Be Lifted Up!

Psalms 24:7-10
By Harold Dinsmore, M.Div.
© 2007 Harold Dinsmore

Now I want us to turn back to Psalms 24:7-10.  This imagery is taken right of historical accounts of the walled cities in the ancient world of the Middle East.  You know how the walls would have large gates to allow traffic in and out, but most of the time the large gates were closed and a small gate that one would have to stoop down to enter would be all that would be open to the outside.  That is where we get the verse that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than a rich man to enter into heaven.  This door was often called the eye of the needle and certainly a camel could not fit through this smaller more person oriented door.

So what is it saying to us today?  In my personal opinion I see this as an encouragement to you and me the ones reading the Psalm to open the gates of our lives to the Lord God Almighty!  The doors we just talked about were opened all the way for the king to come in and out.  It was a time of celebration when the king would return from a journey or from waging war.  The entire gate would be lifted up.  Some doors were on hinges others would be raised.  This Psalm suggests the latter door being opened for the king of glory to enter in.  Perhaps this could even be a hint of the coming Messiah coming in triumphal entry which we celebrate each year on Palm Sunday.  But I would like us to look at a few more passages that might assist us in understanding the message we have before us.