The Earth is the LORD’s: An Exposition of the 24th Psalm
Introduction
When I think of Handel’s Messiah, without doubt one of the greatest of all sacred music ever composed, I think of the chorus “Lift up your heads; O ye gates” which is taken from the 24th Psalm which we will be looking at today. It is part of what is called a “trilogy” of Psalms. Psalm 22 is called “the cross”; Psalm 23 is called “the crook”; and Psalm 24, “the crown.” Let us now take a deeper dive into the 24th Psalm.
Exposition of the Text
The superscript of the psalm says that it is a “Psalm of David.” This gives us some important background information to help us interpret the text. Many psalms don’t provide authorship information or reason for composition. This makes it difficult to get information from the historical context. One has to guess at thee things, and the number of opinions from scholars show the hazard. Psalms without additional information have to be interpreted more generally. But in this case, we at least know the author and can pin down the date of composition to sometime during the life of David.
The occasion for the psalm is not stated; however, we are given some clues from the text. It is important to note that the Temple in Jerusalem had not yet been built. During the entire reign of David, the Ark of the Covenant either resided outside of Jerusalem or in a tent after David brought the Ark into the city. It seems likely that the psalm was written in close conjunction to the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was a portable throne for Yahweh which was built during the time Israel was in the wilderness some four hundred years before David. Other nations had thrones for their gods as well, made of precious materials. But the Ark was different. There was no representation of YAHWEH. It symbolized His presence in a special way to Israel in a real way. It was a very holy object, and exact instructions were given concerning its care. It remained hidden behind thick curtains when Israel was encamped. When Israel moved to another location, it was to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites. We can see how Yahweh reacted when David decided to bring the Ark into Jerusalem on a cart instead. The poor driver, Uzzah, tried to steady the Ark when the oxen stumbled and paid for it with his life. Earlier, the Ark was taken to battle against the Philistines by the priests Hophni and Phineas as a good luck charm. Both of them along with thousands of others died that day and the Ark was captured. But Yahweh plagued the Philistines until it was returned to Israel. Be it enough to say then that the Ark of the Covenant was very holy, for the LORD whose presence rested between the cherubim angels is holy.
David saw that when the Gentile family to whose house the Ark was taken when Uzzah was struck down was greatly blessed. David decided the time had come to bring the Ark into the city. This time, David followed the proper protocol. It was cause for joyous celebration in Jerusalem. One can see as the Ark approached the city gate the cry would come out: “Lift up your gates and let the King of Glory come in.” This psalm would neatly fit this occasion. The cry to open up the gates for the King of Glory would be responded by those at the gate: “Who is this King of Glory?” The answer would come back: “Yahweh of Hosts; He is the King of Glory.” The Ark of the Covenant was coming into Jerusalem. The LORD of armies had arrived!
This psalm says something important to us. King David and his army took the Jebusite stronghold of Jerusalem. David was in charge of keeping Israel safe from its enemies. The book of 2 Samuel talks about these many battles. But it would be a big mistake that none of this would have been possible without the LORD of Hosts. It is the LORD, not David, who is the true king over Israel. Israel had sinned in asking for a king just like all the other nations. God gave them an earthly king. At first it was the evil Saul. But the LORD replaced him with David who was called “a man after God’s own heart.” But King David, along with Abraham and Moses stand in great honor in Israelite history was only a servant of this greater King.
Now that we have set up the context, let us look back to the beginning of the psalm. It begins with the words: “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof.” The God of Israel was not just a tribal god. Other nations had tribal gods and idols to represent their particular nation. Some of these nations were much more powerful than David. So the claim that the God of the relatively small Israel was God of the entire earth is audacious. Historians look at David and say that David rose to power because of the decline of the Egyptian and Hittite civilizations, and Assyria had not yet risen. Historians only see earthly cause and effects and do not know that everything that happens, happens by the will of Yahweh, the king of the Universe. He owns everyone and everything. Israel was not great because the nations recognized it as great. Instead, it is the LORD who made them great. King David is remembered to this day, but can anyone name the earthly monarchs of the nations around Israel today?
Yahweh is then declared to be the Creator of this world. It is He who has established it upon the waters. We hear of the Spirit of God brooding over these waters. Water is often used to describe birth as all humans start life in the womb surrounded by water. Water is often used symbolically for chaos. The earth which in the raw act of creation was still without form and void. God had to speak purpose to this chaos, and the created order emerged. This is the LORD whose symbolic but real presence was celebrated that day, arriving into Jerusalem.
