Psalm 24--Exegetical Thoughts

The strong liturgical feel of Psalm 24 paints a vivid picture not only of past contexts of use, but also of present contexts of use. I'd like to touch on those, but first, I would like to to explore the theology of Psalm 24. It is a culmination of many of the themes we have already explored--that all the earth belongs to the Creator God; themes of righteousness; and liturgy for the people of God. This is liturgy that interprets and instructs (Mays Preaching 155). In this way, it is torah.

Though McCann discusses the recent shift to discussing Psalm 24 in its unity (72), I do find Mays' (120-122) and Limburg's treatment of the three sections of the Psalm to be helpful in orienting ourselves (76-78). The first section affirms God's sovereign reign over the Earth. And where does this power originate from? Well, from God's creative works. Again, saying that God is the owner of the Earth is a countercultural statement for us today, when humanity certainly acts as if it owns the place. 

The second section identifies exactly where God is in the world and how one might get there oneself. God isn't a long-distance landlord, who owns property in one place, and dwells in another. No, this Psalm asserts that is present in the earth at the hill of the Lord. It is the righteous who find God there. It's important to note that approaching the hill has less to do with ritual cleanliness than it does with ethical living--with doing justice and righteousness in the world (Mays 121). Here, I am particularly attracted to Mays' understanding of the transaction that happens on the hill: "The creator gives life and relationship in the first place, but it is those who respond by practicing rightness in living who receive a renewal and confirmation by God. They keep the circular movement initiated by God unbroken" (122). It is the righteous who gain access to the hill, and they are blessed with righteousness by God upon arrival. To me, this seems to be a description of God's gracious action in action, and corresponds with a Wesleyan understanding of grace: God's prevenient grace is available to all (as God is the creator), God invites all to journey in a path of sanctifying grace ("the way of the righteous" Ps. 1), and God's justifying grace further blesses those who do travel that path. 

In this way, I see these first two movements of Psalm 24 as deeply connected to Psalm 1. They describe where that path of the righteous leads--to the hill of God, for further encounter with God. But it is not for the sole purpose of staying up on the hill with God, but rather is for the purpose of being able to continue in the path of the righteous. In this way, encounters with God are not a one-time event, but are rather a regular pilgrimage those wanderers in the way make through the course of their lives.

By Daniel Dew

The third section of the Psalm reiterates the first two sections of Psalm 24 through a "demand for admission, a question about who is admitted, a proclamation of the name of the entrant" (Mays 122). The repetition of the liturgy affirms God's reign on earth, thus enveloping the psalm in the sovereignty of the Creator God.

LeMon helps us to imagine Psalm 24 as the liturgy for "the procession of the ark of the covenant into Israel's central shirine" (105). McCann helps us to see the theological procession that takes place as one proceeds on the path of righteousness to ascend God's hill. And Mays helps us to see the procession as an Advent event, as our pilgrimage is a personal one to the meet Christ (Preaching 154). Each interpretation helps us to understand that this is not a one-time, ancient-world procession. Rather, it is an ongoing procession that we can take part in as we strive to walk in the way of the righteous.