“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.” (Psalm 24:7-8)
Psalm 24 is a battle cry for the church. In this week leading up to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, let us commit our hearts afresh to welcome in our King of Glory. This psalm is instructive in providing the reasons and means to do so.
The Earth is the Lord’s
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? (Psalm 24:1–3)
The Psalmist David understood that the Lord was not only the Lord over Israel and Judah. The Lord is Lord over all the earth, and likewise today, we must understand we are also part of the global body of Christ. Our vision in Lighthouse Evangelism, “To be the Light of Christ everywhere,” reveals that our soul-winning efforts need not be confined to our nation and neighbourhood. It should encompass bringing the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
We must awaken to the Kingdom message of discipling nations and that we have great authority in Christ to fulfil His Great Commission. “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done” (Matthew 16:27). When we live out Christ’s commands in joyful obedience, our church becomes a powerful participant in God’s kingdom-building activities.
The Blessing of the Lord belongs to a Generation that seeks God’s Face
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob. (Psalm 24:4–6)
To seek God’s face requires a turning toward Him – to know His character and worship Him alone. The turning involves not only our head, but also our hands and our heart. This speaks of a man or a woman who desires what God desires – that the King of Glory may come in! By “clean hands”, the Psalmist is not merely referring to a person who washes and cleans his hands with the best hand soap or sanitiser. Pontius Pilate washed his hands (Matthew 27:24), but they were not clean!
Our Lord is concerned with the moral behaviour of mankind. This has in mind the person who is pure in their actions, what they do with their hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted his soul to an idol. God desires to rule this earth on a morally pure foundation. The Lord is cleaning house to make way for His glory to be released. Beyond our intentions and through our actions, we must purify our hands and hearts to be the generation that seeks His face.
The Gates are being opened for the King of Glory
Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty— he is the King of glory. (Psalm 24:9–10)
Just as God wants to open doors, Satan wants to shut them in our faces. Some doors are shut by demonic opposition and others that are shut because God is protecting us from going the wrong way. We need great discernment to know the difference! We must earnestly seek the King of Glory for His direction for our lives. The Lord Almighty, whom we serve, wants to reveal to us new “blueprints” from heaven and show us how to make room for the resurrection work of God in our lives. Let us also learn from Stephen, who “looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55).
It is too easy to take God’s grace for granted and become distracted by the ways of this world we live in. This is especially true if we do not regularly press in to walk in God’s supernatural power. We must neither conform to nor withdraw from the world. We must open the gates for the King of Glory and partner with His Holy Spirit to transform nations. We must be prepared as a pure and caring community to steward the coming revival!
Monday: Habakkuk 2:14
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Tuesday: Colossians 1:27
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Wednesday: Romans 5:2
through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
Thursday: Exodus 15:11
Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
Friday: Psalm 102:15
The nations will fear the name of the Lord, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.
Saturday: Psalm 96:3
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples.
Sunday: Psalm 115:1
Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.
All scriptures are quoted from the New International Version (NIV).
By David Jeremiah Mok
