Psalm 23 for what they read. Interpretation of the books of the Old Testament
C) can be considered the same with the latter and the reason for writing, this is the transfer of the Kivot of the Covenant from the house of Abaddar to the tabernacle to Zion, when the procession was already approaching the narrow and small gates of Jerusalem, why David exclaims "Lift up, you gates, your tops"(Ps. 23_7, 9).
The addition to the inscription is “on the first day of the week”, borrowed from the Greek. Bible, indicates the time of the liturgical performance of the psalm on the first day, which begins the week, which corresponds to our resurrection, since the week ended with the Jews on Saturday.
The Lord is great: to Him belongs the earth and all that is in it (1-2). Therefore, one who is pure in thoughts, deeds and words, who seeks Him (3-5) can dwell near God in Zion. City gate! Raise up your heads to make free entry for the Lord who comes through you! He is the king of glory, mighty in battle, He is the Lord of hosts (6-10)!
. the Lord's earth and what fills it, the universe and all that lives in it,
. for he founded it on the seas and established it on the rivers.
Since the Lord is the Creator of the earth, both it and everything that fills it, that is, the animal and vegetable kingdoms, the organic and inorganic worlds, visible and invisible, belong to him. He founded it "on the seas and on the rivers". The earth is smaller in volume than the amount of water on the globe. The power of God and His omnipotence is clearly expressed in the fact that the earth has a firm and stable position, despite the fact that it is in the midst of a moving element.
. He whose hands are innocent and whose heart is pure, who has not sworn by his soul in vain and has not falsely sweared [to his neighbor] -
To dwell near the Lord on Mount Zion is worthy of one who has not committed an evil external deed ( "innocent hands"), who is also pure in thoughts (“pure heart”) and who did not sin with a word: he did not give false oaths and did not falsely call on God.
. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob!
Such, worthy of dwelling in Zion, David considers "seekers of your face". The Jews are the closest to this, as the only bearers and servants of Jehovah.
. Lift up, you gates, your heads, and lift up, you eternal doors, and the King of glory will enter!
. Who is this King of glory? The Lord is mighty and mighty, the Lord is mighty in battle.
"Lift up, gates, your tops". The gates in the ancient cities were arranged very low, with a lifting top. They are called eternal, as the most ancient origin. The procession approached Jerusalem and consisted of the Levites carrying on their shoulders the Casket of the Covenant, on the lid of which were ornaments made of cherubs. The gates of Zion, with their tops raised, were not sufficient for the Lord seated on the Cherubim to pass through. The more noble the person entering the gate, the more unhindered should be the entrance to them. Here now enters the "King of Glory" Himself. This King of glory is the Lord of hosts, "strong in battle", He who is the conqueror of all nations and to whom David owes the taking of Mount Zion from the Jebusites.
The king and prophet David devoted his life to serving the Lord, he not only sincerely believed, but also spoke about his faith to other peoples. David constantly praised God and wanted to make Jerusalem his home, but the Lord opposed this. But David was able to transfer the Ark of the Covenant by dedicating several songs to this event, one of which is Psalm 23.
The text of the prayer psalm 23
In Church Slavonic with accents
Psalm to David, united from the Sabbath
1 The earth is the Lord, and the fulfillment of it, the world and all who dwell in it.
2 He founded me to eat on the seas, and prepared me to eat on the rivers.
3 Who will go up to the mountain of the Lord? Or who will stand in His holy place?
4 Guilty in hand and pure in heart, who do not receive their soul in vain, and do not swear by their sincere flattery.
5 This one will receive a blessing from the Lord, and alms from God, his Savior.
6 This is the generation of those who seek the Lord, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
7 Lift up the gates of your princes, and lift up the eternal gates, and the King of glory will enter.
8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord is strong and mighty, the Lord is mighty in battle.
9 Lift up the gates of your princes, and lift up the eternal gates, and the King of glory will enter.
10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.
In Russian
Psalm of David, on the first day of the week.
1 The earth of the Lord and what fills it, the world and all that lives in it,
2 for he founded her on the seas, and established her on the rivers.
3 Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord, or who will stand in His holy place?
4 Who is blameless in hand and pure in heart, who has not betrayed his soul to futility, and has not swearing deceitfully to his neighbor
5 he will receive a blessing from the Lord and mercy from God his Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob!
