Well, if you have your Bible with you this evening, beloved, go ahead and turn with me to Psalm 24. Psalm 24. We are going to consider the whole Psalm in its entirety, all 10 verses this evening. Psalm 24, and indeed the words that we just sung to the Lord, we will now consider much of in the beginning portion of this psalm. It's quite beautiful. Let's go before our Lord and ask his blessing on the preaching and reading of the word. Our gracious God and heavenly Father, as we now open your word, we pray for your spirit to press that word. deeply into our hearts and minds, O Lord. May we not come to receive surface and give surface attention to your word, Lord, but may we come as those who are hungry and desire to feast upon it and to be nourished by it. O Lord, please bring that about in us for your glory. And we pray this in Christ's name. Amen. Well, Psalm 24, Hear now the very word of God written for you and for me today. A Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord's and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. For he has founded it upon the sea and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord or who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully, he shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, Selah. 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? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 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. He is the King of glory. Selah. Amen. Thus far, the reading of God's holy word. Well, Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, Psalm 24 is believed to have been written by King David when he took the solemn occasion to bring the ark of God from the house of Abinadab to the house of Obed-Edom, and then into the tabernacle where David had built it to remain. Let's read the account of this in 2 Samuel 6 together. If you would, turn with me to 2 Samuel 6, beginning in verse 1. We see the wonderful account here. Beginning in verse 1, we read, again, David gathered all the choice men of Israel, 30,000. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baal Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the name, the Lord of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. So they set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. and Uzziah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God. And Ahio went before the ark. Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments, of firwood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cistrums, and on symbols. I'll stop there for a moment. Some of you may wonder why David took 30,000 of Israel's choice men with him to move the ark. That's a lot of men, a lot of choice men. Well, he did so to be prepared in case the Philistines opposed them and tried to obstruct their path. but also know that these men putting the ark on a new cart or a covered wagon to transport it, it was actually a violation of the statute in Numbers 4, 14 through 15. They erred in doing so, because in Numbers 4, the statute expressly required the sons of Cotheth to carry it and any other holy thing in the sanctuary. And notice what happened next. Let's pick up in 2 Samuel 6, 6. And when they came to Nahkan's threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error, and he died there by the ark of God. And David became angry. because of the Lord's outbreak against Uzzah. And he called the name of the place Perez-Uzzah to this day. David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, How can the ark of the Lord come to me? And so David would not move the ark of the Lord with him into the city of David, but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The Ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom, the Gittite, for three months. And the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. Now it was told King David, saying, The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him because of the Ark of God. So David went and brought up the Ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the city of David with gladness." Now, that's interesting, isn't it? That David had great fear, and rightly so, because of the anger of the Lord, because of Uzzah touching the ark, which was forbidden. And yet David acted in fear saying, oh, maybe I shouldn't bring this to my house based on what's happened. But yet then the blessing of the Lord was evident with Obed-Edom. And David desired that even for himself. He brought it with gladness. And so all of this is the backdrop that is behind Psalm 24. And as we consider Psalm 24 this evening, do so under three headings. First, that the earth is the Lord's in verses one and two. The question and answer of who can ascend God's hill, verses three through six, and David's words about the king of glory in seven through 10. And so in verse one, David sings and proclaims, the earth is the Lord's in all its fullness. The world and those who dwell therein. Beloved, the living God is the owner and sustainer of the whole earth and everything in it. This is the picture that the Hebrew word that's translated fullness represents. The earth and all of its inhabitants belong to him. God is sovereign over them all. He owns us all. And this truth is the reason the Apostle Paul gives as he quotes this verse in his words to the Corinthians, if you remember, regarding the food that they could eat with a clear conscience in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, beginning in verse 25. He says, eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience sake. Notice, for the earth is the Lord's and all its fullness. For if any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience sake. But if anyone says to you, this was offered to idols, do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you and for conscience sake, for the earth is the Lord's and all its fullness. Indeed, we see this wonderful proclamation and connection, not only in David's words, but also quoted and repeated by Paul in talking about the extent of the Lord's ownership, and therefore, how God's people must believe and act. Moses proclaimed God's ownership to Pharaoh so that he would know it in Exodus 9, verse 29, So Moses said to him, as soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease and there will be no more hail that you may know that the earth is the Lord's. Remember that Pharaoh doubted the existence of God. His trust was in his own false gods and the pantheon thereof. but yet