Psalm 24

Psalm 24

I said that I was wondering, what might be the smallest monarchy.

Her boyfriend called out: "MY PLACE".

I suppose we might consider that to be the normal teenager's response.

You know - Dad's the King of our place ...or ...Mum's the Boss!

It conjures up images of that old saying: 'A man's home is his castle'. Threaten it, and you threaten him, ...you threaten his legitimacy to RULE.

So what is the smallest monarchy in the world. I don't know for certain. There are a number of monarchies to choose from. Probably the most famous known to us is Great Britain. But there's also Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Some of the less known are, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Japan, Brunei and Bhutan.

But I think the award for smallest monarchy goes to Monaco.

Outside of Britain, it's probably the best known, ...lying on the French Riveria, ...with the capital Monte Carlo a tourist destination for millions of people, ...famous for its Grand Prix Racing, ...Casino, ...harbours full of expensive yachts, some so big they wouldn't be able to turn around in the Brisbane River, ....low taxes, ...and the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.

It has a population of about 30,000 nestled into an area less than two square kilometres. Or about 3 kilometres long by 1/2 kilometre wide.

According to one definition, a monarchy is a form of government in which ONE PERSON, ..inherits, or is elected to a throne - and is the head of state FOR LIFE.

That's how it was for God's people, ...back in the days when they were ruled by kings. They either inherited or were elected to the throne, by God, who made it known through His prophets.

The author of this Psalm was one of those kings. KING DAVID.

The themes of 'king' and 'kingship' can found throughout the Psalms. God's people were ruled by kings for of about 500 years. They reigned on behalf of God, whose throne is in the heavens.

Kings they may have been. Great leaders they were meant to be. After all, they were there to do God's work. Their responsibility was awesome. They were to be servants of God. Modelling servanthood. Administrating justice. Protecting the people. Giving leadership. Glorifying God.

BUT ...they failed.

Each and every king failed.

They failed the people - they failed God.

Their failures were sometimes only known by a few, ...but more often than not, their failures were very public - there for the whole nation to see.

Therefore, the failures of the king, their inadequacy to lead, their inability to protect, their lack of wisdom, and the foolishness of many of their decisions -

resulted in God's people looking forward ...towards ONE that would not fail them.

The author of Psalm 24 is the second king in what would be a line of kings.

As I mentioned, he is King David.

He is now king because the previous king, ...Saul had failed.

He is now king because God had made him king.

He is now king because God had always planned for His people to be ruled by a king.

We read in the book of Deuteronomy 17: 14ff

"When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you then say: "Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us," be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite.

The people were not to appoint anyone who was not chosen by God, ...and the king was not to do his own thing.

He had to rule according to what God wanted.

BUT they never quite got it right.

It could be said of Psalm 24, that its words are a reflection of a king that knew, ...a king that was very much aware of not getting it right.

Let's take a closer look.

David knows from the beginning that he is there by the grace of God.

He knows that he's not there as king because of anything he had achieved.

The first two verses of the Psalm are an acknowledgment that, although he may be king of his patch of turf, God is the one who is in control of the whole world. God put the whole world together. He created it. He established everything in it. And that includes David's role as king. He is the king only because God made it possible. The whole earth belongs to God. No one else can claim ownership to it, or control of it!

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established upon the waters."

That's an established fact.

But David is now confronted by his own thoughts, his own words. And they are indeed challenging ones.

David is becoming increasingly aware of the responsibility of being a king. The king has to be a person of sound character, ...someone of integrity, someone who has not been tainted by sin, ...someone who has not got their hands dirty with corruption, or immorality.

In Verse 3 he questions:

"Who can ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place." WHO CAN APPROACH GOD?

And the answer to his question is right there in verse 4!

"He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false."

Although the questions apply to all who might have come to the temple of the Lord, they are certainly applicable to those in leadership.

And from the king before him, David had first-hand knowledge of the sort of king he was not to be like. Because on more than one occasion Saul had even tried to kill David. Saul had been extremely jealous. We are told of one time, reported in 1Samuel 18:6ff

"When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. As they danced, they sang: 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his TENS of thousands'.

I guess by that time they hadn't met many new-age guys with sensitive feelings. And as for Saul's feelings - well!..........

Anyhow, listen to how Saul reacted:

"This song made Saul very angry, and he said: They have credited David with tens of thousands. What more can he get BUT THE KINGDOM?' And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David."

WE can see from those comments of Saul that he was a very threatened king.

He was an insecure man, ...already tottering from the throne.

It was immediately after this event, that Saul first attempted to kill David.

So, did Saul have clean hands and a pure heart? NO!!

