Psalm 24
Psalm 24, The Great and Sovereign God
Psalm 24 is titled, “A Psalm of David.” The historical setting is often connected with the entrance of the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem during the reign of David, as recorded in 2 Samuel 6. That event was one of the great moments in Israel’s national worship, when the symbol of God’s covenant presence was brought into the city of David with rejoicing, sacrifice, and holy celebration. Yet the psalm clearly reaches beyond that historical event. David’s words are not limited to the movement of the ark into Jerusalem. They look forward to the greater reality of the King of glory Himself. The psalm speaks of the sovereign ownership of God over all creation, the moral requirement for standing before Him, and the glorious entrance of the LORD as King. In that sense, Psalm 24 has historical, theological, messianic, and prophetic significance. It looks back to creation, it speaks to worship in Israel, it anticipates the ascension and glory of Christ, and it points forward to the final reign of the King of glory.
A. The Great and Sovereign God
Psalm 24:1
Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
David begins with one of the most sweeping declarations in all of Scripture. The earth belongs to the LORD. The world does not belong ultimately to kings, empires, merchants, armies, governments, or false gods. It belongs to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, who is also the Creator and Sovereign over all nations. David was himself a king, but he understood that his throne was not ultimate. Israel was a significant kingdom in the plan of God, yet by the standards of ancient empire it was small when compared with Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, or later Rome. A lesser man might have assumed that the gods of larger nations were greater because their kingdoms were greater. David knew better. The LORD was not a tribal deity restricted to Israel’s borders. He was, and is, the God of the whole earth.
The phrase, “and the fulness thereof,” strengthens the declaration. David does not merely say that the landmass of the earth belongs to God. He says that everything filling the earth belongs to Him. The harvests belong to Him. The wealth of the earth belongs to Him. The animals belong to Him. The seas, fields, mountains, forests, and nations belong to Him. The life within the world belongs to Him. Even the worship that creatures owe belongs to Him. There is nothing outside His ownership. There is no neutral territory in creation. Every inch of creation is under divine claim.
This is a foundational doctrine for a biblical worldview. Man is not the owner of creation in the ultimate sense. Man is a steward. He may cultivate, build, govern, trade, and possess property under God’s providence, but he never becomes independent of God’s ownership. All human ownership is secondary and delegated. God’s ownership is primary and absolute. This corrects both paganism and human pride. Paganism divides creation among many gods. Human pride treats creation as if man is the highest authority. Psalm 24:1 destroys both errors. The earth is the LORD’s.
David also says, “the world, and they that dwell therein.” God’s ownership includes humanity itself. Every person who has ever lived has lived on God’s earth, breathed God’s air, eaten food from God’s provision, and existed by God’s sustaining power. This means every person is accountable to God. Men may deny Him, ignore Him, blaspheme Him, or invent idols in His place, but they cannot escape His claim. God owns not only the world, but also those who dwell in it.
There is a limited sense in which Scripture describes Satan as exercising influence over this present evil age. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them.” Satan has real influence in the fallen world system. He blinds minds. He tempts. He deceives. He offered the kingdoms of the world to Christ during the temptation, and Jesus did not deny that Satan had a temporary delegated authority in the fallen order. Yet Satan’s influence is always limited, permitted, and subordinate. He is never the true owner. The devil is a usurper, not the Creator. The earth remains the LORD’s.
Paul quotes this truth in the New Testament when dealing with matters of conscience and food offered to idols. 1 Corinthians 10:26 says, “For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.” Again, 1 Corinthians 10:28 says, “But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake, for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.” Paul’s point is that idols do not truly own anything. False gods do not possess meat, land, temples, or nations. The LORD owns all things. Therefore, the believer must live with a clear conscience before God, recognizing that the entire created order belongs to Him.
This first verse also establishes the moral direction of the entire psalm. If the earth belongs to God, then worship is not optional. If the world and all who dwell in it belong to God, then men are not free to define truth, morality, worship, or salvation on their own terms. The Creator has rights over His creation. The Lord of the earth has the authority to determine who may stand before Him.
Psalm 24:2
Psalm 24:2, “For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.”
David gives the reason God owns the earth. God owns it because He made it. Creation is the basis of divine ownership. The LORD has founded the earth upon the seas and established it upon the floods. This language looks back to the creation account, especially the separation of land and waters. Genesis 1:9 says, “And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear, and it was so.” Genesis 1:10 says, “And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas, and God saw that it was good.”
