Who?
Scripture Reading: Exodus 11-12; Matthew 18; Psalm 25
Psalm 24 is as baffling as it is beautiful. If we read it solely as a call for self-examination, its demands might feel overwhelming, even crushing. Four times the psalm poses the question, "Who?"—and if we answer honestly, we might slink away in despair. For who among us has truly clean hands or a perfectly pure heart?
The psalm also raises questions about its structure. How do the three stanzas connect? What does the first stanza, celebrating God's creation, have to do with the second, which describes the one qualified to ascend God's holy hill? And how do these two stanzas prepare us for the triumphant declaration in the third?
Historically, this psalm was likely written to commemorate the Ark of the Covenant being brought into Jerusalem, accompanied by great celebration. But that event was only a shadow of something far greater. Psalm 24 ultimately points us forward to Christ.
Jesus is the answer to the psalm's questions. He is the One with clean hands and a pure heart, the Second Adam who succeeded where the first Adam failed. He alone was qualified to ascend the hill of the Lord—not just the temple mount in Jerusalem, but the heavenly hill of God’s presence itself.
Following His resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He reigns as the God-Man. Justin Martyr beautifully connects this psalm to Christ's ascension, writing:
"When our Christ arose from the dead and ascended into heaven, the heavenly princes chosen by God were ordered to open the gates of heaven that the King of glory might enter and sit at the right hand of the Father until He makes His enemies His footstool." (Dialogue with Trypho)
This truth brings us hope. Because of Jesus, we are no longer weighed down by the psalm’s demands. He has opened the gates of glory for all who trust in Him. His victory is our victory. His clean hands and pure heart are credited to us by faith. Through Him, we can approach God with confidence, knowing that He has made a way for us to dwell in His presence forever.
So when we hear the psalmist ask, "Who?" let us not despair. Instead, let us look to Christ, the King of Glory, who has gone before us and reigns for us.
