This is not the best question in the Bible S30e155 Ps 24,25

Today, we'll review what is NOT the best question in the Bible, but it is a pretty good one.

Then we'll wonder if we are "smarter than a door"

Finally, we'll wonder if spiritual waiting is like regular waiting. 

Join me for 7 minutes to get our thinking right.

https://youtu.be/FbUCV2Z4VMI

Transcript

This is not the best question in the Bible S30e155 Ps 24,25

Yesterday we reviewed the heroism, the horror, and the utterances of Jesus on the cross as prophesied in Psalm 22.

We made an observation, that at least according to Ps 22, Jesus was not abandoned on the cross, but embraced by the Father

Today we remember Psalm 24 This is not the best question in the Bible 

But it is pretty darn good:

v.3 3        Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? 

And who shall stand in his holy place?

4    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. 

Ahh the great questions of scripture: Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord.

         Humbly, fearfully, how can we approach this terrible God? Powerful. Mighty . Just. Right?

Who shall stand in His holy place? I joke about us knuckleheads, by that I mean sin. Iniquity. Stain. Unacceptability before Him. 

Spiritually, it is ultimately incompatable with God

When we stand before Him for 10,000 years, with angels and creatures

We will be in His presence. Worship. What will NOT be in heaven? SIN

Who shall stand in His holy place? Answer #1 is nobody. Nobody. Not me not you. Not the best of us. Not David. Not billy Graham. Not Charlie Kirk. Not your pastor. Not your mother. 

Who shall stand in His holy place? Answer #2 is NOT nobody. Wait, you mean to tell me our like is invited into the holy place of God. 

If you come to my church what will you find: We are all in the same boat of

         Error, transgression, rebellion, stepping on His toes

Why are we there? Where else can we go

How are we there? He makes a way for the unrighteous to be acceptable

We can go up this mountain without being smote?

We can pursue Him realistically, relationally, and possibly?

         He makes a way for us to relate to Himv. 4 cleaned, pure hearted, truth

         Mouth that is consistent with the belief

Could you stand in the presence of God? Nope. Not unless He says so. 

 But Psalm 24 is an invitation into the presence of God. 

7  Lift up your heads, O gates! 

And be lifted up, O ancient doors, 

that the King of glory may come in. 

Gates here are personified: Life up your heads o GATES. 

DO SOMETHING Mr. Gate. DO SOMETHING Mrs. Door.

Imagine a fortified, walled city. Every city had a gate. 

Every gate is the vulnerable part of the city.

IT is at the gate that all the powerful discernment propberties of a whole city are concentrated. 

Gates are opportunities. Opportunities for commerce, provision, flourishing.

Also opportunities for enemies to get in. for forces arrayed against the city to breach. All the wisdom of the city is concentrated there. The gate is the brain of the city. 

CANNOT UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GATE TO THE CITY.

AS THE GATE GOES, SO GOES THE CITY.

THAT IS WHY ALMOST INFINITE RESOURCES WENT IN TO THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND THEN THE MANNING OF THE GATE.

THIS WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF A CITY. NO GATE. NO CITY.

GREAT CITIES, HAD GREAT GATES.

What do these gates tell us about our good Lord?

PS. 24 personifies the discernment and activity that takes place at the gate of the city. 

We are watching gates and doors to teach us something about right response.

         DO SOMETHING Recognize Him: that some Person may come in. Wake up. Be alert.Watch for Him. Be ready. Not another. Not an imitator.

                  And then when the moment is right:

DO SOMETHING Respond to Him: lift up your heads, o gates.

DO SOMETHING Receive Him: 7c that the King of glory may come in

DO SOMETHING Reverence Him. This is the King of glory. Glory

If GATES can get it right, so can you.

Getting a degree from the SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS S30e39 Psalm 25

What will I do when the Knocks are hard

Asking something of you. Something even heroic. What? WAITING

25  Of David. 

1    To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 

2    O my God, in you I trust;

let me not be put to shame; 

let not my enemies exult over me. 

3    Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; 

they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. 

What is this waiting?

bind myself to the strength of YOU; twist myself with you in strength

I hope in the Lord—not hope, pie in the sky, I hope I wish I was taller

I EXPECT. I am solidly voting with my mind first and my feet and my hands

Not a passive waiting. Samsonite chair. Expect the answer.

Look forward to the fulfillment to the extent that

         When it happens I am not surprised.

Faithfully living in the meantime. 

In a sense, this is living in the promise. Living BEFORE the promise is real

Living in the waiting. Living in the wait.  

Ps 25 is not about getting seminary degree;

Most of you are in the school of hard knocks.

What is your hardest class in the school of hard knocks right now?

What will you do with this.  Where will you “put” your soul? 

All have is the choice. Choice of what to do in the the waiting.

         I choose to wait. Actively. Dynamically. Bound up with Him. Trusting Him.

As I am living the school of hard knock, I trust you in the waiting. Living in the wait

Review our review of the twin psalms 24, and 25

Who shall ascend? Nobody. Except those He invites: everybody and responds: not everybody.

Lift up your gates: be smarter than a door, than a gate

In you I trust, I wait for you.: Bind yourself to him.