Thoughts for the Day

Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is the King of glory?

The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.

Who is the King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory.

* Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle, before the Ark of the Covenant. Picture by Tissot.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Psalm 24 appears to have been written by King David and the first half of the psalm celebrates God's creation of the world. The second half (above) starts with a command 'Lift up your head, O gates!', and is repeated. So what is happening?

The Ark of the Covenant was built by the people of Israel to hold the tablets of stone on which the Ten Commandments were written. As the people moved forward it always led the way, and when they rested it would be placed in a separate tent or Tabernacle. In Chronicles, Chapter 15, we read that when King David had established his headquarters in Jerusalem he went to the house of Obed-Edom where the Ark of the Covenant had been residing, and with immense ceremony by priests and Levites he brought the Ark back to Jerusalem where it was placed in the Tabernacle.

Psalm 24 seems to have been written to celebrate this event, and later to commemorate the occasion when Solomon built the Temple. The words 'Lift up your heads, O gates' instructs the entrance posts to stand up straight (like soldiers on parade) because the most important person in the Kingdom is about to enter. It is the Lord (known as Yahweh) who is to enter - the King of Glory is coming to His Tabernacle.

Perhaps the sheer joy of this psalm (and of music based on it), should remind us to celebrate all that God means to us as we remember Pentecost this weekend, and the coming of the Holy Spirit on the disciples!

Lord God,
just as You led Your people through the wilderness;
just as You spoke to prophets, priests and kings;
just as You established a home with Your people;
and just as You sent Your Son to save us from our sin;
may we get ready to welcome Your Spirit this Pentecost,
with joy in our hearts.
Amen.