Psalms 24 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Psalm 24

The King of Glory

A Psalm of David.

24:1   The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof,¹
    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.² 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

Footnotes

[1] 24:1 Or and all that fills it
[2] 24:6 Septuagint, Syriac, and two Hebrew manuscripts; Masoretic Text who seek your face, Jacob

Commentary

The psalm of the Great Shepherd, proclaiming God's righteous standards, balancing Ps 23, which teaches a personal relationship; yet it is this righteous God with whom we can have a personal relationship.

v1-2: God the Lord of creation; all things were made at His command, and all things belong to Him.

This Psalm is frequently raised in discussions concerning a Christian’s attitude to environmental matters, along with Ps 115.16, ‘the highest heavens belong to the lord but the earth He has given to man.’

John Stott comments: ‘So then, the balanced biblical answer to our question is that the earth belongs to both God and man – to God because he made it, to us because he has given it to us. Not, of course, that he has handed it over to us so completely as to retain neither rights nor control over it, but he has given it to us to rule on his behalf. Our possession of the earth is leasehold, therefore, not freehold. We are only tenants; God himself remains, in the most literal sense, the “landlord,” the Lord of all the land.’ (Issues Facing Christians Today)

v3-4: Since God is so great, we must not treat Him lightly; it is a great privilege to be able to approach Him. God will receive us, but on His terms. Our communion with Him must not be considered something trivial; compare 2 Sam 6.6-9.

Jesus promised that the pure in heart would see God (Matt 5.8), and His words mirror the teaching here. The words are not a reason to stay away, but an encouragement to come near.

This psalm speaks of ascending into the hill of God, Ps 15 speaks of staying there; having ascended, we are not then free to lapse into worldly thinking.

v5-6: The promise of receiving from God, and enjoying what He has for us. Those who seek God will find good things.

v7-10: Welcoming the King, who is God Himself. The gates of the wall and the temple ought to be open to God, for the city and the temple were His dwelling place. The picture is of the Lord Jesus, who has entered the presence of God for us, and enables us to dwell in the heavenly places in Him.