Psalm 24: The Messiah as Coming King

 

The Messiah as Coming King

Psalm 24

Establishing the Need: Do we only think of Jesus as a friend and a Savior and have forgotten that He is the King of Kings?

 

Purpose: In this study we shall see three characteristics of the Messiah as a King so that we would honor Him as Lord of our life.

1. The Messiah reign over the world (v.1-2)
2. The Messiah is Holy (v.3-6)
3. The Messiah is glorious (v.7-10)

 

Introductory matters

This is written by David as the subscript states: “A Psalm of David.”

Psalm 24 is part of a trio of Psalm on the Messiah beginning in Psalm 22.[1]

We can chart these three Messianic Psalm in the following manner[2]:

Psalm 22               Psalm 23               Psalm 24

Person            Servant                  Shepherd               Sovereign

Ministry         Suffering               Providing               Reigning

Time               Past                        Present                   Future

Symbol          Cross                      Crook                     Crown

 

Here for Psalm 24 we see that the Messiah is a coming King.

There is an interchange of the Messiah/God throughout the Psalm which we shouldn’t be surprised as New Testament Christian since the Messiah would be God.

 

 

The Messiah reign over the world (1-2)

Passage: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers.(1-2)

Proof

1. The main focus of verse 1-2 is to make sure we don’t make God small[3]
2. Everything belongs to the Lord/Messiah: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it” (v.1)
   1. The first word in the text is “ to the LORD’s.”[4] Though it is the object it appearing first is a way to make the Lord (Hebrew is “Yahweh”) nuanced.
   2. The two lines in verse 1 shows everything belonging to God with two paired statements.
   3. The first object in the first pair says the earth belongs to God.
   4. The second object in the first pair says that’s true also with “all it contains”= that is, God’s creation.
   5. The first object in the second pair uses a synonymous word with the earth, “the world” and states that it belongs to God.
   6. The second object in the first pair says that’s true also with “and those who dwell in it.”= that is, God’s creatures.
3. The reason why everything belongs to God is because He’s the Creator of everything: “For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers (v.2)
   1. The word “For” indicates the reason for why verse 1 David asserts God/the Messiah owns everything.
   2. God as Creator is taught in the first line: “For He has founded it upon the seas”
      1. This verb refers to God’s past work of creation.[5]
      2. The land is set up upon the seas.
   3. God as Creator is taught in the second line: “And established it upon the rivers”
      1. This verb in Hebrew shows what God repeatedly does.[6]
4. The world belonging to God and God establishing its stability are two ways of how God reign over the world.
5. While the passage says “God” we also see other verses in the New Testament that affirm the Messiah is the Creator of the world; see Colossians 1:17 and Hebrews 1:3.[7]

Practice

1. Do you acknowledge that everything belongs to God?
2. Have you lived your life realizing everything belongs to God? If not, how can you live your life differently today with this truth?

 

The Messiah is Holy (3-6)

Passage: “3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord And righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face—even Jacob. Selah.” (3-6)

Proof

1. Important questions: “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place?” (v.3)
   1. Instead of now focusing on the world now we look at “the hill of the Lord.”
   2. “The hill of the Lord” is synonymous here with “His holy place.”
   3. In light of God’s holiness the question is whether or not we can approach God?
2. God’s requirement to be before God: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully” (v.4)
   1. Basically this verse teaches we have to be holy to be before God.
   2. When it says “He who has clean hands” the word hands refer to action and deeds and clean refer to innocence and free from charge of wrong doing.[8]
   3. When it says “and a pure heart” the word heart refer to one’s inner thought life. This too must be holy.
   4. Specific examples of holy conduct is given: “Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully”
3. But what if one fail God’s requirement? Good News: “He shall receive a blessing from the Lord And righteousness from the God of his salvation.” (v.5)
   1. The verse says “And righteousness from the God of his salvation” is talking about justification (being declared legally righteous).[9]
   2. Notice this righteousness is “from the God of his salvation.” Salvation is even mentioned!
4. This require one to trust and clinging to God: “This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face—even Jacob. Selah” (v.6)

Practice

1. Do you realize God is Holy?
2. Do you marvel that even here in this Old Testament passage we see hints of the Gospel, that justification and salvation is what God provides?

 

 

The Messiah is glorious (7-10)

Passage: “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 the 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.”” (7-10)

Proof

1. In verse 7 “Lift up your heads … And be lifted up” is “a metaphorical depiction of the joyful and hope-filled preparation for the LORD’s advent.”[10]
2. Notice how much this verse emphasize on the King’s Glory!
3. Post-exile Jews would read Psalm 24 on the first day of the week. Imagine reading this section in light of Palm Sunday.[11]  What a marvelous prophecy!

Practice

1. Do you see the awe of Jesus and God?
2. Are you ready for the coming King of Kings?

 

[1] Source: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_023.pdf.

[2] Source: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_023.pdf.

[3] Dale Ralph Davis, Slogging Along in the Paths of the Righteous: Psalms 13-24, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus), 179.

[4] Source: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_024.pdf.

[5] Dale Ralph Davis, Slogging Along in the Paths of the Righteous: Psalms 13-24, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus), 179.

[6] Dale Ralph Davis, Slogging Along in the Paths of the Righteous: Psalms 13-24, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus), 179.

[7] Dale Ralph Davis, Slogging Along in the Paths of the Righteous: Psalms 13-24, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus), 179-180.

[8] Dale Ralph Davis, Slogging Along in the Paths of the Righteous: Psalms 13-24, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus), 184.

[9] Source: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_024.pdf.

[10] Source: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_024.pdf.

[11] Source: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_024.pdf.