Psalms 24

Most commentators connect this psalm with David’s bringing the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6; 1 Chron. 15:1—16:3), and it may well be that David wrote it for that occasion. It appears to be an antiphonal psalm. The people (or a Levitical chorus) opened with verses 1–2, a leader asked the questions in verses 3, 8a, and 10a, and the chorus or the people answered with verses 4–6, 8b, and 10b. It was sung in Herod’s temple each Sunday, and some connect the psalm with our Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday. For years, the church has assigned this psalm to be read on Ascension Day, the fortieth day after Easter. Christians see Jesus Christ as “the Lord of Glory,” first of all returning to heaven after His passion (Eph. 4:8; Col. 2:15), and then returning in glory to establish His kingdom (Matt. 25:31). This explains the repetition of “Lift up your heads” in verses 7 and 9. The psalm presents a threefold privilege God has given His people.

We Are Stewards Who Enjoy His Goodness in

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, and 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 divine name “Lord” is used six times in this psalm. “All the earth is mine” (Ex. 19:5), says the Creator, but in His goodness He has shared it with us. He is “possessor of heaven and earth” (Gen. 14:19, 22), and we are guests on His planet, stewards of all that He gives us to enjoy (1 Tim. 6:17) and to employ. This stewardship is the basis for the way we treat planet Earth and protect the treasures God has shared with us. Anything we give to Him, He has first given to us (50:10–12; 1 Chron. 29:14). Paul quoted 24: in 1 Corinthians 10:25–26 to remind believers that all food was permitted to them (see also Mark 7:14–23; 1 Tim. 4:3–5). The place of “water” in the creation is seen in 104:5–9; 136:6; Genesis 1:1, 6–7, 9; 49:25; Exodus 20:4; and Deuteronomy 33:13.

We Are Worshippers Who Experience His Grace in

Psalm 15 is a parallel text, and both psalms emphasize the fact that to worship God means going up higher. God’s Son sits on the throne in the heavenly Zion (2:6), and the mercy seat on the ark was God’s throne in the earthly Zion. The Levites carrying the ark had to be ceremonially clean, and God’s people must be clean if they wish to worship the King and please Him. “Clean hands” speak of righteous conduct (Isa. 1:15–16, 18) and a “pure heart” of godly character and motives (Matt. 5:8). “Vanity” refers to the worship of idols (“worthless things”) and “swearing deceitfully” to all kinds of deception, especially false witness in court.

The reward is the gift of salvation, the righteousness of God (Gen. 15:6). However, nobody on God’s earth is able to meet these standards. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Good works or religious character cannot save us. The only way we can enter into God’s presence is through the merits of Jesus Christ, which means we must repent of our sins and put our faith in Him. Only Jesus Christ qualifies to enter the Father’s presence, and He has gone to heaven to represent His people and intercede for them before the Father’s throne. To “seek God’s face” means to have an audience with the King (Gen. 44:23; Ex. 10:28; 2 Sam. 14:24, 28, 32), and this is now possible through the work of Christ on the cross (Heb. 10:1–25). God’s righteousness is a gift, not a reward for good works (Rom. 3:21—4:9; 5:17; 10:1–10). David compared the generation of Godseeking people to their ancestor Jacob, who saw the face of God and held on by faith until he received a blessing (Gen. 32:24–32). Jacob certainly wasn’t a perfect man, but the Lord saved him and even is called “the God of Jacob” (Ps. 46:7, 11).

We are Victors Who Celebrate His Glory in

Five times in this text God is called “the King of glory.” Jesus is the Chief Shepherd who will one day return in glory and give each faithful servant a crown of glory (1 Peter 5:1–4; and see 1:7, 4:11–14; 5:10; 1 Cor. 2:8). The gates of Jerusalem opened outward, so what is meant by “be lifted up”? Certainly there would be plenty of headroom for the Levites to carry in the ark, and it wouldn’t be required to raise the lintels of the gates. Martin Luther translated it, “Open wide the portals,” that is, “Give a hearty welcome to the Lord!” Bringing in the ark may have reminded David of what Moses and the leaders of Israel sang when the ark was carried in the wilderness (Num. 10:33–35; Ps. 68:1–3; 132:8). The administration of an ancient city was transacted at the city gates, so the gates were to those people what the city hall is to citizens in the Western world today. David was commanding the whole city to welcome the Lord and give honor to Him. The King of glory is also “the Lord of Hosts,” a title used nearly three hundred times in the Old Testament. “Hosts” means “armies,” and this can mean the stars (Isa. 40:26), the angels (Ps. 103:20–21), the nation of Israel (Ex. 12:41), or all believers who belong to the army of Christ (2 Tim. 2:3–4; 2 Cor. 10:3–6; Eph. 6:10ff.).

But why were the gates of Jerusalem addressed twice (vv. 7, 9)? The King of glory is Jesus Christ. When He entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the whole city didn’t receive Him and praise Him. This psalm had been sung that morning at the temple, but it wasn’t applied to Jesus of Nazareth. Instead of accepting Him and honoring Him, the leaders rejected Him and sent Him to Golgotha to be crucified. However, in His death and resurrection, Jesus won the battle against Satan and sin, and when He ascended back to heaven and entered the heavenly Zion (Heb. 12:18ff.), He was received as the victorious Lord of Hosts and the King of glory. However, Jesus will return to the earth and fight a battle against the armies of the world and be victorious (Rev. 19:11ff.; Isa. 63:1–3). He will deliver Jerusalem from her enemies (Zech. 12–14) and establish His kingdom on earth. Then His people will receive Him in Jerusalem, the Lord of Hosts, the King of glory; and “the Lord shall be king over all the earth” (Zech. 14:9). Meanwhile, we can triumph in life through Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 2:14) and be “more than conquerors” through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:31–39).

As children of God, we belong to three worlds: the world of creation around us, the world of the new creation within us (2 Cor. 5:17), and “the world to come” of the wonderful final creation that will be our home for eternity (Rev. 21—22).