Today, Saturday December 17
A Celebration Song
Psalm 24:1-10
This is a Psalm of David that was written to commemorate the return of the ark of the covenant to the City of Jerusalem. There was reason to rejoice because Jehovah was returning as the King of Glory to sit on His throne which was on the mercy seat on top of the ark of the covenant. All of Israel was present to worship and sing praises to the LORD! The Levitical choir was prepared to lead them in this worship.
Just picture the Levitical priest carrying the ark and as they near the city, the crowds of people and the choir are there to meet them. David their earthly king is right in the middle of this great celebration, leaping, dancing and singing (2 Samuel 6). This is probably how it happened as they approached the city gates:
The choir and the crowd would sing these first two verses in unison:
“The earth is the LORD'S, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters.”
Then the choir leader would loudly shout out this question in verse 3:
“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place?”
The choir and the people would answer in song verses 4-7:
“He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah - Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.”
Again, the choir director would ask: “Who is this King of glory? (v. 8a)
And the crowds would answer: The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. (vv. 8b-9)
One last time the leader would ask: “Who is this King of glory? (v. 10a)
The people would finish the song with a loud shout: “The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah (v. 10b)
I get the idea they would go through this song over and over until the ark of the covenant was placed in its resting place in the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle. Wow! Wouldn’t you have liked to be there that day! What excitement and what joy as they acknowledged that their real King, Jehovah-Sabaoth was back to rule and reign over them! Hallelujah! Praise the LORD!”
The song begins with the people acknowledging that Jehovah created the earth! And of all the heavenly bodies created by the Lord, the earth is the one He has chosen to be His own special sphere of activity. Clarence Benson called the earth "the theater of the universe," for on it the Lord demonstrated His love in what Dorothy Sayers called "the greatest drama ever staged." God chose a planet, a people and a land, and there He sent His Son to live, to minister, to die, and to be raised from the dead, that lost sinners might be saved.
The earth is God's, everything on it and in it is God's, and all the people on the earth are God's, made in His image and accountable to Him. The divine name "LORD" is used six times in this psalm. "All the earth is mine" (Ex. 19:5), says the Creator, but in His goodness, He has shared it with us. He is "possessor of heaven and earth" (Gen. 14:19, 22), and we are guests on His planet, stewards of all that He gives us to enjoy (1 Tim. 6:17) and to employ. This stewardship is the basis for the way we treat planet earth and protect the treasures God has shared with us. Anything we give to Him, He has first given to us (50:10-12; 1 Chron. 29:14). Paul quoted Psalm 24:1 in 1 Corinthians 10:25-26 to remind believers that all food was permitted to them (see also Mark 7:14-23; 1 Tim. 4:3-5).
Today, would you allow the Lord to sit on the throne of your heart and rule over your life?
God bless!
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