Psalm 24 Devotional.

Psalm 24: 1 Albeit the Lord God hath made, and governeth all the world, yet toward his chosen people, his gracious goodness doth most abundantly appear, in that among them he will have his dwelling place. Which thought it was appointed among the children of Abraham, yet only they do enter aright into this Sanctuary, which are the true worshippers of God, purged from the sinful filth of this world. 7 Finally he magnifieth God’s grace for the building of the Temple, to the end he might stir up all the faithful to the true service of God.

A Psalm of David.

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and all that therein is; the world, and they that dwell in it.

2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? and who shall stand in his holy place?

4 Even he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

We saw previously the logical progression of the Psalms and the systematic themes that are displayed as we journey from Psalm to Psalm in our study and meditation. We saw that Psalm 22 portrays Christ as a suffering Savior, crying out to God for deliverance, who hears Him not only for His own sake but for ours also, and having thus delivered our Lord Christ from the grave, brings us up unto where He is in glory. As it is written, “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Wherein Paul, who knew well the scriptures, combines both Psalms here in his conclusion to the Hebrews. For Christ is the good shepherd of His sheep who laid down His life for us, as it is written, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” Therefore we see the intimate relationship between these two Psalms. Now inasmuch as David concludes in Psalm 23 that He will dwell in the house of the LORD forever, the argument arises who is welcome there in the sanctuary of God. And therefore in Psalm 24 you have the Kingly office of Christ set forth, as well as His righteous government, and His approbation of those who are pure. Even as it is written, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” which is as much to say, “Cursed are the defiled and deceitful in heart” as the prophet Jeremiah also witnesseth. Therefore as we mentioned concerning the final verses of Psalm 23, the wicked on the day of judgment shall be cast from God’s sight as filthy and abominable and only the righteous shall be accepted by Him. This theme is established and reiterated here, and therefore we see the procession of this Psalm also, how it naturally follows Psalm 23.

Henry,
This psalm is concerning the kingdom of Jesus Christ, I. His providential kingdom, by which he rules the world, Psalms 24:1,2. II. The kingdom of his grace, by which he rules in his church. 1. Concerning the subjects of that kingdom; their character (Psalms 24:4,6), their charter, Psalms 24:5. 2. Concerning the King of that kingdom; and a summons to all to give him admission, Psalms 24:7-10. It is supposed that the psalm was penned upon occasion of David’s bringing up the ark to the place prepared for it, and that the intention of it was to lead the people above the pomp of external ceremonies to a holy life and faith in Christ, of whom the ark was a type.

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Opening Prayer.