David is not presenting mythology. He is worshiping the Creator who ordered the world by His word. The earth did not emerge from chaos by accident. It was founded, established, ordered, and sustained by God. The language emphasizes stability. The earth rests where God placed it. The waters remain where God appointed them. The world is not self existent, self ordering, or self sustaining. It is upheld by the power and wisdom of God.
David likely had never seen the full scale of the oceans as modern man sees them through maps, satellite images, and global travel. He knew the Mediterranean Sea and may have known of the Red Sea, but he did not have modern geographical tools. Yet by revelation and observation, he understood that waters dominate the earth in a profound way. The earth appears as dry land established in relation to the waters. This was a marvel of divine engineering. God separated, ordered, bounded, and stabilized creation.
This verse also carries theological weight against ancient pagan worldviews. Many ancient peoples feared the sea as a symbol of chaos, danger, and hostile powers. Scripture does not deny that the sea can be dangerous, but it never treats the sea as a rival power to God. The LORD founded the earth upon the seas. The waters are not divine. The waters are not sovereign. The waters obey the Creator. Psalm 33:7 says, “He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap, he layeth up the depth in storehouses.” Psalm 95:5 says, “The sea is his, and he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.”
The doctrine is clear. God owns the earth because God created the earth. Creation establishes authority. The same God who made the world has the right to rule it, judge it, redeem it, and require worship from those who dwell in it.
B. Received by the Great and Sovereign God
Psalm 24:3
Psalm 24:3, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?”
After declaring God’s sovereign ownership over the world, David asks the necessary question. If God owns all things and is holy, who has the right to approach Him? Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? This is not merely a question about physical access to Jerusalem or the temple mount. It is a question of spiritual fitness before a holy God.
The “hill of the LORD” refers to the place of God’s special presence among His covenant people. In David’s immediate context, it points toward Zion, Jerusalem, and the place where God’s presence was represented among Israel. The “holy place” refers to the sacred sphere of worship, the place where man stands before God. Yet the question reaches beyond geography. The deeper issue is this, what kind of person may come before the holy God?
This question once weighed heavily on men. There was a time when people trembled over the matter of being right with God. They knew death was real, judgment was real, sin was real, and holiness was required. Modern man often asks lesser questions. How can I be happy? How can I be successful? How can I be fulfilled? Those questions have their place, but they are not ultimate. David asks the highest question. How can a sinful man stand before the holy God who owns the earth and all who dwell in it?
The question exposes the seriousness of worship. Worship is not casual entertainment. Worship is not man centered emotional therapy. Worship is the approach of the creature before the Creator, the sinner before the Holy One, the dependent man before the sovereign LORD. Therefore, the question is not whether man wants to approach God, but whether man may approach God rightly.
This question also anticipates the gospel. If God is holy, and if man is sinful, then man cannot simply walk into God’s presence on his own terms. He must come in the way God provides. Under the Old Covenant, that approach involved covenant obedience, sacrifice, priesthood, cleansing, and reverence. In the fullness of revelation, the only final answer is Jesus Christ, the Mediator who brings sinners to God.
Psalm 24:4
Psalm 24:4, “He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”
David answers the question by describing the moral character of the one who may stand before God. The acceptable worshiper has clean hands and a pure heart. The hands represent outward conduct. The heart represents inward motive, desire, thought, and affection. God requires both. It is not enough to have religious actions while the heart is corrupt. It is not enough to claim sincerity while the life is morally filthy. The God who owns the earth rules the earth on a moral foundation.
Clean hands speak of righteous conduct. A man’s actions must not be marked by bloodguilt, theft, oppression, immorality, deceit, and rebellion. In Scripture, hands often symbolize deeds. Isaiah 1:15 says, “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you, yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear, your hands are full of blood.” God refused the worship of those whose hands were stained by wickedness. Religious gestures could not cover moral corruption.
A pure heart speaks of inward purity before God. True religion is heart work. The Pharisees later became a tragic example of outward religion without inward purity. Jesus rebuked them because they cleaned the outside while the inside remained full of corruption. Matthew 23:25 says, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.” Matthew 23:26 says, “Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.” David’s words already show that God has never been satisfied with mere outward ritual. He requires truth in the inward parts.
