Have you ever had an opportunity to personally meet a high-ranking dignitary or famous public person? The kind of person who has a full-time security detail. There are always protocols to follow and security clearances to pass. Think of it as going through airport security, but meeting a person instead of going on an airplane.
(Reading time 11 mins.)
Years ago on a spring break adventure, our family had a serendipitous experience driving around a neighbourhood in Canada’s national capital, Ottawa. We were looking for a parking space because we wanted to tour the Governor General’s residence at Rideau Hall. On an aside, it’s amazing that they did not provide on-site parking. But that incredible oversight led to our adventure.
Circling the neighbourhood, we saw a somewhat familiar looking gentleman out for a casual walk. Following not far behind him were several men in dark coats. My wife exclaimed, “It’s the Prime Minister of Canada! You need to turn around so we can get a closer look.” I parked the van close by and my wife got out, conversed with the security detail, and was permitted to approach the Prime Minister of Canada and have a brief conversation him. Meanwhile the rest of us in the van were surrounded by the security detail. One security person stayed with my wife and the Prime Minister, and he even took a picture of the two of them on her phone. Only in Canada could something like that be possible!
When Worlds Collide
Psalm 24 described a meeting of two parties from very different spheres of influence. Carissa Quinn in her book, The Arrival of the King, described the theme of Psalm 24 as communion between the people and the glorious King.1 The poet not only considered their meeting, but they also contrasted the identities of the two parties – on the one hand, the creator and conqueror God, and on the other hand, the humans, God’s image bearers.
Psalm 24 can be divided into three parts. The beginning declared God as the creator (v1-2). The middle asked and answered the question of who may enter God’s sphere (v3-6). The finale described God’s entrance into the human sphere (v7-10). Derek Kidner’s overview of the poem revealed a pilgrimage of sorts, “moving as if in procession with the King of Glory from the provinces of his realm ‘to the central height’ and the city at the summit.”2
Let’s look at the procession.
A psalm of David.
1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. 2 For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.
3 Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. 5 They will receive the LORD’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior. 6 Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob. Interlude
7 Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. 8 Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty; the LORD, invincible in battle. 9 Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. 10 Who is the King of glory? The LORD of Heaven’s Armies— he is the King of glory.
Creation Theatre
The poem began and ended with ‘the LORD,’ or in the original Hebrew, Yahweh. The use of the name Yahweh for God referred to a personal or covenant relationship; the name pictured God as the one who exists and/or causes existence.3 The beginning of the poem focuses on the God who exists and creates.
1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.
2 For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.
John Calvin frequently referred to the world around us as a “theatre of God’s glory.”4 When we read the Psalms we get box seats in this theatre. Let’s consider a few scenes from the Psalms showcase.
Scene 1 (Psalm 8:3-6, MSG)
I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
Yet we’ve so narrowly missed being gods, bright with Eden’s dawn light. You put us in charge of your handcrafted world.
In this scene, the infinite God is contrasted with finite humans. Despite the gap between creator and creation, God granted humans an exalted place in the created order.5
Scene 2 (Psalm 19:1-4, MSG)
God’s glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon. Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night lectures each evening.
Their words aren’t heard, their voices aren’t recorded, But their silence fills the earth: unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.
This scene maintained that every time someone looks up to the skies, whether during the day or night, they receive a wordless and powerful message of God’s greatness and glory.6
Scene 3 (Psalm 33:6-7, MSG)
The skies were made by God’s command; he breathed the word, and the stars popped out. He scooped Sea into his jug, put Ocean in his keg.
In this scene, God’s word established order in heaven and on the earth. Space with its “starry host” is awe-inspiring; the Lord made it and rules over it. He contained the pre-creation chaos waters in jars.
Scene 4 (Psalm 104:1-7, MSG)
God, my God, how great you are! beautifully, gloriously robed, Dressed up in sunshine, and all heaven stretched out for your tent. You built your palace on the ocean deeps, made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings. You commandeered winds as messengers, appointed fire and flame as ambassadors. You blanketed earth with ocean, covered the mountains with deep waters; Then you roared and the water ran away— your thunder crash put it to flight.
