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Psalm 24—The King of Glory

by Dr. Nathan Leasure

 

Introduction:

1. It may take some by surprise that the questions that are often asked in our society are relatively unasked

by biblical persons (i. e. questions about the manner of creation, the problem of evil, reconciling God’s love with

the existence of hell, etc.)

2. Yet, questions we seldom bother to consider are often asked in scripture.

3. Take the question that King David asks in verse 3—“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who

     shall stand in his holy place?”

 

 I.  David worries about his standing before God, given God’s lofty greatness (vv. 1-3).

           A. David’s questions are predicated on Who God is in verses 1-2.

           B. God is:

                1.  the owner of the universe.

                2. God never grants ownership of His creation to human beings; He only makes us stewards.

                3. because He has created it (John 1:3; Col 1:16).

           C. Given verses 1-2, that extol the creation of the world and the ownership of the world, the  question is—

           “who in the world could ever get near him? Who would ever dare to stand in his presence?”

 

II. David is given the qualifications for approaching God by the Spirit (v. 4).

           A. Clean hands. In the most specific sense, hands that are clean from taking innocent life. In the most

           general sense, hands that have not committed sin. With our hands we raise our fists in anger, pick up

           forbidden fruit, browse the internet       for pornography, grasp a bottle of alcohol, etc.

           B. A pure heart. Pure refers to an absence of mixture. In the Near Eastern culture, wheat without chaff

           was pure wheat; old without impurities was pure gold. Pure hearts are hearts that do not have impurities

           in them.

           C. A soul that has not been lifted up to vanity. In the most specific sense, David is perhaps speaking of

           idolatry. In the most general sense, he is speaking of putting anything that is vain (i. e. meaningless or

           of no value) before God.

           D. Lips that have not sworn deceitfully.

 

III. Even as David pens these qualifications, he himself cannot meet these standards. 

           A. I wonder if David’s heart raced as he thought of his own inadequacy to meet  these conditions?

               1. I wonder how he felt, as he meditated on his own deeds?

               2. David had violated all of these requirements in his life:

                      a. Clean hands—Hands that had never been raised in heated anger, that did not

                          do violence unnecessarily, simply to impress (Michal’s dowry).

                      b. A pure heart—A heart that was always free of impurities. A heart that had not

                          desired forbidden fruit he had no right to possess (Abigail).

                      c. A soul not lifted up to vanity—What about the day when, for just a little bread

                         and Goliath’s sword, which he could not even use, he caused Abimilech, his  

                         family, and his village to be put to death? Was not that vanity?

                      d. Lips that had not been deceitful—What about David’s 16 months of deceit at

                          Ziklag (1 Samuel 21:8-13)?

 

IV. David had hope because Yahweh is also the God of Jacob (v. 6).

           A. As his inadequacy engulfs him, there is the mention of that name—Jacob. God was the God of Jacob.

               1. David’s Bible likely consisted of only the Pentateuch. In the Pentateuch, the most

                   unlikely man to find grace in the eyes of God was Jacob.

               2. The mention of Jacob speaks of God’s willingness to redeem and pardon those

                   who have made a mess of their lives.

               3. John Hercus masterfully illustrates David’s inner dialogue with himself when he writes:

                      “The truth is, David, that the only man who can ascend the hill of the Lord, the only man

                      who can stand in His holy place is the man who does not swear falsely, who has not got

                      unclean hands, who has not got an impure heart and who has not allowed his soul to go

                      after things of false value. Isn’t that so, David? Isn’t that the real truth as you yourself know

                      it? That’s the only sort of man who can come to God, whom God can accept, isn’t it, David?

                      Nobody from Ziklag, David. Oh dear, no! . . . .

 

                      “Yes, the God of Jacob will accept men like that, David. But, David, will the God of Jacob

                      ever accept you . . . ?

 

                      “But what is that you say? The God of Jacob?

 

                      “Jacob, David. Did you hear that? Jacob! He was accepted, David! He got there! That crooked,

                      twisting cheat of a younger twin brother, the man Jacob!

 

                      “David, God accepted Jacob! He allowed himself to be identified with Jacob. It sounds utterly

                      irreverent, David, but it’s true: God is on personal names-speaking terms with Jacob! And if

                      God accepts Jacob, crooked, twisted, all-mixed-up-inside Jacob, why, David, He may accept

                      you. He may even accept me.”

  

V. Because God is the King that is glorious, David found himself able to stand in His presence (v. 8-10).

           A. Glory means “weightiness” or “heaviness.”

           B. The test of the “gloriousness” of an object is whether it can move or change its surroundings.

                1. A rock thrown into the pond sends ripples, a sign that the water is forced to move out of

                   the way of the rock because it is weightier, heavier—more glorious.

                2. A car that is driven into a brick building is physically altered or destroyed because

                    it has come into contact with something that is weightier, heavier—more glorious.

                3. A brick building which is in the path of a category 5 hurricane is forced to move

                   because, in that moment, it has met a force that is weightier, heavier—more glorious  

                   than itself.

           C. This is why it is appropriate for the appearing of God on the earth to be accompanied by

                earthquake (e.g., God on Mt. Sinai [Ex 19:18];  God comes to Isaiah [Is 6:4]; when the temple

                veil was rent [Matt 27:51]).     

           D. David found that God was weightier, heavier, more glorious than His sin! (As the hymn

                describes it, it is “grace that is greater than all our sin.”) 

 

CONCLUSION:

1. Have you found God to be glorious in your life? Are you a Christian who says, “I know God forgave me but I can’t forgive myself?”  In that case, who has the glory in your life, God’s forgiveness or your feelings of guilt? What moves what?

2. A lot of people have a concept of God where they say, “Oh, I believe in God. I believe in a creator, and I believe this or that about God,” but nothing that they believe about God has really altered their lives. The glory of God—His weightiness and heaviness has not radically altered their lives. Is that true of you?

3. In your life, do you demonstrate the glory of God? Are God’s purposes, plans and program weightier than yours? Does God get fit into your plans or do you fit into God’s plans? Does God operate by your agenda or do you operate by God’s agenda?

4. Throw open the gates of your life and let the God of tremendous, life-altering glory come in! (v. 7, 10)

 

 

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Pastor Nathan Leasure,

Rock Chapel

Church of God

Granite Falls, NC