The phrase, “who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity,” speaks of rejecting idolatry and falsehood. Vanity refers to emptiness, worthlessness, and that which cannot save. To lift up the soul is to direct trust, desire, devotion, or worship toward something. The acceptable worshiper does not lift his soul to idols. He does not entrust himself to false gods, false hopes, false worship, or empty things. Psalm 25:1 says, “Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.” That verse helps explain the meaning. The soul is to be lifted up to the LORD, not to vanity.
Idolatry is not only bowing before carved images. It is the turning of the heart from God to something created. Money can become vanity. Power can become vanity. Pleasure can become vanity. Reputation can become vanity. Political power, military strength, personal success, and religious tradition can all become vanity if they replace trust in the LORD. The man who stands before God must not be an idolater in his soul.
David also says, “nor sworn deceitfully.” This addresses the tongue and the integrity of one’s word. A man’s speech reveals his heart. Matthew 12:34 says, “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” A deceitful oath reveals a deceitful soul. God does not welcome false worshipers who use words to manipulate, deceive, flatter, or conceal wickedness. The man who stands before God must be truthful.
Under the Old Covenant, these words fit within the covenant structure given to Israel. God promised blessing for obedience and judgment for disobedience. Deuteronomy 28:1 says, “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth.” Deuteronomy 28:2 says, “And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.” The Old Covenant clearly tied Israel’s national blessing to covenant obedience.
Yet if Psalm 24:4 is read only as a demand upon fallen man, it exposes man’s inability. Who among us has perfectly clean hands? Who among us has a perfectly pure heart? Who among us has never lifted his soul to vanity? Who among us has never spoken with deceit, exaggeration, manipulation, or mixed motive? This verse should humble every reader. It shows the moral standard of God and the moral failure of man.
The final answer is found in Christ. Jesus alone has perfectly clean hands and a perfectly pure heart. Jesus never lifted His soul to vanity. Jesus never swore deceitfully. He is the righteous Man who may ascend the hill of the LORD and stand in the holy place by His own merit. The believer stands accepted before God because he is united to Christ by faith and clothed in Christ’s righteousness. Romans 3:21 says, “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.” Romans 3:22 says, “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference.”
This does not make moral obedience irrelevant. Under the New Covenant, righteous conduct is not the root of our acceptance, but it is the fruit of genuine fellowship with God. 1 John 1:6 says, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” A righteous walk does not purchase salvation, but it gives evidence of a life brought into fellowship with God. Under the Old Covenant, obedience functioned as the condition of covenant blessing. Under the New Covenant, obedience flows from regeneration, union with Christ, and the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit. In both covenants, God cares deeply about holiness.
Psalm 24:5
Psalm 24:5, “He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”
The man described in Psalm 24:4 receives blessing from the LORD. God sees moral conduct. God rewards those who honor Him. This blessing may come as direct favor from God, and it may also come as the natural fruit of living according to God’s wise order. Sin produces destruction, but obedience walks in the grain of creation. A truthful man avoids the ruin caused by deceit. A pure man avoids the corruption caused by lust. A worshipful man avoids the emptiness of idolatry. God’s commands are not arbitrary. They reflect His holy character and His design for human life.
The verse also says that this man receives “righteousness from the God of his salvation.” This is crucial. David does not merely say that the righteous man produces righteousness from himself. He receives righteousness from God. Even in the Old Testament, righteousness before God was not ultimately self generated. It came from the God of salvation. This guards against the error of thinking that Old Testament saints were saved by works while New Testament saints are saved by grace. Salvation has always been by grace through faith, though the administration of the covenants differs.
The Old Testament sacrificial system never saved by the blood of animals in itself. The sacrifices pointed forward to the final sacrifice of Christ. The faithful Israelite trusted God through the means God provided, looking forward, even if not yet fully understanding the finished work of Christ. Genesis 15:6 says, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” Abraham was justified by faith, not by works. Paul later uses this very verse to explain justification. Romans 4:3 says, “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
Therefore, Psalm 24:5 contains both moral and gospel truth. The blessed man walks in righteousness, but the righteousness by which he stands before God comes from the God of his salvation. The obedient life is the evidence and fruit of received righteousness. God saves, God justifies, God blesses, and God transforms.
