Daily in the Psalms : Psalm 24
psalms 24GOD’S OWNERSHIP OF THE WORLDThe earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Psalms 24:1-2 This earth and all of its forms of beauty and wonder, all of its unchangeable laws, all of its immeasurable riches, belongs to the Lord. Man believes he has conquered this world, but the Bible reminds us that the earth does not belong to Man. Man is but a tenant and a precarious one at that. He is subject to ejection at any moment. The true Owner of this earth presides far above the clouds and laughs at the feeble claims of man. Ownership can never be held by the occupant; it is always in the hands of the Creator. Man may even try to take credit for the productiveness of this earth, but that too belongs to God. It is God who makes the soil fertile and the crops fruitful. It is God that gives the air and rain and the life-sustaining sunshine. Foolish man worries about whether he can make sure that there is enough food for him and the animals on this earth. Forgetting that it has always been God’s providing hand that takes care of His creatures. He fills the earth with plenty and keeps it full. The banner waving over everything that man takes credit for reads, “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof.” In fact, man himself belongs to the Lord. “And they that dwell therein!” The Jews have tried to claim that they were the special ones that were God’s people. America has even tried to make such claims. But the Bible says that all people belong to Him. That is why no man is exempt from the responsibility of obedience to Him. That is why no man is exempt from the need of salvation. The truly spiritual man will see all things in God and God in all things. “FOR HE HATH FOUNDED IT!” Humanity has wasted a lot of time and effort worrying about the origin of the world. We have come up with theories and philosophies that many have come to accept as fact. Many of those that acknowledge God will plunge Him into a pathetic state of limited ability, others try to make Him subject to man’s laws, and the rest simply deny Him. Man is like a fly claiming that he created an elephant just because he rides on its back. He is like a minnow claiming that he created the sea because he swims in its depths. Some are so foolish as to believe that earth itself is God. But the earth cries out to us in every way possible, “ I BELONG TO HIM!’ “AND ESTABLISHED IT UPON THE FLOODS!” The only way anyone could describe the preservation of this world for these many thousands of years is to say, “It’s a miracle!” Keeping this world in existence requires the same power that created it. Think about the fact that the rain fills the rivers and the rivers flow into the oceans. If it were not for the operation of the law of evaporation, the seas would submerge the dry land in short order. That is only one example of God’s preservation. If God were to withdraw His hand for a brief moment, the forces of nature would annihilate the earth and every being on it. The One that created and preserves this world has the undisputed right to own it! THE MORAL STANDING OF THE TRUE WORSHIPPER Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. Psalms 24:3-6 By the unexplainable grace of God, the worshipper is admitted into a place so high, so hard to climb, so difficult to reach, so steep to negotiate, and so rough that there is no hope to ever get there, much less stand there. Those that seek to worship Him are instantly brought into that Heavenly arena. There is where he has his spiritual vision intensified, there is where he becomes familiar with the deeper truths of God, there is where he catches a glimpse of unearthly glories, and it is there where he is filled with unspeakable joy. This is speaking to the saved, but it is not speaking of salvation. It is speaking of that special privilege of true worship. There are many saved people that never reach this glorious place. THERE MUST BE MORAL CONDUCT The unclean were not allowed to even touch the sacred things in the Temple. The morally impure, those with defiled hands, will not enter into the hallowed fellowship with God. The conscience stained with sin will know nothing of true worship. THERE MUST BE A PURE HEART It is not enough to be clean on the outside, the inward part must be holy before the Lord. For the Christian, the inner life is everything. If we are wrong on the inside, we are wrong everywhere else. There is a special connection between the clean worshipper and the Worshipped. That connection moves the worshipper to be like Him and close to Him. THERE MUST BE PURE THOUGHTS AND SPEECH
Our minds must not be filled with the vain things of this perishing earth The truthfulness of our heart and lips is commanded and demanded of God as a requisite for true worship. God will have no part with liars, except to cast them into the lake of fire. Deceit and fraud may suit society, but they are detested by God AND His true worshippers. How could a lie have fellowship with The truth? No one will know true worship until they hate every false way. This is not speaking of righteousness in the New Testament sense of justification. It is speaking of acceptance from God. But it is still a gift from God. The blessings of God are always around true worship. That is why some leave Church in worse shape than when they came. They did not have the moral ability to worship; they tried to come before His holy presence unworthily. In every generation there have been those that sought to worship God and the world has always recognized them. A life could not be better spent than to seek to be a true worshipper of God. The true worshipper will make the greatest discoveries and will bestow the greatest blessings on others. PRAISE TO THE KING OF GLORY Lift up your head, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah. Psalms 24:7-10 Here we see the Ark of God being brought into the city of Zion. This is a celebration so huge that it is symbolic of the Lord Himself entering into Zion. It is also symbolic of the day when the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, shall enter that Heavenly palace and take His seat on that throne before which all the ransomed will bow. Twice we see the words, “EVERLASTING DOORS!” The gates were not merely opened; they were taken from their very hinges. The most strongly built palace of earth would be doomed to crumble before His presence. Not even the gate of death could hold Him. But this is also a reminder that the Heavenly Kingdom of God is unfading and its doors are never closed. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. Revelation 21:25 Heaven’s gates are called everlasting because they shall endure forever and those that enter those gates enter into a life that is everlasting. He has fought the battle with death, Hell, and the grave and won a complete victory. He is now welcomed as the victor, wounded, but whose scars are healed, dead, but is alive for ever more, who was exceeding sorrowful, but now the giver of exceeding joy. History could tell of some grand Kings that have had some grand welcomes. But infinitely beyond them all will be the grand triumphant entry of the Heavenly King into that Everlasting City! The glad day is coming when in loud and rapturous strains, the gates of Heaven will be instructed to enlarge and the portals of eternity will unfold. The angels, principalities, and powers, joined by the innumerable multitudes of the redeemed will welcome the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords into His rightful place. His entrance will mean that the saints of God will struggle no more, the victory has been won and they shall share in that victory, in His Kingdom, in His glory, and in His eternity! The earth will be far too small to hold the gladness of that day. Heaven will be called upon to share in it. The question will be answered with an unmatched finality. “Who is this King of Glory?” The thundering of innumerable voices will ring out, “The Lord of Host, He is The King of Glory!” The shout of joy that will greet our great King will drown out all other sounds and fill the Heavens with everlasting echoes.
Lift up and be gone Oh Heavenly gates So Glad To Be So Saved
Danny "Preacher" Bezet |