WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.440 We're going to read God's word together and Mary, one of our staff, is going to come and lead us in reading before David comes to teach. 00:00:07.080 --> 00:00:09.080 Psalm 24, a Psalm of David. 00:00:09.580 --> 00:00:14.200 The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. 00:00:14.679 --> 00:00:18.379 For he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:23.179 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place? 00:00:23.179 --> 00:00:30.460 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully, 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:35.259 he will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 00:00:35.980 --> 00:00:40.239 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. 00:00:41.980 --> 00:00:47.899 Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 00:00:47.899 --> 00:00:53.280 Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty. The Lord, mighty in battle. 00:00:54.299 --> 00:00:59.679 Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 00:01:00.200 --> 00:01:04.420 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts. He is the King of glory. 00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:08.140 Thank you, Mary. 00:01:08.140 --> 00:01:17.560 A few years ago, the first official portrait of King Charles was revealed to the public, 00:01:18.379 --> 00:01:21.920 painted by the renowned artist Jonathan Yeo. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:27.460 The canvas is large, eight and a half feet by six and a half feet, 00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:32.280 features His Majesty wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:35.240 of which he, I think, is their regimental colonel. 00:01:35.239 --> 00:01:40.319 It's a very striking, very unusual picture or portrait. 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:45.560 It's one that's created no shortage of comments at the time. 00:01:45.979 --> 00:01:50.479 Some people really loved it. Other people really hated it. 00:01:51.259 --> 00:01:54.419 There was an unveiling ceremony in Draper's Hall in London, 00:01:54.759 --> 00:01:59.479 and the artist there spoke of his gratitude for being given the opportunity 00:01:59.479 --> 00:02:02.840 to capture such an extraordinary and unique person, 00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:06.600 especially at the historic moment of becoming King. 00:02:08.120 --> 00:02:14.759 This morning, I'd like us to turn to look at, as it were, the portrait of another King. 00:02:15.319 --> 00:02:17.280 Not an earthly King or ruler, however. 00:02:17.780 --> 00:02:24.620 Here is an altogether greater King being portrayed for us in Psalm 24. 00:02:25.740 --> 00:02:30.920 Here is the one who was truly King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 00:02:30.919 --> 00:02:37.419 And the focus of the psalm is upon Yahweh, upon God as King. 00:02:38.019 --> 00:02:44.779 In each of its three sections, it is revealed to us and celebrates a different aspect of God's 00:02:44.779 --> 00:02:46.939 kingly character and rule. 00:02:47.259 --> 00:02:51.719 And it's a psalm that kind of challenges us not just to observe and to look, 00:02:51.719 --> 00:02:59.379 but one that invites us to welcome this God, this King, into our very own lives. 00:02:59.699 --> 00:03:04.659 So what I want to do, very briefly, I always say briefly, it never really ends up that way, 00:03:04.780 --> 00:03:10.419 but I'll say it anyway, briefly, at each of these kind of three stanzas, as it were, 00:03:10.939 --> 00:03:18.740 and see if the psalmist can help us see the one who is the King of Kings clearly and accurately. 00:03:18.740 --> 00:03:24.140 So the first stanza we have, I think, what we'll call the King of Creation. 00:03:24.900 --> 00:03:26.260 Look at verses 1 and 2. 00:03:26.840 --> 00:03:31.700 The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, 00:03:32.100 --> 00:03:37.140 for He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. 00:03:38.160 --> 00:03:43.080 So the psalmist begins in a very bold, uncompromising fashion. 00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:50.680 He declares that the earth and all that fills it belongs to Yahweh and to no other. 00:03:51.820 --> 00:03:55.260 All within it, all who live in it belong to Him. 00:03:55.480 --> 00:03:57.140 Everything is His. 00:03:57.600 --> 00:03:59.160 He owns it all. 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:02.520 He is this world's true proprietor. 00:04:03.600 --> 00:04:08.580 The old chorus puts it, He has the whole world in His hands. 00:04:08.580 --> 00:04:14.620 The God of the Bible is not some parochial deity. 00:04:15.460 --> 00:04:19.120 He is Lord over all the earth, the God of creation, 00:04:19.939 --> 00:04:27.480 before whom all people stand accountable as individuals, as communities, and as nations. 00:04:28.400 --> 00:04:33.660 And this is not something that the Bible discusses or debates or argues about. 00:04:33.660 --> 00:04:35.320 It simply declares it. 00:04:35.380 --> 00:04:36.340 It assumes it. 00:04:37.880 --> 00:04:40.780 Everything is His. 00:04:41.580 --> 00:04:47.600 This is the fundamental reality that underpins all human existence. 