Psalm 24: Ascending the Hill

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Who can stand in the presence of God? Who qualifies to enter the place where God dwells? These are significant questions that are foundational to the Christian faith and are the central questions of Psalm 24. The answers that are given should leave us in awe of the grace and mercy of God.

Historical Context of Psalm 24

Psalms 24 is a Psalm of David and most believe that it was written as a song that would be sung as the army of Israel was returning to Jerusalem following a victorious battle and carrying the Ark of the Covenant into the city (which represents the presence of God).

The song contains three stanzas: A stanza about God (His greatness), a stanza about man (and how we can enter the presence of God) and a stanza about the King of Glory (our victorious King).

 

Monday: Psalm 24 

Take time to read the Psalm that we considered on Sunday. The notes from the message are attached to the weekly email and are available on our website. As you read take time to think through the three different parts of the Psalm: Verses 1-2 describe the greatness of God. Verses 3-6 remind us of our situation; that on our own we fall short of God’s standard but through grace we are given the gift of His righteousness. Then, in verses 7-10 we have a picture of the One (Jesus) who will triumphantly ascend the hill and lead us into the presence of God.

Tuesday: Hebrews 9

In Psalm 24 we considered the holiness of God and how as sinful men we cannot enter His presence on our own. In Hebrews 9:1-10 we are reminded of the holiness of God, the Old Covenant and all that was required of God’s people in order to enter the tabernacle. In verses 11-28 we read of the work of Jesus and how through Him a New Covenant has been established. The earthly tabernacle was a shadow of a heavenly tabernacle and through the blood of Jesus we can obtain access.

Wednesday: Hebrews 10

Hebrews 10 carries on the themes of Hebrews 9 reminding us of the symbolic nature of the sacrificial system and the Old Covenant and how they pointed to the work of Christ; Jesus is our perfect and eternal sacrifice and He has established a New Covenant (10:1-18). Verses 19-38 serve as an application section. Because we have been given access to God through Jesus and our sins have been forgiven our lives should be different. We should have confidence to draw near to God (19-23). We should be serious about our fellowship with the people of God (24-25) and we should strive to persevere in our faith until the end (26-39). This means we must fight passionately against sin and trust God through times of suffering and pain.

Thursday: 1 Peter 1

While salvation through Jesus alone is our great hope, this doesn’t give us the freedom to live however we choose, in fact the opposite is true. In 1 Peter 1:1-12 we are reminded of the gift of salvation and the incredible inheritance that we have because of the work of Christ. Then in verses 13-25 Peter tells us how we should live in response to this great salvation. Because we are in Christ we should strive for holiness. We should long to honor the sacrifice of Jesus by living in a way that pleases God and reflects His character.

Friday: Psalm 6

Read Psalm 6 in preparation for our service on Sunday. As you read ask yourself these questions: What does this teach us about God? What does this teach us about ourselves? Also, take time to write down questions that you have about the Psalm, then come on Sunday and listen for answers to those questions.