“Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? 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.”
Psalm 24:3-4

Psalm 24 is one of my favorite Psalms, but also one that challenges me. It is a favorite because of the picture it presents of God’s people drawing near for worship. Most scholars agree that this Psalm represents an ancient liturgy used by the people of Israel as they came up the hill to Jerusalem to worship. It is ascribed to David and was probably written to commemorate the time he, along with the Levites and a vast throng of worshipers, brought the Ark into the city of Jerusalem for the first time. You can read about that in 1 Chr 15 or 2 Sam 6.

Bringing the Ark to Jerusalem was a very important, symbolic act for David. Throughout the long years of Saul’s reign, the Ark had been largely neglected, sitting at the edge of Israel in a village called Kiriath-jearim (1 Sam 7:1-2). It was not at the center of Israel’s national life, just as God has not the center of Saul’s life nor that of Israel during his reign. But David was a man who sought to put God first in everything. Soon after he came to the throne and secured the stability of his kingdom, he sent for the Ark (2 Sam 6). His first attempt to bring it to Jerusalem ended in failure with the death of one of his men, Uriah (2 Sam 6:7) because they had failed to obey God in how they transported it. But after consulting the priests who knew God’s Law, they were successful in bringing the Ark home to Jerusalem, David’s new capital at the center of the united nation.

Why was this important? Because by doing so, David made it clear that God, not he, was the true King of Israel ruling from Jerusalem, and that God, not David, is the One Who is worthy of all adoration, praise and obedience. As we consider worship in Psalm 24 this morning, think about God’s absolute sovereignty and how your life must be lived in humble submission to Him!

May the Lord give us hearts to know, worship and obey Him!

Pastor Scott Lee