00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:51.040 The psalmist says here, 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:59.940 He alone has laid the foundations of the world upon the seas and continues to maintain it upon the waters. 00:04:59.939 --> 00:05:06.899 And that means that He is both creator and sustainer of all things. 00:05:07.139 --> 00:05:12.199 And the language there is very much designed to convey a sense of stability. 00:05:12.860 --> 00:05:13.920 We'll look at the words there. 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:15.240 Founded it. 00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:16.699 Established it. 00:05:18.120 --> 00:05:19.759 Yahweh has done this because, 00:05:20.019 --> 00:05:25.220 and so there is structure and solidity and shape to everything that has been made. 00:05:25.879 --> 00:05:26.800 There is pattern. 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:26.860 There is pattern. 00:05:29.939 --> 00:05:32.879 This is not a world of total unpredictability. 00:05:33.639 --> 00:05:36.660 It's not a world of complete chaos and disorder, 00:05:36.660 --> 00:05:39.439 because there is one who is in control. 00:05:40.019 --> 00:05:43.459 There is one who stands above the earth and its inhabitants. 00:05:43.459 --> 00:05:49.519 There is one who continues to uphold and to sustain all that He has made. 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:53.279 In the ancient world of the psalmist, 00:05:53.719 --> 00:05:59.699 the nations around Israel worshipped a plethora of different pagan deities. 00:06:00.439 --> 00:06:07.359 Scholars often note how many of these societies were very anxious and fearful cultures. 00:06:08.500 --> 00:06:13.159 And I think that's down to the very nature of paganism itself. 00:06:13.160 --> 00:06:18.760 These various gods were competing and vying with one another all the time. 00:06:19.300 --> 00:06:21.300 No one, it appeared, was in control. 00:06:21.900 --> 00:06:22.900 Nothing was certain. 00:06:23.280 --> 00:06:24.120 Nothing was sure. 00:06:24.439 --> 00:06:26.320 Nothing could be trusted. 00:06:27.420 --> 00:06:30.480 A truly fearful and anxious world. 00:06:32.440 --> 00:06:37.480 Interestingly, it's increasingly the kind of world that we seem to be living in today. 00:06:37.480 --> 00:06:40.980 An age of perpetual anxiety. 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:48.000 Modern technology, rather than bring promised peace and stability, 00:06:48.759 --> 00:06:55.800 has instead, it seems, created a society that is constantly unsettled, uncertain, on edge. 00:06:56.700 --> 00:07:00.860 The very systems designed to provide information and connection 00:07:00.860 --> 00:07:04.920 have instead fueled fear and division and instability. 00:07:04.920 --> 00:07:12.060 We, it seems, live in an increasingly fragmented, fragile, and anxious world. 00:07:13.060 --> 00:07:18.980 And yet the call here is not to live in fear, but to live in faith. 00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:26.080 To live with faith in the living God, in the one who is the king over all his creation. 00:07:26.819 --> 00:07:30.960 And this is what the psalmist is highlighting here in these opening words. 00:07:30.959 --> 00:07:37.379 They enshrine a very different perspective to the fear-filled world of ancient paganism. 00:07:38.259 --> 00:07:41.859 The psalmist tells us here, there is someone in control. 00:07:42.359 --> 00:07:44.560 There is one who holds it all together. 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:51.699 There is one God, the Lord, to whom all the earth and, indeed, the whole world belong. 00:07:52.279 --> 00:07:55.019 There is a king who sits on the throne of the universe. 00:07:55.019 --> 00:08:03.500 And that is a wonderful truth designed to bring us comfort and consolation amid the restlessness 00:08:03.500 --> 00:08:07.740 and fear that so often threatens to cast us down. 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:13.979 Herman Bavinck, in his book, The Wonderful Works of God, says this, 00:08:13.980 --> 00:08:23.000 The despondent Christian, by a faith in God's creation and providence, raises his head up high. 00:08:24.080 --> 00:08:29.680 No devil but God the Almighty, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, created the world. 00:08:30.060 --> 00:08:36.980 It is in its entirety and in its parts the work of his hands and of his hands alone. 00:08:36.980 --> 00:08:41.200 Once he created it, he did not let it go. 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:51.320 Friends, this sometimes crazy world of disasters and calamities, disappointments and death, sickness and sin, 00:08:51.660 --> 00:08:53.200 of wickedness and great evil. 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:56.379 Friends, it is still God's world. 00:08:57.300 --> 00:09:02.060 He has not let it go, and he has promised never to let it go, 00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:10.759 because he is in the business of redeeming and renewing this fallen creation through the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:13.660 To quote Bavinck again, 00:09:14.300 --> 00:09:23.000 Behind all secondary causes there lurks and works the almighty will of an almighty God and a faithful Father. 