Oxford Bible Church - Living in the Last Days (audio)

“A Psalm of David before he was anointed” (Septuagint). The setting is before he became king, on the run from Saul (v2,3,6,12). It starts with a confident confession of faith in the face of enemies (v1-3): “The Lord is my LIGHT and my SALVATION (rescue from danger & victory) - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the STRENGTH (stronghold) of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?” (v1). When under attack, the 1st victory is overcoming fear by knowing God's Presence with us. “Fear not for I am with you” (Isa 41:10, 43:5, Heb 13:5-6). We must believe the promise of His saving Presence & declare it as in v1: “The LORD is my LIGHT and my SALVATION.” Only here in the Old Testament is LIGHT a title (metaphor) for GOD, although He’s associated with light. The New Testament develops this idea & uses it for Jesus. God’s Light is His Presence bringing understanding, goodness, purity & overcoming darkness (evil). Thus, he declares His light will protect him from the surrounding darkness (behind Saul's attacks was a spiritual war over his & Israel’s future). He spoke from his personal covenant relationship with God: “MY light & MY salvation” - his ground for confidence (freedom of expression, opposite of constricting fear). Ps 27 gives the key to overcome paralysing fear. He overcame the spirit of fear by being a worshipper, dwelling in God's Presence (v4-6); then declaring his faith. He did not close his eyes to his dangers, but saw them thru God’s eyes: “When the wicked came against me, to eat up (devour) my flesh (like wild animals), my enemies and foes, (1) they (have) stumbled and (2) fell (lit: ‘will fall’ in defeat)” (v2). When the wicked (like Goliath) came against him they fell. It can be translated: “when the wicked come against me”, which they did as he spoke. Then he uses 2 tenses to describe a process leading to a result. (1) When a man opposes God, he’s already stumbling (on his way down), and (2) will fall in defeat. But we’re in a process leading to victory. ‘They’ is emphatic, the ones seeking his fall are the ones who fall. “Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war (warriors) may rise against me, in this (present situation) I will be confident (lit: ‘I am trusting’)” (v3). Thus, he composed Ps 27 as Saul's army came against him. In the face of that, he declares his faith, as we should (Romans 8:31). The ground for his confidence in v1-3 was knowing God as his light (presence), salvation (victory) & stronghold (protection), but how did He know God this way? v4-6 explain his confidence came from a lifestyle of WORSHIP, when he learnt to abide in God's Presence: “ONE THING I have desired (asked) of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may DWELL in the HOUSE (Presence) of the LORD all the days of my life to BEHOLD the BEAUTY of the Lord and to INQUIRE in His TEMPLE” (v4). The all-important thing for him is dwelling in God's Presence, represented by the Temple - his top priority, the foundation of his life. Don’t fit God into your plans, but your plans around the priority of worship. He describes worship & personal intimate communion with God: BEHOLD = to gaze on with admiration, affection & adoration, steadfast penetrating contemplation. The BEAUTY of the Lord - the delightfulness, loveliness, graciousness of His Person, His holiness = perfection of all His moral attributes. Beholding His beauty is preoccupation with His Person, seeking to know God for Himself, savouring His sweetness. Worship is our response to seeing His beauty of holiness. To INQUIRE in His TEMPLE is preoccupation with finding His will, seeking answers & guidance in His Presence. Take time to fellowship with God & receive His directions. The most important part of our life is what only God sees. Longing for Temple also applies to public worship in Church, that should be our priority. Worship was his priority both privately & corporately. Dwelling in His Presence is needed for His promises to be fulfilled. Intimacy with God in His Secret Place brings security from external dangers (Ps 91). “For in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His Pavilion (Shelter). In the Secret Place of His Tabernacle (Tent), He shall hide me (from enemies)” (v5a). Dwelling in God's Tent as His invited guest is a place of safety, for guests have a claim of protection, so the tent is a fortress. There’s fellowship, provision & protection in His Presence. “He shall set me high upon a (‘in the’) ROCK (a title only used of God)” (v5b). As we seek Him in worship, He lifts us on high in Christ, our Rock Fortress, high above all our foes & fears. By a life of abiding in God, he knew he’d be delivered & have the victory. So, he declares: “And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me. Therefore, I will offer sacrifices of joy in His Tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord” (v6). The basis for his confidence & freedom from fear was God's Presence, cultivated by a lifestyle of worship.

