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 before the main principles set forth in this Psalm, that it is a Psalm of Christ’s kingship and governance over the whole world. For inasmuch as Christ is a Shepherd, guiding his people tenderly by His Spirit, we ought also to see that as sovereign king He reigns above all, and hath all power over all flesh in His hands to do with them as He will. And this is the import of these words, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all that therein is; the world, and they that dwell in it.” as we also see in the prophets, “Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?” Therefore as all men are in the hands of God for Him to do with them as He would, so may no man rightly complain of God’s dealing with them. As it is written, “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” And here God’s sovereign dominion is set in contrast with heathen philosophy which teaches that God is passive, or distant, or no longer concerned with what occurs on the earth. The scripture teaches differently, that God reigneth over all, and governs all things by His mighty word, and that He judges men carefully, closely, and with intense scrutiny, so that when He comes to judge them on the last day, all their sins shall be set before Him as judge, and He will give a perfect account of their evil deeds that were an infinite offense of His majesty. As it is written, “The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.” and again, “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.” and again, “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Therefore if God who is Lord and governor over all the earth judges us so closely and strictly, let us as many as are spiritual keep watch over the heart, and practice true devotion and holiness, that He might not offended, that the Spirit may not be grieved, and we might not be ashamed before Him. As it is written, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” So let us walk in holiness and love one another as He has given us commandment, even as The earth is the Lord’s, and all that therein is.

Calvin,
We will find in many other places the children of Abraham compared with all the rest of mankind, that the free goodness of God, in selecting them from all other nations, and in embracing them with his favor, may shine forth the more conspicuously. The object of the beginning of the psalm is to show that the Jews had nothing of themselves which could entitle them to approach nearer or more familiarly to God than the Gentiles. As God by his providence preserves the world, the power of his government is alike extended to all, so that he ought to be worshipped by all, even as he also shows to all men, without exception, the fatherly care he has about them. But since he preferred the Jews to all other nations, it was indispensably necessary that there should be some sacred bond of connection between him and them, which might distinguish them from the heathen nations. By this argument David invites and exhorts them to holiness. He tells them that it was reasonable that those whom God had adopted as his children, should bear certain marks peculiar to themselves, and not be altogether like strangers. Not that he incites them to endeavor to prejudice God against others, in order to gain his exclusive favor; but he teaches them, from the end or design of their election, that they shall then have secured to them the firm and peaceful possession of the honor which God had conferred upon them above other nations, when they devote themselves to an upright and holy life. In vain would they have been collected together into a distinct body, as the peculiar people of God, if they did not apply themselves to the cultivation of holiness. In short, the Psalmist pronounces God to be the King of the whole world, to let all men know that, even by the law of nature, they are bound to serve him. And by declaring that he made a covenant of salvation with a small portion of mankind, and by the erection of the tabernacle, gave the children of Abraham the symbol of his presence, thereby to assure them of his dwelling in the midst of them, he teaches them that they must endeavor to have purity of heart and of hands, if they would be accounted the members of his sacred family.

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Opening Prayer.

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The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Lesson 9. Introduction [9]. The Nature of God and the use of the Confession to engender the true knowledge of Him.

Intro.

Bullinger on the Knowledge of God. (4-3)