John Owen’s commentary on Hebrews 11.
Noah is the third person mentioned in the Scripture, unto whom testimony was given in particular that “he was righteous;” and therefore
the apostle produceth him in the third place, as an instance of the power and efficacy of faith, declaring also wherein his faith wrought and was effectual.
Ver. 7.—By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not as yet seen, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. There is in the words, 1. The person spoken of or instanced in; which is Noah. 2. What is affirmed of him; that he was “warned of God of things not yet seen.” 3. The effect hereof by faith: (1.) Internal, in himself; he was “moved with fear:” (2.) External, in obedience; he “built an ark.” 4. The consequent of his so doing: (1.) The saving of his own family; (2.) The condemnation of the world; (3.) His own becoming an “heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”
1. The person spoken of is Noah, concerning whom some things may be observed that relate unto the sense of the place.
(1.) Being designed of God unto the great work which he was to be called unto, to live and act at that time and that season wherein God would destroy the world for sin, he had his name given him by a spirit of prophecy. His father, Lamech, called him חַנ ;whereof he gave this reason מנוֵּחֲַנְי הֵז,”—This shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed,” Gen. 5:29. He foresaw that by him, and in his days, relief would come from the effects of the curse: which there did, [1.] In the just destruction of the wicked world, whereon the earth for a while had rest from its bondage under which it groaned, Rom. 8; [2.] In that in him the promise of the blessed Seed should be preserved, whence all rest and comfort do proceed. (2.) As unto his state and condition atecedent unto what is here declared of him, two things are affirmed: [1.] That he “found grace in the eyes of the LORD,” Gen. 6:8. [2.] That he was “just, perfect in his generations, and walked with God,” verse 9. He was accepted with God, justified, and walked in acceptable obedience, before he was thus divinely warned, with what followed thereon. Wherefore these things did not belong unto his first believing, but unto the exercise of that faith which he had before received. Nor was he then first made an “heir of righteousness,” but declared so to be, as Abraham was justified when he offered Isaac his son.
(3.) His employment in the world was, that he was “a preacher of righteousness,” 2 Pet. 2:5;—that is, of the righteousness of God by faith; and of righteousness by repentance and obedience among men. And there is no doubt but that before, and whilst he was building the ark, he was urgent with mankind to call them to repentance, by declaring the promises and threatenings of God. And in a blessed state he was, to be a preacher of righteousness unto others, and an heir of righteousness in himself. (4.) He is said to be ὄγδοος, 2 Pet. 2:5, “the eighth person.” But whereas Enoch was “the seventh from Adam,” and he the third from Enoch, he could not be the eighth, but was the tenth on the line of genealogy from Adam. He is therefore called the eighth, because he was the head of the eight that were saved, the other seven depending on him, and saved by him; unless we shall suppose him to be called the eighth preacher of righteousness,—that is, from Enosh, when the separation was first made between the wicked and the godly, and wickedness increasing, those who feared God began publicly to preach repentance, Gen. 4:26. Χρηματισθείς. 2. That which is affirmed of him is, that he was “warned of God of things not as yet seen.” Χρηματίζω, is “to give an answer with authority,” by kings or magistrates unto ambassadors or orators. It is noted by Plutarch, that it was one cause of the conspiracy against Caesar, that he miscarried herein: “The consuls, with the praetors and the whole senate following them, coming to him, he arose not, but spake as unto a company of private men.” And χρηματίζομαι is used in the Scripture in a common sense, to be “called” or named, Acts 11:26; Rom. 7:3. But it’s more frequent use is for a divine warning, Matt. 2:12, 22; Luke 2:26; Acts 10:22; Heb. 8:5. And χρηματισμός is a divine oracle, Rom. 11:4. And it is used to express any kind of divine revelation; as by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, Luke 2:26; by the ministry of angels, Acts 10:22; by dreams, Matt. 2:12, 22; by an immediate voice of God, Rom. 11:4. And this warning of God was no other but that which is recorded Gen. 6:13–16. And there were two parts of it, the first minatory, or a declaration of the purpose of God to destroy the whole world, verse 13. The second is directory, of what he required of him in making an ark, verses 14–16. Accordingly, as we shall see, it had a twofold effect on Noah; the first, of fear in himself from the threatening; the other of obedience, in building the ark according to direction. Both parts of this divine warning were of “things not yet seen.” Περὶ τῶν μηδέπω βλεπομένων. Things of this sort, namely, “things not seen,” he had before declared to be the proper object of faith, verse 1. But the things here intended were not in their own nature invisible; they were sufficiently seen when they did exist. Μηδέπω. Therefore the apostle saith, they were “not yet seen;” namely, the flood, and the saving of himself in an ark. These were not seen when Noah was warned about them, nor in a hundred years after. They were seen neither in themselves nor in their causes. For although in the morally procuring cause of the flood, namely, the wickedness of the world, it was present, yet there was nothing then to be seen or learned of its destruction by a flood: and efficient cause it had none, but the invisible power of God. Wherefore it was a pure act of faith in Noah, to believe that which he had no evidence for, but by divine revelation; especially considering that the thing itself revealed was in itself strange, direful, and unto human reason every way incredible. And we may observe,—
