King of Glory

Psalm 24

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
The world and all its people belong to him.

2 For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas
and built it on the ocean depths.

3 Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?

4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,
who do not worship idols
and never tell lies.

5 They will receive the Lord’s blessing
and have a right relationship with God their savior.

6 Such people may seek you
and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob.      Interlude

7 Open up, ancient gates!
Open up, ancient doors,
and let the King of glory enter.

8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty;
the Lord, invincible in battle.

9 Open up, ancient gates!
Open up, ancient doors,
and let the King of glory enter.

10 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies—
he is the King of glory.   

This Psalm is very similar to Psalm 15 in that it asks, "Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place??"

David wrote Psalm 24 at a difficult time in his own life — the effort to bring the Ark of the Covenant to the city of Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:2). 

The history of the Ark of the Covenant, and even David's involvement with it, is an amazing story. It is dramatic, even frightening at points. It is a story of fulfillment only partially achieved, of longing, of painful tragedy, yet of hope. So Psalm 24 is a story of the road to Jerusalem which was traveled first by King David as he brought the ark to the city, and which a thousand years later was traveled by Jesus as he entered the city of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. And it is a road that Jesus is going to travel one more time when he comes again in triumph.

While the ark was a mystery, physically it was just a box. It wasn't magic, as Steven Spielberg portrayed it in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. But symbolically it was more than just a box. It represented, again, the holiness, presence, and power of God. 

In the wrong hands, the ark had led to devastation, judgment, and terrible illness. In curious hands, it had led to the stilling judgment of God. Even in well-meaning but improper hands it had led to death. Everybody suffered when they abused the holy ark, whether it was rebellious Israelites, pagan Philistines, or even godly Hebrews. In all of the events surrounding the adventures of the ark, the one undeniable factor was the sovereignty of God. He was in control, and he would not be manipulated, compromised, or trivialized. Whether the offending parties were misinformed, well-meaning but ignorant, or sinful, God's character wasn't going to change.

The ark was a box that was about 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches deep. It was made out of acacia wood, beautifully crafted and covered in gold. The lid was of solid gold and was called the mercy seat. On it were two cherubim, angel-like figures, with their wings spread over it. That central space of the mercy seat was where God's word was heard. The ark had been made under Moses' supervision in the desert. It was a symbol of God's holiness, God's presence, and God's power at work among his people. It was the throne where God was symbolically seated to reign, the symbol of his Lordship. 

The ark had accompanied Israel all through the wilderness wanderings from Sinai. From the time of the conquest of the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua, it had been kept at Shiloh. Then under the leadership of Saul, the first king of the nation, Israel lost a battle with the Philistines. The battle was fought with no consciousness of God's desires or God's empowerment; instead they treated the ark like a talisman and put it out in front of the army on the assumption that its presence there would ensure success. But the army was crushed. Thousands of Israelite soldiers lost their lives. The ark was captured by the Philistines, and they displayed it as a trophy of war until it became a problem for them. Plague swept through Philistine, and they realized that the God of Israel was angry with them. They didn't want any more trouble, so they gave the ark back to the nation Israel. (1 Samuel 4-5)



Upon its return the ark was placed in the village of Beth-shemesh. But soon after Israel got control of it again, there were seventy men in the village who were overcome with curiosity about it, so they opened the lid to look inside, and God struck them dead. After that, understandably, the ark lay neglected for twenty years in a field near the village of Kiriath-jearim.



Finally David found the ark, and on two different occasions he tried to bring it back up to Jerusalem. The first time he moved it as if it were a piece of furniture-he put it in a cart pulled by a couple of oxen, just as the Philistines moved things around; but the law of God required that it be moved by having the priests' carrying it with poles.(Exodus 25:14)

 David, excited about getting it to the city and impulsive, didn't pay close attention to God's desires about how the ark was to be handled. Because of that a man named Uzzah lost his life. The ark started to topple a bit and he put his hand out, innocently enough, to try to steady it. He died.(2 Sam. 6:7)

The second time David tried to bring the ark to Jerusalem, about three months later, he obeyed God's instructions for moving the ark, and the priests carried it. They offered sacrifices and wore the sacral vestments that the law called for. The ark arrived in Jerusalem with a huge celebration of joy and praise. (2 Sam. 6:15)

For a thousand years after David asked the question, no one stepped forward. Then on Palm Sunday, He came, Jesus of Nazareth, riding on a donkey, receiving the praise of the crowd. It was a praise that became an unintended call for His death, because when the crowd shouted "Hosanna!" they were singing the words of Psalm 118:25, "O Yahweh, save us!" That is precisely what He was committed to. Jesus Christ was the one who could ascend into the hill of the Lord. He was the one who could stand in his holy place. He came without fear, without guilt, committed to save us. His coming was so much anticipated by the Lord God and by all the angels that when he entered Jerusalem, He had to be praised that morning.This is our song to sing. One day we're going to join all of creation in singing these words of joy, because Jesus is the Lord and He has given us a song to sing as well. But our song is not just the future song of praise; our song is for the present. He has given us the song of salvation, and it is a new song that he has placed in our mouths. We will lift our voices together as a huge, eternal choir, praising Him who is the King of glory, the Lord of hosts.