Psalm XXIV

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and the fuhicss thereof: the work!, and they

that dwell therein.

2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his

holy place?

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;

“Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 6 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is the generation of them that seek him,
That seek thy face, 0 Jacob. Selah.

7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; And the King of glory shall come in.

8 AVho is this King of glory?

The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; And the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

This may have been written by David when the ark was brought up to Zion. Every eye in the universe is looking on, and every ear Ustening in heaven, earth, and under the earth. The strain of this Psahn brings up to our thoughts. Revelation V. 2, 3; for it is as if a voice proclaimed “The earth is the Lord’s.’”

And then,” It is He, and no one else, tvlio founded it above the surroyinding seas.’^ The claim of the Lord’s dominion is made in hearing of the universe; and the proclamation challenges a denial. This is done in verses 1, 2, and no one in heaven, or earth, or hell, is found, who does not acquiesce in this declaration of Jehovah’s sovereignty.

Amid the universal attention of all beings, a voice asks the

question,

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place f (Ver. 3.)

The import of the question is this. There is in that world a tabernacle on Zlon, typical of God’s prepared mansion for his

84 - PSALM XXIY. — THE PATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS

redeemed. Who shall enter and “stand” (that is, keep his place) there, claiming as his proper home both that Tabernacle and the better things of which it is the type?

The voice states the character of the accepted one in verse 4, — “He thai hath clean hands;” that is, he that washes in the water of the laver after being at the altar. This, O men of Israel, has been shewn to yon. Is not that every day exhibited in your tabernacle? No priest enters the holy ^?ac until he has washed at the laver after being at the altar, (Exod. xxx. 1 9). Or, to express it without a type, — “He tlmt has ajnire heart, Who Jias not lifted rip 7iis soul to vanity, Nor sworn deceitfully.” (Yqw 4.) He must be pure, free from charge of sin against God and man. This is the man that receives ‘• the blessing,” (Gen. xxvii. 36); this is the man that receives it, not as Jacob by stealth, but as the award of “righteousness,” being treated as righteous by the “God of salvation.” Messiah is this man.

But Israel knew the way to obtain this purity. His “holy place” presented to him in type the provision that the “God of salvation” had revealed for a sinner. And so the voice pronounces, (referring to a company who resemble The Man described), “This is the generation oftliem that seek him: That seek thy face, O Jacob.” (Ver. 6).

The generation of those who seek Jehovah are such. And this further praise is given them, viz., “The diligent seekers of thy face are Jacob,” i. e., persons who have a claim to the name of the peculiar people — if we adopt the rendering of Hengstenberg. But, retaining the common version, we understand the words in the following way: — These whose hands are clean are the true seekers of Jehovah: and they are taking the true way to get Jacob’s birthright and Jacob’s blessing, — “They seek thy face, 0 Jacob: they do not seek Esau, with the fatness of earth, but thee, Jacob, who hast got the blessing from the Lord.”*

* In Prov. vii. 15, and xxix. 26, we have, “seeking the face of in the sense of seeking the favour of, or shewing delight in. Their delight is not in Esau, who got “the fatness of earth” (Gen. xxvii. 39) as his portion. And those writers may be right who consider Jacob as a name for Messiah, to whom belong the true birthright and blessing.

TO THE THRONE OF GLORY. »0

If we understand it in reference to the possession of the blrthright and the blessing, that is, to the promise of Messiah and the pre-eminence involved herein, we see a reason for introducing the name “Jacob.” Properly and directly it is Christ only who can advance the claim to be regarded as “pure,” and in all respects unspotted. It is Christ who in his own person is accepted as such, and is proclaimed righteous. But all He does and receives is in behalf of his people; and hence the words, “This is the generation of them that seek Him,” q. d., Lo! here is a generation of such men.

There is a pause, intimated by “Selah” (ver. 6), not unlike that in Prov. i., between verses 23 and 24; and the voice, having before declared who may hope to enter the Lord’s presence, suddenly announces that their King is at hand! The accepted pure and righteous One is the King!” Li/i up your heads, 0 ye gates; Alii be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; And the King of Glory shall come in.’’ (Ver. 7.)

That name, “King of Glory,’’* from whence is it derived? Is it not from the cloud of gloi’y in the Holy of Holiest? Is He not thus designated as being the Antitype of that symbol of the Divme presence? And the doors are called “Everlasting,” because he who enters in at them is to keep for ever and in everlasting freshness this palace and sanctuary which he makes for himself in our Earth. “The beams of his house are to be cedar, and the rafters fir,” (Song i. 17) because the upholder of all is come. Earth is now to be his sanctuary and palace — Earth full of his glory — Earth with New Jerusalem come down from heaven.

It is the Lord himself, perhaps, who asks at the wondering universe (just as the Elder asked at wondering John, Rev. vii. 1 3) concerning his Well-beloved, now brought into the world in honour, and glory, and majesty, not as at his first coming, in humiliation,

“Who is this King of Glory?” (Ver. 8.)

* Dr AUix remarks, “If some Christians have applied it to Cin-ist’s ascension, it was for want of considering- that it gives to Christ the title of Jehovah, King of Glonj (1 Cor. ii. 8), and of being powerful in battle. These titles suppose his enemies destroyed.” (Rev. xix. 0.)

86 rSALM XXV. — THE CONFIDENCE OF THE RIGHTEOUS

It is like Jeremiah xxx. 21, rVD, “Who is this that has engaged his heart to approach to me? saith the Lord.” And the reply also is the Father’s, who tells of his Son that he has gained victories and overcome in battles, and so won the Kingdom. But when the proclamation is repeated, and wondering onlookers half incredulous again put the question,” Who is this King V the Father’s reply is, —

“The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.’’

thus jDroclaiming the oneness of our King with Jehovah, before all creation.

“Selah” ends the Psalm — a solemn pavise ere the people depart from the spot where they heard this lofty song.

It is a glorious hymn for the Church in all ages. Paul writing to Corinth (1 Cor. x. 26), claims a believer’s right to the things of earth, on the ground that this Psalm claims for God a right to it: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof.” Evidently Paul associated himself and his fellow-saints with “The King of Glory,” in whose train we also expect to enter through the everlasting gates. The Psalm describes our mode of joining the royal procession, and so passing on to glory with the King. There is no Psalm which, with such sublime and simple grandeur, describes —

The path of the Righteous to the throne of glory.