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Psalm 24 Devotional – The King of Glory

APRIL 29 – PSALM 24

THE KING OF GLORY

In preparation for the entry of the great King of glory, the psalmist stated that those with clean hands and pure hearts may ascend to His holy place. A psalm of David, Psalm 24 is one of the royal psalms. The psalm describes the Lord’s entrance into the holy city.

Many think this psalm was written for the occasion of David’s taking the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:15), though this cannot be proven. If such were true, then the “ancient doors” (Ps. 24:7) refer to the old fortress that then received the ark, the symbol of the Lord’s presence. Or perhaps the psalm speaks of some other return to Jerusalem after a victory in battle.

This psalm is often linked with Psalms 22 and 23 for all three psalms speak prophetically of the Lord Jesus. Psalm 24 also has some affinities with Psalm 15 for both ask and answer the question of who is fit to come into the presence of the Lord. The answer in Psalm 15 focuses on a person’s righteousness; the answer in Psalm 24 focuses on the King of glory. Psalm 24 should also be read with Psalm 2 and 110 which share a focus on the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom on earth. This psalm has three movements: (1) praise to God the Creator and Sovereign of the world (vv. 1-2); (2) an inquiry concerning the appropriate approach to the holy Lord (vv. 3-6); (3) anticipation of the King of glory (vv. 7-10)

1 The 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 (ESV)

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • God is the Creator and Sovereign over everything
  • No one is worthy to approach the Holy God, but thanks be to Christ for making us righteous that we can approach the Father
  • The King of Glory is strong, mighty, and victorious
Read More »Psalm 24 Devotional – The King of Glory

April 23 Quarantine Devotional – Psalm 19

APRIL 23 – PSALM 19

GOD’S LAW IS PERFECT

Today, we continue our series by focusing on God. Psalm 19 is a classic psalm about the beauty, majesty, glory, and perfection of the Lord. There is so much information about God in this psalm. The psalmist gives us a great model of how we can praise God and remember who He is and what He has done. It shows us that the Bible and Christianity is not just a series of rules or laws, but is a life-giving, fruit-bearing, and restoring life. A relationship with God is vital and restores us and refreshes us. It helps us in our daily lives as well as endure this long marathon, especially during prolonged trials and tribulations.

We have looked at Psalm 19 before in discussing Hebrew parallelism, but this time we will focus on meditating on God.

1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Key Takeaways:

  • All of creation including the heavens reveals God’s glory and majesty
  • The Law was not a burden to believers who were trying to please God with their lives. For David, keeping God’s statutes, which warned him of the dangers of folly and sin, brought reward.
  • God is our Redeemer who purchased our freedom from any bondage or slavery to sin
Read More »April 23 Quarantine Devotional – Psalm 19