Psalm 24

1. Verse 1 is such an humbling verse. I often think I am totally in control (the captain of my own fate, as it were), but “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains.” Nothing really is mine!

2. Verse 3 is very similar to Psalm 15’s opening, and the answer in verse 4 is just another way of stating the answer given in Psalm 15. “Hands” (verse 4) is a way of saying the life. This verse is not saying that one is perfect, but that he or she is striving every day to live the best life possible in God’s sight.

3. The beginning of verse 5 can be misunderstood. Many think that, if I live properly, I will gain an earthly reward of some type. While that might happen, it is not necessarily true. If I live for God, though, I will get a blessing–an heavenly blessing!

4. Verses 7-9 describe poetically the entrance of the Great King. The psalmist must command certain parts of the city (gates, etc.) to expand because this King cannot enter through “regular” entrances.

5. While verse 10 may not say anything new to us, it is a statement that needs to be preached. Only the God of heaven is God!

6. This psalm, especially the 2nd half, continually calls God a “King.” That implies that God has great authority. We need to follow Him.