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:29.399 And so, as we explore this universe, as we enjoy this world that God has made, 00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:33.620 as we work in it, as we discover more of its grandeur and beauty, 00:09:33.820 --> 00:09:37.559 we come to see that it's all the theater of his glory. 00:09:38.860 --> 00:09:43.580 We come to see and wonder at the one who lies behind it all. 00:09:44.840 --> 00:09:49.100 Yes, we live in a fallen world and a broken world and a sinful world, 00:09:49.100 --> 00:09:52.060 but nonetheless, it is still God's world. 00:09:53.560 --> 00:09:58.580 And in the New Testament, we discover that it's in Jesus, the eternal Son of God, 00:09:59.220 --> 00:10:02.940 that all things have come into being and indeed are held together. 00:10:03.320 --> 00:10:05.500 Paul tells the Christians at Colossae, 00:10:05.500 --> 00:10:20.840 Jesus Christ is this world's true ruler and king. 00:10:21.460 --> 00:10:23.059 He is the king of creation, 00:10:23.059 --> 00:10:29.859 And as such, he calls all peoples and all nations to come and to worship him. 00:10:30.739 --> 00:10:35.719 All people that on earth do dwell, sing to the Lord with cheerful voice. 00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:39.099 Him serve with mirth, his praise foretell. 00:10:39.399 --> 00:10:42.079 Come ye before him and rejoice. 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:47.800 Our world, our nations, our very lives belong to him. 00:10:48.360 --> 00:10:53.420 And only when we begin to see that and acknowledge him as the king of creation, 00:10:54.259 --> 00:10:58.320 do we begin to discover life's true meaning and purpose. 00:10:58.940 --> 00:11:07.160 Because only he, the creator, can give us the security and the stability and the peace 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:11.159 that as human beings we so desperately crave. 00:11:11.980 --> 00:11:16.019 The king over all things, the king of creation. 00:11:17.459 --> 00:11:22.139 But you'll notice that this great king of creation is also secondly here, 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:25.059 what we'll term the king of righteousness. 00:11:25.839 --> 00:11:28.120 And that's in verses 3 through 6. 00:11:29.059 --> 00:11:32.259 We have these verses begin with the question, 00:11:32.379 --> 00:11:33.860 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? 00:11:34.079 --> 00:11:36.100 Who shall stand in his holy place? 00:11:36.100 --> 00:11:39.180 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, 00:11:39.320 --> 00:11:43.279 who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. 00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:49.080 He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 00:11:49.920 --> 00:11:52.980 Such is the generation of those who seek him, 00:11:53.740 --> 00:11:55.899 who seek the face of the God of Jacob. 00:11:57.560 --> 00:12:01.779 So in these verses, the picture switches, as it were, 00:12:01.779 --> 00:12:09.500 from the kind of cosmic arena of the opening stanza to a much more intimate one of pilgrimage and worship. 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:13.959 The references here to the mountain or the hill of the Lord, 00:12:14.199 --> 00:12:18.839 his holy place, relate to Jerusalem, to the temple on Mount Zion. 00:12:19.259 --> 00:12:24.299 It's where the ark of the covenant that contained the law was placed in the Holy of Holies. 00:12:24.299 --> 00:12:28.959 Those ten commandments were themselves a reflection of God's character, 00:12:29.719 --> 00:12:33.699 a declaration to his people that he was righteous and holy. 00:12:35.459 --> 00:12:42.419 And thus the hill of the Lord with its temple was the earthly symbol of God's kingship, 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:46.819 was viewed as the place of God's special presence with his people. 00:12:46.820 --> 00:12:50.340 And so the question is asked, 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:54.100 who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? 00:12:54.260 --> 00:12:57.300 Who then can draw near to this great king? 00:12:57.379 --> 00:12:58.480 Who can approach him? 00:12:58.900 --> 00:13:02.379 Who can come close to this holy and righteous God? 00:13:03.780 --> 00:13:06.080 And then another question is posed, 00:13:06.580 --> 00:13:09.680 and who shall stand in his holy place? 00:13:10.600 --> 00:13:14.420 One thing, to ascend and draw near, quite another to stand. 00:13:14.419 --> 00:13:19.659 Who can remain before the presence of this holy God? 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:22.759 Who can remain safely in his presence? 00:13:24.259 --> 00:13:26.319 And again, the answer is given. 00:13:27.059 --> 00:13:30.439 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, 00:13:30.699 --> 00:13:33.519 who does not lift up his soul to what is false, 00:13:34.379 --> 00:13:36.779 and does not swear deceitfully. 00:13:38.299 --> 00:13:42.519 Worshippers who would draw near to God must do so with clean hands. 