Obs. I. It is a high commendation to faith, to believe things, on the word of God, that in themselves and all second causes are invisible, and seem impossible, Rom. 4:17–21.
Obs. II. No obstacle can stand in the way of faith, when it fixeth itself on the almighty power of God, and his infinite veracity, Rom. 11:23; Tit. 1:2. Obs. III. It is a great encouragement and strengthening unto faith, when the things which it believes as promised or threatened are suitable unto the properties of the divine nature, his righteousness, holiness, goodness, and the like, such as it becometh God to do. Such was the destruction of the world, when it was filled with wickedness and violence.
Obs. IV. We have here a pledge of the certain accomplishment of all divine threatenings against ungodly sinners and enemies of the church, though the time of it may be yet far distant, and the means of it inevident. Unto this end is this example made use of, 2 Pet. 2:5. Obs. V. A reverential fear of God, as threatening vengeance unto impenitent sinners, is a fruit of saving faith, and acceptable unto God. See the exposition on chap. 4:1.
Obs. VI. It is one thing to fear God as threatening, with a holy reverence; another to be afraid of the evil threatened, merely as it is penal and destructive, which the worst of men cannot avoid. Obs. VII. Faith produceth various effects in the minds of believers, according to the variety of objects that it is fixed on; sometimes joy and confidence, sometimes fear and reverence.
Obs. VIII. Then is fear a fruit of faith, when it engageth us unto diligence in our duty; as it did here in Noah: “being moved by fear, he prepared an ark.”
[2.] During the preparation of this ark he continued to preach righteousness and repentance unto the inhabitants of the world; nor could it be avoided, but that he must, in what he did, let them know in what way they should be destroyed if they did not repent. [3.] In this state of things, the Scripture observeth three things concerning the inhabitants of the old world: 1st. That they were disobedient; they did not repent, they did not return unto God upon his preaching, and the striving of the Spirit of Christ with them therein, 1 Pet. 3:19, 20. For which cause they were not only temporally destroyed, but shut up in the everlasting prison. 2dly. That they were secure, not having the least thought, fear, or expectation of the destruction which he denounced approaching to them, being not moved with his threatenings to the last hour: Matt. 24:38, 39, “They knew not until the flood came, and took them all away.” 3dly. That they were scoffers, as is plainly intimated, 2 Pet. 3:3–6. They scorned and derided Noah, both in his preaching and his building. And we may hence further observe,—
Obs. IX. That all these things tend unto the commendation of the faith of Noah. Neither the difficulty, nor the length of the work itself, nor his want of success in preaching, as unto their repentance and conversion to God, nor the contempt and scorn which were cast upon him by the whole world, did weaken or discourage him in the least from going on with the work and duty whereunto he was divinely called. A great precedent and example it was unto all who may be called to bear testimony for God in times of difficulty and opposition.
Obs. X. We have here an eminent figure of the state of impenitent sinners, and God’s dealing with them, in all ages: (1.) When their sins are coming to the height, he gives them a peculiar time and space for repentance, with sufficient evidence that it is a season granted for that end. (2.) During this space the long-suffering of God waits for their conversion; and he makes it known that it doth so. (3.) He allows them the outward means of conversion, as he did to the old world in the preaching of Noah. (4.) He warns them in particular of the judgments that are approaching them, which they cannot escape; as he did by the building of the ark. And such are the dealings of God with impenitent sinners in some measure and proportion in all ages. They, on the other side, in such a season, (1.) Continue disobedient under the most effectual means of conversion. No means shall be effectual unto that end, Isa. 6:9–12. And when the preaching of righteousness loseth its efficacy in the conversion of sinners, it is a token of approaching desolations. (2.) They are secure as unto any fear, or expectation of judgments; and shall be so until they are overwhelmed in them, Rev. 18:7, 8. (3.) There are always amongst them scoffers, that deride all that are moved with fear at the threatenings of God, and behave themselves accordingly; which is an exact portraiture of the present condition of the world.
4. Of this faith of Noah, and the fruits of it in fear and obedience,— Εἰς σωτηρίαν τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ. (1.) The immediate effect was the saving of his family. He did it “to the saving of his household;” that is, he himself, his wife, his three sons, and their wives,—that is, such as on the foresight of the flood they had espoused, for probably they came not together in conjugal duties until after the flood, for they had no child until then, Gen. 10:1, and eight persons only were to be saved. This family, God in sovereign grace and mercy would preserve and deliver, principally to continue the conveyance of the promised Seed, which was to be produced from Adam, Luke 3:38, and was not, in the immutable counsel of God, liable to an intercision; which it would have been if God had destroyed all mankind, and created a new race of them upon the earth: and in the next place, for the continuation and propagation of a church, to be brought unto God by virtue of that promise. And in this saving of the family of Noah by the ark, we have a figure of God’s saving and preserving a remnant in all ages, when desolating judgments have destroyed apostatized churches and nations. So the apostle Peter declares with respect unto the