![]() So what is the connection between the chosen king and the blameless man? Both are associated with God’s dwelling place. ![]() Let the gates swing open! Open up you ancient doors! Here comes the King! This sounds like the king described in Psalm 2. There’s this chosen king again, and this time he’s the one who is entering the throne room, the dwelling place of God, as it were. If we keep reading in Psalm 24, we see the epic refrain: “Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in” (Psalm 24:7). Which sounds like the blameless man described in Psalm 15. And the answer, like in Psalm 15, comes in the next verse: “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” (verse 4). Then in Psalm 24, the passage we’re looking at, the question comes again: “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?” (verse 3). But according to Psalm 15, the blameless man dwells on the hill of the Lord. So, according to Psalm 2, God’s chosen king dwells on the hill of the Lord. It’s the place where God dwells, the place of his presence - the place where he has set his king, the human ruler over his chosen people.īut then, a few pages later in Psalm 15:1, we find this question: “O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” The answer comes in the next verse: “He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend” (Psalm 15:2–3). ![]() God’s holy hill - “the hill of the Lord” - is also called Zion. If we turn back to the very beginning of the Psalms, back to Psalm 2, we see this unmistakable declaration from God: “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” (Psalm 2:6). In fact, this isn’t the first time we find this very question. This isn’t the first time “the hill of the Lord” is mentioned in the Psalms. It’s a simple question, but its conclusion is profound. “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?” David asks in Psalm 24:3. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,Īnd everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 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. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visitorphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.īut the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 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. To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.ĭo not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others keep yourself pure. 3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.Īnd it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more,with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christįinally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.įor I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband,to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,Īll the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,Įven a child makes himself known by his acts,īy whether his conduct is pure and upright.īlessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God Who does not lift up his soul to what is falseĪnd righteousness from the God of his salvation. Like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
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