Ascend
Hills & Valleys: Day 4
Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face. Selah
Psalm 24: 3-6, NKJV
The scriptures use many names to refer to God and His attributes and nature. Two names in particular leave me in awe: Yeshua HaMashiach, which means Jesus the Messiah, and El Elyon, which means God Most High. Both names reference the singular place that the God of the Bible occupies in both function and existence.
Jesus is the promised Messiah who perfectly fulfills the law of Moses and satisfies the wrath and righteousness of God. As the Son of God, He is exalted “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1:21).
There is only one King, and His name is Yehoshua (Jesus). David starts this psalm with the declaration: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.” Jesus is Lord of all creation. His creation submits to Him, yet this King invites us to know Him and be known by Him.
This is why I am so amazed at what David says here. God has made a way for us to know and approach Him, to ascend the hill of the Lord. Jesus is the fulfillment of this one who ascends this hill. In His ascent, He carries us with Him. So, in Him, we receive blessing, and in Him, we receive righteousness.
Leaders, that is good news.
Why?
Because it does not all depend on us. David was the second king to rule over Israel, but most historians consider him the greatest. Yet, he declares that there is one who is far greater than he. This King is the one who has no sin in him whatsoever. His hands are clean, His heart is pure, He has not turned towards idols, and he doesn’t lie. Surely, David is not referring to himself, for we can count numerous times when David does these things. He also isn’t talking about us, because we break these daily. He is pointing to Jesus. The one whom the generations will seek after. The one in whom we find security.
There are some hills we can’t climb; we can only be carried. This is one of them. We benefit from being in this elevated position, which Paul in the New Testament calls being “in Christ.” Jesus ascended, and in His ascension, we are seated with Him.
Prayer prompts:
Pray through Psalm 24:1: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.”What thoughts and feelings come to mind when you consider that Jesus is king and lord over all the earth? Pray through what comes up for you.
Express gratitude to the Lord for what it means to be “In Christ.”
Song:
Other posts in this series:
Death In The Valley: Why We Quit Along The Way
The vision and prophecy of Ezekiel 37 is well known as The Valley of Dry Bones. The chapter opens with Yahweh’s hand on Ezekiel, who is shown a vision of devastation. The nation of Israel and its people lay in ruins. This vision is so distressing to Ezekiel that when asked a question, he can only respond, “Lord GOD, only you know.”