(1) In Christ we find Refuge. Safety is found in Jesus Christ (Isaiah 32:2, Proverbs 18:10). But Divine judgment is coming on the ungodly, who are outside Christ (Psalm 1:4, 11:6, Jeremiah 23:19, 30:23, 2Thessalonians 2:8). (2) In Christ we find Refreshment. Having made us completely safe, Christ then makes us fully satisfied (Isaiah 32:2, Psalm 42:1, 143:6, John 4:10,14, 7:37-38, Revelation 21:6, 22:17). (3) In Christ we find Rest. Jesus provides in Himself a place of shade and peaceful rest from the world (Isaiah 32:2, Hebrews 4:9-10, Matthew 11:28-30).

Psalm 26 portrays a man devoted to God, seeking His glory, not his own (v12), wholehearted in leading a blameless life (v1), trusting God without wavering (v1b), keeping himself pure, walking in the light, his heart open to examination (v2), walking in God's love & truth (v3), avoiding close company with evil doers (v4-5). God's House (the setting) is central to his life (v6-8,12). Only Christ perfectly fulfils this description, but we are righteous in Christ, and as we walk with Him, He changes us into His image. David does not boast in a self-righteous way, claiming he is sinless, for he knows his need for redemption & mercy (v11), and trusts in divine grace as His foundation (v3,12). It inspires us to embrace the ideal of faith covenant keeping, but achieving it is not a pre-condition for entering into worship. It’s given for us to affirm & strengthen our love for God. Declaring we love righteousness & hate evil, even if we’re not perfect, helps us identify with the good & reject the evil. Saying: “I love You, Lord” is not a claim of perfection, but strengthens our commitment to Him. He describes his inner life & outward deeds (integrity). He declared his innocence of accusations against him, affirming he walks with God & seeks to keep His laws: “VINDICATE (judge) me, O Lord” (v1a). His enemies (v4-5, 9-10) slandered him (especially at Absalom’s rebellion). In response, he brought his case to God, asking Him to judge in his favor, according to 1Ki 8:31-32. He declared his innocence: “O Lord, for I have (1) WALKED in my integrity (devoted heart, loyal to God). I have also (2) TRUSTED in the Lord; I shall not slip (unwavering trust)” (1Ki 9:4-5). Note the parallelism: (1) his outward WALK from (2) his inner TRUST in God’s grace, the root & sap of moral integrity. His holiness empowers our morality, overcoming our sin-nature. He is willing to be examined & corrected by God: “Examine (test) me, O Lord, and prove me; try (refine, as in metals) my mind ('kidneys', seat of emotions) and my heart (will, moral centre)” (v2). A mark of believers is coming to the light, inviting God to search our heart and show us what is right & wrong (John 3:19-21). If we don’t want to be told we're wrong, we don’t come to the light, but then we live in a lie and will pay the price. “For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes and I have walked in Your truth (faithfulness)” (v3). Again, we see faith & works in balance. By trusting in God’s faithfulness, He walks in faithfulness to God, in the truth of His Word in doctrine & deed. He then describes another vital aspect of holy living, separation from evil people & their corrupting ways. We must choose our close friends carefully. “(1) I have not SAT (had close fellowship with) with idolatrous (worthless, those given to the pursuit of vanity) mortals, nor (2) will I go in with hypocrites (play-actors)” (v4). “(1) I have HATED (rejected) the assembly of evildoers, and (2) will not SIT (fellowship) with the wicked” (v5). He rejects their ways, works & company. He hated sin & loved God as seen in his WORSHIP: “I will wash my hands in innocence” (v6a). The priests washed their hands at the Laver before ministering at the Altar, so he prepares his heart to minister to God (Eph 5:26). “So, I will go about Your Altar O Lord” (v6b). True worship centres on Christ’s Sacrifice, the basis of God's grace. “That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Your wondrous works” (v7). We give thanks for His works of salvation. “Lord, I have LOVED the habitation of Your House (where God dwells & His people assemble), and the Place where Your