If God is the ruler of the world, your approval isn’t necessary. The King of Kings is king of kings whether you’ve submitted or not. Jesus is Lord. It’s not up to you to make it so; only to surrender to that reality or not.
A common thought is Psalm 24 is an act of worship commemorating God’s arrival into Jerusalem. Specifically, this would’ve been when David brought the ark of the covenant. For such a ceremony, the people are to remember the awesomeness of the God they worship. Their proper response to God’s arrival was a cleansing of the hands and heart. They should turn away from what is false and seek the face of God.
To be sure, their actions are an acknowledgement of God’s power and holiness. The people do not make God holy. God is and we adjust ourselves accordingly.
It’s at this point in the psalm we see a point of mystery within our communion with God. Surely, the Lord does not need permission to dwell in any part of the earth God created. No, but God will not force the divine presence upon us. So, once the people affirm who is the King of glory, what’s left is for the people to open themselves to God’s presence.
Listen to their call:
Lift up your head, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in!
God does not need permission, but will wait for our response.
Now that Christ has come, you are the temple. God’s presence is the adorning feature of your life. God won’t tear down the doors of your heart. It’s your choice to open them. Why would you? Because God is still the King of glory. The holiness of God is still the fullness of God’s goodness. And we still need the Lord to have clean hands and pure hearts.
Stay blessed…john