Now the question is asked in a third set of parallel statements: “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD; or who shall stand in his holy place? We have already commented on the holiness of the LORD. This would infer that all those who would stand before Him be holy as well. The Apostle John reminds us that “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” Anything unholy would be burnt to a cinder before such a holy Presence.
The psalm then tells us who is worthy to stand before such a holy God. “He that hath a clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” Here we have a problem. What man has not been guilty of these things? Even King David, the man after God’s own heart would miserably fail when he took Bathsheba and killer Uriah her husband to cover it up. There was not one man in Jerusalem that day who could stand. This is the reason the ark was kept behind thick curtains. Sinners could not stand before Him and live. But the psalm says that a person who has not done these things will be blessed. But who could be blessed?
It is obvious that the ability to stand unblemished before the LORD of Hosts is beyond all earthly men. This means we stand without this promised blessing as well. We cannot earn the righteousness necessary. But here, the first words of hope shine in the gloom of our despair. The text says: “And righteousness from the God of his salvation.” The LORD is not only the Creator and the King of Glory.” He is Savior as well. Those whom he saves can enter into His presence and receive the promised blessing. They will have a desire to seek His face. They will not need to hide from Him. These can enter boldly into His presence.
If the LORD is Savior, then how does He bring His salvation about? The answer to this question would be born in a manger in Bethlehem one thousand years later. The Son of God who was fully divine became fully human in the person of Jesus Christ. He lived a sinless life. His life was so perfect that He is the only One who can stand in the presence of the Father in His own right. He can ascend the holy hill. But this Jesus ascended another hill one day, that of Cavalry, where He was crucified. He died for our sins. He rose from the dead and ascended after forty days back to the presence of the Father and Holy Spirit. It is Jesus who became the means of our salvation, to those who believe on Him.
We can only come into the presence if we are clothed in Christ. If we ever try to come in another way, we shall certainly perish. We must remain in Christ. Apparently, some of the people in the church that the Apostle John wrote to in 1 John thought they could bypass the Son and go directly to the Father. They saw many of those in the assembly as too stupid to be enlightened and separated themselves from the church. The people in the church had their problems. But they were safe because they were still in Christ as they were in fellowship with Him and each other. The ones who had left had forfeited this protection and lost their standing with the Father.
Application
This psalm speaks to us as much as it did in David’s day or John the Apostle’s day. In ourselves, we are still sinners. But in Christ we stand before the Father. We are filled with the Holy Spirit. No longer is the Presence of the LORD confined to a dark room in a Temple. God’s presence has come into our midst. We call unto the world with the precious words of the Gospel. We the gates to our heart have been opened. We have been transformed by the grace of our Savior. The promised blessings are ours if we remain in the body. We summon to other to open up the gates of their hearts so that the King of Glory might come in. We summon them to come join our body, the church.
When they ask; “Who is this King of Glory?”, we can answer more fully than He is the LORD of Armies (Hosts). He is that, of course, and we realize that He and not some earthly sovereign or ruler is the true source of our protection. This is certainly comforting in this difficult world which only seems to become increasingly wicked. We don’t put our hopes in earthly things. We have a promise that transcends this world. This world is perishing, but the LORD remains forever. And those who are His shall abide forever with Him.
What we have beyond the truth revealed in the 24th Psalm that the LORD is the King of Glory is that we know better who this King of Glory is? Peter tells us that Jesus is this King of Glory. He conquered death by dying for us. We are now more than conquerors because we cannot be conquered. We thing of that Christmas night when the heavenly armies cried out: “Peace on Earth!” It is good to know that all will be subjected one day to the Prince of Peace. So we who are awaiting our arrival in the greater Jerusalem which is ruled by a greater David can have hope. So let us rejoice, the LORD is not coming to Jerusalem. Instead, he brings the New Jerusalem to us. The old Jerusalem never knew much peace. In 2 Samuel 7, it says that God gave David and Jerusalem rest from war. Yet in chapter 8, it was back to war as usual. The name “Jerusalem” has the word “peace” embedded in it. S o it is so ironic that the earthly Jerusalem has been wracked with such violence over the centuries. But be of good cheer. A better Jerusalem is coming. But be ready as only those whose hearts have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus will see that joyous day.
