1The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
3Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god. a
5They will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God their Savior.
6Such is the generation of those who seek him,
7Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
9Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty—
he is the King of glory.
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Thoughts: It is a simple thought, but one we forget often- we are not in control of God, God is in control. The whole earth is His. There are many especially in the West who (post-enlightenment) think it is our job to pick or design God. It is a bit like Harry Potter picking heaven- or heaven as whatever you want it to be (and God as whatever you want God to be). This appeals to us because we think we are in control. When humans have designed gods (think Greek, Roman, Norse, or Hindu pantheon), they are just a bit above Marvel super heroes. The gods we design are often fickle and weak showing human qualities and the limits of human imagination. The same with our choosing our own heaven. I can't imagine heaven being limited to a train station. The whole earth is the Lord's. Therefore He has the right to choose who may come into His presence (ascend His holy hill= heaven).
Protestants immediately go into justification mode here- we don't ascend because we have clean hands and a pure heart- but because God gives us clean hands and a pure heart. Yes, God is the One who makes us complete in the end, but that is not the point here. The emphasis here is seeking God. Not a god we make up (an idol), but a God we can listen to. Not a talisman for magic or good luck, but a God we can rely on and trust in (vs. 4). Verse 3 and 4 are tied together. Those receive a blessing who seek (and trust) in Him. God will confirm their action of seeking and trust by blessing them (both now and later) and vindicating them in the end.
So in many ways this Psalm is about our coming to God and also God's coming to us. We seek Him who comes to us. He comes to us through the ancient doors, the ancient gates, the ancient ways. God has come before, and He comes again to us. When the Holy Spirit comes to us- we should lift up our heads and seek Him. He is the King of glory. He is the king of glory over all the earth He has made. So part of our job, is to glorify and worship Him who made the whole earth. Part of our duty is to point to people to ask them to seek Him.
Prayer: Lord help me to seek you and find you when I search for you with all my heart. Help me to not seek after an idol, or to find solace in just the seeking. Thank you that you, the King of glory, cares about me. Help me to be an instrument of yours spreading your glory to the whole earth.
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