Psalm 24- The Earth is the Lord's

 Psalm 24- The Earth is the Lord’s

Psalms 24:1-2 NKJV

The King of Glory and His Kingdom

A Psalm of David.

1 The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness,

2 The world and those who dwell therein.

For He has founded it upon the seas,

And established it upon the waters.

Psalms 89:11

The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;

The world and all it contains, You have founded them.

1 Corinthians 10:23-26

23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.

24 Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor. 25 Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; 

26 FOR THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S, AND ALL IT CONTAINS.

Psalm 24:1 is quoted by Paul in the letter to the Corinthians. This is a rather special interpretation by the Apostle Paul. Just reading psalm 24 you would not naturally think of dietary laws, but Paul used this reference to explain to the believers in Corinth that God created everything in heaven and earth, so it is all good. However, some people live by the Jewish dietary laws, and others were sacrificing food to idols, so even though all food is good, it may not be wise to consume some foods in some circumstances. 

1 Corinthians 10:31-33

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

32 Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.

How does this apply in our day? There are many things in the world that the Lord has created that are good, but some of these have been corrupted by this evil age. The goal is to give no offense so that you may reach them with the gospel. In our time there are many new age beliefs about food. Some are vegetarians and others are vegans. Both of these groups would be offended if you ate meat in their company, so it would be wise to refrain from enjoying that wonderful steak if you are out to dinner with these folks. Paul is saying that the most important thing is not your own enjoyment, but reaching out to nonbelievers so that you can reach them with the gospel.

On the other hand, there are other things in God’s creation such that we should avoid, for the sake of conscience. For example, many in the world enjoy wine and spirits, and other weeds that bring them pleasure. They intuitively know that too much of these kinds of substances can be bad for you, so they will be watching to see what you do. Do you imbibe to go along with the crowd or do you make a stand for purity? Sometimes you can preach the gospel without saying a word simply by your actions, or even lack of action. 

So wisdom is required when living in the world. We are thankful that God created everything in heaven and earth, but we need to make it known to those around us, even by what we eat and drink, that we honor the Lord in all things. The psalmist continues in verses 3 through 6 to explain how we can be blessed when live in a righteous manner.

Psalms 24:3-6

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?

Or who may stand in His holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,

Nor sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive blessing from the LORD,

And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,

Who seek Your face.

So live in God’s creation in such a manner so as to not offend people, so they can be saved. And live in such a way that you have clean hands and a pure heart so that you may receive blessings from the Lord. This is wisdom and can lead to salvation for yourself and also those around you. And always be thankful for the wonderful creation that the Lord has made for us to enjoy.