The Two "Who?"s of Psalm 24
Psalm 24
A Psalm of David.
1The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
2 for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear 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 seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah
Asking The Right Questions
In one of G.K. Chesterton’s novels about the crime solving priest, Father Brown says, "It's not that they can't see the solution. They can't see the problem." This quote captures what made Father Brown truly insightful; he knew how to ask the right questions. We too must learn how to ask the right questions if we wish to get to right answers; answers that are significant for who we are and what our lives are about.
This psalm asks the right questions. In this psalm David asks two of the most important questions for any person to ask:
1.) Who is the King of Glory? (vv 8&10)
2.) Who shall stand in his holy place? (v 3)
Who Is The King Of Glory?
David answers the first question in verse 8 by saying, “The Lord, strong and mighty.” And in verse 1 and 2 he tells us something incredible about the Lord, “The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.”
The King of Glory created the world and everything/everyone in it, therefore it all belongs to Him. God made you and me to belong to Him. To love and serve Him. To have a relationship with Him. So, being insightful like Father Brown, David asks the right question: who has the ability to actually do what he was created for?
Who Can Stand With Him?
In verse 3 David asks, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?” These are metaphors for being in the presence of God. The questions is, who has the right to live in the presence of God? The answer comes in the next verse, “The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not appealed to what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully.” …That answer is crushing.
None of us live up to that standard. But hope comes in the next verse, “He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” This is a beautiful explanation of the Gospel. The righteousness that is required to stand in the presence of God is given to us by God Himself; we receive righteousness from the God of our salvation. This psalm points us directly to Jesus who was the only person who truly did have clean hands and a pure heart, but “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21)
The next verse tells us our role, “Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.” We are to seek Christ and seek the face of God. We look to Him in faith and remain desperately dependent on Him in order to do what we were created to do; to know and love the King of Glory who declares from His throne, “the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Rev. 21:3).
Reflective Questions:
How should God’s role as Creator, and King affect my relationship with Him and others?
Am I “lifting up my soul to what is false” or am I “seeking the face of the God of Jacob”?
Have I recognized that my hands are not clean enough and my heart is not pure enough to stand in the presence of God; and am I continually trusting in Jesus Christ for His righteousness and salvation so that I can live before the King of Glory?