Psalm 24:1-10

Order of Service

• Sermon
• Pastoral Prayer

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Sermon Title: The Enthroned King of Creation and His People

Scripture: Psalm 24:1-10

I. The King of Creation (Psalm 24:1-2)

A. Yahweh's enthronement in Zion begins not with his covenant history with Israel but with his identity as creator of all things

1. This is a polemic against Baal and the gods of the ancient Near East, who claimed supremacy by conquering the sea god Yam
2. The sea and waters symbolize chaos and disorder throughout Scripture, as seen in Genesis 1
3. It is Yahweh — not Baal — who brings order out of chaos by separating dry ground from the waters

B. Yahweh's authority is demonstrated by his naming of creation

1. In Genesis 1:10, Yahweh names the dry ground Earth and the waters Sea, signifying ownership and authority
2. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills; the earth and everything in it belongs to him

II. The King's People (Psalm 24:3-6)

A. The natural question raised: who can possibly ascend this holy mountain and approach the God of all creation?

B. Three dimensions of the one who may ascend

1. The Inner Man — a pure heart; inward devotion to Yahweh that is not mere outward performance as with the scribes and Pharisees
2. The Outward Man — clean hands; pure conduct flowing naturally from a pure heart
3. The Social Man — one who does not swear deceitfully; honest and trustworthy in all dealings with neighbors

C. The reward in Psalm 24:5 — blessing and righteousness (justification/vindication) from the God of salvation

1. It is not enough merely to be innocent of sin; one must be positively righteous to stand before Yahweh enthroned on his holy mount
2. This points to the double imputation of Christ's work: his passive obedience (the cross) removes sin and declares us innocent; his active obedience (his life lived in full conformity to the law) is also imputed to our account so we may stand before the judgment seat as positively righteous

III. The King's Enthronement (Psalm 24:7-10)

A. The psalm was traditionally sung antiphonally — call and response between sections of the choir — as the victorious king approaches the ancient gates of the city

B. Yahweh is portrayed with Divine Warrior language

1. "The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle" echoes Moses' song of deliverance in Exodus 15 after God conquered Pharaoh at the Red Sea
2. "The LORD of hosts" (the LORD of armies) reflects the Divine Warrior motif running throughout the Old Testament, as celebrated in Luther's hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

C. The scope of Yahweh's victory is as broad as the scope of his ownership — over creation itself, not merely Israel's earthly enemies

D. Historical connection: according to ancient rabbinical sources, Psalm 24 was regularly sung in worship on the first day of the week

1. On Palm Sunday, Christ the King of Glory entered Jerusalem — the ancient city — while the rabbis were singing this very psalm
2. Jesus ascends Mount Calvary as the Lord of hosts, and as the representative of his people he goes up with clean hands and a pure heart, laying down his life as a sacrifice before the face of Yahweh

IV. Fulfillment Revealed in Christ

A. The sermon closes with 1 Timothy 3:16, used as a confession in the early church: Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness — he was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory

B. The Greek word mystērion (mystery) refers to something hidden in past ages but now revealed

1. The fulfillment of Psalm 24 is part of what has now been revealed: the God of creation came down in the flesh
2. His righteous life and pure sacrifice bring justification by the Spirit
3. His victory extends to all nations and the whole world — as Abraham Kuyper said, there is not one square inch of the universe that Jesus does not claim as his own
4. He then ascends into glory — the King of Glory enters the heavenly gates and is seated at the right hand of God the Father

C. Application: Christ is the man who ascends the mountain with pure hands and a clean heart; any hope of applying Psalm 24 to our own lives requires Christ to be implanted in our hearts by the Spirit, cleansing and regenerating us so that we begin to live in accordance with God's law and precepts