Skip to main content

Lift Up Your Heads

             Of David. A psalm.

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.  

Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty—  he is the King of glory. (Psalm 24)

Two things this praise psalm has in common with Psalm 8 are the connection of God with the world and with man, and the repetition of phrases. The connection of God with the world and with man is necessary to praise because there’s not much use in praising when there’s no connection. We couldn’t even know that God exists and deserves praise if there were no connection. Would it be reasonable for you to praise me for inventing the incandescent light bulb and thus making your life easier? The repetition of phrases (and even words) is a characteristic of Hebrew poetry. It’s their way of emphasizing something. We should expect it and pay attention when it happens.

Now, about the content. To begin, we need to remind ourselves that the earth is the Lord’s. OUR worlds (our selves, homes, neighborhoods, cities, etc.) belong to Him. I’ve been trying to pray regularly for the Church, families (in general and specific), the communities I’m part of, their leaders, and my enemies and their leaders. Those are the people in my world, though I admit, I think I’m praying for virtual people more than real ones. But my world also consists of my heart, my mind, my body, my relationships, my spirit, my soul, my possessions, and my ministries. The least two of these include my studies, my garden, my house, my truck, my dog, my crafting, my writing, and whatever else makes my day or life complete. All of these belong to God. I’m not entirely sure what that means, but that’s something to discuss with God. What does your world consist of?

In the second paragraph above, gates and ancient doors are called on to respond appropriately to the King of glory. Think of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Think of what happens when your team wins a championship. The subjects of the king, the fans of the team welcome him or them back home with celebration. Is this the way we respond to God entering our lives? Granted, some of us aren’t exactly the “rah rah” type, but do we welcome Him however we would welcome someone we love? Or, do we stride forward with our list of complaints, or crawl forward from our wallows of self-pity and self-loathing? I find myself thinking about when I come through the door, and how my dog wants to greet me. I think my attitude needs some adjustment.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shark Fins, Triple Dog Dares, Heroes, Villains and Sidekicks

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)            There's a scene in Jaws in which someone sees a shark fin and starts a panic. As   all the swimmers scramble to shore, boats surround the fin, which falls over to reveal two kids. With several guns pointed at them, one of the kids points at the other. The message is clear: it was his idea. In Christmas Story, there's a scene in which one kid "triple dog dares" another to do something stupid. Since it's a triple dog dare, well, what choice does the boy have? There doesn't seem to be any end to the trouble that peer pressure can cause. ...
Post a Comment
Read more