Psalm 24 (God’s Ownership and Our Stewardship)

Psalm 24 (God’s Ownership and Our Stewardship)

Introduction
Psalm 24 is a short psalm of only ten verses, but it is filled with powerful truths about ownership and stewardship. It declares that the earth belongs to the Lord and that everything in it is His. This psalm calls us to recognize God’s ownership of all things—our possessions, our bodies, our souls—and to respond with faithful stewardship, holy living, and anticipation of His return.

God Owns Everything
The psalm begins with the declaration: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). God owns everything because He created it (Revelation 4:11). Nothing in our lives truly belongs to us. Our possessions, our resources, our very breath come from Him. We are stewards, entrusted for a time to use what He has given. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 4:1–2 that stewards must be found faithful.

Scripture repeatedly affirms God’s ownership. In Psalm 50:10–11, He declares that every beast of the forest and the cattle on a thousand hills are His. In 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, Paul teaches that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, bought with a price. God even claims ownership of our souls (Ezekiel 18:4). From the smallest possession to our eternal spirit, all belongs to Him.

False Views of Ownership
Scripture also warns of those who lived as if everything was theirs. Isaiah 14 describes Lucifer’s pride, claiming equality with God. Malachi 3 rebukes Israel for robbing God in tithes and offerings, keeping back what belonged to Him. The prodigal son demanded an inheritance that was not truly his and wasted it in sinful living (Luke 15). The rich young ruler in Matthew 19 walked away sorrowful because he clung to possessions he thought were his. These examples show the danger of forgetting that all belongs to God.

Faithful Stewardship
From creation, God gave mankind dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:28). That responsibility was never revoked. We are entrusted with creation, our health, our minds, our abilities, our money, and our time. Each of these areas is a stewardship to be used wisely for God’s glory. One day, we will give an account of how we managed His blessings (2 Corinthians 5:10). The parable of the rich fool in Luke 12 shows the danger of hoarding possessions as if they were permanent. God called him a fool because he had not been rich toward God.

Clean Hands and Pure Hearts
Psalm 24:3–4 asks who may ascend to God’s holy place. The answer: those with clean hands and pure hearts, who have not lifted their souls to idols or sworn deceitfully. Recognizing God’s ownership should lead us to holiness. Our lives should be marked by righteousness, integrity, and devotion to Him. Peter exhorts believers to add to their faith virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Peter 1:5–7). Rather than focusing only on possessions, we must devote ourselves to developing Christlike character.

The Blessing of God’s People
The psalm promises that those who seek the Lord will receive blessing and righteousness from Him (Psalm 24:5–6). God rewards faithful stewards who honor His ownership. As we grow in holiness, we look forward with confidence to the return of Christ, the King of Glory. The psalm closes with the triumphant picture of the Lord entering: “Lift up your heads, O you gates! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty” (Psalm 24:7–10). We live between the first and second comings of Christ, anticipating the day when the faithful will dwell eternally with Him.

Conclusion
Psalm 24 teaches us that God owns all things. We are His stewards, accountable for how we use what He has given. We must keep our hands clean and our hearts pure, focusing on eternal character rather than temporary possessions. The King of Glory is coming again. Let us be ready to receive Him with faithfulness, holiness, and joy.

Psalm 24 (God’s Ownership and Our Stewardship)

I. Introduction

• Psalm 24: overview of ownership and stewardship

• God owns everything; we are managers, not masters

• Key questions: What does God own? How should we live in response?

II. God Owns Everything (Psalm 24:1–2)
A. The declaration of ownership

• The earth belongs to the Lord

• All people and possessions belong to Him
  B. The reason for His ownership

• He created all things (Revelation 4:11)

• Stewardship principle (1 Corinthians 4:1–2)
  C. Specific examples of ownership

• All creatures: Psalm 50:10–11

• Our bodies: 1 Corinthians 6:19–20

• Our souls: Ezekiel 18:4

• All wealth: Haggai 2:8

III. False Views of Ownership
A. Lucifer’s pride (Isaiah 14:12–14)

• Desired God’s throne and glory

• Claimed ownership that was not his
  B. Israel’s robbery of God (Malachi 3:8–9)

• Withheld tithes and offerings

• Failed to honor God’s ownership
  C. Prodigal son (Luke 15)

• Demanded what was not truly his

• Squandered blessings selfishly
  D. Rich young ruler (Matthew 19:21–22)

• Could not release his possessions

• Missed eternal treasure

IV. Faithful Stewardship
A. God’s command from creation (Genesis 1:28)

• Subdue the earth, exercise dominion

• Use creation responsibly
  B. Areas of stewardship

• Health, mind, abilities, money, time, possessions

• All temporary trusts from God
  C. Accountability before God (2 Corinthians 5:10)

• Each one will answer for how blessings were used
  D. Warning from the rich fool (Luke 12:13–21)

• Focused only on storing possessions

• Neglected being rich toward God

V. Clean Hands and Pure Hearts (Psalm 24:3–4)
A. The question: Who may stand before the Lord?
B. The answer: those with clean hands and pure hearts

• Lives marked by integrity and holiness

• Avoiding idolatry and deceit
  C. Spiritual growth (2 Peter 1:5–7)

• Adding virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and love

• Fruitful living through character development

VI. The Blessing of God’s People (Psalm 24:5–10)
A. The promise of blessing (verses 5–6)

• Assurance of righteousness and salvation

• Confidence in God’s reward
  B. The coming King of Glory (verses 7–10)

• The Lord strong and mighty

• Anticipation of Christ’s return
  C. Living between the two advents

• Christ came once to save

• He will return to bring the faithful home

VII. Conclusion

• God owns everything; we are stewards

• Be faithful with what He has entrusted

• Keep clean hands and pure hearts

• Look with confidence to the coming King of Glory

Action
Let us live each day mindful that everything belongs to God. Our possessions, our health, our talents, and our souls are His. We must be faithful stewards, using all that He has given to glorify Him. Let us cleanse our hearts, grow in holiness, and prepare with confidence for the coming of the King of Glory.

Key Takeaways

• God owns the earth and all in it (Psalm 24:1–2)

• Our bodies and souls belong to Him (1 Corinthians 6:19–20; Ezekiel 18:4)

• Pride and selfishness lead to ruin (Isaiah 14; Luke 12)

• Faithful stewardship is required (1 Corinthians 4:2)

• Holiness prepares us to stand before God (Psalm 24:3–4)

• Christ, the King of Glory, will return (Psalm 24:7–10)

Scripture Reference List

• Psalm 24 – God owns everything; call to holiness

• Revelation 4:11 – God created all things

• Psalm 50:10–11 – Ownership of creatures

• 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 – Our bodies are His temple

• Ezekiel 18:4 – All souls belong to God

• Isaiah 14:12–14 – Lucifer’s pride

• Malachi 3:8–9 – Robbing God

• Luke 15 – Prodigal son

• Matthew 19:21–22 – Rich young ruler

• Genesis 1:28 – Dominion over creation

• 1 Corinthians 4:1–2 – Faithful stewards

• 2 Corinthians 5:10 – Judgment seat of Christ

• Luke 12:13–21 – Rich fool

• 2 Peter 1:5–7 – Growth in godliness

Prepared by Bobby Stafford of the church of Christ at Granby, MO