Who shall ascend into the mount of Jehovah? and who shall stand in his holy place?
Psalm 24 opens by declaring that the whole earth is God's. Then it turns to people: verse 3 asks twice over who may come up to where He is.
Verse 3 is not a change of subject. The earth belongs to the Lord, so the next question is who will govern it for Him:
"The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof" is the proclamation of Psalm 24. Then the challenge goes out: "Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?" That is, who will take the government of this earth and all that fills it? The answer comes by another challenge to the city gates: lift up your heads to the Lord of hosts, the King of glory.
The verse names two places, and they are not the same. One writer ties the question to Christ's own perfection:
The kingdom of Christ will be the answer, not only to His rights as Creator, but to the perfect life He lived. The hill — Mount Zion — speaks of the reign of righteousness established in grace. The holy place speaks of the temple, and access to God in worship. Who then is morally fit to reign over men from Zion, and who can approach God in His temple?
Verse 4 answers with two marks: clean hands and a pure heart. One writer explains what each one means, and which one leads:
In Psalm 24 we read, "Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in His holy place?" The condition is that he must have "clean hands" — that points to righteousness — and "a pure heart" — that points to holiness. The pure heart governs the movements of the clean hands.
Another writer links the question to the evil God has already put down, and to what daily life shows:
Rampant evil has been put down: "who" now "shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in His holy place?" The answer is clear: it is the one who has clean hands and a pure heart. His daily life is no religious act, but the real index of the man himself.
The challenge reaches further than hands and heart:
The demand which this challenge makes is very sweeping. It reviews hands, heart, soul and mouth, and it demands perfect holiness. Of all the millions who have walked the earth, only One has ever shown holiness like this. There has been this One, and so He enjoys what we may call the freedom of the house. Its doors are flung wide open before Him, and He is free to enter. Not only does He enter, He enters in a blaze of glory, and as the leader of a host of people joined to Him.
The psalm does not end with one man alone. The same writer asks where the others get their fitness:
So, after all, there are to be others who answer the challenge and finally stand in His holy place. There is to be this "generation of those who seek Him" (verse 6), and holiness marks them too. They have become what He always was in His own perfection. Their clean hands and pure heart are the result of a work of God, both for them and in them.
One writer marks out where this hill is, and what the climb does not mean:
Verse 3 asks, "Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?" This is not about entering heaven. It is about entering the earthly blessing of the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus. The answer draws a sharp line. "He who has clean hands and a pure heart" means the hands must be free from evil works, and the heart free from evil thoughts.
- Ownership asks. Because the earth belongs to the Lord, the psalm asks at once who may come up to His hill. It is a question about who will govern it and who may draw near.
- Two places. The hill points to a reign of righteousness from Zion; the holy place points to the temple and access to God in worship.
- One standard. Clean hands mean righteousness, a pure heart means holiness — and the heart is what steers the hands.
- One qualifier. The demand covers hands, heart, soul and mouth. Only One has ever met it. The doors open wide, and He enters as leader of a company joined to Him.
- Many follow. A whole generation who seek God stand there too. Their clean hands and pure heart come from God's work for them and in them.
He that hath blameless hands and a pure heart; who lifteth not up his soul unto vanity, nor sweareth deceitfully
Psalm 24 opens by declaring that the earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord. It then asks who may climb His hill and stand in His holy place. Verse 4 is the answer. It sets out four tests: hands, heart, soul and speech.
The question names two places, and each stands for something different.
The hill — Mount Zion — speaks of the reign of righteousness established in grace. The holy place speaks of the temple, and access to God in worship. Who then is morally fit to reign over men from Zion, and who can approach God in His temple?
Many readers take this psalm as a test for getting into heaven. One writer answers that directly:
This is not a question of entering heaven, but of entering the earthly blessing of the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus.
Another writer looks ahead to that day:
after_note: none
The hill of the Lord and His holy place will stand high among people. So the question comes: who will be fit to climb the one, or to stand in the other? Verses 4 and 5 give the answer. The fitness required is moral fitness. Those holy places are kept for the holy — those whose hands are clean, whose hearts are pure, who have turned away from all vanity and deceit.
The two words are not a repetition. They point to different things, and they stand in a fixed order.
The requirement is that he must have "clean hands" — that points to righteousness; and "a pure heart" — that points to holiness. The pure heart governs the movements of the clean hands.
That order is what rules out mere show. Hands can be scrubbed in public; the heart cannot.
It is not enough to cleanse the hands; we must also judge the evil of our hearts. The Pharisees could make a great show of outward cleansing by washing their hands, but the Lord has to say, "Their heart is far from Me" (Mark 7:3, 6). The one who ascends the hill of the Lord and stands in His holy place must have "clean hands and a pure heart" (Ps. 24:4). The heart is where the Christian's affections live. They need to be cleared of everything that does not fit God's will.
The third test reaches the inner life. The ESV says "who does not lift up his soul to what is false." Older translations say "unto vanity." One writer traces that emptiness back to its root:
The answer is clear. It is the one who has clean hands and a pure heart. His daily life is not an outward show of religion, but the true index of the man himself. He "has not lifted up his soul to vanity." Pride, more than anything else, ties in with that emptiness and ends in it. As one has said, "the moment we step out of our nothingness, we step into it." Nor has he "sworn deceitfully."
The fourth test concerns the tongue. All four tests assume an audience who cannot be fooled.
"He who has clean hands and a pure heart" means the hands must be free from evil works and the heart untouched by evil thoughts. Of course, only God can see the true state of the heart, though it always shows itself in some way. In the same way, idol worship may be covered up for a time, but it cannot stay covered. Swearing deceitfully may sound convincing to people, but God knows at once that it is false, and the deceit will come out in the end.
Set the four tests against real human lives and only one name survives.
The demand which this challenge makes is very sweeping. Hands, hearts, soul and mouth are all brought under review, and perfection of holiness is required. Of all the countless people who have walked the earth, only One has ever shown holiness like this. There has been this One, and as a consequence He enjoys what we may call the freedom of the house. Its doors are flung wide open before Him, and He has full liberty of entrance.
The psalm does not end with one qualified Man standing alone. Others do enter, and one writer says where their fitness comes from:
There is to be this "generation of those who seek Him" (verse 6), and they too are marked by holiness. They have become what He always was in His own perfection. Their clean hands and pure heart are the result of God's work, both for them and in them.
And the entry is not restricted by birth. What is examined at the door is the person, not the pedigree:
And though those more immediately concerned may be of the fountain of Israel, still the door is open to everyone coming up with clean hands and a pure heart. So it is not principles on which the crowd of ungodly is avoided, but the personal state of the person who comes — not the character described, but the state.
- Four tests. Hands, heart, soul and mouth all come under review, and the standard is perfect holiness.
- Heart first. Clean hands point to righteousness, a pure heart to holiness. The pure heart governs what the hands do.
- No hiding. Covered idolatry and convincing lies work on people for a while; God knows at once, and the deceit comes out.
- One qualifies. Of all who have walked the earth, only One met this, and the doors of the house are flung open to Him.
- Others follow. Those who enter have become what He always was. Their clean hands and pure heart are God's work, both for them and in them.