Embrace the Word for Friday, February 13, 2026
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Psalm 24, as the superscription states, is another Psalm of David. Psalm 24 closes out a subunit of Book 1 of the Psalter. This subunit began with Psalm 15, which parallels Psalm 24 in its focus, and highlights the hope of the coming king. Psalm 15 and Psalm 24 each speak of the kind of man that the king would be. The coming king will be a righteous king. Psalm 24 even intimates that this coming king would be a man who, in some sense, is God Himself.
Psalm 24 opens with a declaration that everything and everybody—all that exists—belongs to the Lord: “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (24:1). The LORD, the God who lives in covenant relationship with His people, is the One True God who is owner of everything. There is no limit to the scope of God’s property lines; He owns it all. There is no creature—no flea or tick, no badger or bear, no shark or swordfish, no cardinal or canary, no angel or demon, and no human being, who operates apart from God.
David grounds this comprehensive sovereignty of God in the simple truth that the LORD made the earth and everything in it: “for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers” (24:2). The imagery that David portrays is that the LORD created a safe and habitable place, above the seas and the rivers. This imagery certainly reflects Genesis 1, but it also reflects what Peter was moved to describe: “the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God” (See 2 Peter 3:5b). The LORD caringly created all that exists—He founded it; He created it! And the Lord caringly maintains all that exists—He establishes it; He sustains it!
The suggested implication, as we will see as Psalm 24 unfolds, of the LORD’s ownership over everything because of His creation of everything, is that God is owed all honor, and love, and trust, and obedience, and service, and worship. God is entitled to state the manner in which His moral order of His universe is to operate. This implication runs throughout the pages of the Scripture: “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth…all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (See Colossians 1:16-17). All things are for the LORD because all things were made by and are being held together by Him. Thus, since all things belong to the LORD and are for His plans and purposes, then to ignore or defy the LORD’s plans and purposes is to warrant God’s judgment. It was the LORD’s prerogative as Adam’s maker to make the rules to which Adam was to live (See Genesis 2:17). And it was the LORD’s privilege to banish Adam from the Garden when Adam disobeyed (See Genesis 3:23-24).
Thus, the LORD deserves to be worshipped: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (See Deuteronomy 6:4-5). David frames the worship of God with a focus on approaching the LORD’s place of worship: “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?” (24:3). Approaching God to worship Him is often described as an ascent (See 1 Samuel 1:3). Psalm 2 is oriented around a mountain ascent as it would be the place where the LORD would install His king: “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” (See Psalm 2:6). Moses ascended Mount Sinai to worship the Lord (See Exodus 19); Ezekiel described Eden as a mountain location (See Ezekiel 28:13-14); and the Tabernacle/Temple, along with the Ark, would find its home on Mount Zion. Even when we turn to the New Testament, there is a future Mount Zion referenced in Hebrews 12:22 and Revelation 14:1. From the beginning of the Bible to its end, to ascend the LORD’s mountain is to enter His presence. David, not only inquires about ascending, but also about standing. Whereas we know that the wicked will not stand in the Lord’s presence (See Psalm 1:5), David asks who could. David asked this question earlier: “O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” (See Psalm 15:1).
First, just marvel over the fact that the LORD God who made all things can be approached. In fact, He welcomes as well as requires us to come into His presence! But second, take into consideration the requirements before rushing uphill and standing in the LORD’s presence: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully” (24:4). The LORD who welcomes His people into His presence is a Holy God; therefore approaching a Holy God is no casual event. Even the Philistines, after having captured the Ark of the Covenant and thus experiencing great affliction realized the danger: “Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” (See 1 Samuel 6:20). Entering into the presence of a Holy God requires holy purity. Without such holy purity, it is dangerous; for God is a consuming fire (See Deuteronomy 4:24), as demonstrated in the case of Aaron’s two sons (See Leviticus 10:1-3).