This verse may also echo the blessing that came upon Obededom when the ark stayed in his house before it was brought into Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 6:11 says, “And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.” If Psalm 24 is connected to the ark’s entrance into Jerusalem, then David may have had in mind the blessing associated with rightly receiving the presence of God. God’s presence is not a small matter. To receive Him rightly brings blessing. To treat Him lightly brings judgment.
Psalm 24:6
Psalm 24:6, “This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.”
David now describes the blessed and righteous people as a generation of seekers. “This is the generation of them that seek him.” The people who may stand before God are not merely outward members of a nation. They are those who seek the LORD. They pursue Him. They desire His presence. They do not merely inherit religious vocabulary. They personally seek the face of God.
The phrase “O Jacob” identifies the covenant people of God. Jacob is another name associated with Israel, and it reminds the reader that God deals with His people by covenant. Yet David’s wording also presses beyond mere national identity. The true generation of Jacob is made up of those who seek the LORD. This is consistent with the broader biblical truth that outward covenant connection must be joined with genuine faith. Romans 9:6 says, “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel.” There has always been a distinction between mere external association and true faith.
To seek God’s face is more intimate than merely seeking His benefits. Many seek God’s gifts. Fewer seek God Himself. To seek His face is to desire His presence, favor, fellowship, and approval. Psalm 27:8 says, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” This is the posture of true worship. The righteous do not merely want deliverance from trouble. They want God.
The word “Selah” calls for reflection. The reader is meant to pause and consider the seriousness of what has been said. The earth belongs to the LORD. God is the Creator. Only the morally clean may stand before Him. Righteousness is received from the God of salvation. The true covenant people are those who seek His face. This is not light religious language. It is a call to sober worship, covenant faithfulness, and personal pursuit of God.
C. Receiving the Great King
Psalm 24:7
Psalm 24:7, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in.”
The psalm now moves from the question of who may ascend to God, to the call for the gates to open before the King of glory. The imagery is majestic. The gates are personified and commanded to lift up their heads. The everlasting doors are summoned to be lifted up. The King of glory is coming in.
If the historical setting is the entrance of the ark into Jerusalem, then the language fits the arrival of the symbol of God’s covenant presence into the city. The ark had been associated with God’s throne, His holiness, and His presence among His people. Yet David’s language is too grand to be exhausted by the ark itself. The ark was a symbol. The greater reality is the LORD Himself, the King of glory.
The command to the gates also implies readiness and welcome. God is not to be received casually, reluctantly, or half heartedly. The gates must be opened. The doors must be lifted. The city must receive the King. This is worship language. The people of God must make room for the rule, presence, and glory of God.
This verse has several layers of fulfillment and application. It was fulfilled in a historical sense when the ark came into Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 6:17 says, “And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it, and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.” 2 Samuel 6:18 says, “And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.”
It was fulfilled in a greater heavenly sense when the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven after His finished work. Acts 1:9 says, “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.” Acts 1:10 says, “And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel.” The ascended Christ entered heaven not as a defeated teacher, but as the victorious Son of God, having accomplished redemption.
Ephesians 1:20 says, “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 1:21 says, “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.” Ephesians 1:22 says, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” Christ is the true King of glory, received into heaven and seated at the right hand of the Father.
This verse also applies personally, in the sense that the human heart must receive Christ as King. The image of opened doors is echoed in Christ’s words to the church in Laodicea. Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock, if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with me.” The King of glory is not merely to be admired at a distance. He must be received. It is not enough to acknowledge that Christ reigns. A man must bow before Him personally.
The phrase “the King of glory” is rich. Glory refers to weight, majesty, splendor, honor, and divine radiance. This King is not merely a political ruler. He is the glorious LORD. His entrance demands reverence. His presence transforms the place He enters. His rule is not dependent on human approval, yet He graciously comes among His people when they receive Him rightly.
Psalm 24:8
Psalm 24:8, “Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.”
The question is asked, “Who is this King of glory?” The answer is direct, “The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.” The King of glory is Yahweh Himself. He is not weak, passive, fragile, or dependent. He is strong and mighty. He is mighty in battle.
This description recalls God’s identity as the divine warrior. After the LORD delivered Israel through the Red Sea, Moses sang of Him as a warrior. Exodus 15:3 says, “The LORD is a man of war, the LORD is his name.” God is not merely a comforting presence. He is the warrior King who defeats His enemies, delivers His people, and establishes His rule.