7 Lift up, O princes, your gates, and lift up, you eternal gates, and the King of Glory will enter.
8 Who is this King of glory? - The Lord is strong and strong, the Lord is strong in battle.
9 Lift up, you gates, your heads, and lift up, you eternal doors, and the King of glory will enter!
10 Who is this King of glory? - The Lord of hosts, He is the king of glory.
History of writing
The history of the writing of the psalm refers to events that took place 3000 years ago, even before the birth of Christ. The transfer of the Ark of the Covenant has become a great and significant holiday. From the house of Abaddar, the shrine passed for storage to the tabernacle, located on one of the hills of Jerusalem, Zion. In honor of this solemn event, several laudatory songs were written. The text of Psalm 23 tells of the approach of the ark, accompanied by a long procession, to the gates of the holy city.
When to read Psalm 23?
During church services, it is customary to use texts in Old Church Slavonic, but at home it is allowed to read Psalm 23 in Russian. You should dim the light and calm down before reading the prayer, so that extraneous thoughts do not interfere with the sacrament of turning to the Lord. All words and general meaning should be clear, and thoughts should be focused on the song.
Psalm 23 is read without intonation and quietly, but this should be done only at a special time, when the state of the soul is close to the content of the text. It is customary to sing a song to praise the Lord, to express gratitude to God for life and all the blessings bestowed.
Interpretation
To understand the general meaning of the song, each verse should be disassembled. Interpretation of Psalm 23:
- Verse 1-2 - these lines say that the Lord created the earth and everything that is on it, which means that all this is in the hands of the Creator and is connected with him. Even the movable element of water does not violate the firmness and strength of the Lord's earth.
- Verse 3-5 - the author describes a man worthy to take a place near the Lord, who, by a righteous life and observance of the laws of God, deserved mercy and forgiveness.
- Verse 6-7 - The words in these verses should be understood as instruction before meeting God. The interpretation is twofold: from a historical point of view, this refers to the forthcoming appearance of the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem, from a spiritual point of view - a meeting with the Lord that awaits everyone after death.
- Verse 8-10 - King David asks who is he - the Lord? And he himself gives an answer to his own question, praising the power of the Lord and thanking him for protecting the Jewish people in multiple wars with ignorant pagans.
The similarity (in content) between this psalm and Psalm 14 is striking (compare Ps. 23:3-4 with Ps. 14:1,3). There is an assumption that both of them were written about the transfer from the house of Abeddar to the tabernacle built in Jerusalem, the ark of the covenant (2 Sam. 6); more about this will be discussed in the analysis of the text.
A. Ascending to the sanctuary (23:1-6)
Ps. 23:1-2. This doxology is expressed in the recognition of the fact of the creation of the universe by the Lord and the fact that “founded and approved” by Him, it belongs only to Him.
Ps. 23:3-4. The psalmist asks the question of who has the right to "ascend" to Zion, the mountain of the Lord, where His "dwelling" is, and to stand in His holy place. (Perhaps, in the process of worship, the answer (verses 4-6) was supposed to be given to the priests.) Only he has the right to this, who does not sin in his actions (has “innocent” hands) and is pure in his heart, who does not give false oaths and does not break the oath given to them.
Ps. 23:5-6. Only such people, from the “kind” of those who seek the face of the God of Jacob, only they can hope for His mercy and blessing.
B. The King of glory is coming (23:7-10)
Ps. 23:7. The psalmist's exclamation in verse 7, repeated in verse 9, supports the suggestion that this psalm was written on the occasion of the bringing of the ark into Jerusalem (introduction to the commentary). Raise, gates, your tops... The gates in the ancient Eastern cities were low, but their upper part was lifting. If we recall that the Levites carried the ark, the lid of which was decorated with cherubs, on their shoulders, it becomes clear that they could not enter them with their sacred burden: they had to raise the “tops of the gates”. The gates are called "eternal" because of their antiquity.
The place of the Lord's symbolic "stay" was the lid of the ark: He "sat" on its cherubs. The more distinguished was the one who entered the gate, the more spacious his path should have been. But there was no one more "noble" than the Lord. From here, the solemn and jubilant “address” of King David to the ancient gates of Jerusalem is emphasized: rise up, eternal doors, and the King of glory will enter!
