Psalm 24 Devotional. [8]

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.

Previously we saw the holiness required of the Christian, and the cause of that purity of spirt- that is Christ’s righteousness over and upon him. Now here David sums up the whole by stating that the righteous (or the pure in heart) shall receive righteousness. At first glance this may seem superfluous. Why would we be granted a gift of righteousness if we are already made righteous. Therefore we must see the twofold nature of this verse. First, David means to commend the righteous to the righteousness of God to which they are beholden and at the same time indicate that righteousness is its own reward, moreover that the eternal life that believers are promised is nothing else but everlasting and immutable righteousness. We see from this then that those who have clean hands and a pure heart who have not lifted up their soul unto vanity have one benefactor in whom they have their spiriutual being and to whom they owe all thanksgiving and honor. God Himself as He is the bestower of righteousess must receive the praise, honor and glory for His work in our hearts, purifying us by working faith and uniting us to Christ, as it is written, “purifying their hearts by faith” and again, “ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” and again, “both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren”. Christ is the sanctifier and we are those who are sanctified by his mighty power. Therefore to those who are blessed with the gift of righteousness we must look to the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ, for by His grace we are saved through faith and that not of ourselves, it is the free gift of God. We must also note that inasmuch as we are beholden to God for the gift of righteousness, David means to contrast the reward of the righteous with that of the wicked in the world. For to receive riches, glory, credit, honor, power, and influence may be counted for a reward among the men of this world, but the Psalm saith very effectually on this point, “Blessed is the man that doth not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” testifying that he that is happy and blessed is not he that is in a prosperous outward condition, but he that walks not with the wicked towards doom and destruction, but rather hath his delight in the law of God. So we see this principle echoed and resounded here again where it says, “He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” This is as much to say, “not those who count themselves blessed are blessed, nor those whom the world blesseth, but only those who are truly favored of God and counted among His people, who display certain characteristics, namely piety, sincerity and faithfulness, these shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” For we look not after things of this world, but for that kingdom that cometh from above wherein dwelleth everlasting righteousness. As it is written concerning those who count themselves happy, “And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.” and again, “For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.” Therefore, “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”

John Calvin,
The more effectually to move the minds of the Israelites, David declares that nothing is more desirable than to be numbered among the flock of God, and to be members of the church. We must here consider that there is an implied contrast between true Israelites and those of them who were degenerate and bastards. The more license the wicked give themselves, the more presumptuous are they in pretending to the name of God, as if he were under obligation to them, because they are adorned with the same outward symbols or badges as true believers. Accordingly, the demonstrative pronoun this, in the following verse, is of great weight, for it expressly excludes all that bastard generation which gloried only in the mask of external ceremonies. And in this verse, when he speaks of blessing, he intimates that it is not those who boast of being the servants of God, while they have only the name, who shall be partakers of the promised blessing, but those only who answer to their calling with their whole heart, and without hypocrisy. It is, as we have already observed, a very powerful inducement to godliness and an upright life, when the faithful are assured that they do not lose their labor in following righteousness, since God has in reserve for them a blessing which cannot fail them. The word righteousness may be explained two ways. It either means all the benefits of God, by which he proves himself to be righteous and faithful towards his people in keeping his promises to them, or it denotes the fruit or reward of the believer’s righteousness. Indeed, David’s meaning is abundantly manifest. He intends to show on the one hand, that it is not to be expected that the fruit or reward of righteousness will be bestowed on those who unrighteously profane God’s sacred worship; and on the other hand, that it is impossible for God to disappoint his true worshippers; for it is his peculiar office to give evidence of his righteousness by doing them good.

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Opening Prayer.

Lesson 15. [1.1.4.] The enemies of the Church Smitten with the Word of God. Pt. 1
Matt. 4:4,7,10, Isa. 8:19,20, Eph. 6:16,17, 1 John 3:8, Rev. 19:15, *Ps. 149:6,7, 2 Cor. 10:4,5

*With this two-edged sword the first preachers of the gospel obtained a glorious victory over the powers of darkness; vengeance was executed upon the gods of the heathen, by the conviction and conversion of those that had been long their worshippers, and by the consternation and confusion of those that would not repent (Revelation 6:15); the strongholds of Satan were cast down (2 Chronicles 10:4; 2 Chronicles 10:5); great men were made to tremble at the word, as Felix; Satan, the god of this world, was cast out, according to the judgment given against him. This is the honour of all Christians, that their holy religion has been so victorious. (2.) With this two-edged sword believers fight against their own corruptions, and, through the grace of God, subdue and mortify them; the sin that had dominion over them is crucified; self, that once sat king, is bound with chains and brought into subjection to the yoke of Christ; the tempter is foiled and bruised under their feet. This honour have all the saints. (3.) The complete accomplishment of this will be in the judgment of the great day, when the Lord shall come with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all,Jude 1:14; Jude 1:15. Vengeance shall then be executed upon the heathen (Psalms 9:17), and punishments, everlasting punishments, upon the people. Kings and nobles, that cast away the bands and cords of Christ’s government (Psalms 2:3), shall not be able to cast away the chains and fetters of his wrath and justice. Then shall be executed the judgment written, for the secrets of men shall be judged according to the gospel. This honour shall all the saints have, that, as assessors with Christ, they shall judge the world,1 Corinthians 6:2. In the prospect of that let them praise the Lord, and continue Christ’s faithful servants and soldiers to the end of their lives.
Matthew Henry

Westminster Confession. 1.1.
“Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence, do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation; therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his Church; and afterwards, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church *against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world*, to commit the same wholly unto writing, which maketh the holy Scripture to be most necessary.”

