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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
PSALMS 24
LESSON #18
THE SHEPHERD RULES
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 24:1
PSALM 24 IS THE THIRD PSALM ABOUT THE SHEPHERD. IT IS ABOUT THE CHIEF SHEPHERD WHOCOMES TO RULE. THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THIS PSALM AND DAVIDS LIFE.
PRIMARY INTERPRETATION:
READ 1CHR 13:1-8
DAVID BECAME KING OF JUDAH, TRIUMPHED IN A CIVIL WAR, WAS MADE KING OVER ALL ISRAEL, ANDBEGAN TO RULE. ISRAEL HAD SPENT 120 YEARS WITHOUT GOD FROM THE TIME OF JOSHUA UNTIL THETIME OF DAVID. DAVID WANTED TO REIGN WITH GOD AT THE CENTER OF HIS KINGDOM. THEREFORE, HEMAKES PLANS TO MOVE THE ARK OF THE COVENANT TO JERUSALEM.
PSALM 24 WAS SUNG BY SEVEN CHOIRS MARCHING FROM KIRJATH-JEARIM TO JERUSALEM IN FRONT OFTHE ARK OF THE COVENANT. THE PSALM WAS SUNG FIRST WITH THE CHOIRS SINGING ONE PART ANDTHEN A SOLOIST SINGING ANOTHER PART. THIS IS CALLED “ANTIPHONAL”. IT ISAS THOUGH A GROUP OVER HERE ANSWERS THE QUESTION ASKED BY A PERSON OVER THERE. YOU WILLNOTICE THAT THIS PSALM HAS REPEATED QUESTIONS AND REPEATED RESPONSES THAT LEND THEMSELVESTO ANTIPHONAL SINGING.
USE YOUR IMAGINATION TO SEE THIS GLORIOUS ILLUSTRATION OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE REJOICING INSONG AS THE ARK OF THE COVENANT COMES INTO THE CITY OF JERUSALEM.
READ PSA 24:1-6 THE COMPANIONS OF THE KING
THE 7 CHOIRS SING VERSES 1 AND 2
WHILE THIS WAS A GLORIOUS DAY FOR DAVID, HE BEGINS THIS PSALM WITH A HUMBLE ATTITUDE. ASTHE AUTHOR OF THIS PSALM HE, ACKNOWLEDGES THAT GOD IS THE CREATOR.
THE SOLOIST ASKS THE QUESTION: (3)
“WHO SHALL ASCEND INTO THE HILL OF THE LORD? OR WHO SHALL STAND IN HIS HOLYPLACE?” .
THE IDEA IS THAT, AS THE CREATOR, GOD IS SO FAR ABOVE MAN IN MAJESTY AND HOLINESS THAT NOONE IS WORTHY TO APPROACH HIM.
ANOTHER SOLOIST ANSWERS THE QUESTION: (4)
ONLY THOSE WHO ARE PURE IN HEART AND ACTION WILL ENTER.
ONLY THOSE WHO ARE NOT FILLED WITH PRIDE WILL ENTER.
ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER TOLD A LIE OR DECEIVED OTHERS WILL ENTER.
THE 7 CHOIRS AND THE SOLOISTS SING: (5-6)
BLESSINGS, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND SALVATION COME FROM A VERY PERSONAL GOD.
AFTER 120 YEARS WITHOUT GODS LEADERSHIP, DAVIDS GENERATION WILL SEEK GOD.
“SELAH” = STOP AND THINK ABOUT THAT!
READ PSA 24:7-10 ESTABLISHING THE KINGDOM ON SOLID GROUND
AT THIS PLACE IN THE PSALM, THE PROCESSION ENTERS THE CITY OF JERUSALEM THROUGH THEEASTERN GATE.
THE 7 CHOIRS AND THE SOLOISTS SING: (7)
“LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, O YE GATES; AND BE YE LIFT UP, YE EVERLASTING DOORS; AND THEKING OF GLORY SHALL COME IN.”
ARE THEY SINGING ABOUT DAVID, THE KING? NO. THEY ARE SINGING ABOUT GOD, THE CREATOR, ASTHEIR KING.
REMEMBER THAT THE PRESENCE OF GOD WAS WITH THE ARK OF THE COVENANT.
A SOLOIST ON TOP OF THE CITY WALL SINGS THE FIRST PART OF VERSE 8:
“WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY?”
THE 7 CHOIRS ANSWER THE QUESTION: (7b-9).
“THE LORD STRONG AND MIGHTY, THE LORD MIGHTY IN BATTLE.”
THE CHOIR TELLS US THAT IT IS NOT DAVID WHO IS THE KING OF GLORY, BUT IT IS THE LORD.
A SECOND SOLOIST AT THE CITY GATE SINGS THE FIRST PART OF VERSE 10:
“WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY?”
THE 7 CHOIRS AND THE SOLOISTS ANSWER THE QUESTION: (10b)
“THE LORD OF HOSTS, HE IS THE KING OF GLORY.”
“SELAH” = STOP AND THINK ABOUT THAT!