Ps. 23:8-10. An explanation follows as to who this King of glory is: the Lord is mighty and strong, the Lord who gives victories in battles (strong in battle). The psalmist emphasizes the solemnity of the moment with deliberate repetitions: compare verse 7 and 9; verse 8 and 10.
Psalm 23, like other songs, is part of the Psalter. Its author was an extremely religious person and in any situation, whether happiness or sorrow, turned to the Lord. Psalm 23 refers to texts that glorify the greatness of the Creator. We will talk more about this song in this article.
History of Psalm 23
Most of these religious songs were written by one author, namely the Jewish king David. Each psalm carries an appeal to God as the Creator of everything on earth and as a protector, patron. If you carefully consider the structure of the text and try to understand the meaning, it is easy to see that Psalm 23 has much in common with Psalm 14. Scholars believe that the reason for writing them was the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. This text was written after the end of David's persecution.
Psalm 23 was written at the end of David's persecution
Interpretation and meaning of prayer
If we talk about the general meaning of the whole song, then it is addressed to the greatness of the Lord. His holy deeds are glorified, it is said how he created the earth. Since the psalm speaks of the events that took place when David had already become king, the main purpose of the song is not a request, but gratitude. The song itself is quite short compared to others and has only 10 verses. Let's talk about them in more detail:
- Verses 1 and 2 describe the story of the creation of the world. These parts are similar to the first chapters from Genesis.
- Verses 4 and 5 talk about who is worthy to be close to God. There are several theories about what David was talking about or about whom. Some scientists believe that we are talking about the Savior, others are sure that it is about ordinary believers.
- Verses 6 and 7 warn people to meet the Lord. They serve as a reminder that a person can appear before God at any moment.
- The last lines are a kind of question about who God is.
There is a part in the song with these words: "Lift up, gates, your tops." This is considered a kind of call to people to raise the gates of the city higher. This was necessary for the convenient passage of the procession to Jerusalem to transfer the ark.
Video "Reading Psalm 23"
This video contains an audio recording of a prayer written by the prophet David.
How and when to read
In churches, the psalm is read in Church Slavonic. At home, you can pronounce the text in Russian.
In churches, prayers are read in Church Slavonic. At home, psalms are read in Russian. A candle is lit in front of the icon.
Text of Psalm 23 in Russian
1 The earth of the Lord and what fills it, the world and all that lives in it,
2 for he founded her on the seas, and established her on the rivers.
3 Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord, or who will stand in His holy place?
4 He whose hands are innocent and whose heart is pure, who has not sworn by his soul in vain, and has not falsely adored [his neighbor],
5 he will receive a blessing from the Lord and mercy from God his Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob!
7 Lift up, you gates, your heads, and lift up, you eternal doors, and the King of glory will enter!
8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord is mighty and mighty, the Lord is mighty in battle.
9 Lift up, you gates, your heads, and lift up, you eternal doors, and the King of glory will enter!
10 Who is this King of glory? “The Lord of hosts, He is the king of glory.
Like any other prayer, the psalm should not be read by cold calculation. If a sincere faith lives in the heart of a person in what he says, then the Lord will always help.
"The Lord's is the earth and what fills it, the universe and everything that lives in it." I wonder if the church has a correct understanding of what this verse says about God?
This is an amazing statement, and there is always the possibility that it will fall on deaf ears as some kind of biblical rhetoric, a pleasant word to hear, and that its content will therefore be lost to us.
The Lord's land, because "He founded it on the seas and established it on the rivers." In other words, the Earth and everything that lives on it belongs to the Lord, because He is its Creator. What God produces is His and belongs to Him for His purposes.
Imagine an announcement to mankind that all their territories, which they called by their national names, are in fact the Lord's and exist for His purposes. Those who live on it live on it for Him, not for themselves.
This is so amazing in all fundamental truth that it requires a solid audacity not only to believe it, but also to proclaim it. We must allow only the Word of God to instruct us, and what God says about the earth and the world is the truth. And we need to be aware of what this means for ourselves and for those who live on earth.