This scene offered a stunning vision of God, “wrapped in light, dwelling in an endless palace in the heavens, riding the storm clouds like a warhorse and chariot, sending wind and lightning to do his will.”7
Scene 5 (Psalm 139:13-16, MSG)
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvellously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
In this final scene, one of the best known and beloved psalms, the poet acknowledged that God knows a human’s entire life from beginning to end. The scene showed the Creator as all-knowing and all-powerful; who created humans deliberately and specifically for a particular mission in God’s world.8
From the macro universe to microscopic human cells, God brought them all into existence. After watching the creation show, the audiences will rise and cheer,
”everything about you, it takes my breath away.” 9
The opening verse described God the Creator who invited his covenant people to meet with him at his house on his mountain in the world he personally made. This is God’s turf! He is the host! The scene reminds us of God’s place (host) and our place (guest) in the grand show.
Third Day
Out of the six days of creation, why did the poet choose day three to introduce how the Creator-King of Glory prepared the meeting place? And what about the description of the earth as being founded on the seas and established on the ocean depths?
After pushing back the darkness with light (day one), and dividing the waters vertically, by pushing some of the water up behind the firmament of the sky-dome, a space was created between the waters above and the waters below (day two). On day three God pulled the waters back horizontally separating the lands from the seas.10 Having pushed back the chaos waters by elevating the land, the earth is now habitable. Day three was necessary for life to thrive, specifically human life.
Water World
Our 21st century, scientific minds protest at the description from verse 2. What? The earth’s foundation is built on the seas and ocean depths? Today we know this isn’t the case. However, the ancient Israelites and their neighbours had a different perspective. They had never explored the ocean depths. All they knew was that the sea went further than anyone had ever sailed. The sea to the ancients would be like space to us today.
What they did know is that, like the mountains and space, the seas were an inhospitable place. In his book, The Biblical Cosmos, Robin Parry describes the ancient’s perspective, “the sea was a restless, ever moving, undifferentiated mass that spoke to the ancients of great wonder and life but also deep mystery, mortal danger, raw power, and utter chaos.”11
The world of biblical writers was surrounded by this dangerous water. “I was there when he set the limits of the seas, so they would not spread beyond their boundaries” (Prov. 8:29). “I, the LORD, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set” (Jer. 5:22). The shores are boundaries God had set to prevent the sea from engulfing creation and turning it back to chaos.
Today we would look at the earth’s atmosphere as providing the same kind of protection to the world that the biblical authors ascribed to the shores. Without it, life as we know it wouldn’t exist. Not only does the atmosphere contain the oxygen we need to live, but it also protects us from harmful ultraviolet solar radiation. It creates the pressure without which liquid water couldn’t exist on our planet’s surface. And it warms our planet and keeps temperatures habitable. Beyond the earth’s atmosphere you’ll quickly find yourself in an environment inhospitable to life.12
Safe Space
Verse 1 established God’s authority over creation by virtue of bringing the world and all living things into existence. Verse 2, using the image of God holding back the chaos waters in ordering creation, focused on Yahweh’s sustaining power over creation. God not only created the world and the people that live in it, but he also held back the chaos waters that would seek to destroy it. He maintained a hospitable meeting place.
When my wife encountered the nation’s leader on his afternoon stroll, he was likely caught by surprise. But he ensured that any unscheduled encounters would occur in a safe space by having his security detail nearby to potentially hold back any chaos level forces. In the Prime Minister’s case, it was his safety that was at stake. Our family did not pose a chaos level threat. In the Psalm 24 encounter, it is God who is holding back the chaos forces for our safety. He has prepared the hospitable place to meet with his image bearers.
King David put it this way in Psalm 23, “you prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies” (v5).
Up Next
As Creator-King of Glory, Yahweh has full rights to come into this sacred space. Who is able to join the Ark of the Covenant’s procession up Mount Zion into the tent of meeting. By what right do we enter God’s presence?
Notes:
Carissa Quinn, The Arrival of the King: The Shape and Story of Psalms 15-24 (Bellingham: Lexham Press, 2023) 50.
Head and Heart Collide 
I enjoyed this post! Wonderful reminder of God’s majesty. Thank you.
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