“Therefore, when we read that Moses saw God face to face, and that Jacob, Israel, and the prophets saw God plainly and not obscurely, what is meant is that a vision most manifest, effectual, and very familiar was exhibited to them. For truly, said Theodoret, the bishop of Cyrus: “We say that the fathers did not see the divine nature or substance—which cannot be circumscribed, comprehended, or perceived in the mind of man, but itself comprehends all things. But we say that they saw a certain glory and certain visions, which correlated to their capacity, and did not surpass the measure of it.”
For these assured sentences of the holy scripture always remain most true: “No man ever saw God at any time” (John 1:18). “God dwells in the light that no man can attain unto, whom no man has seen nor can see” (1 Timothy 6:16). And again, “No man shall see my face, and live” (Exodus 33:20); that is, so long as he lives on this earth in the corruption and imperfection of his flesh, no man shall behold the essence of God, which is eternal and light that cannot be looked upon. For once we are delivered from this corruption and are glorified, then we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2). Therefore, God is said to have been seen by the fathers, not according to the fullness of his divinity, but according to the capacity of men. Tertullian thinks that all things in the Old Testament were done by God the Father through the Son, who, taking upon himself a competent shape, appeared to men and spoke to the fathers. In the beginning of his epistle to the Hebrews, Paul significantly speaks of the Son of God incarnate, not absolutely denying that the Father ever did anything by the Son. Tertullian says: “To the Son was given all power in heaven and on earth. But that power could not be of all things, unless it were of every time. Therefore, it was the Son who always descended to talk with men, from Adam to the patriarchs and prophets, in vision, in dream, in a mirror, and oracle. So it always pleased God to be familiar with men in the earth, being none other than the Word who afterward was to be made flesh. And it pleased him to so make a way for us to faith, that we might more easily perceive that the Son of God descended into the world, and that we might know that such a thing was done.” After this introduction, we will now add the visions of God’s majesty exhibited to holy men.

God exhibited to his servants many and sundry visions in which, in a way, he foreshadowed his majesty to them. It would be too long a labor for me to repeat and expound to you all of these visions. You shall find the most notable ones in Exodus 19, Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 1, Daniel 7, and in the Apocalypse of the blessed evangelist and apostle John. It is sufficient to put you in mind of them. But now, the most renowned and excellent one of all, I will recite here and handle at large. It is found in the thirty-third and thirty-fourth chapters of Exodus. Moses had trial of the facility and goodness of God, and that there was nothing which he obtained that was not at God’s hand. Therefore, he takes it upon himself to boldly ask this also of the Lord: to see God in his substance, glory, and majesty; which all the true wise men of every age only wished and longed for. For Moses says: “Because I understand that you, O God, wish me well, and that you can deny nothing, I beseech you, then: show me your glory.” That is, allow me, I pray you, to see you as you are in your glorious substance and majesty. Now, in answering this request, which is the greatest of all others, God says to him: “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will cry the name of the Lord, or in the name of the Lord, before you” (Exodus 33:19).

In these words, he promises two things to Moses. The one is, “All my goodness shall pass before you.” But this chief good of God can be nothing else than the good and mighty God himself, or rather, the Word of God—I say, the very beloved Son of God, in whom we believe that all the treasures of wisdom, divinity, goodness, and perfection are placed and laid up. For he set before Moses’ eyes his appearance in a human and visible shape, that same appearance he would have at the end of the world, incarnate. The other thing that he promised is this: “I will cry the name of the Lord, or in the name of the Lord, before you;” that is, I will proclaim the names of my glory, by which you may understand who I am, and see me in your mind. But now, so that no man should attribute so excellent a vision to the merit of Moses, the Lord adds a subsequent sentence. This vision does not happen to you because of your own merit. For “without man’s merits I reveal myself to whom I will, and without respect of persons I will have compassion on whom it pleases me.” This consideration of the free grace and liberal goodness of God greatly belongs to the true knowledge of God. Then the Lord continues, and more significantly declares to Moses in what manner and order he will exhibit or show himself to him. “You may not in this life see my face;” that is, you may not fully see me in my substance; for that is reserved for the blessed spirits and glorified bodies in the world to come. I will therefore show myself to you in this fashion. You shall go up into the mountain; there in a rock I will show you a cleft, in which you shall place yourself: and I will lay my hand upon you, that is, a cloud, or some such thing, so that, as I come toward you, you may not look directly in my face. You shall go up into the mountain; there, in a rock, I will show you a cleft, in which you shall place yourself. I will lay my hand upon you—that is, a cloud or some such covering—so that, as I come toward you, you may not look directly upon my face. In this phrase of speech, the Lord imitates the custom of men, whose manner is to spread their hands over the eyes of someone they wish to prevent from beholding something closely.