The Psalmist says that He established the land "on the seas and on the rivers." It sounds like poetry, but the deepest truth is presented here. Rivers (streams) and seas always symbolize the primitive and ancient enemies of God. What He established upon them is His triumph over every hostile power that opposes God. He has won something by His greatness against the powers of darkness that vie and contend with Him over whose land it is.
We must beware of allowing this concept to become mere scientific fact or technical information. This is the highest spiritual reflection and truly the whole foundation of reality and being itself.
We must strive for the significance of the earth as the property of the Lord, and the world, and those who live in it, and not allow it to be reduced to banality by the world. The entire psalm is given, among other things, to raise the church to God's ordained purpose, and perhaps that is why it begins with this fundamental statement.
"Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord, or who will stand in His holy place?"
Unless a deeply rooted understanding of God as Creator becomes the foundation of our being, there will be no ascension. It is more than just agreement with the truth that the earth and the world belong to the Lord.
This is being in this reality, and then, from there, we can talk about the ascent to the mountain of the Lord. The pronoun "who" in "Who will ascend the mountain" and "Who will become" implies that there are few. And it may be that the only one is actually the Lord Himself, and that only those who can be partners with Him are those who are in Him.
This implies that it is not for the many, but for the few. And it's like God is challenging: "Who dares to climb this mountain?" And then the demand is given.
“The one whose hands are innocent and whose heart is pure, who did not swear by his soul in vain and did not swear falsely
Innocent hands and a pure heart require a conscious decision of the will. Innocent hands are something external. A pure heart is something internal. Therefore, the fundamental requirement for any ascender is at least this minimum requirement.
Clean hands are not those that have engaged in deeds that are offensive in the sight of God. And we need to turn to the Blood often to cleanse those hands, even if we inadvertently indulged in something that was disrespectful to God.
Do we pray: "Purify our hearts as You are pure." This should always be a daily prayer. There is a constant process of purification going on because attacks on the purity of the heart are carried out daily.
Much hangs in the atmosphere in what we say, hear and respond.
And the main place in the church where the cleansing process takes place is among our brothers. It is available to us in the relationship that God has given with the saints in the organic reality of what is called the "church".
If we don't find purity of heart in this place, we simply won't find it. In the church, God meets, identifies and shows us things that call into question the purity of the heart, and where He will work on it and speak. And this can be whenever the Word of God is proclaimed, whether it be in Bible study, morning service, or even in conversation.
The pure heart that comes, we think, in monastic isolation is a deception. It is in the church that we are brought to the realization of those places where we are unclean, and only then can we accept the correction, exhortation and reproofs necessary for a pure heart.
The most precious provision that God has given to the saints is correction in the Body of Christ through the work of God's Spirit. Until we know what that provision is—and thank God for it—we will never achieve that purity. The book of Proverbs is full of references to those who are grateful for the reproof, correction, and punishment of God.
Only fools and despisers are reluctant to accept correction. But the saints recognize that this is a very great and necessary provision from God, otherwise we will not ascend the holy mountain.
A pure heart means that there is no impurity in it. Therein lies the problem. Literally legions of things affect us: mixed motivations and desires, mixed ambitions, contempt and criticism of other people or ministries.
This is a touchy subject and I am always deeply reserved when it comes to discussions of other ministries. It may be to some extent a necessity in this age of deceit to inquire and speak often with one another in the fear of the Lord about what is deceit in our age, but it is always risky that we ourselves may be stained. And being involved in such conversations, I always and without exception pray:
“Lord, by Your Blood cleanse me now of all that is unintentional that has entered, even with the necessary and correct discussion of other people and ministries in this age. For we know that there is a subtle temptation to exalt oneself at the expense of another.
Therefore, Lord, whatever the need for this study, protect my heart, and may Your Blood wash from everything that I do not know about and to which I have surrendered. It is this diligent attention that a pure heart requires.
What shall we say about "not lifting up to the vanity of one's soul?". It's like choosing between two things: either you lift up your soul to the Lord, or you lift it up to vanity. But the key to what we allow our souls to do is ourselves. Vain, of course, means something vain, something that is not useful. But for those who want to climb this mountain, it is not just a matter of committing souls to something carnal.
Whatever encroaches on us is more likely to be biblical and even spiritual if He Himself has not called us to it. There is something in a person that welcomes the surrender of the soul to something for the special pleasure of achieving something with it.
