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| image by dimitri_c |
by Jason Lowe
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O 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!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah
the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O 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!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah
Psalm 24:1-10
Every so often a passerby crosses the wrong slice of land and is arrested, charged and fined for trespassing. It seems silly to sit in a cell because you forgot to give heed to the sign: "TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED." Ownership is one of the few characteristics shared by humans, animals, and God alike. Coyotes mark their territory; men fence their property; and God rules his universe.
This Psalm contains a foundational truth: the universe is private property, owned by YHWH. Why can he alone claim to be the Landlord? Because "He founded it" (vs. 2). Everything that is, and will be, was once only in his eternal mind. Then "God created the heavens and the earth." When the world he imagined from eternity past was met with divine will and omnipotent power, existence materialized; therefore, all things belong to him. From the stars and galaxies spiraling above, to the trillions of cells that make up our frail bodies---we are all the personal property of the Invisible God.
To truly own something means the owner can do whatever they wish with what they possess. So what is the purpose of the cosmos? The Owner of heaven and earth desires to build an eternal empire for the "King of Glory" (vs. 10). In fact it has already begun, inaugurated by the King and his predecessor. Out of their mouths was heralded "the gospel of the Kingdom of God" (Mk.1:14). The hope of Israel in this Psalm, and the good news for all the world, is the fulfillment of YHWH's kingdom on earth.
What about us? Why are our lungs pumping in air? Why are our hearts blasting life throughout our bodies? It is not for our will or our plans---our Crafter has his mind set on building a kingdom. Look at verses 3-6. This kingdom, called here "the Mountain of the LORD," a "holy place," is not just a place we dream of arriving at; it is a reality we live out with our hands and our hearts - indeed, with all our life. We don't get to merely hope in the kingdom, we get to become a brick in the palace; we aren't merely watching this drama unfold, we're invited to step on the stage and play out our unique roles. The Kingdom of the Messiah is God's promise, and our duty. It's the supreme reason why we're currently occupying the land of the living.
Take some time to consider the following. Perhaps it would be helpful to record your responses in a journal.
How might the knowledge that everything is the personal property of King Jesus affect how you use things? Consider your eyes, hands, intellect, time, people, money, and myriads of other genres of valuables you are entrusted with.
We are each made for a kingdom function, but we're all in different phases of development. Some are still a cold slab of clay, freshly awakened by formation; others are being forged in the glowing flames of tribulations and inner agonies; some are sharpened, and we marvel at the King's use of them---but all are destined to fulfill their purpose, to live out the good works their King planned for them to walk in (Eph 2). Where do you see yourself in the King's building project? What special gifts are you entrusted with, and how can you maximize their potential?
Here is a prayer in response to today's text. You can pray this as your own or use it as a prompt for a spontaneous prayer.
To the Father of our King and Savior, Jesus: make his kingdom come. Make his rightness and goodness fill up more and more in our hearts, overflowing into our families and friends, spilling onto the streets of Reno, eventually to drown the entire world. Forgive us for misusing what is yours, masquerading around like we are king and everyone else our subjects. Forgive also us for worshiping competing kings. Give us the sight to bow our wills and our lives down to you alone, to have clean hands and a pure heart to seek your face.
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