The Lord then adds: “And in the meantime, I will pass by;” that is, the image which I take, namely, the shape of a man, in which I will exhibit myself to be seen, shall pass by before you. And once I am past, so that you cannot see my face, I will take away the hand with which I hid your eyes, and then you shall behold the back of the figure, or my hinder parts. Now the hinder parts of God are the words and deeds of God, which he leaves behind him, so that we may learn by them to know him. Again, beholding God’s face is taken for the most exact and precise knowledge of God; but those who see the back only, do not know as well as those who see the face. In the hinder or latter times of the world, God sent his Son into the world, born of a woman; whoever beholds him in faith does not see the Godhead in his humanity, but by his words and deeds, they know who God is, and so they see the Father in the Son. For they learn that God is the chief good, and that the Son of God is God, being co-equal and of the same substance with the Father.
Now let us see how God (according to this promise he made) exhibited himself to be seen by Moses. Moses, rising up early, ascends the mountain cheerfully to the rock which the Lord had shown him, placing himself in the cleft. He looks eagerly for the vision or revelation of God. At length, the Lord descended in a cloud and came upon the mountain to the cleft of the rock in which Moses waited for him. And presently, when Moses’ face was hidden, the figure of God passed by before him—that is, the shape of a man which God took upon himself. And when the back of the figure was toward Moses, so that he could no longer see its face, the Lord took his hand away, and Moses beheld the hinder parts of him. By this, he gathered that God would one day—in the latter times of the world—be incarnate and revealed to the world.

Once the Lord had gone past, he cried out as he promised, and as in a certain catalogue, he reckoned up his names by which, as in a shadow, he declared His nature. For he said:
“Jehovah, Jehovah, God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth; keeping mercy in store for thousands, forgiving wickedness, transgression, and sin; and yet not allowing the wicked to escape unpunished, visiting the wickedness of the fathers upon the children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation” (Exodus 34:6-7).

What else is this than if God had said:
‘I am the uncreated essence, being of myself from before all beginning, who gives being to all things and keeps all things in being. I am a strong and almighty God. I do not abuse my might, for I am gentle and merciful. I love my creatures, and man especially, on whom I wholly yearn in the bowels of love and mercy. I am rich and bountiful, and ready at all times to help my creatures. I freely, without recompense, give all that I bestow. I am long-suffering and not irritable to anger or hasty to revenge, as mankind is. I am no niggard or envious, as wealthy men in the world usually are. I am most liberal and bountiful, rejoicing to be shared among my people and to heap up benefits upon the faithful. Moreover, I am true and faithful; I deceive no man; I lie about nothing. What I promise, I stand to and faithfully perform it. I neither can nor do so waste my riches that, at length, all is spent, and I myself am drawn dry. For I keep good turns in store for a thousand generations, so that even if the former age never lived so wealthily with my riches, yet those who are still to come and be born—even till the end of the world—shall nevertheless find in me enough to suffice and satisfy their desire. For I am the well-spring of good that cannot be drawn dry; and if any man sins against me and afterward repents of it, I am not unappeasable. For of my own free will, I forgive errors, sins, and heinous crimes. And yet, let no man therefore think that I am delighted with sins, or that I am a patron of wicked-doers. For I, even I, punish wicked and impenitent men and chasten even those who are my own, that thereby I may keep them in order and office. But let no man think that he may sin and escape unpunished because he sees that his ancestors sinned and were not punished—that is, sinned and were not utterly cut off and wiped out. For I reserve revenge till a just and full time, and I so behave myself, that all are compelled to confess me to be a God of judgment.’

Now, when Moses the servant of God had heard and seen these things, he made haste, fell down prostrate to the earth, and worshipped. Let us also do the same, being surely certified that the Lord will not grant, so long as we live in this transitory world, to reveal himself and his glory any more fully or publicly than he was exhibited to us in Christ his Son. Therefore, let the things that sufficed Moses suffice us also. Let the knowledge of Christ suffice and content us.”