For example, we can delight in the book of Daniel and the study of prophecies that are themselves valid. But if we are pursuing it for the specific satisfaction of our soul in the process of this investigation, I would say that it is risky to be a futility.
Although it is legal and biblical, and worthy of investigation, if it is a subtle means by which our soul is lifted up to a satisfaction that would not come to us through the flesh, then it is a futile endeavor.
This is how demanding and exacting the ascent must be. Climbing means overcoming gravity and any force that wants to keep us on the earthly plain. Those who can climb the holy mountain of God and can stand before the Lord are those who are so exacting and attentive to what they commit souls to.
We must not be ruled by our inclinations, or give up our souls to them for the satisfaction we desire. We need the Lord Himself to guide us, and we need to be careful in our ascent, because the question is still "Who will ascend."
Who is THAT attentive and THAT interested in their soul? Who is so interested in a false oath?
These phrases are so exhaustive. This does not mean simply taking a false oath or using in vain (in vain) the name of the Lord. This is the most blatant and obvious form of an oath to deceive.
Any use of language that is false, though correct, but used for false purposes is an oath to deception. It is an abuse of the privilege to speak and use words.
He who wants to ascend the mountain of God must be as attentive to what he says as to what his soul enjoys. That is why only a few will ascend this holy place. As we will see later,
it is not simply a matter of attaining a certain desired place before God by individuals.
It is a matter of opening the gates for the King of Glory to enter. This is how Psalm 23 ends. It begins with the "Land of the Lord", and ends with the King of Glory, standing at the gate. He cannot enter yet, for the meaning is, “Who shall ascend the mountain to draw back the bar that opens the gate, so that the King of Glory may enter? Whose hands are clean and whose heart is clean to enter this place?
For the question of the coming of the King of Glory is not only His desire and satisfaction, but the salvation of the world. The King of Glory waits at the gate, but it is the GATE that forbids entry. Where is the connection here? The key to opening the gate is addressed to him in the last verses of this Psalm:
“Lift up, gates, your heads (Hebrew, English), and lift up, eternal doors, and the King of glory will enter”
Does God speak to an inanimate object? Is He really talking to a literal gate of iron or a door of wood? Or can this verse be understood as a hint that WE ARE AS THE CHURCH THIS GATE? Are we the gate and key, therefore, to the coming of the Lord Himself as the King of Glory to His own Earth? Isn't that why He's talking to us?
The Lord stands and limits Himself, waiting for the gate to open, for the door to be opened by those who MAKE this door or gate, and which can only be opened by ascending the holy mountain.
Our entry into this kind of relationship with the Lord is a matter of the entrance of the King of Glory. What makes Him the King of Glory is His willingness to limit Himself and to expect and trust those who will ascend this mountain at His invitation.
He could have done it without us, but what glorifies God is His use of us, not that we are secondary. But He uses the metaphor as if we ourselves are the gate and door for His entrance. What forbids? “Open, open”, but how, but with what? Climbing this mountain with clean hands and a pure heart, not betraying the soul to vanity and not using the mouth in a deceitful way.
So vigilance is needed here, and I would even say a sacrifice, an offering. This is the Cross. And perhaps we will not do it to our own satisfaction, unless we know that this is also the key for the King of Glory to enter, to bless humanity, which does not know that the Earth is the Lord, and the world, and those who dwell in it.
“This is the generation of those who ask Him, who seek Your face, the generation of Jacob. Sela" (Hebrew, English)
The word "genus" means a forty-year interval. But in this context it means a certain type or special quality of an individual. Who will rise? The one who will inquire of the Lord. And although I do not know what your experience is, my experience in seeking and asking the Lord tells me that there is no more strenuous and demanding activity before us as believers.
It's like absolutely everything is against us. I'm not just talking about phone calls and other distractions. Our flesh resists and is unwilling. And then God goes even further: "seek his face."
So, no one can see the face of God and stay alive. It's like an invitation to death. In fact, if you seek the Lord in this way, it IS an invitation to death!
To seek the Lord is to experience some event in the soul. Something is going on in the seeking because it is too contrary to everything that is in the flesh and in the soul. The very occupation and striving to seek Him has the potential to purify the soul.
