Gregg,
My girls and I have been memorzing Ps 24. It's been good for me and is occupying my girls and I study together as well as many conversations with Bros.
The more time I spend in it the more I see Christ. What do you think, or what insight could you supply?
Some questions I'm mulling:
What is the Psalm's ultimate theme?
Who is the HE that has clean hands?
What is the Blessing and who is the one receiving it?
Why does it say "O Jacob" in verse 6? Is this some name for God? Or something else?
Which generation is referenced in verse 6? Is this speaking of a time and a people? Or Just a certain period or just a certain group of people?
What and where are the gates and doors? How do they have heads?
Scott
Scott,
Charles Spurgeon wrote, "There should be some preparation of the heart in coming to the worship of God. Consider who he is in whose name we gather, and surely we cannot rush together without thought. Consider whom we profess to worship, and we shall not hurry into his presence as men run to a fire."
It seems that the main idea or the ultimate theme of this Psalm is David's description of the LORD's glorious entrance into the holy city of Jerusalem while preparing those who worship the LORD to prepare themselves correctly.
Psalm 24 is a hymn of praise that directs the heart of God's people to worship God in a way that emphasizes and recognizes the majestic glory of God. This Psalm may have been written by David when the Ark of the covenant entered Jerusalem, or an anniversary of its entering. This Psalm looks forward to and celebrates that day when God will enter the city of Jerusalem.
The one that has clean hands is the one who has been cleansed by the forgiveness of God. This refers to one who has exercised repentance and faith, one who has been justified by God's declaration, one who has the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ found in them.
The person who comes to God in humility, sorrow, repentance is the one that receives the blessing from God. God extends his blessing of forgiveness to those whom he vindicates. The blessing is God's goodness and and his favor.
Those who seek the Lord are compared to Jacob and his bold statement to God, "I will not leave Thee except thou bless me. David refers to this more than likely and he writes these, those who seek God are like Jacob of old who sought God and His blessing. Those who seek God's blessing are likened to Jacob who sought God's blessing. Like Jacob those who truly worship God, God's way are like Jacob. Jacob in this passage is not a name for God, just a reference to those who worship God properly.
Do not forget that the word for generation carries many meanings. It doesn't always referer to a particular period of time or people. The generation refers to this is the type of or race of or group of or kind of people who receive the blessing of God. All those types of people who seek the blessing of God and worship Him according to His glorious character and nature will receive the blessing of Gods' favor, grace, and forgivness.
David calls upon the city of Jerusalem to prepare itself for the entrance of God through her gates. The gates of the city are actually called upon to preprare themselves for the entrance of God. David simply used a literary device to personify attributes upon an inaminate object. God's glorious entrance into Jerusalem one day (in the form of Christ) will be so glorious that even the city gates of Jerusalem are to stand at attention and worship God. They city gates need to open themselves extremely wide for God to pass through. They only have heads because again David is personifying an inanimate object.
The questions that you need to be asking and answering are these:
Do you recognize the sovereign rule of God over your life and over all of creation?
Do you have a "high view" of God and properly understand the holy position of God?
Do you enter into worship with cleansed hands and a clean heart in proper worship of God?
What steps do you take to "properly" enter the presence of our holy and glorious God?
True worship occurs when the whole person - mind, emotion, and will respond to God with reverence, humility, praise, and devotion.
Hope that helps,
Gregg
My girls and I have been memorzing Ps 24. It's been good for me and is occupying my girls and I study together as well as many conversations with Bros.
The more time I spend in it the more I see Christ. What do you think, or what insight could you supply?
Some questions I'm mulling:
What is the Psalm's ultimate theme?
Who is the HE that has clean hands?
What is the Blessing and who is the one receiving it?
Why does it say "O Jacob" in verse 6? Is this some name for God? Or something else?
Which generation is referenced in verse 6? Is this speaking of a time and a people? Or Just a certain period or just a certain group of people?
What and where are the gates and doors? How do they have heads?
Scott
Scott,
Charles Spurgeon wrote, "There should be some preparation of the heart in coming to the worship of God. Consider who he is in whose name we gather, and surely we cannot rush together without thought. Consider whom we profess to worship, and we shall not hurry into his presence as men run to a fire."
It seems that the main idea or the ultimate theme of this Psalm is David's description of the LORD's glorious entrance into the holy city of Jerusalem while preparing those who worship the LORD to prepare themselves correctly.