00:13:42.519 --> 00:13:46.699 A pure heart, honest lips. 00:13:48.220 --> 00:13:54.439 No one can just nonchalantly amble into the presence of this great and righteous king. 00:13:55.240 --> 00:13:57.579 Approaching God is a serious business. 00:13:58.980 --> 00:14:05.579 And that mention of clean hands is really a reference to innocent conduct or behavior. 00:14:06.179 --> 00:14:07.379 A blameless life. 00:14:07.379 --> 00:14:12.299 I wonder if who of us can claim that this morning. 00:14:13.419 --> 00:14:16.860 But you'll notice not simply outward actions that are highlighted here. 00:14:17.139 --> 00:14:19.620 A pure heart is also required. 00:14:20.019 --> 00:14:24.220 This holy and blameless life must be inward as well as outward. 00:14:24.220 --> 00:14:29.420 Then we have that phrase, does not lift up his soul to what is false. 00:14:29.480 --> 00:14:31.560 That is a description of idolatry. 00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:35.160 There can be no divided affections or loyalty. 00:14:35.660 --> 00:14:38.379 The worshiper must be wholly committed to Yahweh. 00:14:40.379 --> 00:14:45.320 And then finally, the worshiper's speech must be marked with integrity and honesty. 00:14:46.040 --> 00:14:47.940 Lies and deceit are to have no place. 00:14:47.940 --> 00:14:55.240 So, what we have here is cleanness of hands, pureness of heart, and trueness of tongue. 00:14:58.620 --> 00:15:09.320 Many of you may be aware that the World Cup, the Football World Cup, is presently taking place in the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico. 00:15:09.320 --> 00:15:19.180 And here in the UK, we are often reminded of England's famous World Cup final triumph of 1966. 00:15:20.520 --> 00:15:29.940 And sometimes, indeed, every time one of these championships comes along on TV, they will show a replay of that match against Germany. 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:32.700 The replay of the whole match. 00:15:32.700 --> 00:15:47.879 And if you look closely at the footage of that, and I'm not suggesting that you're going to rush out and do that, but right at the end of when England won the World Cup in 1966, 00:15:48.259 --> 00:15:55.320 the captain, Bobby Moore, goes up to receive the Jules Rimet trophy from the Queen. 00:15:55.320 --> 00:16:06.500 And if you watch the pictures, you see him preparing himself to shake hands with the Queen and to receive the trophy. 00:16:07.879 --> 00:16:12.280 And the Queen is decked, and she's got these big long white gloves on. 00:16:13.040 --> 00:16:20.620 And as he approaches, you see him seeing that his own hands are caked in filth and mud. 00:16:20.620 --> 00:16:29.039 And you see him desperately trying to clean his hands on his shorts before he goes to receive the trophy. 00:16:29.740 --> 00:16:35.820 He doesn't want to dirty and stain the Queen's pristine white gloves. 00:16:37.240 --> 00:16:42.480 He wanted clean hands before approaching the monarch. 00:16:43.940 --> 00:16:46.500 Well, of course, God does not have white hands. 00:16:47.419 --> 00:16:49.620 If I can put it this way, He's white all over. 00:16:49.620 --> 00:16:52.500 He's absolutely holy. 00:16:52.919 --> 00:16:55.799 Purity is essential in His presence. 00:16:57.720 --> 00:17:02.600 And so, with such conditions being set out for worshipers, we might ask ourselves, 00:17:03.060 --> 00:17:06.640 who then can come into the presence of this great King? 00:17:08.059 --> 00:17:12.180 Who of us would dare to draw near and stand before Him? 00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:15.079 Who can receive the blessing that He offers? 00:17:15.079 --> 00:17:21.179 He will receive blessing, verse 5, from the Lord and righteousness from the God of His salvation. 00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:25.139 The worshiper will receive the blessing of righteousness. 00:17:25.679 --> 00:17:27.960 But the question remains, who can come? 00:17:28.179 --> 00:17:29.119 Who can stand? 00:17:29.339 --> 00:17:30.099 Who can receive? 00:17:30.099 --> 00:17:40.059 Sometimes those are the kind of questions that people ask, perhaps at a communion service, communion weekend. 00:17:40.279 --> 00:17:41.779 Who can come to the table? 00:17:42.579 --> 00:17:44.139 Who can receive the elements? 00:17:44.399 --> 00:17:48.459 Who can enjoy fellowship and communion with a holy God? 00:17:48.460 --> 00:17:53.759 And when such questions are asked, it's not uncommon for people to despair. 00:17:54.880 --> 00:17:58.660 Perhaps rightly, after all, what one of us can claim to have? 00:17:58.740 --> 00:18:00.980 Clean hands and a pure heart and honest lips. 00:18:01.460 --> 00:18:03.400 We're all sinful human beings. 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:07.720 Maybe you're someone who's not yet professed faith. 00:18:07.820 --> 00:18:10.580 Maybe you've kept your distance from the table. 00:18:11.660 --> 00:18:16.100 Conscious of your own sinful heart, you've been reluctant to draw near. 00:18:17.360 --> 00:18:24.860 But friends, what we need to see here is that what the Lord requires, He also gives. 00:18:25.480 --> 00:18:28.600 What He demands, He also provides. 00:18:28.599 --> 00:18:28.959 He needs. 00:18:31.019 --> 00:18:36.019 Once a year on that hill, in that temple, in the Holy of Holies, on the Ark of the Covenant, 00:18:37.079 --> 00:18:42.500 the high priest would enter and sprinkle the blood of sacrifice and make atonement for the people. 