Intro.
I. The enemies of the church in the world, political and ecclesiastical
1. The globalists.
2. Foreign invasion.
3. Muslim Expansion.
4. Liberal Idealism.
5. Sodomite influence.
6. Vanity Fair.
7. Conservative pretenders.
8. The false church.
9. The Roman Catholic Church.
10. The anti-Christ.

II. The Lord permits their rise to hasten their fall.
2 Chronicles 18.

Thomas Brooks Precious Remedies.

The second device that Satan hath to ensnare and destroy the great and honourable of the earth is, Device (2). By engaging them against the people of the Most High, against those that are his jewels, his pleasant portion, the delight of his eye and the joy of his heart. Thus he drew Pharaoh to engage against the children of Israel, and that was his overthrow, Exod. 14. So he engaged Haman against the Jews, and so brought him to hang upon that gallows that he had made for Mordecai, Esther 7. So he engaged those princes and presidents against Daniel, which was the utter ruin of them and their relations, Dan. 6. So in Rev. 20:7–9, ‘And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. And he shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. And they went up upon the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down from heaven and consumed them.’ Now the remedies against this device are these:

Remedy (1). The first remedy against this device of Satan is, solemnly to consider, That none have engaged against the saints, but have been ruined by the God of saints. Divine justice hath been too hard for all that have opposed and engaged against the saints, as is evident in Saul, Pharaoh, Haman, &c: ‘He reproved kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not mine anointed, nor do my prophets no harm,’ Ps. 105:15. When men of Balaam spirits and principles have been engaged against the saints, how hath the angel of the Lord met them in the way, and justled their bones against the wall! how hath he broke their backs and necks, and by his drawn sword cut them off in the prime of their days, and in the height of their sins! Ah! what a harvest hath hell had in our days, of those who have engaged against the Lamb, and those that are called chosen and faithful! Ah! how hath divine justice poured out their blood as water upon the ground! how hath he laid their honour and glory in the dust, who, in the pride and madness of their hearts, said, as Pharaoh, ‘We will pursue we will overtake, we will divide the spoil, our lusts shall be satisfied upon them. We will draw our sword, our hand shall destroy them,’ Exod. 15:9. In the things wherein they have spoken and done proudly, justice hath been above them. History abounds in nothing more than in instances of this kind, &c.

Remedy (2). The second remedy against this device of Satan is, To dwell some time every morning upon the following scriptures, wherein God hath engaged himself to stand by his people and for his people, and to make them victorious over the greatest and wisest of their enemies. Associate yourselves, saith the Lord by the prophet, ‘O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.’ ‘Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel: I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer, the holy One of Israel. Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them, and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, and shalt glory in the holy One of Israel.’ ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.’ ‘Now also many nations are gathered together against thee that say, Let us be defiled, and let our eye look upon Sion. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel; for he shall gather them as sheaves into the floor. Arise and thresh, O daughter of Sion: I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoof brass, and thou shalt beat in pieces many people, and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.’ ‘Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege, both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.’

Remedy (3). The third remedy against this device of Satan is, to consider, That you cannot engage against the saints, but you must engage against God himself, by reason of that near and blessed union that is between God and them. You cannot be fighters against the saints, but you will be found in the casting up of the account to be fighters against God himself. And what greater madness than for weakness itself to engage against an almighty strength! The near union that is between the Lord and believers, is set forth by that near union that is betwixt a husband and his wife. ‘They two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church; we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones,’ saith the apostle, Eph. 5:32. This near union is set forth by that union that is between the head and the members, which make up one body, and by that union that is betwixt the graff and the stock, which are made one by insition. The union between the Lord and a believer is so near, that you cannot strike a believer, but the Lord is sensible of it, and takes it as done to himself. ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?’ Acts 9:4; and ‘in all their afflictions he was afflicted,’ &c., Isa. 63:9. Ah, souls! who ever engaged against God and prospered? who ever took up the sword against him but perished by it? God can speak you to hell and nod you to hell at pleasure. It is your greatest concernment to lay down your weapons at his feet, and to ‘Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the midway,’ Ps. 2:12.

Lesson. Pt. 1.

1. The world Smitten. Rev. 19:15-16, Ps. 149:6-9
i. God reveals Himself to His church and not the world. Ps. 147:19-20, John 17:1-3
ii. Their judgment foretold. Acts 13:48-49, Rom 9, Ps. 9:17, Jude 14-15
iii. The ways of iniquity condemned. Rev. 22:14-15, Gal. 5:16-24, 1 Pet. 4:1-5

Conclusion.

Closing Prayer.

YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/Sc-pVbyS8AA