Was Saul in the right condition to approach God? NO!!

And what of David? We know what calibre of person Saul was, ...but what of David? For he is now the King.

As the present king, was he referring to himself. Did he have the clean hands and the pure heart that was needed before God could be approached?

It is not certain at what time in David's time as king, that he wrote this Psalm.

Yet we do know that David, the king chosen by God, also failed God.

We know of his love for another man's wife that lead to scheming the death of Uriah. Her name was Bathsheba. She never knew of David's involvement in her husband's death. But Nathan the Prophet did. In 2 Samuel 12:7ff we read of his rebuke of David.

"Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man [who killed Uriah]! This is what the Lord, the Go. d of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammorites. Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own."

There you have it. David being sprung. His secret scheming and planning exposed! He, the king of Israel and Judah - caught with unclean hands and an impure heart!

Was David in the right condition to approach God? NO!! - he wasn't.

At this point we could be excused for scratching our heads in bewilderment.

I mean, if King Saul was not able to 'Ascend the hill of the Lord - or able to stand in God's holy place, ...and now King David's condition means he isn't able to either. Who is it that can? Who has hands and heart pure enough to stand in the very presence of God. Who is this person with king-like qualities? And in any kingdom there can only ever be one ruling royal at a time.

There has been much said and printed about Prince Charles - a king in waiting. Waiting on the side-lines to take over from his mother, the Queen.

And as Charles gets older, so does the next heir to the throne.

I guess Royalty are groomed to simply take it all in their stride. And I suppose that we non-royals, including journalists, make it out to be something more than it is. Yet Charles is not only watching from the side-lines he's mother still captaining the team, ...he's also got one eye on the future heir to the monarchy, limbering up on the reserve bench.

So in King David's time, who has God got waiting on the bench to take over from David.

We are told some things about him.

That, yes, he will have clean hands and a pure heart. We are also told that he will be vindicated, that is, cleared by evidence or argument, justified, perfect in conduct, courage, and character.

Check out verse 5.

"He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Saviour."

And in verse 7 we are told that the ancient gates and doors of Jerusalem are to lift themselves up so that the king may come in.

As with the coronation of any British monarchy - when the GREAT WEST DOOR of Westminster Abbey is opened wide for the monarch to enter -

so it was in King David's time.

The ancient gates and doors were to open, so that the King of glory may come in.

"Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in."

So having heard about this future king, and what he will be like, and how he is to be received, David finally asks the obvious question - verse 8, ...read it for yourselves.

"Who is this King of glory?

Rhetorically he replies:

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

Once again the ancient gates and doors are told to open.

And once again the question is asked, but with a subtle shift, as if seeking clarity of the first answer. Verse 10:

"Who is he, this King of glory?

And in a very definite manner, the response is:

"The Lord Almighty - he is the King of glory!

So the ONE who would follow David, as the only one - as the only king able to approach God - is the King of glory.

And obviously that hadn't been King Saul.

And King David wasn't about to suggest that it was himself.

By now it will come as no surprise to whom this Psalm is speaking of. Who it is that claims the title of King for himself. And he does it publicly at the most amazing time. Amazing, because others don't even see him as a king. Amazing, because unlike other kings who often died on the battle-field surrounded by his army, this king is about to be put to death, .....only mockingly recognised as a king. And apart from a handful of frightened followers, he dies the death of a criminal.

Earlier at his trial these words were spoken.

"'My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, those who serve me would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.

And Pilate stated: 'You are a king then!'

Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, it is for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth." [John 18:37]

And later, John who reported those words, was given a further revelation, which said:

"...Jesus, ...who is sitting on his throne, ....is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth." [Revelation 1:4 & 5]

So where does that leave us. I mean we're not royalty. And I for one could never claim to have clean hands or a pure heart. In fact no-one can.

Not King Saul, not King David, not you, and not me -

ONLY JESUS CAN!

So where does that leave us? Is it impossible for us to approach God? NO! ...It's not! Can we be found acceptable before Him? Yes we can!

Turn back with me to Psalm 24, verses 5 & 6.

"He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Saviour.

Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob."

The 'HE' of verse 5, as I mentioned before is a reference to the ONE person who will be vindicated, who will be saved because of his "clean hands and pure heart". And the comforting message for us who love Jesus as our King and Saviour, is that WE BELONG TO THE "GENERATION" of people mentioned there in verse 6 , ....who seek him, who seek the face of God.

And because we are of the generation that look to God, through our King and Saviour Jesus, ...we too are vindicated, we too are saved, not because of anything we have done, ...but because of His clean hands and pure heart!