Wednesday, 4/15/20 – Pressing on…

Who is He?

Twice the psalmist asks in verse “Who is this King to whom we ascend to the temple to worship?” Such a King is full of splendour… glorious… a King of Glory! So he asks, “Who is this King of glory?” (Ps. 24.8), “Who is He, this King of Glory?” (v.10).

David is not asking as to this King’s Identity, but as to His Nature… His Attributes… His Fame. Much like I might ask, noting the popularity of some great person of whom I know little, “What makes that person so popular anyway?” “Who is [such and such]?” I’m not asking for the name of the person, but the reason for the person’s fame.

Comes the refrain,

“The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.”

“The LORD Almighty [of Hosts]—
He is the King of glory.” (Ps. 24:8, 10)

Let’s look at these words more closely…

LORD: יהוה / Trans: yehôvâh (yeh-ho-vaw’) / Jehovah = ” the existing One” (the proper name of the one true God) unpronounced. He is Self Existent… Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord.

Strong: עזּוּז / Trans: ‛izzûz (iz-zooz) / He is powerful, mighty; forcible; strong collectively and concretely as an army.

Mighty: גּבּר גּבּור / Trans: gibbôr gibbôr (ghib-bore’) / This God is strong, mighty, (as a person yet not a man), a strong one, brave one, mighty one; Intensive; powerful; by implication a warrior; champion, chief, giant, valiant.

Battle: מלחמה / Trans: milchâmâh (mil-khaw-maw’) / He is all this in battle, in war; during a battle engagement, warfare.

Hosts: צבאה צבא / Trans: tsâbâ’ tsebâ’âh (tsaw-baw’) / that which goes forth, a host, an organised advancing army; a host of angels, of sun, moon, and stars, of whole creation; a mass of persons, a campaign.

(King of) Glory: כּבד כּבוד / Trans: kâbôd kâbôd (kaw-bode’) / He is overabundant in glory, honor; He is glorious, full of honor, splendour, dignity, reputation, reverence.

This God is our God… even now… amid Coronavirus… in and through this global pandemic.

When my mother passed away I took comfort in this later psalm, resting assured she had not died alone,

“For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.” (Ps. 48:14).

Beginning, middle, end. “Yesterday, today, forever” (Heb. 13:8). This God is with us. This God controls COVID-19, allowing it to touch only whom He permits. He will never leave the believer’s side.

Never.

Press on…

To view Elder Don’s Easter Sunday message, go to the Facebook page of Lincoln Baptist Church, or link to the page from the church website.