This matters because the presence of God is never sentimental only. Modern religion often wants a harmless god, a therapeutic god, a god who comforts but never confronts, blesses but never judges, forgives but never rules. Psalm 24 allows no such distortion. The King who enters is glorious, strong, mighty, and victorious in battle. He is the God who conquers.
This also points to Christ. At His first coming, Jesus entered Jerusalem meek and lowly, riding upon a donkey. Matthew 21:10 says, “And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?” Had Jerusalem rightly understood Him, the answer would have been, “This is the King of glory.” Matthew 21:11 says, “And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.” They recognized something of His prophetic role, but they did not fully recognize His divine glory and kingship.
At His second coming, He will return openly as the conquering King. Revelation 19:11 says, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” Revelation 19:15 says, “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” Revelation 19:16 says, “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” The King of glory is mighty in battle, and His final victory is certain.
Psalm 24:9
Psalm 24:9, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in.”
The command is repeated for emphasis. Hebrew poetry often uses repetition to intensify a truth. The gates must lift up their heads. The everlasting doors must be opened. The King of glory shall come in. This repetition tells the reader that the entrance of the King is not a minor thought. It is the climax of the psalm.
The phrase “everlasting doors” suggests more than ordinary city gates. These are ancient, enduring, majestic doors, suitable for the entrance of the eternal King. Historically, the language may poetically address the gates of Jerusalem. Theologically, it points beyond earthly architecture to the eternal glory of God’s kingdom. The King who comes is not a passing monarch. He is the everlasting LORD.
The repetition also reinforces the certainty of divine entrance. When the gates are opened, the King of glory comes in. Scripture does not present God as reluctant to meet with His people when they approach Him according to His will. James 4:8 says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purify your hearts ye double minded.” This verse echoes the themes of Psalm 24. Drawing near to God involves cleansing of hands and purification of heart. God receives those who come rightly.
The church also must heed this call. Christ must not be kept outside His own professing people. The church is His temple, and each believer must receive His rule. There is a tragic possibility of religious activity without the conscious welcome of Christ’s authority and presence. Churches may have programs, buildings, music, and language, yet still resist the rule of the King. Psalm 24 calls the people of God to open fully to the King of glory.
The individual believer must also heed the call. The heart has gates, so to speak. Pride keeps them shut. Sin bars them closed. Self rule resists His entrance. But the believer must receive Christ not merely as Savior from penalty, but as King over life. The King of glory must come in.
Psalm 24:10
Psalm 24:10, “Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.”
The final question repeats, “Who is this King of glory?” The final answer expands the title, “The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.” The LORD of hosts means the LORD of armies. He commands the hosts of heaven and earth. Angels, men, nations, stars, powers, and all created things are under His command. He is not merely one ruler among many. He is the Commander of the universe.
The title “LORD of hosts” presents the universe as an ordered host under divine authority. Heaven is not chaotic. Creation is not independent. Angelic beings are not sovereign. Nations are not ultimate. Every creature is accountable to the LORD of hosts. Psalm 103:20 says, “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” Psalm 103:21 says, “Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts, ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.”
This final verse also provides a fitting conclusion to Psalms 22, 23, and 24 when read together. Psalm 22 presents the suffering Messiah, forsaken and pierced, yet ultimately victorious. Psalm 22:1 says, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring?” Psalm 23 presents the LORD as Shepherd, guiding, providing, restoring, and leading His people. Psalm 23:1 says, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 24 presents the King of glory entering in triumph. Together, these psalms beautifully correspond to the work of Christ. He suffered for His people. He shepherds His people. He will reign in glory.
The final “Selah” demands reflection. The psalm does not end with man, but with God. It does not end with the worshiper, but with the King. It does not end with human need, but with divine glory. The LORD of hosts is the King of glory. This is the final and controlling truth of Psalm 24.
Psalm 24 teaches that God owns everything because He created everything. It teaches that the holy God must be approached in moral purity. It teaches that man cannot stand before God on the basis of empty religion, external ritual, idolatry, or deceit. It teaches that righteousness comes from the God of salvation. It teaches that the true people of God are those who seek His face. It teaches that the King of glory must be received with reverence, faith, and submission. Most fully, it points to Jesus Christ, the only perfectly righteous Man, the ascended Lord, the victorious King, and the LORD of hosts who will reign in glory.
