Hobart Herd Devotional – Psalms 24 – 5-23-20
Oh, the contrast from the Lord as our Shepherd (Psalms 23) to the King of glory (Psalms 24). We celebrate the Lord as our Shepherd and Provider, but the hope of celebrating the King of Glory, the Lord of the Universe, as His family in His Kingdom is exhilarating. To remember Who all this belongs to, and Who created it and makes it all hold together should make us fall on our knees in worship!
It is from this position of wonder, worship and awe from our knees that we are asked the question, Who can ascend the hill of the Lord? (vs. 3) The answer is that we need to be holy, righteous, truthful, pure of hand and heart, and this creates a huge problem. We are none of these! Praise the Lord for verse 5-6, He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah Psalms 24:5-6 (ESV) We need to understand that David realized except for the blessing, mercy, grace and righteousness provided in our Savior Jesus Christ, we would have no hope of ever ascending the hill of His presence.
In verses 7-10 we have a worship song that looks forward to the Lord entering the gates of Jerusalem victoriously coming to rule and reign over His Kingdom and People! “On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.” Zechariah 14:4 This prophetic promise is what God’s people are waiting for. There is partial fulfillment in the Triumphal Entry of the Lord on the way to the cross; but it will be finally and fully finished when He enters the city after defeating Satan and the nations to rule and reign in His Kingdom.
When I was on my Sabbatical trip to Israel in March of 2019, we entered the last day from the Mount of Olives and hiked down through the Garden of Gethsemane looking down on the city of David and the temple hill. As we were walking down we came to a graveyard with the graves all lined up looking over the city. Dr. Mike told us that the grave plots cost over $1,000,000, and were impossible to purchase because all the Orthodox Jewish leaders wanted to be buried there to prepare for the fulfillment of the Lord’s return so that they could stand and enter the city with the Lord in triumph. Oh that we might, by faith, worship the King of Glory while we are alive so that we can enter in triumph with Him.
Father, forgive me for forgetting that my Savior is the KING OF GLORY! I take for granted that You hear my prayers and like a spoiled child expect the Shepherd to always provide my every want and bail me out with forgiveness when I fail. Help me to worship You for Who You are, and not forget that everything I have, am and will ever be is provided by my God and Savior Jesus Christ and His salvation. I want to ascend to Your hill with righteous worship, praise, honor and glory. Thank You, in Jesus name, Amen! Pastor Rob