00:18:43.779 --> 00:18:52.179 And yet all of that ancient ritual and ceremony was but a prefiguring of what Jesus Christ, 00:18:52.179 --> 00:18:57.319 the true King of righteousness, would one day accomplish at Calvary's cross. 00:18:58.599 --> 00:19:04.079 For Jesus Christ entered the temple, as it were, not by the way of shadows and types, 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:08.899 but clothed in our very flesh and blood. 00:19:10.079 --> 00:19:14.539 God Himself has provided a way back for sinful people, 00:19:14.939 --> 00:19:18.619 to clean hands in a pure heart and true speech, 00:19:18.859 --> 00:19:25.039 in the atoning blood of a sacrifice that covers all our sins. 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:31.879 For Jesus Christ, the free church minister here in Edinburgh, 00:19:32.779 --> 00:19:36.519 I think he's buried down in the Canongate graveyard. 00:19:37.099 --> 00:19:38.279 He wrote these words, 00:19:38.279 --> 00:20:04.619 And friends, that's good news. That's the message of the gospel. 00:20:04.619 --> 00:20:16.319 God Himself has provided a way into His presence for those with unclean hands and impure hearts and lying lips. 00:20:17.179 --> 00:20:24.159 At the cross of Jesus Christ, there is hope for the unclean, for the impure, for the dishonest. 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:29.440 And the good news today is that Jesus Christ has come as our great high priest, 00:20:29.640 --> 00:20:31.600 and He has offered not the blood of an animal, 00:20:31.980 --> 00:20:37.019 but His own precious blood as a sacrifice for the sins of His people. 00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:40.940 Charles Haddon Spurgeon writes this, 00:20:40.940 --> 00:21:10.920 And that's why the cross lies at the very first place. 00:21:10.920 --> 00:21:14.400 The very heart of the Christian message, the very heart of Christian worship. 00:21:15.900 --> 00:21:18.180 Through the cross, there is this great exchange, 00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:21.400 Jesus taking all my sin upon Himself, 00:21:22.039 --> 00:21:26.400 and pleased to gift me with His perfect righteousness in return. 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:28.820 It's the cross. 00:21:28.920 --> 00:21:34.100 It's where those with dirty hands and dirty lips and dirty hearts can be made clean. 00:21:34.099 --> 00:21:37.619 The top lady's words, 00:21:37.619 --> 00:21:39.639 Foul I to the fountain fly, 00:21:40.119 --> 00:21:42.119 Wash me, Savior, or I die. 00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:44.659 All for sin could not atone, 00:21:45.059 --> 00:21:46.240 Thou must save, 00:21:46.719 --> 00:21:48.339 And thou alone. 00:21:49.219 --> 00:21:55.480 The cross is where sinners are made fit for the presence of the King. 00:21:55.839 --> 00:21:59.659 Here is where we receive righteousness from the God of our salvation, 00:21:59.660 --> 00:22:03.240 in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, 00:22:03.540 --> 00:22:05.220 a lamb without spot or blemish. 00:22:06.180 --> 00:22:09.800 He is God's gift to a sinful world. 00:22:10.140 --> 00:22:12.960 He is God's gift to you this morning. 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:20.500 And you'll notice how this second stanza closes with the words of verse 6, 00:22:20.500 --> 00:22:23.339 Such is the generation of those who seek Him, 00:22:23.579 --> 00:22:26.559 who seek the face of the God of Jacob. 00:22:27.579 --> 00:22:30.740 Why does the psalmist mention Jacob here? 00:22:30.839 --> 00:22:33.920 It's a puzzle sometimes to many commentators, 00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:35.119 if you know the Old Testament. 00:22:35.619 --> 00:22:39.099 Jacob was not an exemplary character. 00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:43.960 He wasn't known for clean hands and a pure heart and an honest tongue. 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:44.640 He was a liar. 00:22:44.859 --> 00:22:45.480 He was a cheat. 00:22:45.619 --> 00:22:46.519 He was a deceiver. 00:22:46.519 --> 00:22:53.779 And yet, perhaps there's one way in which he serves as a good example. 00:22:55.079 --> 00:23:00.200 Back in Genesis 32, we read of his extraordinary encounter with God. 00:23:00.980 --> 00:23:03.059 And there, Jacob says to the Lord, 00:23:03.220 --> 00:23:07.200 I will not let you go unless you bless me. 00:23:08.460 --> 00:23:13.160 He held on, we're told there, to God, as it were, for dear life. 00:23:13.160 --> 00:23:16.920 In his desperation, he wouldn't let go of God. 00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:22.040 He clung on to Him with the bloodied fingernails of faith. 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:25.259 And friends, this is how we come to God, 00:23:25.480 --> 00:23:28.400 not in our own self-righteousness, 00:23:28.580 --> 00:23:30.900 not in thinking that we are good people, 00:23:31.160 --> 00:23:33.980 not proud of our own achievements or record, 00:23:34.200 --> 00:23:35.560 but in all our weakness, 00:23:35.740 --> 00:23:39.480 desperately clinging to Jesus Christ by faith alone. 