THE PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION:
THERE ARE 2 PROPHETIC ASPECTS TO THIS PSALM:
1. IT IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF JESUS CHRIST ASCENDING INTO HEAVEN AFTER HIS RESURRECTION.
HE IS THE ONE WITH PURE HANDS AND A PURE HEART, WHO WAS NOT FILLED WITH PRIDE, AND DID NOTDECEIVE WITH LIES.
READ REV 7:9-12
2. IT IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST.
AT THE SECOND COMING, JESUS COMES IN THE CLOUDS WITH HIS SAINTS AND ANGELS.
HE IS “THE LORD OF HOSTS”. (10)
THE EASTERN GATE:
THE EASTERN GATE OF THE CITY OF JERUSALEM IS BETWEEN THE MT. OF OLIVES AND THE TEMPLEMOUNT.
THIS GATE WAS OPEN DURING THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY OF JESUS CHRIST ONE WEEK BEFORE HISRESURRECTION.
READ MAT 21:1-11
THE GATE JESUS ENTERED ALMOST 2,000 YEARS AGO WAS BUILT BY KING HEROD AND DESTROYED BY THEROMANS IN 70 AD WHEN THEY DESTROYED THE CITY OF JERUSALEM AND THE TEMPLE.
THE GATE WAS REBUILT BY THE PERSIANS IN 629 AD AS A CEREMONIAL GATE TO RECEIVE A BYZANTINEEMPEROR.
IN 1538, THE GATE WAS PERMANENTLY SHUT BY THE MUSLIMS TO PREVENT THE COMING OF ELIJAH WHOWOULD ANNOUNCE THE COMING OF CHRIST AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF HIS KINGDOM. THE GATE HASBEEN CLOSED EVER SINCE AND WILL REMAIN SHUT UNTIL JESUS RETURN S.
READ EZE 44:1-3 EZE 43:1-2
WHO WILL OPEN THE GATE?
GOD WILL OPEN IT, PROBABLY DURING THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE WHEN JESUS FOOT TOUCHES THEMOUNT OF OLIVES AT HIS SECOND COMING.
(ZEC 14:4)
“THE LORD MIGHTY IN BATTLE” (8)
THE PSALM MENTIONS THAT THE LORD IS STRONG AND MIGHTY IN BATTLE. IT REFERS TO THE BATTLEOF ARMAGEDDON.
THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST OCCURS DURING THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON. ALL NATIONS WILLBE GATHERED IN ISRAEL FOR THIS BATTLE. THEY WILL FIGHT CHRIST AS HE COMES IN THE CLOUDS,BUT HE WILL TRIUMPH OVER ALL HIS ENEMIES. HE WILL ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM ON THIS EARTH.
PERSONAL APPLICATION:
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BELIEVERS THAT WILL COME TO WORSHIP THE CHIEF SHEPHERDIN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM?
ONLY THOSE WHO ARE PURE IN HEART AND ACTION WILL ENTER.
ONLY THOSE WHO ARE NOT FILLED WITH PRIDE WILL ENTER.
ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER TOLD A LIE OR DECEIVED OTHERS WILL ENTER.
OBVIOUSLY, NO ONE FULFILLS THIS CRITERIA. NO ONE IS WORTHY TO APPROACH GOD. (ROM 3:23)HOWEVER, WE KNOW THAT MANY WILL BE THERE IN HIS MILLENNIAL KINGDOM TO WORSHIP HIM.
READ ZEC 14:9, 16
THE ONLY WAY PEOPLE GET TO ENTER INTO HIS KINGDOM, IS THROUGH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JESUSCHRIST.
READ JOH 14:6
HOW DO WE GET THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST?
READ JOH 1:12
THOSE WHO COME TO WORSHIP RECEIVE WHAT BENEFITS? (5)
BLESSINGS
RIGHTEOUSNESS
SALVATION
CAN YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION IN THIS PSALM, WHO IS THE KING OF GLORY?
IF YOU KNOW THE LORD, JESUS CHRIST, AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR, YOU CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTIONBECAUSE YOU KNOW HIM PERSONALLY. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HIM PERSONALLY, YOU CANNOTANSWER THAT QUESTION.
MANY THINK THEY KNOW WHO JESUS IS. IF YOU ASK THEM, THEY SAY HE WAS A GOOD MAN, APROPHET, A HISTORICAL FIGURE, ETC. UNTIL YOU KNOW HIM PERSONALLY, YOU DO NOT DISCOVER THATHE IS GOD, THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE.
HOMEWORK
PSALMS 25 AND 26
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF PSA 24
IS JESUS CHRIST THE LORD OF ALL YOUR LIFE?
WHAT AREAS OF YOUR LIFE DO YOU NEED TO COMMIT TO HIM SO THAT HE WILL RULE YOUR LIFE IN THEWAY THAT HE WILL ONE DAY RULE ON THIS EARTH WITH TOTAL CONTROL?
IN PRAYER GIVE HIM THESE AREAS OF YOUR LIFE NOW.
PREPARATION FOR PSA 25 AND 26
READ PSA 25:1-22
FOR CONTEXT READ 2SAM 13
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GODS “TENDER MERCIES” ANDGODS “LOVING KINDNESS”? (6)
READ PSA 26:1-12
WHAT KEEPS DAVID FROM FALLING AWAY FROM THE LORD?
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 26:12