Psalm 24 is a hymn of praise that directs the heart of God's people to worship God in a way that emphasizes and recognizes the majestic glory of God. This Psalm may have been written by David when the Ark of the covenant entered Jerusalem, or an anniversary of its entering. This Psalm looks forward to and celebrates that day when God will enter the city of Jerusalem.
The one that has clean hands is the one who has been cleansed by the forgiveness of God. This refers to one who has exercised repentance and faith, one who has been justified by God's declaration, one who has the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ found in them.
The person who comes to God in humility, sorrow, repentance is the one that receives the blessing from God. God extends his blessing of forgiveness to those whom he vindicates. The blessing is God's goodness and and his favor.
Those who seek the Lord are compared to Jacob and his bold statement to God, "I will not leave Thee except thou bless me. David refers to this more than likely and he writes these, those who seek God are like Jacob of old who sought God and His blessing. Those who seek God's blessing are likened to Jacob who sought God's blessing. Like Jacob those who truly worship God, God's way are like Jacob. Jacob in this passage is not a name for God, just a reference to those who worship God properly.
Do not forget that the word for generation carries many meanings. It doesn't always referer to a particular period of time or people. The generation refers to this is the type of or race of or group of or kind of people who receive the blessing of God. All those types of people who seek the blessing of God and worship Him according to His glorious character and nature will receive the blessing of Gods' favor, grace, and forgivness.
David calls upon the city of Jerusalem to prepare itself for the entrance of God through her gates. The gates of the city are actually called upon to preprare themselves for the entrance of God. David simply used a literary device to personify attributes upon an inaminate object. God's glorious entrance into Jerusalem one day (in the form of Christ) will be so glorious that even the city gates of Jerusalem are to stand at attention and worship God. They city gates need to open themselves extremely wide for God to pass through. They only have heads because again David is personifying an inanimate object.
The questions that you need to be asking and answering are these:
Do you recognize the sovereign rule of God over your life and over all of creation?
Do you have a "high view" of God and properly understand the holy position of God?
Do you enter into worship with cleansed hands and a clean heart in proper worship of God?
What steps do you take to "properly" enter the presence of our holy and glorious God?
True worship occurs when the whole person - mind, emotion, and will respond to God with reverence, humility, praise, and devotion.
Hope that helps,
Gregg
2 comments:
A great and informative answer Gregg, Good to read.
Yvonne.
Thanks Gregg,
I have read your answer through a few times now, shared it with my girls also. thank you.
Thanks also for the excellent That Spurgeon quote.
This is helping us to think through what we are reading.
We spent 2 hours on verse 1 Saturday and previously probably 2 hours looking at cross references, discussing verse one and how it affects our prayer life and how it was used by the Spirit of God through Paul in 1Cor 10:26-28. There's been a campfire conversation as we walked through the whole pslam. Yet we sense we are only beginning to taste the beauty and majesty and truth of the words contained within. You are now part of that journey - praise the Lord.
The Psalm has been so rich for us. Espec me, even with and having the questions I listed to you. Probably partly due to them and many more as we try to dig deep.
You gave me good and necessary and helpufl pause to be careful how I understand the Psalm.
I had been considering if there was a ultimate theme beyond Jerusalem here on earth, and believers pursing holiness in the fear of the Lord especially in preparation for worship.
For example seeing this Psalm with reference to the worship of the King of Glory as the Great High Priest, who only had clean hands and was qualified to enter into not just the Holiest of Holies made with men's hands but the HOLY PLACE itself, and such a high priest who once and for all obtained the blessing of eternal redemption for his people, and so by his life lived and death he died both vicariously we have the righteousness or right standing before God. Thus having accomplished he was rasied from the dead and ascended up into heaven, leading captivity captive, making an open shew of our enemies, and triumphing over them he now sits and reigns in the heavenly Jerusalem whose everlasting doors were lifted up receiving the returning conqueror reigning till all his enemies are made his footstool. Heb 9 bearing some illumination, Col 2, and 1Cor 15.
In Him we also receive blessing, and have clean hands and a pure heart positionally and experientially, but he was the High Priest seen through the eyes of faith who could enter in the Holy Place and obtain redemption and justification for his people.
I can see David the way you describe, the ark is returning, the moment is glorious, and yet David also looking beyond by the Spirit to Jesus, who can go into the very place itself and once and for all obtain the blessing for his people.
Do you think that is dangerous speculation? Reading too much?
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