And we are in a desolate state for lack of effort to climb the holy mountain and seek the Lord. Notice that it doesn't say seek the Lord for some good, but "those who seek Him."
Thus, the search for the search is different. And for most of us, if we're inquiring in any way, it's because of the problems we're facing, because of the questions, because of the need that we want the Lord to answer and solve.
But Scripture doesn't say that. It says "question Him, seek His face." There is another condition, another quality of seeking beyond what is relevant to our need, and only a few will seek the Lord for His own sake.
That is why it is said: "This is the generation, this is the type of believer who will reach the holy mountain." Meanwhile, the King of Glory is waiting for just that to happen.
Time itself wars against such a determined search, and our inner disposition does not give us a stimulus. It will require ruthlessness to the flesh, to laziness, to indifference, negligence, spiritual self-satisfaction.
Maybe we are too pleased with ourselves, or we think we have achieved, or at least we are heads and shoulders taller and better than this or that. All this works against the ascent to seek the Lord.
Therefore, we need to pray for God's dissatisfaction with where we are and what we have, and learn that we are so lacking in what will still allow the King of Glory to enter. We ourselves will not acquire order and discipline to make time for the Lord, who will find themselves in quiet time in the early morning, spent to seek Him, not for profit, but for Himself, if we do not already have it, discipline.
If we do not have discipline in other and ordinary areas of life, do you think we will find discipline for this? There is very little demand for discipline in our lives, or even understanding of the meaning of the word.
The root of the English word "discipline" (student) is the same as that of "discipline". You will not become a disciple without some measure of order, organization, attentiveness, dedication. It is all discipline to the flesh, which is lazy, clumsy, indifferent, careless and fickle.
Discipline is the requirement for climbing this mountain against every impulse that wants to hold us back. It is the design and strategy of the enemy not only to keep our spiritual life to a minimum, but also to keep the King of Glory from entering.
“Who is this King of glory? “The Lord is mighty and mighty, the Lord is mighty in battle.”
He is strong and strong, but He will not break in on the basis of His Fortress and Strength. He waits at the gate and at the door, so that the one whose hands are clean and who can climb the mountain and move the bolt, let the King of Glory enter.
That is what glorifies God: that He does not use His Might and Power to accomplish His purposes. He is waiting for us to participate with Him, for that is what glorifies Him. There is no visible glory without a temple. God requires a home. We are this building.
There is no such glorification of God in His coming to the earth He created, except through the instruments of His choice, the poor whom He has drawn from the rubbish heaps and whom He has planted with princes. He is glorified by what He does and accomplishes through those He has saved. In fact, this entire psalm is an invitation to us as a reminder that His power will produce any effect if we present the readiness of our self.
Karl Barth, a Swiss theologian, asks: “This is the right word, but why does it enlighten us so poorly? Why does it not enter our ears and leave our lips? Why do we not ascend and stand, even in the midst of those needs that surround us in the holy place. Why is this not true and real to us? Why don't we live by this word "Land of the Lord"? Why do we live like it's not true, if it's true?
We live our days as if not a single ray of light will open. How poor are our words. How darkened are our spirits. How little we seem to be able to meet the great need and darkness of our times, that the earth is the Lord's.
Even our Christian words, our sermons, our observations are helpless stumbling and lack of light and spirit. The saddest thing of all is that we hear and speak the Word of God as if it were only the word of a man: it no longer has its own unique power and meaning.”
Barth continues: “Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord, and who is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek His face? Such zealous striving for the truth or abundant prayer is in vain, because we will never please God in these ways. The most holy one is missing, although we talk a lot about it.
Such a deep respect for the greatness of God, such a truly reverent respect, this feeling of lack ... The experience of the lack of this sincere premise of knowing God, not what I think, intend, and say, but only His name, His kingdom, His will ...
And when it is a lack, it is not only a lack of something, but a lack of everything. When this feeling of lack, then nothing will reach the goal, everything is an obscure and empty teaching, even if it is ten times true.
Only a pure heart can desire to ascend. If we have no desire, it is, by the very fact, evidence that our hearts are not pure. If they were pure, we would have a desire from God to ascend. We have allowed the admixture of many things. Our first prayer was to ask the Lord to cleanse our hearts as He Himself is pure.