vengeance and overwhelming destruction that was coming on the apostatized church of the Jews: 1 Pet. 3:20, 21, “The ark, wherein few, that is eight souls, were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us.” Obs. XI. The visible, professing church shall never fall into such an apostasy, nor be so totally destroyed, but that God will preserve a remnant, for a seed to future generations, Isa. 6:11–13; Rom. 9:27; Rev.18:4. Διʼ ἧς. (2.) Lastly, There is a double consequent of this faith of Noah and his obedience therein; [1.] With respect unto the world, “he condemned it;” [2.] With respect unto himself, he “became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” Both these are ascribed unto Noah. And the way whereby he did them is expressed in these words, “By the which.” That is, say some, “by which ark;” others, “by which faith;” for the relative agrees with either of these antecedents. I shall not contend about it. The meaning is, by the which faith, acting and evidencing itself in the building of the ark, these things were wrought. Κατέκρινεν τὸν κόσμον. [1.] He “condemned the world.” Not as the judge of it, properly and authoritatively; but as an advocate and a witness, by plea and testimony. He condemned it by his doctrine, by his obedience, by his example, by his faith in them all. He did so, 1st. In that he justified God. God had had a long contest with the world,—”his Spirit strove with them;” and now in the issue, after much patience and forbearance, he was coming to destroy them. Herein “God would be justified in his sayings, and overcome when he was judged,” as the apostle speaks, Rom. 3:4. This was done by Noah: he cleared and justified God in his threatenings and the execution of them; and therein condemned the world as guilty, and justly deserving the punishment inflicted on it. 2dly. He condemned the world by casting a weighty aggravation on its guilt, in that he believed and obeyed when they refused so to do. It was not any thing evil, grievous, or impossible, that was required of them, but what he gave them an example of in himself; which greatly aggravated their sin. So is the expression used, Matt. 12:41, “The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.” Their example being not followed, did aggravate the guilt of that generation. 3dly. He condemned the world, by leaving it utterly without excuse. He that takes away the principal plea that a guilty person can make in his own defence, may justly be said to condemn him. And this Noah did towards the old world. He left them no pretence that they had not been warned of their sin and approaching ruin; so as that they had nothing to plead for themselves why the execution of judgment should be respited for one moment. 4thly. He condemned the world, by approving of the vengeance that befell them, though very severe. So shall the saints judge and condemn fallen angels at the last day, 1 Cor. 6:3. And we may observe, that—
Obs. XII. Those whom God calleth unto, fitteth for, and employeth in any work, are therein συνεργοὶ Θεοῦ, “co-workers with God,” 1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor. 6:1: so as that what God doth himself efficiently, is ascribed unto them instrumentally, as working with him, and for him. So the preachers of the word do save men, 1 Tim. 4:16; and so are they said to condemn them.
Obs. XIII. Let those that are employed in the declaration of God’s promises and threatenings take heed unto themselves, to answer the will of him by whom they are employed, whose work it is wherein they are engaged.
Obs. XIV. It ought to be a motive unto diligence in exemplary obedience, that therein we bear testimony for God against the impenitent world, which he will judge and punish.
[2.] The last thing in the words, or the second consequent of his faith and obedience, is, that he “became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” What the righteousness here intended is, the “righteousness of faith,” is so fully declared by the apostle in all his other writings, and so laid down in the close of the foregoing chapter, that there can be no question about it. The nature of this righteousness, with the way of attaining it, I have so fully manifested in my treatise of Justification, that I shall not at all here speak to it. He calls it elsewhere, sometimes “the righteousness of God” absolutely, sometimes “the righteousness of God which is by faith,” sometimes “the gift of righteousness by Christ,” sometimes “the righteousness of faith,” or “the righteousness which is by faith,” as in this place. In all which our free, gratuitous justification by the righteousness of Christ, imputed unto us by faith, or through believing, is intended. This Noah obtained by faith. The way whereby we come to be made partakers of this righteousness, is by gratuitous adoption. This is by faith, John 1:12. Whatever we receive upon or by virtue of our adoption belongs unto our inheritance; thereof we are heirs. See Rom. 8:15–17. So in justification, forgiveness of sin and the inheritance go together, Acts 26:18. And this inheritance is by the promise, not by the law or works, Gal. 3:18, 19; Rom. 4:14. Wherefore Noah was the “heir of the righteousness which is by faith,” in that by free adoption, through faith, he came to have an interest in and right unto the righteousness which is tendered in the promise, whereby it is conveyed unto us as an inheritance. And whereas it is said that he “became” so, if respect be had unto his faith in building of the ark, the meaning is, that he was then evidenced and declared so to be. As Abraham was said to be “justified when he offered Isaac,” who was personally justified long before; so also was Noah, by the testimony of God himself, before he was warned to build an ark. And we may learn,—
Obs. XV. That all right unto spiritual privileges and mercies is by gratuitous adoption.
Obs. XVI. That the righteousness of faith is the best inheritance for thereby we become “heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.”

