The King of Glory, The Lord of Hosts. Psalm 24:1-10

Transcription

1 1 Commentary by Clyde M. Miller Questions by John C. Sewell The King of Glory, The Lord of Hosts Psalm 24:1-10

2 2 Text: Psalm 24:1-10, The King of Glory, The Lord of Hosts 1. The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2. for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. 3. Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? 4. He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. 5. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. 6. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah 7. Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you 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 you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty he is the King of glory. Selah (NIV) Introduction: I. The psalm contains hymnic (vv. 1-2), wisdom (vv. 3-6), and liturgical (vv. 7-10) elements. A. Hymnic

3 Psalm 24:1, 2, The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. (NIV) B. Wisdom 1. Psalm 24:3-6, Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah (NIV) C. Liturgical 1. Psalm 24:7-10, Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty he is the King of glory. Selah (NIV) II. Differences in vocabulary, rhythm and theme lead some interpreters to conclude that disparate elements were combined to form a liturgy celebrating God s entrance into the temple and the people s entrance into His presence in worship. A. This conclusion, however, is far from certain. B. The changes in subject matter could account for these differences.

4 4 III. If the phrase of David in the title is taken to indicate authorship by the second king in the United kingdom, the sanctuary is the tabernacle or the special tent in which the ark of the covenant was housed (2 Samuel 6:11-19). A. 2 Samuel 6:11-19, The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household. Now King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed- Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God." So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart. They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes. (NIV) B. If a later king in the Davidic kingdom is indicated, it could be the temple erected by Solomon (1 Kings chapters 6-8). IV. The first two verses depict Yahweh as Creator and Ruler.

5 5 A. Psalm 24:1, 2, The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. (NIV) V. In Psalm 24:3-6 attention is directed to him who would ascend and worship God. A. Psalm 24:3-6, Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah (NIV) VI. The last three verses describe the entry of the King of glory Ash, LWCOT. Commentary: The foundation of divine kingship (vv.1-2). Psalm 24: 1, 2, The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. (NIV) I. God s role as creator gives Him the right of ownership and control of the universe. II. Verses 1-2 are structured in external progressive parallelism of the reason type, with each couplet synonymous within itself. III. Verse 2 states the reason for God s sovereignty over the earth.

6 6 IV. The concept of verse 1 is repeated in Psalm 89:11 and the verses is quoted in 1 Corinthians 10:26. A. Psalm 89:11, The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it. (NIV) B. 1 Corinthians 10:26, for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." (NIV) V. The idea of God s founding the earth upon the seas in verse 2 is reflected in Psalm 136:6. A. Psalm 136:6, who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. (NIV) VI. The concept of God s separating the terrestrial waters from the seas in the creation story is reflected in Genesis 1:9. A. Genesis 1:9, And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. (NIV) The pedestal of covenant fellowship (vv.3-6). Psalm 24:3-6, Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah (NIV) I. This paragraph suggests that a godly life is a prerequisite for an acceptable presence in worship at God s sanctuary.

7 7 A. Jesus validates the same concept (Matthew 15:1-9). 1. Matthew 15:1-9, Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' he is not to 'honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'(niv) II. This paragraph is much like Psalm 15. A. Psalm 15:1-5, LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken. (NIV) B. Psalm 24:2 and 3 each employs synonymous parallelism.

8 Psalm 24:2, 3, for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? (NIV) C. In verse 4a, Clean hands employs synecdoche (the part standing for the whole) referring to outward conduct, and pure heart refers to inward attitude. D. False/falsely (v. 4c) is the antithesis of truth in 15:2c, and swear falsely (24:4c, NIV n.) is the antithesis of swears to his own hurt and does not change in 15:4c. 1. Psalm 24:4, He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. (NIV) 2. Psalm 15:2, 4, He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, (NIV) E. Blessing (24:5a) and vindication (24:5b, RSV, NIV; justice, NEB) are here synonyms moving from the general to the specific. 1. Psalm 24:5, He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. (NIV) F. Psalm 24:6 is a topic statement summarizing Psalm 24: Psalm 24:3-6, Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.