Epistle to the Christian Reader.

**Our Second Advice Concerns Heads of Families, in Respect of Their Families**

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: some there are, who, because of their ignorance, cannot; others, because of their sluggishness, will not mind this duty. To the former we propound the method of Joshua, who first began with himself, and then is careful of his family. To the latter we shall only hint, what a dreadful meeting those parents and masters must have at that great day, with their children and servants, when all that were under their inspection shall not only accuse them, but charge their eternal miscarrying upon their score.

Never did any age of the Church enjoy such choice helps as this of ours. Every age of the gospel hath had its Creeds, Confessions, Catechisms, and such breviaries and models of divinity as have been singularly useful. Such forms of sound words (however in these days decried) have been in use in the Church ever since God himself wrote the Decalogue, as a summary of things to be done; and Christ taught us that prayer of his, as a directory what to ask. Concerning the usefulness of such compendiary systems, so much hath been said already by a learned divine of this age, as is sufficient to satisfy all who are not resolved to remain unsatisfied.

Concerning the particular excellency of these ensuing treatises, we judge it unneedful to mention those eminent testimonies which have been given them from persons of known worth, in respect of their judgment, learning, and integrity, both at home and abroad, because themselves spake so much their own praise; gold stands not in need of varnish, nor diamonds of painting: give us leave only to tell you, that we cannot but account it an eminent mercy to enjoy such helps as these are.

It is ordinary in these days for men to speak evil of things they know not; but if any are possessed with mean thoughts of these treatises, we shall only give the same counsel to them that Philip gives Nathanael, Come and see, John i. 46. It is no small advantage the reader now hath, by the addition of scriptures at large, whereby with little pains he may more profit, because with every truth he may behold its scripture foundation. And, indeed, considering what a Babel of opinions, what a strange confusion of tongues, there is this day among them who profess they speak the language of Canaan, there is no intelligent person but will conclude that advice of the prophet especially suited to such an age as this, Isa. viii. 20, To the law, and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

If the reverend and learned composers of these ensuing treatises were willing to take the pains of annexing scripture proofs to every truth, that the faith of people might not be built upon the dictates of men, but the authority of God, so some considerable pains hath now been further taken in transcribing those scriptures; partly to prevent that grand inconvenience, (which all former impressions, except the Latin, have abounded with, to the great perplexing and disheartening of the reader,) the misquotation of scripture, the meanest reader being able, by having the words at large, to rectify whatever mistake may be in the printer in citing the particular place; partly, to prevent the trouble of turning to every proof, which could not but be very great; partly, to help the memories of such who are willing to take the pains of turning to every proof, but are unable to retain what they read; and partly, that this may serve as a Bible commonplace, the several passages of scripture, which are scattered up and down in the word, being in this book reduced to their proper head, and thereby giving light each to other.

The advantages, you see, in this design, are many and great; the way to spiritual knowledge is hereby made more easy, and the ignorance of this age more inexcusable. If, therefore, there be any spark in you of love to God, be not content that any of yours should be ignorant of him whom you so much admire, or any haters of him whom you so much love. If there be any compassion to the souls of them who are under your care, if any regard of your being found faithful in the day of Christ, if any respect to future generations, labour to sow these seeds of knowledge, which may grow up in after-times.