00:23:39.480 --> 00:23:47.140 The God who is righteous is able to declare those who are unrighteous, 00:23:47.539 --> 00:23:52.779 righteous by virtue of Christ's sacrifice. 00:23:53.539 --> 00:23:56.019 This lies at the heart of the good news. 00:23:56.759 --> 00:24:02.620 There is a righteousness from God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. 00:24:02.619 --> 00:24:06.619 The King of righteousness. 00:24:06.919 --> 00:24:07.539 Who can come? 00:24:08.239 --> 00:24:09.059 Who can stand? 00:24:09.139 --> 00:24:09.779 Who can receive? 00:24:10.959 --> 00:24:13.839 Friends, the good news this morning is that you can. 00:24:14.659 --> 00:24:16.859 Whoever you are, wherever you come from, 00:24:17.079 --> 00:24:18.179 whatever you've done, 00:24:19.079 --> 00:24:20.019 you can come, 00:24:20.599 --> 00:24:21.819 you can stand, 00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:23.619 and you can receive. 00:24:24.059 --> 00:24:26.439 All because of Jesus Christ 00:24:26.439 --> 00:24:28.919 and His death on the cross. 00:24:28.920 --> 00:24:32.200 All because, like Jacob of old, 00:24:32.340 --> 00:24:33.880 you've given up on yourself 00:24:33.880 --> 00:24:35.920 and you're clinging to Him 00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:39.800 with the bruised, broken fingernails of faith. 00:24:41.660 --> 00:24:42.920 That's what it takes. 00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:47.259 Faith alone in Christ alone. 00:24:49.660 --> 00:24:50.880 The King of creation, 00:24:51.019 --> 00:24:51.880 the King of righteousness. 00:24:52.220 --> 00:24:52.720 Thirdly here, 00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:54.320 and quickly, 00:24:54.460 --> 00:24:56.039 the King of glory, 00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:57.460 verses 7 through 10. 00:24:57.460 --> 00:24:59.200 His great words, 00:24:59.299 --> 00:25:00.880 Lift up your heads, O gates, 00:25:01.079 --> 00:25:02.880 be lifted up, O ancient doors, 00:25:03.140 --> 00:25:04.960 that the King of glory may come in. 00:25:05.240 --> 00:25:06.600 Who is this King of glory? 00:25:07.120 --> 00:25:08.940 The Lord strong and mighty, 00:25:09.180 --> 00:25:10.720 the Lord mighty in battle. 00:25:11.079 --> 00:25:12.480 Lift up your heads, O gates, 00:25:12.559 --> 00:25:14.240 and lift them up, O ancient doors, 00:25:14.600 --> 00:25:16.720 that the King of glory may come in. 00:25:17.180 --> 00:25:18.460 Who is this King of glory? 00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:20.319 The Lord of hosts. 00:25:20.900 --> 00:25:22.799 He is the King of glory. 00:25:23.880 --> 00:25:24.799 Final stanza. 00:25:24.799 --> 00:25:27.220 I think the image changes again. 00:25:27.919 --> 00:25:29.559 Most commentators believe 00:25:29.559 --> 00:25:31.639 that the original setting of these verses 00:25:31.639 --> 00:25:33.700 relates to the Ark of the Covenant 00:25:33.700 --> 00:25:34.960 returning to Jerusalem 00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:38.039 after some victorious military campaign. 00:25:38.680 --> 00:25:40.339 The Ark was the symbol of, 00:25:40.500 --> 00:25:42.539 the great symbol of Yahweh's presence, 00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:44.899 often taken with them to war. 00:25:45.559 --> 00:25:47.200 And when it arrived in the city 00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:48.899 after a conquest and battle, 00:25:49.159 --> 00:25:50.819 it was as if the Lord Himself 00:25:50.819 --> 00:25:52.759 was returning in victory. 00:25:53.939 --> 00:25:54.980 And the picture, therefore, 00:25:55.259 --> 00:25:56.980 that the psalmist paints here 00:25:56.980 --> 00:25:58.259 is one of a returning, 00:25:58.700 --> 00:26:01.099 triumphant King in all His glory. 00:26:01.720 --> 00:26:03.500 The Lord mighty in battle. 00:26:03.599 --> 00:26:04.579 The Lord of hosts. 00:26:04.899 --> 00:26:05.819 The God of battles. 00:26:06.279 --> 00:26:08.419 A mighty warrior being acclaimed 00:26:08.419 --> 00:26:11.240 as He makes His way into the city. 00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:14.059 The gates and ancient doors of the city 00:26:14.059 --> 00:26:15.879 are commanded to open up 00:26:15.879 --> 00:26:17.859 and to swing wide 00:26:17.859 --> 00:26:20.299 to receive this mighty King of glory. 00:26:21.359 --> 00:26:22.759 And so, the image is one of 00:26:22.759 --> 00:26:25.279 triumph and victory and conquest. 00:26:26.419 --> 00:26:27.500 Here is the great King 00:26:27.500 --> 00:26:30.740 who has routed all His enemies and foes. 00:26:30.779 --> 00:26:32.779 And again, that imagery is employed 00:26:32.779 --> 00:26:33.759 in the New Testament 00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:36.039 to describe the work of Jesus 00:26:36.039 --> 00:26:37.959 in His life and death 00:26:37.959 --> 00:26:40.479 and resurrection and ascension. 00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:43.339 He is the one fresh from the cross 00:26:43.339 --> 00:26:44.120 and tomb 00:26:44.120 --> 00:26:45.599 who rides through the gates 00:26:45.599 --> 00:26:46.579 of the new Jerusalem 00:26:46.579 --> 00:26:48.700 as the very King of glory. 00:26:49.360 --> 00:26:51.480 Because the suffering servant 00:26:51.480 --> 00:26:53.640 is also the King of glory. 