December 18 2022
Today, Sunday December 18
Created to Worship
Psalm 24:1-6
“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.
Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? 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”
Psalm 24 is a great worship chapter. Remember that Psalm 22 tells us of the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who gives His life for the sheep. The suffering and crucifixion of Christ is described in great detail as He died in our place for our sins! If we have trusted Jesus to be our Savior, we can then enjoy Him as our Great Shepherd in Psalm 23. He will lead us, provide for us, protect us and always be with us!
Now in Psalm 24, we see Jesus as our Chief Shepherd, Who is coming again for us and is worthy of our worship! The chapter begins reminding us that Jehovah is the creator of all things. I’m amazed as I go through the Scriptures how many times the world being created by God is connected to the prayers and worship of God’s people. Before God gave Moses the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20, He told him in Exodus 19:5-6. “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation…”
In other words, God was saying, “I have a right to tell you what is best for you because I am the Creator and I want you to be a holy nation of worshippers!”
After the disciples of Jesus were told that they could not speak in the name of Jesus in Acts 4, they went back and told the other believers what they had been commanded. Immediately they began to pray! Notice how they began their prayer. “So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them…” (v. 24). They reminded themselves that the God who made everything is a great God who would take care of them.
The great worship scene in heaven in Revelation 5 begins with the last verse in chapter 4. "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created" (v. 11). After acknowledging that God is creator, every creature in heaven and earth proclaims that He alone is worthy to be worshiped (Revelation 5)!
Who is allowed to worship and enter the Holy Place? Only those who have “clean hands and a pure heart”. In Revelation 5 there was only One Person Who was worthy to open the seven-sealed book and that was the “Lamb who had been slain”. He alone had clean hands and a pure heart, was without sin, and could enter the Holy Place with His own blood. Jesus can then give us “righteousness from the God of his salvation” and give us access to the Holy Place and worship!
We are of the generation of “Jacob”, who was a deceiver, a cheater, and a liar. But when he humbled himself and sought to see the face of God as he wrestled with the Angel all night and when he finally submitted to God’s authority, his name was changed to Israel, which means “A Prince with God” (Genesis 32:24-30). That is exactly what the Lord does for us when we humble ourselves and repent and seek the Lord with all of our heart! The Lord completely changes us into true worshippers of God instead of worshipping the idols of this world, and the vain, empty things of life that are so temporal.
It is then that we “shall receive blessing from the LORD, and His righteousness…”. My friend, this is definitely the better way to live, fulfilling the purpose we were created for! To worship our Lord, our God and our Creator!
God bless!