9 9 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah (NIV) 2. Generation (24:6a) here means class, group as in crooked generations (Deuteronomy 32:5) or generation [ company, NIV] of the righteous (Psalm 14:5b). a. Deuteronomy 32:5, They have acted corruptly toward him; to their shame they are no longer his children, but a warped and crooked generation. (NIV) b. Psalm 14:5, There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. (NIV) III. The God of Jacob (24:6b, RSV, NIV) emends the standard Hebrew text that reads, your face, O Jacob, which fits neither the context nor the theology of the psalm. A. The NIV note indicates that two Hebrew manuscripts, the Syriac and the Septuagint, support the emendation. This is Jacob (24:6a, NKJV) is a poor effort to correct the problem. Entrance of the Lord (vv. 7-10). Psalm 24:7-10, Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty he is the King of glory. Selah(NIV) I. Verses 7 and 9 contain oblique exhortations to an inanimate object, and verses 8 and 10 provide a repetitive explanation of the

10 10 personification. Gates could be the entrance to Jerusalem or the sanctuary. II. Heads refers to the lintels of the doors. Ancient doors (v. 7b) seems to be a personification of the eternal God who is anticipated as entering. III. The descriptive phrases assigned to God magnify His multifaceted personality. The King of glory (vv. 8a, 9c, 10a, c) indicates one to be glorified because of His magnificence. A. Psalm 24:8-10, Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty he is the King of glory. Selah (NIV) 1. Its numerous repetitions expand this recognition. 2. The phrases strong and mighty and mighty in battle (v. 8b, c) allude to God s promise to fight the battles of His faithful covenant people (Deuteronomy 1:29-31; 4:34; Exodus 15:3-5), and assure his faithful covenant people victory. a. Deuteronomy 1:29-31, Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place." (NIV)

11 11 b. Deuteronomy 4:34, Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? (NIV) c. Exodus 15:3-5, The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh's officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. (NIV) 3. The repetitions of the questions and answers in this paragraph emphasize the climactic part of the psalm. B. Verse 10 is especially poignant. 1. The verse definitely identifies the King of glory as the LORD of hosts/almighty. 2. The LORD Almighty (v. 10b, NIV) is literally the LORD of hosts (ts e bha oth, ASV, ESV, KJV, NASB95). 3. The word hosts could refer to the heavenly bodies, angels, or armies of the Lord. 4. Mighty in battle suggests that it refers to armies in this context. 5. The word LORD in all cases in verses 7-10 is Yahweh/Jehovah.

12 The literal reading of the Hebrew text (v. 10a) is, Who is he, this King of glory? The pronoun he (NIV) is intensive; it means he and no one else. Application. I. In order for the acclamations offered to the LORD in the liturgy of worship to be acceptable to Him, they must be verified by the honor paid to Him in daily righteousness (cf. Ephesians 5:15-20). A. Ephesians 5:15-20, Be very careful, then, how you live not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)

13 13 Questions Psalm 24:1-10 (Questions based on NIV text.) 1. Who wrote Psalm 24? Give reasons for your answer. 2. The is the s, and in it, the, and all who in it; for he it upon the and it upon the. 3. How can it be said that the earth/world was founded/ established upon the seas/waters. (See Psalm 136:6 and Genesis 1:9). 4. Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?

14 Such a person will from the and from his. 6. How are verses 7 and 9 alike? How are they different? 7. Describe the King of glory? Who is this King of glory? 8. What elements does this psalm contain? 9. What accounts for the differences in vocabulary, rhythm and theme found in Psalm 24? 10. Psalm 24:1, 2, depict as and, Psalm 24:3-6 calls attention to the person who would

15 15 and while Psalm 24:7-10 describes the of. 11. Exactly what is external parallelism of the reason type? 12. Give reasons for God s sovereignty and control over the universe. 13. Compare Psalm 24:1, Psalm 89:11 and 1 Corinthians 10: A is a prerequisite for an in at s. 15. What did Jesus say that supports this fact? (See Matthew 15:1-9)

16 Compare Psalm 24:3-6 and Psalm 15: Define synecdoche and synonymous parallelism. 18. What are the antitheses of false/falsely and swear falsely? 19. Define blessing, vindication and justice as used in Psalm 24: What accounts for the variance in the God of Jacob expression in Psalm 24:6b?

17 What is meant by gates, heads and doors in Psalm 24? 22. God and he alone, according to Psalm 24:8-10, is said to be 23. What is the application we should make of what is said in Psalm 24? 24. How does Ephesians 5:15-20 relate to what is said in Psalm 24? 25. In view of what is said in Psalm 24, what changes should be made in your attitude and actions during worship?

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