awakened souls seek the Lord above everything, as as this is not the usual desire of mankind, they constitute a generation by themselves; a people despised of men but beloved of God.” Spurgeon
7. Lift up your heads, O gates,
7. Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the king of glory may come in!
That the king of glory may come in!
—this could mean a few different things
-some think it has to do with Jesus on palm Sunday
—Jesus is riding into Jerusalem and the gates are lifted as he comes
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 rocky approach to Jerusalem. The people who were outside the walls, who were approaching Jerusalem with him, exclaimed:
Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest! ().
Inside the priests were intoning:
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. Selah (). James Montgomery Boice
—Others think it has to do with once again, Jesus ascending, and the gates of heaven lift up.
In light of Jesus both are in view, even these inanimate objects here are to take notice that the King of Glory is coming
-there was an ancient middle eastern practice that when an important guest came to your house, you would take the door off its hinges, a practice to show that they were so welcome that not even a thought of a shut door was there.
---here the doors have no other option in the face of the King of Glory.
“Our Lord Jesus Christ could ascend into the hill of the Lord because his hands were clean and his heart was pure, and if we by faith in him are conformed to his image we shall enter too. We have here a picture of our Lord’s glorious ascent. We see him rising form amidst the little group on Olivet, and as the cloud receives him, angels reverently escort him to the gates of heaven.” Spurgeon
8. Who is the King of glory?
8. Who is the King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle.
The LORD mighty in battle.
----Again we have this question and answer call
----who is it? It’s Jesus
----We know He’s strong and mighty because he fights our physical, mental, and spiritual battles—so we can trust Him.
---We know that he defeated sin and death at the cross and rose
----We know that He comes back in Revelation on a war horse to make an end to all of those who stand against God.
“Who is this King of glory: A question full of meaning and worthy of the meditations of eternity. Who is he in person, nature, character, office, and work? What is his pedigree? What his rank? The answer given in almighty wave of music is, ‘The LORD strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.’ We know the might of Jesus by the battles which he has fought, the victories by which he has won over sin, and death, and hell, and we clap our hands, as we see him leading captivity captive in the majesty of his strength. Oh for a heart to sing his praises. Mighty here, be thou crowned forever King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” Spurgeon
9. Lift up your heads, O gates,
9. Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
That the King of glory may come in!
-and again the gates are called to get out of the way as the king of glory comes
-and we can recall this king coming home after having thrown satan and his horde into the lake of fire where they will never bother anyone again.
---The King of glory coming back in victory to reign over the a new heaven and a new earth, where we will not need the light, because he’ll be our light.
Much of the Christian life is battle—fierce temptation John Newton says seems to threaten hard to bear us down.”
but Yahweh is strong and might in battle.
“I plead with you not to allow those who only want to speak of a Jesus meek and mild to rob you of the manly, virile comfort of having a God who is mighty in battle.” Dale Davis
10. Who is this King of glory?
10. Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory.
He is the King of glory.
---the final question and answer here
---who is it? It’s Jesus—He is the King of Glory
He is the King of hosts
Best make Him your king now, before all creation even inanimate objects like gates are all made to bow.