the living God is the one who called him to account through Moses and the living God would be the one who would demonstrate time and again that he is the true God indeed that the earth is the Lord's that Pharaoh would indeed know based on Moses's actions. But God also spoke to his people through Moses so that they would know it in Exodus 19. So that Pharaoh would know, Exodus 9, that God's people would know in Exodus 19, verse five. We read there, now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to me above all people, for all the earth is mine. All the earth is his. Moses helpfully says in Deuteronomy 10 verse 14, Indeed, heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it. Beloved, in case any would make the claim that God's interest was only in the heavens, meaning the skies and the atmospheres of the earth, as well as in heaven where he dwells, if any would claim that he's removed or aloof or neglecting or having no interest in the earth, they have here been corrected. And further, If you think about what the truth and application of these words is and means, any who claim that God's interest is solely on the church in this world also need to better understand the application of God's ownership and his interest. But David goes on to give the foundational reason that God is the owner of all that is. Look at verse two. For he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. The earth has been the Lord's from the beginning. The Lord is the one who created and established it. Man being rightly under the power of the authority of God is confirmed in creation. He owns all things because the triune God, and particularly Christ, made all things. We see this in Colossians 1, beginning in verse 15. Referring to Christ, Paul said, he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things consist. There's no wiggle room there, is it? There's no room to doubt or say, oh yeah, but that doesn't belong to him. Or that doesn't consist because of him. No, it all does. For he created it. Invisible and visible, keep in mind. And so this water and ocean picture that David presents here in verse two, should take your thoughts back to Genesis 1. where we're taught that God created the heavens and the earth in the beginning. And we read there that the earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Now, how is it that the earth appears above the water, in David's words, being divinely founded and established on it? because God purposely intended to prepare a habitation for men. God purposely intended to prepare a habitation for men. In Genesis 1, beginning in verse 9, we read God's words, let the waters under the heavens be gathered together in one place, and let the dry land appear. And it was so. And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering together of the waters he called seas. And God saw that it was good." Now further note that the sea in Old Testament scripture is often a poetic image of evil. We find God gaining the victory over the seas many times in the Psalms and the Prophets. In Psalm 29, beginning in verse 10, we see an example of this. Notice these words. The Lord sat enthroned, where? At the flood. And the Lord sits as king forever. The Lord will give strength to his people. The Lord will bless his people with peace. The Lord God has always ruled. He was ruling and sovereign at the flood. He sits as king now forever. And he gives strength to his people. He blesses us with peace. Indeed, the absolute king who owns and rules is also, David says, the king who is worshiped. Notice verse three of Psalm 24. There is an important question. Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And secondly, who may stand in his holy place? If it is a wonderful thing, if it is a glorious thing to be in the presence of God, who can go up his holy hill or stand in his presence? My friends, as the earth is filled with wicked and righteous people, this question is a good and important one. The question being asked as it is raising the point that not all can ascend his hill. Not all can rightly stand in his holy place, in his holy presence. Here, David puts forth the holiness of God in contrast with the sinfulness of man. Indeed, God is wonderfully separate and other. He is separate from sin and its defilement. God is magnificent and transcendent and higher and superior to all that is in all of his creation. Moses exclaims that God is glorious in holiness. Exodus 15, 11. He is perfectly righteous and pure and true. And praise the Lord that there is no one like him. Praise God that he is holy like none other. And so who can ascend the hill that belongs to the Holy One and stand in His holy presence? Who can worship God with His favor and blessing? Who does God accept to worship Him in the place that He has set apart for His holy worship? See how David goes on to tell us the characteristics of such followed by more specifics later. Look at verse four of Psalm 24. He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. Now keep in mind as we look at these four qualities that they point to the head, the heart, and the tongue, which really together speaks of character. He says, he who has clean hands. This points to righteous actions. David says in Psalm 26, beginning in verse six, I will wash my hands in innocence. So I will go about your altar, O Lord, that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all your wondrous works. Lord, I have loved the habitation of your house. the place where your glory dwells. Notice both David's preparation to enter the holy presence of God, but also his description of the holy presence of God. David said he would wash his hands. He knew you need to have clean hands. You need to be clean and pure to be in God's holy presence. Indeed, he was thankful to be in his presence. And he loved his house. He had much joy, right? We know in elsewhere in the Psalms, he had much joy when someone said, let's go to the house of the Lord. But also a pure heart, which points to righteous thoughts and motives. He points us to love springing from faith in the Lord. David cries to the Lord in Psalm 51 verse 10, create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. David knew the corruption of his heart. He knew his sinfulness, but yet he desired to be cleansed. He desired to be renewed by the Lord. He knew that it was the Lord's work, only he could do it. But thirdly, that man who can ascend the hill cannot be an idolater, nor engage in deceitful