Glory (manifest Presence) dwells (‘the Place of the Tabernacle of Your Glory’)” (v8). As we draw near to God, His Glory will be revealed to us. Contrast his loves with his hates (v5). We should also love His Church. Knowing God is the Judge, he prays: “Do not gather (‘take away’) my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men” (v9). "Do not sweep me away with sinners into Your rubbish dump (Hell)." He describes these sinners: “in whose hands is a sinister scheme (plotting for gain at the expense of others), and whose right hand is full of bribes (corruption)” (v10). God will separate the righteous & wicked. Next, he declares his full commitment to God by His help: “But as for me, I will walk in my integrity” (v11a). This is loyalty to God, not self-righteousness, for he knows his need for mercy: “(1) REDEEM me and (2) be MERCIFUL (gracious) to me” (v11b). As he walks round the Altar, he knows he needs redemption by Christ’s blood, and so asks God to redeem, forgive & empower him to please Him. Finally, he is assured his prayer has been granted: “My foot stands in an even place” (v12a). By trusting in Christ, he stands on level solid ground, so will not go to Hell. So, what is left, but to declare His praise: “in the great congregation I will bless the Lord” (v12b). Praising God in Church is a mark of a true believer.

God wants us to enter into deeper communion with Him, through the Holy Spirit, who will lead us into knowing more of the truth of His Word, and who will guide and empower us in our lives. The Holy Spirit opens our heart to believe and receive the extravagant, amazing and eternal love of God, which heals and restores our heart.

After his initial prayer (v1-7), he moves into a meditation on God’s attributes & acts, to fuel his prayers (v8-10): “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore, He teaches sinners in the WAY (of holiness)” (v8). In His goodness, He works to save us all from destruction, but only the humble receive His instruction, for they know their need of guidance and are willing to submit to God’s will. The proud go their own way, thinking they don’t need God. “The HUMBLE He guides in justice (righteousness), and the humble He teaches His WAY” (v9). The key to guidance is humility, asking God to show us His way. “All the PATHS of the Lord are MERCY and TRUTH (faithfulness), to such as keep (are loyal to) His covenant and His testimonies” (v10). We’re in a covenant grace relationship with God, but to enjoy His presence & blessing, we must be loyal to God and keep His Covenant, walking in love & truth. If we don’t, we can’t have His Presence. Based on this meditation, he makes this PRAYER: “For Your NAME’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great” (v11). God's Name is His revealed character (v8-10). He asks God to pardon his great iniquity according to His Name (His faithfulness to forgive those who repent). Also, He pardons us for His Name's sake, for His glory, as He is glorified by our salvation. As Absalom’s rebellion brought his past sins back to mind, he had to deal with condemning thoughts, so makes sure he has fully repented and received full forgiveness. Then he meditates on the BENEFITS of the FEAR of the Lord (v12-14): “Who is the man that FEARS the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses” (v12). The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge & wisdom (Prov 1:7, 9:10). “He himself shall dwell in prosperity (lit: goodness), and his descendants shall inherit the earth (possess the land)” (v13). “The SECRET (or friendship) of the Lord is with those who FEAR Him, and He will SHOW (reveal & manifest to) them His covenant.” Fearing God brings us into His intimate circle, to whom He shares His secrets, as with Abraham (2Chr 20:7, Isa 41:8, Jas 2:23). The closer we come to Him, the more He reveals & manifests Himself to us. We can’t comprehend spiritual things apart from the Spirit; we need His Presence in our soul to perceive & receive spiritual things (1Cor 2:12-15). Without Him we’re like a blind & deaf man. To explain His secrets to those without the Spirit is like describing colours to a blind man. It’s by submission to (fear