Iconic glory ∙
Who is the King of glory? – Psalms 24:8
Psalms 24:7-10
7 Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter.
8 Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty; the LORD, invincible in battle.
9 Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter.
10 Who is the King of glory? The LORD of Heaven’s Armies– he is the King of glory.
The “Miracle on Ice” occurred at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, on February 22. The Soviet Union had won the gold medal in five of the six previous Winter Olympic Games and was favored to win again. Many of the players on the Soviet team were experienced, professionals. By contrast, the United States team was the youngest in the tournament and U.S. national team history.
Despite the seemingly impossible challenges, the US team won. The victory became one of the most iconic moments of the Games and U.S. sports. The television call of the game’s final seconds by Al Michaels for ABC was equally well-known, in which he declared: “Do you believe in miracles? YES!” In 1999, Sports Illustrated named the “Miracle on Ice” the top sports moment of the 20th century.
In the Scriptures, contact transfers uncleanness from one object or person to another, not so with holiness. Things are declared holy and set aside for the Lord’s purposes by His spoken word or by His immediate presence.
Exodus 3:5 “Do not come any closer,” the LORD warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.
The Father God alone is majestic, iconic holiness. He is unique, and there is none like Him. He is the King of glory.
Psalm 24 recalls and celebrates the Father’s iconic glory. David conquered and took possession of the backwater city of Jebus, a Jebusite citadel. It became known as the city of David (1 Chronicles 11:5-7).
It may well be that Psalm 24 was written by David in association with his arrival with the ark of the covenant at Jerusalem. The ark is the place where The Father’s presence dwelt on earth during the days of the kings of Israel.
When David arrived with the ark, the presence of the Lord entered the city. And Jerusalem was forever consecrated, holy, and set aside for the Lord’s purposes. Jerusalem, the city of David, was transformed into Jerusalem, the city of the Lord.
REFLECT & PRAY
The Father dwells in unmatched magnificence and glory and deserves our highest honor and commitment.
Father sadly, I only get momentary glimpses of Your beautiful and delightful glory. Draw me closer that I may dwell in Your presence.
INSIGHT
Psalms 24:1 The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains the world, and those who dwell in it.
The living God made the heavens, the earth, and all other created things, which are His personal possessions.
It is incumbent upon each individual and each generation to seek the Father and to find Him. As children of the King seek to enter into and dwell in His presence, He welcomes us. We are honored to experience the profound pleasure of His lovingkindness.
But Psalm 24 is not about us; it is all about Him. It echoes with shouts of joy and acclamation that He is the King of glory! Reflect on what this means. To be the King of glory means that the highest honor belongs to Him alone. There is none higher to whom we owe allegiance.
Hebrews 6:13 When God made the promise to Abraham since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name,
The Lord is not only glorious; He is the King of glory. He is the greatest in glory, the pinnacle of excellence, the mountaintop of majesty, the summit of splendor. He is the eternally blessed God (Romans 9:5) (Stanley).
Psalms 24:8-10
8 Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in!
10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory.
This celebration is marked by a loud rhetorical chant and reciprocal response. David exclaims that the King of glory is the Lord Almighty, Creator, Sustainer, and King of all. He sings in awestruck wonder. David proclaims that although the Father is above all, He is also welcoming and intimately accessible. All children of the King are invited to enter His presence. The King of glory is knowable in our human experience. We can know Him, be empowered by Him, and trust Him to fight on our behalf.
How do we experience and live out the reality of the presence of our warrior king?
When the Lord Jesus Christ entered our hearts, He made it possible for every child of the King to actualize His presence. As we surrender control and allow our King to reign within our hearts, we experience His pleasure.
“This Psalm is accomplished in us when Jesus enters our hearts as our King to reign, and it will have its full realization when the earth and its population welcome Him as its Lord” (F. B. Meyer).
Who is the Lord? What is He like as a person? What are His nature and character? He is revealed in Psalm 24 as strong and mighty in battle, the Lord of hosts, and the King of glory.
Yahweh is the Lord of hosts. He is sovereign over all His creation. The Hebrew word tsaba, translated as hosts (hosts does not mean much to the average Bible reader), has been transliterated into English and other languages as Sabaoth. The Hebrew word tsaba refers to a vast multitude, an army, troops, etc. It is frequently translated as almighty, all-powerful, supreme. The expression may be translated as the Lord who is the strongest of all, the Lord who has more power than anyone(UBS), or The LORD of Heaven’s Armies (NLT).
Close your eyes and imagine our Father as a divine warrior king. He is omnipotent and unconquerable. As such, He has the power to deliver from calamity and chaos to all those who seek Him (Jacobson and Tanner).
Nevertheless, this all-powerful, unconquerable King is approachable. He is our Abba Father. He beckons every child of the King to come to Him.
Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 7-27-2
© Dr. H 2022
Dr H Reflections 