Who Can Climb God's Holy Mountain?

Psalm 24

Of David. A psalm.

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it on the seas
    and established it on the waters.
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not trust in an idol
    or swear by a false god.[a]
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord
    and vindication from God their Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek your face, God of Jacob.

David points to Creation as evidence that everything in the world, the earth, seas and human beings all come from God.  Therefore since everything is His, it is his perogative who can come into His presence.  

Second, David describes the type of person who can ascend to the mountain of the Lord, and come into the holy place where he dwells.  This was reminiscent when Moses when he went up to the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments.  Only Moses could approach God and if others did they would surely die.  But Moses heard God's and did as God instructed him.  

The only one who could approach God was someone who had clean hands and a clean heart.  Someone who trusted in God alone and their lives showed it.  In the Old Covenant, which David received through Abraham, obedience to the Ten Commandments made one righteous. But we know we fall all short so how can we be righteous before God?

We might say that under the Old Covenant a righteous walk was the precondition for fellowship with God; under the New Covenant a righteous walk is the result of fellowship with God, founded on faith. Yet under both covenants, God cares very much about the moral conduct of mankind, especially those who identify themselves as His people. (Guzik)

Finally, the one who enters God's presence will receive great blessing for seeking Him.  Those who seek Him will find Him, much like David's ancestors had.  I like the phrase, "a generation who seeks your face". The idea is seeking a very personal relationship with God. I.e. Those seek Your face.

In the new covenant we come into God's presence through His Son, Jesus. Jesus restored our relationship with God by his death on the cross, and gave us His righteousness as a substitute for our own.  Jesus came down the mountain and rescued us. Through Him we can ascend the holy hill and receive great blessing by being with God!  

The question for today is, do realize the extremely awesome privilege we have to come into God's presence through the Son?  Will we like Jacob, be a generation of those seek Him?  Our forefathers in the faith: Jacob, Moses and David sought God and were found by Him!!!     


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