of) God we receive the Spirit into our soul (Is 11:2,3). Thus, it is the beginning of wisdom & knowledge. This meditation (v12-14) built his faith, resulting in a DECLARATION of FAITH: “My eyes are ever toward the Lord (looking to God in expectation), for He shall pluck (lit: bring out) my feet out of the net” (v15). As David speaks, his enemies have already set a net for him, for Absalom's armies were closing in on him, but he trusts God for victory. His final PRAYER (v16-22): “TURN Yourself to me, and have MERCY on me” (v16a). He says: "I am looking to You (v15), please look at me and smile on me, and release Your radiant Presence on me, flood me with your grace." “for I am desolate (lonely) and afflicted” (v16b). He reminds God how much he needs Him for most Israel had turned against him. “The troubles of my heart have enlarged; bring me out of my distresses! Look on my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins” (v17-18). Again, he admits his sins are behind many of his problems, so asks for mercy to overcome the effects and forgiveness for any unknown sins. “Consider my enemies, for they are many; and they hate me with cruel (violent) hatred. Keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You” (v19-20, cf. v2). “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me (this is his own integrity) for I wait for You” (v21, cf. v1). He knew his need to walk before God with integrity (a whole heart), to stay in His Presence to be protected & delivered. He knows it’s God’s Presence that preserves Him, but we need to walk with God to abide under His Presence. He’s not trusting in his own integrity (“for I wait for You”), but in God. The acrostic ends at v21, then in v22 his prayer expands to Israel as a whole. It was not just the future of David on the line, but all God’s people: “REDEEM (ransom) Israel, O God, out of all their troubles!” (v22). He understood all blessings for which he’d prayed, are only available on the basis of the payment of a price. This is a prayer for the coming of the Redeemer, who would redeem Israel & all God's people by His Blood. Christ alone can bring the full forgiveness & restoration desired in this prayer by His (1) Blood (1st Coming) and (2) Power (2nd Coming). He prayed Ps 25 in his time of trouble and God answered him, but v22 expands it to all of Israel’s troubles, including her final & full restoration, so we can also pray it with confidence.

Ps 25 describes a man devoted to God & trusting in Him, but also aware of his faults & past sins, so his prayer is based on God’s mercy, not his own performance. It’s an Acrostic - each verse starts with the next letter of the alphabet, a literary device to add form & aid memorisation. Many elements fit with the time of Absalom’s rebellion. His reference to the sins of his youth (v7) shows it's set later in his life. David is in distress, on the run from his enemies, but also aware his sins opened the door to this rebellion, as Nathan predicted in 2Sam 12:11. So, seeking divine deliverance from enemies is a major theme (v2,3,15,16,17,18,19). He acknowledges the root of his troubles was his own sins (when we sin, we turn our back to God & open the door to the curse). So, asking for God’s mercy & forgiveness is also a major theme (v6,7,11.18). Thus, it's called a Penitential Psalm. So, he declares his faith that: “You are the God of my salvation” (v5) from both sin & enemies. Likewise, God saves us from our sins (the root problem) & rescues us from our enemies (the resulting curse). Part 1 is a PRAYER (v1-7). “Unto You, O LORD, I LIFT UP my SOUL” (v1). Like a windsurfer trying to catch the wind, we need to lift up our earthbound soul to God (Isa 40:31), seeking fellowship with Him. We need to put aside everything else and direct our soul toward God in faith, looking & waiting on Him, in submission, ready to receive His life. Then he prays for DELIVERANCE from his enemies (v2-3). Thus, he starts with his outer life. Even if we are at peace we should pray into our future: “Deliver us from evil” (Matt 6:13). “O my God, I TRUST (take refuge) in You; let me not be ASHAMED; let not my enemies triumph over me.” He bases his prayer on his covenant with God. By faith he draws near to God and lays hold of His protection. 