00:26:54.519 --> 00:26:57.259 He has triumphed over all God's enemies. 00:26:58.440 --> 00:26:59.339 Augustine writes, 00:26:59.700 --> 00:27:01.860 He overthrew the gates of mortality 00:27:01.860 --> 00:27:03.980 and flung open before Him 00:27:03.980 --> 00:27:05.319 the gates of heaven, 00:27:05.660 --> 00:27:07.000 making good His claim. 00:27:07.620 --> 00:27:08.380 Be glad, 00:27:08.380 --> 00:27:10.500 for I have overcome the world. 00:27:11.340 --> 00:27:12.400 Friends, Jesus Christ 00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:13.840 is the great overcomer. 00:27:14.700 --> 00:27:16.440 He is the conqueror of death 00:27:16.440 --> 00:27:17.900 who has drawn its sting. 00:27:18.060 --> 00:27:18.920 And He is the one 00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:19.900 who brings us hope 00:27:19.900 --> 00:27:21.000 beyond the grave. 00:27:21.240 --> 00:27:21.880 He is the one 00:27:21.880 --> 00:27:22.760 who has redeemed 00:27:22.760 --> 00:27:24.000 and set His people 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:25.400 free from sin. 00:27:26.600 --> 00:27:28.020 He is the seed of the woman 00:27:28.020 --> 00:27:28.960 who has crushed 00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:30.420 the head of the serpent. 00:27:31.500 --> 00:27:33.480 All the great enemies of God 00:27:33.480 --> 00:27:34.240 and His people 00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:35.160 have been put, 00:27:35.400 --> 00:27:36.500 if I can put it this way, 00:27:36.500 --> 00:27:38.500 to the sword by Jesus Christ. 00:27:38.660 --> 00:27:40.880 He is taken to the field of battle 00:27:40.880 --> 00:27:42.079 as our great champion. 00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:44.680 Sin, death, and Satan 00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:47.059 lie broken beneath His lance. 00:27:48.019 --> 00:27:49.619 He has fought on our behalf 00:27:49.619 --> 00:27:52.259 to win a mighty redemptive victory. 00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:54.599 Where others before Him, 00:27:54.900 --> 00:27:56.579 like Adam and Israel, 00:27:56.579 --> 00:27:58.519 have fallen by the wayside, 00:27:58.759 --> 00:28:00.579 He alone has conquered and triumphed. 00:28:01.680 --> 00:28:02.640 Risen and ascended, 00:28:02.740 --> 00:28:04.900 He comes as the very King of glory. 00:28:04.900 --> 00:28:07.759 The everlasting doors open to Him. 00:28:08.040 --> 00:28:11.700 Death cannot shut its doors to Him. 00:28:11.860 --> 00:28:13.940 The gates of hell will never prevail. 00:28:14.980 --> 00:28:16.240 For He is the Lord, 00:28:16.360 --> 00:28:19.120 strong and mighty in battle. 00:28:20.980 --> 00:28:21.840 And so then, 00:28:21.920 --> 00:28:22.820 this great King 00:28:22.820 --> 00:28:24.240 and this mighty warrior 00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:27.500 is able to come to us 00:28:27.500 --> 00:28:29.780 in all our fears, 00:28:29.980 --> 00:28:30.820 in all our troubles, 00:28:31.280 --> 00:28:32.680 in all our sins, 00:28:32.680 --> 00:28:35.700 in all our temptations and struggles, 00:28:35.700 --> 00:28:38.519 and fight for us. 00:28:39.860 --> 00:28:42.180 In all our weakness and frailty, 00:28:42.400 --> 00:28:43.600 He is able to draw near. 00:28:44.640 --> 00:28:46.460 He's able to stand with us. 00:28:47.100 --> 00:28:48.820 He's able to give us grace. 00:28:49.539 --> 00:28:51.460 He's able to keep us from stumbling. 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:54.700 He's able to present us blameless 00:28:54.700 --> 00:28:57.220 before the presence of His glory 00:28:57.220 --> 00:28:58.100 with great joy. 00:28:58.099 --> 00:29:00.299 What a comfort it is 00:29:00.299 --> 00:29:03.459 to have such a mighty King and Savior. 00:29:05.179 --> 00:29:06.740 And the Scriptures tell us 00:29:06.740 --> 00:29:07.959 that this King of glory 00:29:07.959 --> 00:29:10.259 will one day come again. 00:29:11.240 --> 00:29:13.079 He will return to establish 00:29:13.079 --> 00:29:14.539 an everlasting kingdom. 00:29:15.859 --> 00:29:17.139 And on that occasion, 00:29:17.240 --> 00:29:19.839 the whole world will be called upon 00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:22.119 to lift up its head and its gates 00:29:22.119 --> 00:29:23.679 and acknowledge Him as King. 00:29:23.680 --> 00:29:27.039 The whole earth will be filled 00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:28.340 with His glory. 00:29:29.700 --> 00:29:31.220 Every knee shall bow 00:29:31.220 --> 00:29:33.460 and every tongue confess 00:29:33.460 --> 00:29:35.340 that Jesus Christ is Lord. 00:29:35.720 --> 00:29:37.860 All the kingdoms of this world 00:29:37.860 --> 00:29:39.840 will have become the kingdom 00:29:39.840 --> 00:29:42.299 of our Lord and of His Christ. 00:29:44.220 --> 00:29:46.160 And that day is hastening on. 00:29:47.460 --> 00:29:49.320 But before that day arrives, 00:29:49.420 --> 00:29:51.539 before the King of glory comes, 00:29:51.539 --> 00:29:55.460 before He returns in majesty and power, 00:29:55.680 --> 00:29:57.740 we have the opportunity now 00:29:57.740 --> 00:29:58.960 to receive Him 00:29:58.960 --> 00:30:00.339 and welcome Him 00:30:00.339 --> 00:30:02.279 into our own lives. 