Clean Hands and a Pure Heart - Psalms 24:4

In Psalms chapter twenty-four David asked, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?”, and in chapter twenty four and verse four of Psalms David answered his question by saying, “He that has clean hands, and a pure heart” where we read,

He that has clean hands, and a pure heart;

who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

The verse begins, “He that has clean hands, and a pure heart;” David began with the words, “He that has clean hands” which means “the person whether male or female who possesses innocent, pure and free from guilt and punishment palms and hollows or flats of the hands”, “and a pure heart” or “and a clear, sincere and clean inner man, mind, will, soul, understanding and seat of emotions and passions”. David said the person who is able to “ascend to the hill of the LORD or shall stand in his holy place” is the one who possesses innocent and pure hands and sincere souls and minds.

The verse goes on to say, “who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” David continued with the words, “who has not lifted up his soul” or “the person that has in no way bore up, carried and supported his, that person's, own mind, will and seat of emotions and passions” “unto vanity” which means “toward emptiness of speech, lying and worthlessness”, “nor sworn deceitfully” or “no and not in any way adjured or took an oath with treachery, guile, falsehood and subtlety”. David shared how the person who desires to “ascend to the hill of the LORD or shall stand in his holy place” also does not bear up their “mind, will and emotions” toward emptiness and does not take oaths in deceit or treachery.

When we consider the words in this verse, David makes clear who is able to “ascend to the hill of the LORD or shall stand in his holy place”. The person who has access is “innocent” in the working of their “hands” and has a clear and sincere mind, will and emotions. They also have not supported their souls with emptiness nor adjured themselves with treachery or falsehood. In other words, they are righteous and holy in all their thoughts, ways and attitudes. This may make the idea of anyone entering into Jehovah God's hill and holy place seem impossible, and for a person to accomplish this on their own, it is. Only Jehovah God is able to make a person righteous, and without a relationship with His Son Jesus, no one would be able to enter His dwelling places. Jesus Christ came into the world to die on the cross for the sins of mankind, and anyone who yields themselves to Him as their “Savior and Lord” will be forgiven of their sins, clothed in His righteousness and granted the ability to dwell with Him forever.

Next time David said, “He shall receive the blessing from the LORD”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".