'Ashamed' means to be disappointed, to trust in something that proves unworthy (Rom 5:5, 10:11, Isa 49:23). This is a prayer for public vindication thru victory, which will also result in God’s glory. “Indeed, let no one who WAITS on You be ASHAMED” (v3a), or better: “no one who WAITS on You (in faith) will be ASHAMED” (v3a). He is confident of this fact. To WAIT is to actively look to God & wait for His instructions, ready to obey, like a waiter. It’s an attitude of submission to God’s timing, leadership & wisdom, rather than rushing ahead in the flesh. This is how he responded to Absalom's rebellion. “Let those be ASHAMED, who deal treacherously without cause” (v3b). This describes his enemies who followed Absalom in his lies & treachery. Then he moves from praying for his outward life to his inner life by first praying for GUIDANCE (v4-5), for he understood outward victory & good circumstances require walking with God, as he did at the time of Absalom’s rebellion (prayer is superficial if all we pray for is our outer life): “Show me Your WAYS, O Lord; teach me Your PATHS” (v4). God's WAYS are love, righteousness, service, integrity, faith, and His PATHS include their practical application in our lives. Receiving His guidance is not enough, for he also knows he needs God to lead him step by step along His path: “LEAD me in Your truth and TEACH me, for You are the God of my salvation (from my sin & enemies). On You I WAIT all the day (patience in waiting, his settled attitude)” (v5). Guidance is part of our personal walk with God. It’s of the heart, not mechanical obeying of rules, a lifestyle of waiting & obeying. Then he prays for MERCY: “REMEMBER, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses (chesed), for they are from of old (eternity)” (v6). To remember is to bring certain thoughts to the forefront of one's mind as a basis for our attitude & actions. It is used as a covenant word, as in remembering our covenant with God (1Cor 11:24-25), and God remembering us in His covenant love (Lk 23:42). He grounds His prayer on divine mercy, not justice (Ex 34:6). “Do NOT REMEMBER the sins of my youth (Bathsheba), nor my transgressions; according to Your MERCY REMEMBER me, for Your GOODNESS’ sake, O Lord” (v7). "Don’t let your attitude & actions toward me be based on my sins, but on your covenant love for me. Don’t just forgive my sins, forget them." He knows he’s forgiven (2Sam 12:13, Ps 32, 51), but his troubles reminded him of his past sins, that led to this situation, causing him to turn to God in humility and reaffirm before God his full repentance, and in faith plead for & claim God’s covenant promises of forgiveness (MERCY) & grace (GOODNESS) to overcome the effect of those sins. This was also needed as the situation would have triggered accusing thoughts of condemnation, encouraged by satan (this whole attack on David's Throne was part of a bigger spiritual warfare, where satan tried to stop God's purposes thru him), that would have paralysed his faith had he allowed them. So, it was necessary for him to bring these thoughts to God in prayer, claiming His covenant mercy & grace.

Pastor Derek looks at what the Bible Prophecy has to say about Israel in the End-Times.

Messiah's anointed Ministry is prophesied in Isaiah 61:1-3: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them BEAUTY for ASHES, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” The Messiah came to set us free from the power of the enemy (Genesis 3:15). *(1) The POWER of the Messiah’s Ministry. Isaiah 61:1: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me" *(2) The PROVISION of the Messiah’s Ministry (Isaiah 61:2-3). He provides beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning (Psalm 45:6-7, Romans 14:17, 15:13, Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 126:1-3) and a garment of praise (Psalm 30:11-12). *(3) The PURPOSE of the Messiah’s Ministry. Isaiah 61:3: "that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be GLORIFIED.” Isaiah 60:21: "Your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be GLORIFIED." Also Psalm 92:12-15.