The Westminster Confession of Faith.
Lesson 8. Introduction [8]. Spiritual Knowledge and Accountibility to God.

Whatever hath been said already, though it concerns every private Christian that hath a soul to look after; yet, upon a double account, it concerns parents and masters, as having themselves and others to look after…

1. The Necessity of Sound Doctrine and the Knowledge of God.
Isaiah 45:19, Jer. 9:6
Polemical: The legalists maintain that sound doctrine is not for the average Christian.
App. Let us strive to prove them wrong.

I. Doctrine. Every soul is subject to God to render an account of all things done in the body. 2 Corinthians 5:10, Rom. 2:6-11
App. Therefore keep your soul with all diligence.
Sub. App. We who are over others have a double duty to keep our own souls as well as the souls of others. As a mother with child is sustaining and feeding her soon to be or new born with the food she digests, so spiritual leaders are to be wary of what they consume, and maintain a healthy diet of godly material for the sake of those under their care and inspection. Dan. 12:3
i. Be zealous for spiritual knowledge.
ii. Avoid worldly material.
iii. Shun heretical ramblings.

2. The duty of the individual.
I. Doctrine. Every Private Christian is accountable to God for his own soul in particular.
i. They are commanded to attend the ordinances with reverence and diligence.
ii. They are commanded to receive good doctrine, lay it to heart and memory and continue in the faith in all boldness and steadfastness, maintaining a good conscience before God and a good name among men.
iii. They are commanded to practice holiness daily, in humility, prayer and the Mortification of sin.

3. The duty of the master.
I. Doctrine. The augmentation of duty.
i. God looks with a keener eye upon masters, teachers , those with peculiar gifts, those with knowledge to do good.
John 13:17, James 1:23-26
ii. They will give an account to God not only concerning themselves but also concerning those under their care. Fathers to children. Pastors to their hearers.
iii. Pastors, teachers and heads of households are commanded to teach their hearers/children diligently in the faith.
a) The faith. Jude 20, 1 Pet. 5:12
b) Christ’s word and doctrine. 1 Cor. 2:2
c) That which builds and edifies.
Phil. 4:8

4. The Promise of God.
i. The Promise. Acts 2:39, Gen, 17:7, 18:19, Isa. 59:21
ii. Faith in the promise. Mark 9:23,
iii. Faith works by love. Gal. 5:6,
iv. Faith relies on God. Luke 18:1-8

5. The judgment of God.
There is only so much room in the ark. Our preaching against sinners is not an invitation for them to join but a judgment of their wicked ways and a true discovery of the only path to salvation that they might be ashamed. God will receive all who call upon Him in faith, but He does not call all to repentance effectually by His Spirit. Christ is the ark, and we are first and immediately concerned with our house.

Concl. App. Therefore how solemn and serious is this undertaking. How straight is the path and how sober minded we are to be through the course of our lives. How alert and watchful over our own hearts and the hearts of others. How necessary is daily prayer. How needful is daily worship and the reading of the scripture and godly works.
If without knowledge we cannot benefit those under our care, let us be single minded in this pursuit.

Closing Prayer.

YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/_3xwoRs3yWI