We need to ask Him to cleanse our hearts of everything that hardens them and keeps them from wanting what He wants. We can't even properly recognize what is connected to our heart, but we know that if we lack the desire to ascend, and we do not see ourselves included in this "Who", then this is evidence of impurity.
I wish that Israel and the Palestinians bow down before this word, who at the present moment of time dispute with each other the possession of the (Holy) Land. It is the Lord's, and He will give it to whomever He wills, when He wills, and on the terms He wills.
But the very fact that they are arguing and competing about it shows that they are outside the context of this statement, and they are outside of it, because we as a church are outside of it.
In fact, this scratching and arguing that is now taking place in Israel cannot be smoothed over and resolved by anything less than the revelation of God in His glory as King. No amount of diplomacy and negotiation will work, only the revelation of God, who created the earth and all that is in it, coming as the King of Glory, can bring a resolution to this conflict that threatens to tear apart not only the Middle East, but the whole world.
The problems of this age are of such a nature that only revelation and the actual coming of the King in His Glory can solve them. If God is not God and is not revealed in glory as the Creator, and that the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness of it, and those who dwell in it, then there is no hope for mankind.
The recognition of God as the Creator requires submission to the One who created. This is so critical and God puts all emphasis on the "gates" and "doors" that will open to allow His entry, which is we as a church in right relationship with Him on the holy mountain.
The world does not know that the earth is the Lord's. He sees it only as a geophysical accident, and not as the result of His creation. Neither did the church properly recognize that its physical life belonged to the Lord.
We are dust, and therefore we are the Lord's. We are as much His creation as the physical "terra firma" upon which we are placed. But if we do not live as if our bodies belong to the Lord, then how should we expect the world to understand that the Lord's Earth is large in size? The issue is us.
It is one thing in the mind to recognize that this piece of land is the Lord's, but do we live in the truth of this recognition? And if it's all His, then it's Him to guide and use, Him to do as He pleases.
If we ourselves usurp, control, and direct our lives and intentions, we are contradicting God's testimony to the whole earth. Therefore, the earth remains ignorant of whose it is, for we as a church do not testify to it that our own earth is the Lord's.
I want to pray that we will hear this as the Word of God to our casual Christian mentality and attitude, who didn't even think about climbing the holy mountain of God.
It was not a priority nor an intention, and yet it can be said that the redemption of mankind awaits the entry of the King of Glory. He will not use His strength and power to do this, but waits for the gates to be opened only by those who can climb the mountain with a pure heart and pure hands, and not give themselves up to vanity.
This is a decisive requirement for the church, and it is also a matter of the Glory of God for humanity. They need to know that "the earth is the Lord's, and they that dwell in it."
Prayer.
Lord, I speak for our entire body and for myself. We were lazy, indifferent, careless and content only with what is right in words. We ask, God, that you will speak to us through this psalm and through these commentaries, so that we may be part of a generation that inquires of the Lord and seeks His face.
We want to indulge in a quest that requires effort and is itself a kind of death. And the very effort of this seeking is itself a cleansing agent that will bring our hearts, God, into a state that gives us the strength to ascend.
We know we need to be reminded often, if not constantly. For the world, the flesh, and the devil seem to have such a strong influence in giving our church life such a banal atmosphere, such a predictable daily air of a mundane quality.
There is so little intensity, Lord, sincere desire, intention to ascend, and we thank You, Lord, that You give us an invitation. You are waiting to be looked for. And so, dear God, help us. Shake us in the depths.
Let us see the shallowness of our self-satisfaction, our lack of zeal for God, and what is at stake by the King of Glory, and bring that glory to light in His creation.
Speak to us, Lord, as to the gates and doors that hold you back, waiting for these innocent hands that will come up and draw back the bar to reveal what prevents you and your glory from entering your creation. Thank You for Your zealous love, which will not leave us, which knows the truth of our heart and condition.
You know that we do not move from faith to faith, on the contrary, we are inert and predictable in what we are. There is no ascent. Awaken us, come, Lord, we pray. Excite us in the inner man. Thank You for providing this ability to perform and that You have gone ahead and that there are footprints that we can walk and follow.
In the name of Jesus. Amen!