The dramatic words of v7-10 were spoken at the Gates of Jerusalem, when David brought the Ark of the Covenant to God's earthly holy Hill in a procession (2Sam 6, 1Chr 15). This was the ascension of the Lord Himself, enthroned on the Ark (Ps 132:5-8) to His chosen resting place in the city of the great King (Ps 48:2, Matt 5:35). Thus, it’s a type of Christ’s Ascension to His throne in the New Jerusalem, God's heavenly holy Hill, as well as His ascension to sit on David’s throne at His 2nd Coming. It’s a Messianic Psalm ultimately fulfilled in His Ascension. v3-6 poses & starts to answer a big question: “Who may ASCEND into the Hill of the LORD or STAND in His Holy Place?” (v3). God’s requirement to ascend & stand in His Presence is perfection (v4), so it’s impossible for us, but God provides salvation by grace (v5-6). In v7-10, He answers the big question, revealing the unique perfect Man, Christ, who ascended to Heaven, the King of Glory, mighty in battle who defeated all foes & accomplished our salvation. It reveals that with Him many will ascend, showing how God provides us salvation by grace (v5). We can’t climb to God, but He came down to us, so we could rise with Him (Heb 2:10). He fulfilled the conditions of v4; then ascended to Heaven (v7-10), to make a way for us to rise with Him. Before this no man ascended to Heaven (John 3:13). He alone fulfils God's standards. The scene describes this glorified Man ascending to Heaven & coming to its Gates to request access. v7-10: “Lift up your heads, O you Gates! and be lifted up, you everlasting Doors! and the KING of GLORY shall come in. Who is this KING of GLORY? (God does not seek entrance to Heaven, so this refers to Christ, His anointed human King). The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle (He’s the Lord God, who became a man, fought the battle & won the victory for us). Lift up your heads, O you Gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this KING of GLORY? The LORD of HOSTS (armies), He is the KING of GLORY. Selah.” v3 asked: 'Who can ascend?' Here is the answer. He lived a perfect life, defeated all foes & ascended, but not on His own. He’s the Lord of armies. When He enters thru the Gates, His army of saints enter with Him, united to Him by faith. He gained access to Heaven for all under His command. Thus Ps 24 deals with the issue of salvation, asking & answering: “Who may ascend?” (v3). To enter requires moral perfection (v4). When we receive Him, we receive His righteousness, so in Him we ascend into God's Presence & receive His blessing (v5). He’s the Head and we, His Body, rise with Him. He rose as our representative, so we ascend in Him. Thus Christ, the Righteous One, is the Way to God (John 14:6,12). Moses’ Tabernacle teaches our access to the Holy Place (v3) is only by His Blood. Ps 24:7-10 also reveals His future earthly ascension to David’s throne. He humbly offered Himself to Israel as her King with salvation, but the leaders didn’t receive Him. He said He’d only return when they repent & receive Him as King (Matt 23:37-39). They’ll do this at Armageddon & then He’ll return as King of Glory to Zion, save them from their enemies & establish His Kingdom (Zech 14:3-4). When Israel receives Him as King, He’ll manifest His glory to, thru & for her. Notice, He didn’t force Himself into Heaven, or force His reign on Israel, and He doesn’t force Himself on us. We must receive Him as our King, and then He’ll manifest His glory in & thru us. He reveals & offers Himself to us to be our Lord & Saviour. When we open the gates of our heart to Him, He comes in with His glory, 1st into our spirit, then into different parts of our soul. So v7-10 can be applied personally. He fulfilled it by ascending into the Heavenly Temple, but we’re also God's Temple & He has the right to enter our holy of holies & be enthroned there. The Gospel declares v7 (Rev 3:20). By these words, He seeks access to our Temple, and we must open our gates & let Him in. When we do, He enters our spirit & imparts His glory (manifested nature) to us, as a free gift, making our spirit righteous, holy, full of His life & light, enabling us to ascend into God’s Presence in Him. Since He’s already ascended, as soon as He enters into us, we automatically ascend in our spirit to the Father thru our union to Him, by His power & righteousness in us. He comes in as the Lord, delivering us from the power of darkness & translating us into His Kingdom. Then His glory (love) works in our souls from within, changing us from glory to glory, so we increasingly fulfil His righteous requirements (v4). As we increase in holiness, the more we can ascend into His Presence to commune with Him (v3). He continues to ask for more access to every part of our soul, with the words of v7, so as we open our doors, inviting Him in to reign, He manifests Himself in us as the King of Glory, the Lord strong & mighty in battle, releasing His power & victory in us.

