“Lift up your heads, you gates: be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, Who is He, this King of glory – the Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10 NIV)
YouVersion’s verse of the day caught my attention as I am still making my way down Palm Sunday road with our Messiah. I immediately noticed the application to Jesus’ descent into the holy city. Turns out, connection is far stronger than my initial observation.
It feels symbolic of a people closed off their God’s glorious re-entry.
“Ancient rabbinical sources tell us that in Jewish liturgy, Psalm 24 was always used on the first day of the week. The first day of the week is our Sunday. So putting these facts together, we may assume that these were the words being recited by the Temple priests at the very moment the Lord Jesus Christ mounted a donkey and ascended the rocky approach to Jerusalem.” (James Montgomery Boice)
This psalm was fulfilled when Jesus road into Jerusalem on a donkey in peace and it will be fulfilled again when He returns on a horse in war. Incredibly, this psalm is also fulfilled each and every time a human heart lets down it’s guard long enough to allow the King of glory full access. God fills every square inch of space we’ll allow Him.
“Come near to God and He will come near to you.” (James 4:8 NIV)
The audacity of this verse in James is not lost on me. The God of all makes room for us when we make room for Him. Consider it! How hard is it to get in touch with a head of state or celebrity? What demands and limitations are required? Yet the King of creation shows up on our timetable. Astonishing.
Not only does God respond to our invitation, He eagerly awaits it!
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me.” (Revelation 3:20 NIV)
The Lord awaits our admittance and avails His fellowship to our schedule and personal temperament. Incredible.
Anytime I find myself turning to Revelation 3:20 I recall my own kindergarten conversion. I vividly remember my mother preaching in her very first full appointment: a tiny clapboard church in Lovilla, Iowa. She pointed to the faded painting on the far wall: the infamous oil where Jesus stands at a handless door tears pooling in His eyes because the homeowner had not yet seen fit to let Him in. Then Mom went on to say that we alone can open the door. My five year old self did not want to make Jesus sad, so I mentally threw back the door and welcomed Jesus into my heart. And I can tell you, almost forty years later, He has filled every crevice and crack I allow Him.
We look to our psalm once more and read how God is mighty in battle. This aggressive language may tend to pull us back in fear, but truly His might is a blessing to us. Our biggest battles always lie within. By allowing our King full access, we fortify our weakest front, our flesh. Praise God that He is willing to dwell in such humble estate!
Additionally, we note how repetitive this run of psalms is. The phrase King of glory is employed no less than five times, in case we were confused about Who we are allowing in. Four times we are exhorted to lift our gates, to let Him have access. And thrice, we are assured of His power and strength.
Lastly, the psalmist reminds us to reflect. The selah between chapters admonishes us: pause here. Don’t rush on to the next thing, but let these holy words soak deep into your spirit! This morning, let us take his exhortation to heart. Revel for a moment: the great and mighty God of Creation has a desire to live amidst His people. He wants to abide in holy cities and human frames alike. It is wondrous and it bears pondering.
Lord, today we acknowledge Your power and presence. We see You as a grand God who continually makes room for us if we will only respond to You. Thank You for Your gracious pursuit. May we lift up the gates of our cities, homes, lives and hearts. Fill us up with Your powerful presence. Remake us into the children of God we were created to be. Call us back to You with every fiber of our being. Be glorified in these frames and from these souls. Amen.