Monday, December 1, 2008
Psalm 24:9-10 Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty -- he is the King of glory.
THE KING OF GLORY WAITS
In 1642 Georg Weissel based his Advent hymn "Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates" on Psalm 24:7-10. While the event which originally occasioned the Psalm was the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (1 Samuel 5:6ff), Weissel well understood that the same LORD of Hosts came into our world of sinners in Bethlehem. Furthermore, he recognized that true Advent preparation is all about readying the heart for Jesus' entrance and rule there.
The Psalm dramatically pictures the LORD drawing near to the entrance of a fortified city, to a portal closed by both gates and doors. The gates of the main entrance to an ancient city were the iron latticework (portcullis) that was slotted in the walls and let down on either side of the huge wooden doors.
Because of sin we humans all too often close our hearts to Christ our King. Advent urges us to deal with this terrible tendency. What bars the way of Christ coming into your heart and taking His rightful place of rule there? What unconfessed sin? What selfish habit? What false concern?
Remember how your King came to you through His Bethlehem birth -- came so He might destroy the power of those sins which would keep Him from entering your heart and ruling there. Yes, it's the Lord Almighty, the King of Glory Himself who waits at the door to your heart and who enables you to open it wide to Him.
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates,
Behold the King of glory waits;
The King of kings is drawing near,
The Savior of the world is here;
Life and salvation He doth bring,
Wherefore rejoice and gladly sing.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 73:1)