00:30:02.440 --> 00:30:03.359 It's not enough 00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:05.500 just to stand at a distance 00:30:05.500 --> 00:30:07.700 and admire the King's portrait. 00:30:09.159 --> 00:30:11.940 We must receive Him personally 00:30:11.940 --> 00:30:14.359 through the Holy Spirit. 00:30:15.299 --> 00:30:16.579 He must walk off 00:30:16.579 --> 00:30:18.180 the canvas of Scripture 00:30:18.180 --> 00:30:21.100 into our lives 00:30:21.100 --> 00:30:22.700 and into our hearts. 00:30:24.060 --> 00:30:24.860 You see, 00:30:24.940 --> 00:30:26.600 when we welcome Jesus Christ 00:30:26.600 --> 00:30:27.620 into our lives, 00:30:27.920 --> 00:30:30.259 we welcome the great King 00:30:30.259 --> 00:30:31.840 of whom this psalm speaks. 00:30:32.740 --> 00:30:35.519 Greater than any earthly king or ruler. 00:30:36.320 --> 00:30:38.060 The King of creation 00:30:38.060 --> 00:30:39.420 who made us for Himself. 00:30:40.440 --> 00:30:41.660 The King of righteousness 00:30:41.660 --> 00:30:44.140 who has made a way for us. 00:30:44.140 --> 00:30:46.400 The King of glory 00:30:46.400 --> 00:30:48.480 in whom we become 00:30:48.480 --> 00:30:49.780 more than conquerors. 00:30:51.060 --> 00:30:52.560 Because eternal life 00:30:52.560 --> 00:30:54.320 is received only when this King 00:30:54.320 --> 00:30:55.580 takes up residence 00:30:55.580 --> 00:30:57.280 in our hearts. 00:30:58.160 --> 00:30:59.520 It only begins 00:30:59.520 --> 00:31:01.160 when Christ is in us 00:31:01.160 --> 00:31:02.980 the hope of glory. 00:31:05.340 --> 00:31:06.259 My friends, 00:31:06.380 --> 00:31:07.700 have the gates of your own heart 00:31:07.700 --> 00:31:08.759 been lifted up 00:31:08.759 --> 00:31:09.860 to let Him in? 00:31:09.859 --> 00:31:12.719 There is no other way 00:31:12.719 --> 00:31:13.439 to ascend 00:31:13.439 --> 00:31:15.139 the hill of the Lord. 00:31:16.119 --> 00:31:17.619 Our own hands 00:31:17.619 --> 00:31:19.659 will never suffice. 00:31:20.779 --> 00:31:22.199 But the hands 00:31:22.199 --> 00:31:24.179 that were pierced for us 00:31:24.179 --> 00:31:25.319 are clean 00:31:25.319 --> 00:31:28.719 and they cleanse us. 00:31:29.500 --> 00:31:31.099 The heart that was broken 00:31:31.099 --> 00:31:32.639 for us is pure 00:31:32.639 --> 00:31:35.559 and it purifies us. 00:31:36.439 --> 00:31:37.819 The one who opened 00:31:37.819 --> 00:31:39.079 not His mouth 00:31:39.079 --> 00:31:40.500 now speaks 00:31:40.500 --> 00:31:41.919 as an advocate 00:31:41.919 --> 00:31:44.139 on our behalf. 00:31:45.720 --> 00:31:47.059 Behold your God. 00:31:48.119 --> 00:31:49.439 Behold the great King. 00:31:50.700 --> 00:31:51.399 Fling wide 00:31:51.399 --> 00:31:52.179 the gates 00:31:52.179 --> 00:31:53.179 of your heart 00:31:53.179 --> 00:31:54.339 and welcome Him 00:31:54.339 --> 00:31:55.419 into your life 00:31:55.419 --> 00:31:56.379 this morning. 00:31:57.779 --> 00:31:58.419 Bow the knee 00:31:58.419 --> 00:31:59.319 to King Jesus 00:31:59.319 --> 00:32:01.779 and confess Him 00:32:01.779 --> 00:32:03.619 as Lord and Savior. 00:32:04.299 --> 00:32:06.200 The King of creation. 00:32:06.200 --> 00:32:11.019 God our Father 00:32:11.019 --> 00:32:11.819 we are 00:32:11.819 --> 00:32:13.519 creatures 00:32:13.519 --> 00:32:14.880 created beings 00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:16.160 and yet 00:32:16.160 --> 00:32:17.960 by faith 00:32:17.960 --> 00:32:18.779 we can 00:32:18.779 --> 00:32:19.960 be united 00:32:19.960 --> 00:32:20.680 to the one 00:32:20.680 --> 00:32:21.779 who is the creator. 00:32:23.779 --> 00:32:25.120 We are sinners 00:32:25.120 --> 00:32:25.940 unclean 00:32:25.940 --> 00:32:26.580 stained 00:32:26.580 --> 00:32:27.340 and dirty 00:32:27.340 --> 00:32:27.860 and yet 00:32:27.860 --> 00:32:29.140 by faith 00:32:29.140 --> 00:32:30.000 we can be 00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:30.620 united 00:32:30.620 --> 00:32:31.299 to the one 00:32:31.299 --> 00:32:32.140 who is the king 00:32:32.140 --> 00:32:33.640 of righteousness. 00:32:33.640 --> 00:32:33.920 righteousness. 00:32:36.220 --> 00:32:37.300 We are often 00:32:37.300 --> 00:32:38.500 defeated 00:32:38.500 --> 00:32:39.560 and cast down 00:32:39.560 --> 00:32:41.020 and yet 00:32:41.020 --> 00:32:41.620 by faith 00:32:41.620 --> 00:32:42.200 we can be 00:32:42.200 --> 00:32:42.660 united 00:32:42.660 --> 00:32:44.320 to the one 00:32:44.320 --> 00:32:45.220 who is the king 00:32:45.220 --> 00:32:45.740 of glory. 00:32:46.880 --> 00:32:47.920 Lord work 00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:48.500 in us 00:32:48.500 --> 00:32:49.259 what is pleasing 00:32:49.259 --> 00:32:50.080 in your sight. 00:32:51.020 --> 00:32:52.360 By your Holy Spirit 00:32:52.360 --> 00:32:53.000 help us 00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:53.620 to welcome 00:32:53.620 --> 00:32:54.420 this king 00:32:54.420 --> 00:32:56.240 into our lives 00:32:56.240 --> 00:32:57.820 that he may 00:32:57.820 --> 00:32:58.280 reign 00:32:58.280 --> 00:32:58.900 and rule 00:32:58.900 --> 00:32:59.240 there 00:32:59.240 --> 00:33:00.300 now 00:33:00.300 --> 00:33:01.200 and always. 00:33:01.820 --> 00:33:02.380 Amen. 00:33:02.380 --> 00:33:02.480 Amen.