swearing, notice, and the deceitful swearing is connected to idolatry, pointing to not swearing by the name of false gods. This man is a man of godly honor and not a liar. He is a man of truth. Now some of you may hear these words and these qualities, and you may be thinking, Pastor, no one can ascend and stand then. Knowing my sin, I can't go. I don't have perfectly clean hands or a pure heart. Beloved, it's true that you, and even that no one, has the right to enter into God's holy place unless God, by his Holy Spirit, and word sanctifies you to serve him in purity and in truth through the mediation of Jesus Christ. For there is no sinner who can stand in the presence of the holy God apart from Jesus Christ, apart from his blood and righteousness and perfection. It's only in him that we can be accepted before God. And ultimately, and don't miss this, ultimately, and it's beautiful even as we see the conclusion in seven through 10, ultimately these qualities are pointing to Christ himself, who ascended the hill as the worthy one. As Paul spoke of his counting all things loss, that he would gain Christ, he pressed this same point as well in Philippians 3, beginning in verse 9, when he said, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowships of his sufferings being conformed to his death. If by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Paul knew what David knew. Paul knew that for any man to be in the presence of the Holy God and to be a recipient of his favor, he had to be united to Christ. He had to be in the Messiah. And indeed, what will be true of such a man? As David goes on in verse five, he says, he shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. And so as a child of God, you are blessed by your Lord with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ. You are not clothed in your own righteous rags, but you are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. You are blessed with all of God's promises to the church, which are yes and amen in Christ Jesus. You are blessed with divine grace now, that carries with it the guaranteed promise of glory to come. Notice what he says in verse six, as David goes on, he says, in identifying, this is Jacob, the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, Selah. It's the true Jacob, beloved. It's the true Israel, the true people of God who seek the face of God. It's the true saints in Christ's church who are covered by the blood of the Lamb and are filled with faith and are eternally blessed by the Lord. But David then issues a grand call to prepare for the coming of the king. Notice in verse seven. He says, lift up your heads, O you gates, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the king of glory shall come in. Here, David addressed the Levites who guarded the doors to the tabernacle and know that they served as a type of the angels guarding the gates of heaven, the new Jerusalem. This is important as verses 7 through 10 point us to Christ and his ascension. We read in Revelation 21 verse 12, also she had a great and high wall with 12 gates and notice and 12 angels at the gates and names were written on them, which are the names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel. And so what is so breathtaking? What is so gloriously urgent for them to see? Oh, these gates, these everlasting doors. Indeed, the King of Glory has returned from being victorious in battle. And what is his identity? Who is he? Look at verse 8 through 10. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 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. He is the King of Glory. Selah. Again, such a wonderful Hebrew word there that you may hear me emphasize time and again, but it's so important whenever it's there, and it's so important here. Selah. Consider what's just been said. Who is this King of glory? It's the Lord of hosts. He is the King of glory. Indeed, beloved, Christ is the Lord of hosts, the commander of all the forces of creation. He is the King of glory, your victorious warrior. And so I encourage you as you consider the glorious truths of this Psalm, that with humble and courageous hearts, praise and proclaim your Lord to be the sovereign over all creation, over all the earth. It's all his in all of its fullness. Nothing is outside. Nothing remains or could even be imagined to be outside of his purview or control. It all belongs to Him. And all the inhabitants therein, including you, you are His. But then see your holy God and His righteous requirements to enter His presence and praise Him for His saving grace in you. You aren't one who is left to despair and to rage against Him as one who can't enter his holy place. In fact, if you are against him and apart from Christ, you don't want to be in his holy place. You run from his holy presence. Because you know who he is. But rather you desire to be in his holy presence, even as you're sitting here, beloved. In worship now, you are in the presence of God, you desire, you love being in the presence of the living God because you are His. You have much joy and praise for His love to you. His justifying you, His clothing you with Christ, His welcoming you, His sanctifying and purifying you as part of the blessing that you receive from Him being united to Christ. Indeed, who can ascend the hill of God? Jesus and those who are in Him. and therefore awe and honor and worship the victorious risen king of glory, who the everlasting doors and the gates of heaven open for as he ascended and is seated on his throne there. Having condescended to you, having condescended to me, he has returned to his rightful place. And yet praise him that Jesus is coming again. He is coming again for you and for me, beloved, to take you there. To the place that he is preparing for you. To take you there. That you would be in that most holy place and in his most holy presence. With full joy. With eternal worship. Indeed, what a glorious and magnificent truth. Praise God. Praise the King of Glory for his word. Let's pray together. Our gracious God and Heavenly Father, may we be thoroughly in awe of your wonderful work, your work of creation, your sovereign ownership over all that is, including us, O Lord Jesus, may we have more awe for you because of these verses and these glorious truths. O King of glory, O Savior and Redeemer of our souls. We praise you, King Jesus, as you are seated in ruling and reigning. We look forward to your coming, O Lord. We pray these things in Christ's name. Amen.