The background to Ps 24 is the ascension of the Ark of the Covenant (God’s earthly throne) to its rightful place in Jerusalem in a great procession, with much rejoicing (2Sam 6, 1Chron 13,15). It signified God arising to be enthroned in Jerusalem, His chosen dwelling place (Ps 132). The event’s importance is reflected in the pomp & pageantry of Ps 24. This is a type of Christ’s Ascension to sit on God's throne in the New Jerusalem & future ascension to sit on His earthly throne in Jerusalem. What gave significance to this event is the holiness of the Hill of the Lord (His dwelling place) and the King of Glory enthroned on the Ark. The question & answers in Ps 24 were part of the dramatic ceremony, enacted before the city gates. The answers affirm only the King of Glory is worthy to enter thru the Gates and ascend to His place on the holy Hill. Likewise, Christ alone (the King of Glory) is worthy to ascend into Heaven, but He did it for us, so that in Christ, we also can ascend into God's holy Presence in Heaven. Ps 24 is in 3 parts: *(1) The Sovereign Creator, who owns all things (v1-2). *(2) The Heavenly Temple – the requirements for Ascension (v3-6), how can a man know such a high God, stand before Him & receive His blessing? Perfection is required, which is a problem for us. *(3) The true Redeemer – the King of Glory (v7-10). God became a man, and made a way to bring men to God. *PART 1. The Truth about God (v1-2): "The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness (expanded in next line), the world and those who dwell therein (its produce and people)" (v1). This is quoted x2 in 1Cor 10:25-28 (see Ps 50:10-11). WHY does it all belong to Him? He is its Maker & Manager: "For He has (1) founded it on the seas (Maker, Gen 1:2,9,10, 2Pet 3:5), and (2) established it on the waters (rivers, symbolic of His Providence)" (v2). ‘Established’ (imperfect tense) speaks of His ongoing management of the earth. He’s the rightful Owner of all things. We are just tenant possessors of the earth & stewards of God’s resources, for which we’ll give account. Our life is not for us to do with as we please. God’s authority is absolute over all, He has the right to do whatever He wants with us & the world. When we see this, it humbles us. The big question we must ask is: "How can I be right with God?" This seems impossible due to the infinite gap between us as sinful creatures & the holy God. Holiness is represented by height, so God is high above us (Is 57:15, 55:8). For man to be right with God & commune with Him requires us to ascend, but how is this possible? This is what David asks in PART 2: God’s requirements for Ascension (v3-6): "Who may ASCEND the Hill of the Lord? (Heavenly Jerusalem) or STAND in His Holy Place?" (v3). The answer, the moral requirements for ascension, is given in v4: "(1) He who has clean hands & (2) a pure heart" (v4a). Here Hebrew parallelism works like stereo vision to give a full 3D picture, emphasising both his (1) outward actions & (2) inward attitudes & motives must be pure & perfect. This is followed by another parallelism emphasising (1) perfect holiness & (2) perfect righteousness: "(1) who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor (2) sworn deceitfully" (v4b). These represent the (1) God-ward requirement of true worship, free from idolatry, and (2) man-ward requirement of integrity, being a person of our word (no lies, deception or bearing false witness). 'Idol' also means vanity (that which is hollow). Rather than finding meaning, comfort & identity in the Creator, man seeks it in the creation, superficial things, even things with no reality, that don’t ring true & against nature (like gender ideology). Thus, God requires perfection (Matt 5:48), but all sin (only Jesus fulfils these requirements), so what hope have we? But v5 says God provides a way for men to be saved and be made righteous by grace: "He shall receive blessing from the Lord (as a free-gift), and righteousness from the God of his salvation (enabling him to ascend)" (v5). These ones who ascend to God, not by their own righteousness, but by His grace, are described as God-seekers: "This is Jacob, the generation (the group of people) of those who SEEK Him, who SEEK Your face. Selah" (v6). They want to know Him & be right with Him. He promises they will find Him (Deut 4:29, Jer 29:13, Matt 7:7-8). David uses Jacob to represent those who are imperfect, but seek God (Gen 32:9-12), whom He brings to Himself by a process of coming to saving faith, when they come to an end of themselves & their own strength, knowing they can’t stand before God on their own, and so cling to Him for blessing (Gen 32:24-29). So, to ascend to God requires a perfect righteousness, which God graciously gives to those who seek Him. How He made salvation possible, solving our sin-problem is revealed in PART 3: The King of Glory (v7-10), which describes the Ascension of Christ, the righteous Man, the King of glory - the subject of the next study.