This is a copy of my talk given at Ayia Kyriaki and Saint Luke’s in the Anglican Church of Paphos on Sunday 14 July 2024. The Bible reading was Psalm 24:1-10 and 2 Samuel 6.

Prayer

Heavenly Father
I thank You for Your word
By the power of the Holy Spirit
May You speak to my heart
And change my life
In the precious name of Jesus I pray
Amen.

Introduction

Both of our Old Testament readings celebrate the return of the Ark of the Covenant (Ten Commandments) to Jerusalem, in a procession led by David. We learn from the Rabbins (Jewish writings of the Rabbis) that Psalm 24 was one of the Psalms that was sung on the first day of the week (our Sabbath) in Jewish worship. It is often used on Ascension Day, and it reminds us that God is the King of Glory.

I have often heard it said that the Bible is not relevant to people today, the Psalms have no such problems attached because they are not out of touch with the harsh realities of life, nor do they observe the world through rose-tinted spectacles. They reflect the reality of human experience, warts and all.

Psalms are songs of worship, praise and lament – it’s amazing how many of our hymns are taken directly from the Psalms. It has been said that music is the language of the soul.

Music can tell you a lot about someone. I love music, as you know.  I have 35,000 songs/pieces of music on my iPod anything from Brass Band to Punk Rock and everything in between.

Music has the ability to quicken your heart rate, or it can cause you to relax. It can make you feel depressed, or it can cheer you up. It can cause anxiety or relieve stress. Music affects us emotionally and spiritually. A piece of music can instantly create a happy or sad memory? 

As William Shakespeare wrote:  If music be the food of love … play on!

Music was important to the people of Israel. They sang and the played musical instruments as they marched into battle and after they won a battle.

How many songs in our culture have you heard sung about those in authority? One’s whose words you could repeat! Probably not many. But David recognized God as King and desired for his people to see that as well. So, he wrote a hymn which tells us three things about God as King:

  1. God our King is the Owner of Everything vs1-2

The first thing we hear in the passage is that God our King is the owner of everything vs1-2: The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

The earth is the Lord’s. The world and all who live in it. Everything.  It reminds us of Genesis 1:1: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. So, if God created everything, everything belongs to him.  What does ‘everything’ include? Everything down to our very breath belongs to God and is a gift from God to us.

It makes you think doesn’t it.  If everything in this world belongs to God, then we probably should start living like he exists outside of our church building.  That means Jesus needs to take first place in our hearts and our lives. We are to love Him above everything and everyone else and that’s not easy.  We are to love Jesus more than our friends, more than our career, more than our bank balance, our car, our hobbies …? We ought to live in a way that enables others to come to know him.

Not only do we obey Him because He is the King of glory, He is the Good Shepherd who leads us on paths that are safe, and this will be for our good and for other people’s good too. But we also obey Him because He knows what is best for our lives and for other people’s lives, too. 

  1. God our King is Purer than Everything vs3-6

This Psalm was written when King David was returning the Ark of Covenant to the Temple.  There would be a chorus or a choir that would start singing the Psalm, and then, you will notice there are questions that follow. The questions were announced by one person, probably a priest. So, you have this back and forth going on while the procession around the Ark of the Covenant is going up the hill to the Temple.

It’s in that context that we are reminded that God our King is purer than everything, vs3-6: Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Saviour. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

This Psalm tells us that if we want to stand in God’s presence that we need to have clean hands and a pure heart. ‘Clean hands’ refers to godly behaviour that’s free from doing wrong to others.  Worshippers who have ‘pure hearts’ cultivate godly attitudes and motives. They’re loyal to God alone in both their behaviour and thoughts.

In Revelation 5 a similar question is asked: Who is worthy to open the scrolls that will finally bring about the end of sin and death and usher in God’s new kingdom?  John weeps as he looks around because there is no one that is worthy.  No one is pure enough.  No one, that is, except Jesus.

Vs 7-10: … The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders … sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign on the earth.”

God is purer than everything. None of us are worthy enough to stand in his presence.  Nothing we could do could make us good enough. That is why we need Jesus in our lives.  

  1. God our King is Greater than Everything vs7-10

Thirdly, God our King is greater than everything. The Psalm continues with the back and forth as the Ark of Covenant is going up the mountain of the Lord, while David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets (2 Samuel 6:14).

A complete shift of focus happens in the rest of this Psalm. In the earlier verses they encouraged the congregation to consider if they were worthy to ascend the hill of Yahweh, but now it encourages Jerusalem, the holy city to welcome the King of Glory into their gates as the people start singing:

vs7-10: Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may 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 them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – he is the King of glory.

We often think that when this Psalm mentions heads, we think of our own heads been lifted up, and it certainly makes sense, but it actually refers to a catch that was in place at the top of the gate and so it’s asking for the gates to be unlocked so that the gates can be lifted up so that the King of Glory can enter in.

2 Samuel 6:17-19. They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.

It seems a very ordinary end to an extraordinary occasion. Worship, food then home!

Conclusion: God Is King

Can you imagine how exciting would it be watching the Ark of the Covenant return to Jerusalem? A bit like … Bishop Sean coming to Paphos! Sunderland winning the FA Cup or as exciting as England winning the Ashes or, even England beating the All Blacks or winning the Euros! Or as exciting as …?

Psalm 24 points us to a day when God would move in a surprising new way, not coming in a temple or the ark, but as a person.  A person who would come into Jerusalem as a king riding on a donkey. With a crowd celebrating “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Jesus Christ, He is the King of Glory who sacrificed His life and rose to be King who was given all authority. An old hymn applies the psalm to Jesus’ coming:

Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates:
behold, the King of Glory waits!
The King of kings is drawing near,
the Saviour of the world is here.
Life and salvation he doth bring,
wherefore rejoice and gladly sing.

vs10: Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory. 

He is our King and as we think about Psalm 24 this morning, let us remember that we serve a King who is the owner of everything, who is purer than everything and who is greater than everything.

Prayer
King of glory, come and reign over my life.
Reign over my heart and my emotions,
Reign over my mind, my thinking and my beliefs,
Reign over my will and all my decisions,
Reign over my family and all of my relationships,
Reign over my work and my service for you,
Reign over my money, my possessions and my time,
King of glory, come and reign over me. Amen.

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author, Revd Paul A. Carr. The reproduction, or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name.