David provided examples of the required holy purity. First, “clean hands” refers to deeds and actions that are innocent or free of any charge of wrongdoing. Second, “pure heart” indicates thoughts, desires, imaginations, and inclinations, which precede and produce the deeds of our hands, are pleasing to the LORD. Holiness is required at the level of deeds and all the way down into our disposition and desires. Such inner purity refrains from idolatry, or as David puts it, “does not lift up his soul to what is false.” There can be no divided loyalties; devotion must be to the LORD alone: “You shall have no other gods before me” (See Exodus 20:3). Finally, entering into the LORD’s presence with holy purity also requires integrity in life: “does not swear deceitfully.” This requirement suggests that there is no place to promise something simply to gain an advantage over someone, as well as following through to do what was promised even if it comes as personal disadvantage.
Altogether, approaching a holy God means that our words and our deeds, as well as our affections and integrity are under scrutiny. With these requirements in mind, we again ask David’s question—who can do that? How did the LORD Himself instruct Israel how they could do that? Leviticus provides an answer: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life” (See Leviticus 17:11). The way to have clean hands, a pure heart, true affections for God, and integrity of speech, is through the atoning blood of a substitutionary sacrifice that covers our sin. Recognition of such atonement draws us to approach the LORD in faith and repentance.
And in approaching the LORD, there is great reward: “He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation” (24:5). The kind of person that qualifies for approaching the LORD is the person that God blesses in a number of ways, but David narrows in on one particular blessing—the declaration of righteousness. And yet, to speak of qualifications for approaching the LORD and the resultant blessings of approaching the LORD, is not to say that the worshipper qualifies himself and thus earns those blessings through his own merit. We must always keep in mind that the gracious character of God, which though displayed in many ways, is particularly displayed in that what the Lord requires of His people, He enables His people to do (Compare the requirement of Deuteronomy 10:16 with the provision of Deuteronomy 30:6; See also Philippians 2:12-13). Perhaps the reality that the Lord enables what He requires, is seen in verse 5 itself as God is identified as the “God of his salvation,” that is our saving or Savior God. Such a Savior God is to be sought: “Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah” (24:6). And such a seeking does result in reward: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (See Hebrews 11:6). But this entire experience is not a self-accomplishment; it is utter dependence upon the Lord. Identifying the LORD as the “God of Jacob” should also help us to realize that flawed, imperfect people who, nevertheless, earnestly seek the Lord out of a desperate dependence are rewarded: “I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered” (See Genesis 32:30). Jacob had one thing going for him—he knew how to hang on to God for dear life (See Genesis 32:26-28).
David’s words about ascending the hill of the LORD and standing at the LORD’s holy place focuses in on the gates of Jerusalem and the entrance to the tabernacle: “Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in” (24:7). For emphasis, David repeats the request: “Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in” (24:8). In what is probably meant to reflect a euphoric state, David speaks-repeatedly-to the gates and the doors and instructs them to open up and make way for the entrance of the “King of glory.” David seems to be identifying the man who truly does qualify for the righteous, entrance requirements spoken of in verse 4. But this man is described with terms to suggest that He is God: “Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle!…Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah” (24:8,10). This man is “the LORD,” who is a divine warrior leading the armies of heaven. We might have seen this coming, for the righteous man introduced in Psalm 1, turns out to the anointed Son of God identified in Psalm 2. Jesus is the God-Man. So then, when we read Revelation 19, we can say that we already saw that coming as well: “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war…And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses” (See Revelation 19:11,14).
As we reflect on Psalm 24, we acknowledge that Christ is the only man who has completely lived up to God’s righteous requirements. Jesus had clean hands and a pure heart for He was sinless (See Hebrews 4:15). In fact his hands served us, healed us, and were pierced by nails for us (See Isaiah 53:5). Jesus trusted in God fully even as He suffered for us (See 1 Peter 2:23). Jesus was ever truthful (See 1 Peter 2:22). Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus qualifies all who trust in Him to come into the presence of God (See 1 Peter 3:18). In Jesus, we can ascend and stand: “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (See Hebrews 10:19,22).
That’s all for Embrace the Word for Friday, February 13, 2026. I look forward to being back with you for the Monday, February 16, 2026 episode of Embrace the Word as we take a look at Psalm 25.