That you may be faithful herein, is the earnest prayer of:

**Henry Wilkinson, John Fuller, Edward Perkins, Richard Kentish, James Nalton, Ralph Venning, Alexander Pringle, Roger Drake, Thomas Goodwin, Jeremiah Burwell, William Wickins, William Taylor, Matthew Pool, Joseph Church, Thomas Watson, Samuel Annesley, William Bates, Has. Bridges, John Jackson, Thomas Gouge, John Loder, Samuel Smith, John Seabrooke, Charles Offspring, Francis Raworth, Samuel Rowles, John Peachie, Arthur Jackson, William Cooper, John Glascock, James Jollife, John Cross, William Jenkin, Leo. Cooke, Obadiah Lee, Samuel Clerk, Thomas Manton, John Sheffield, Samuel Slater, Thomas Jacomb, Matthew Haviland, William Whitaker, George Griffiths, William Blackmore.**

I. Sinners are in a woeful condition. We are delivered through the knowledge of God.
Doctrine and practice vs ignorance and blindness.
1. The woeful condition of ignorance. We cannot help our neighbor. We cannot be instruments of grace to our family.
App. Beware of ignorance, and knowledge for the sake of boasting.
2. The woeful condition of indolence. We are under constant scrutiny. We have need to press into the kingdom.
App. Beware of indolence, and zeal without knowledge.
Proverbs 24:30-34
3. We are not left without a guide.
i. The witness of scripture.
ii. The witness of history. (The use of the Confession)
4. The end of ignorance and indolence is death. The loss of our soul, the loss of the souls under our care. Not every loss is charged to our account. Be sure that it is not.
There is no path to heaven but zeal and holy courage.
“the violent take it by force”
Knowledge produces holy zeal. (see Thomas Watson’s treatise on the Christian Soldier)
The tendency of our Lord’s statement is to show, that those who pass by in a contemptuous manner, and as it were with closed eyes, the power of God, which manifestly appears both in the teacher and in the hearers, are inexcusable. Let us also learn from these words, what is the true nature and operation of faith. It leads men not only to give, cold and indifferent assent when God speaks, but to cherish warm affection towards Him, and to rush forward as it were with a violent struggle.
(Calvin)

II. The mercy of God in the dispensation of His Spirit.
1. To be given the knowledge of God is a singular gift. See the history of the patriarchs. Gen. 17. Exodus 33-34 (Bullinger)
App. We know God by His promises and the performance of them. His goodness and mercy to promise. His faithfulness and truth to perform it.
2. To be given an apt expression of the gospel is a greater gift. See Isa. 53, Jer. 31:31.
3. To be given the clear light of the gospel even greater. See 2 Corinthians 4:6, John 3:16, Ephesians 2:1-10,
4. To be given clear words that eminently and manifestly declare the glory of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ therefore is the greatest gift and a sure manifestation of God’s grace. See the whole WCF and Catechisms. (exhortation to read them daily, and continually, connect the context with Christian zeal for the truth)
App. We cannot know God apart from doctrine. We cannot know Christ apart from doctrine. Anyone who denies the chief articles of the faith as declared in this Confession is guilty of high treason against God, denying His witness, heresy of the first order, and is condemned by scripture as a rebel and a despiser of his holy word. Acts 13:38-41
(see Obadiah Sedgwick on the nature and danger of heresy)
It is unacceptable to resort to heresy under the pretense of ignorance when there are so many helps available to prevent it. The grace of God is necessary to keep us from error. The Confession leaves us without excuse for it and is a sure help for the Christian.

III. The nature and use of creeds and confessions. (confessions in general, Westminster in particular)
1. To set down and put to writing the fundamental points of the faith in logical form.
2. To furnish the church with edifying material to contemplate and sanctify and build in our most holy faith.
3. To refute errors and heresy in the church.
4. To promote Christian unity on account of the truth being confessed, not unity for the sake of unity.
App. i. Believe the confessions, don’t stray from their strict and precise language.
ii. Those who do stray are outsiders of the faith. Either these divines were sent by God, or you are required to bring forth proof of disagreement with scripture. The Confession is furnished with proof texts.
App. Therefore use them in private devotion and reading, and family worship. Read a portion of scripture and a portion of the confession or catechism at family worship, declaring that this doctrine is ratified and confirmed by the family as authoritative doctrine.

Conclusion.

Closing Prayer.

YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/IOhMfhYq88I