The Bible Dept.

Host: Dr. Manny Arango
Episode: Day 260: Psalm 24-26
Date: September 17, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of The Bible Dept. walks listeners through Psalms 24, 25, and 26, guided by Dr. Manny Arango. The focus is on understanding the context, themes, and literary structures of these Psalms, drawing out practical and spiritual insights that highlight God's ownership, holiness, accessibility, and the appropriate way for worshipers to approach Him. Dr. Arango combines contextual details, historical background, and personal anecdotes to make the ancient text relatable and applicable.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Psalm 24: God’s Ownership and the True Meaning of Worship

• Opening Affirmation
  "The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it." (03:12)

  • Dr. Arango connects this famous verse to the principle of tithing, stewardship, and evangelism:

    "Generosity starts when I realize he [God] owns everything. The Lord owns everything. I actually don't own anything. I'm an owner of nothing. I'm a steward of everything." (04:19)

  • He shares a personal story about inviting a waitress to church, explaining his motivation rooted in the belief that everyone belongs to God.

• Creation Order from Chaos

  • Drawing from Genesis, Dr. Arango links Psalm 24’s mention of God founding the earth on the seas as "moving creation from chaos to order" (06:18).
  • The imagery of ascending the hill of the Lord ties to Jerusalem’s geography.

  "Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and a pure heart. That's actually what these three Psalms are all about." (07:29)

• Contextual Background

  • Many scholars connect Psalm 24 to 1 Chronicles 13:8, where David brings the Ark to Jerusalem, supported by music and celebration.
  • The Psalm may have been sung during this ascent, paralleling themes of entering God’s presence with glory and victory.

• Typology and Salvation

  • Dr. Arango draws a salvation parallel:

    "Salvation in the context of the Psalms is not from sin. It's from Israel's enemies. And what does Jesus do? He defeats the enemy, Satan, so that you and I don't have to pay the penalty of sin." (11:09)

Psalm 25: The Acrostic Poem and Full-Range Devotion

• Literary Structure: Acrostic

  • Psalm 25 is an acrostic poem in the Hebrew alphabet:

    "Acrostics were usually used to show some full range of emotion or theme... very similar today where we say from A to Z." (14:47)

  • The Psalm expresses the worshiper’s journey from sin and guilt to trust and guidance, showcasing comprehensive devotion.

• Theme

  • Emphasizes Yahweh’s help in defeating enemies, granting guidance, and inviting the worshiper into relationship after God has made a way.

Psalm 26: The Worshiper’s Approach

• Pattern: Ascend, Enter, Approach

  "Psalm 26 is actually a psalm of how the worshiper is to ascend, enter, and approach." (17:19)

  • Just as the Ark ascends and enters Jerusalem in Psalm 24, so the worshiper follows the same journey in Psalm 26.

• Worship and the Approach to God

  "In Psalm 24, we saw Yahweh approach Zion to be enthroned upon it as king. But now in Psalm 26, we see one of Yahweh's subjects approaching the king's throne or palace to petition him for salvation and sanctuary." (22:09)

• David’s Leadership Model

  • Dr. Arango explains why David "is a man after God's own heart":

    "David doesn't really consider himself to be the King of Israel. He considers Yahweh to be the King of Israel... At no point does David try to take any kind of glory or credit from Yahweh." (23:40)

• Psalmic Unity

  • Psalms 26, 27, and 28 form a connected unit:
    • Psalm 26: Approach
    • Psalm 27: Find sanctuary
    • Psalm 28: Bring one's petition
  • Together, these outline the worshipper's interaction with the “house of Yahweh.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Engaging with Scripture

  "A Bible that's falling apart typically belongs to someone whose life is not." (29:59)

  • Drawing from (possibly) Charles Spurgeon, Dr. Arango encourages listeners to mark up and engage deeply with their Bibles.

• Friendship with God

  "Friendship with the Lord is reserved for those who fear him. So actually, the more I honor him, the more I worship him, the more God extends friendship to me. And that's counterintuitive." (27:21)

• Balancing Reverence and Intimacy

  "You can't value [the Bible] so much that you don't engage with it. God says, I'm not holy. I don't want to be holy in a way that you don't engage with me." (29:13)

• On Sin and Scripture

  "The Bible will either keep you from sin or sin will keep you from your Bible. Guilt and shame will either keep you from engaging with God's word or the word of God in you... will actually be the thing that keeps you from sin." (31:06)

Key Timestamps

• 03:12 – Introduction to Psalm 24 and its famous opening line
• 04:19 – On stewardship and God's ownership of all things
• 07:29 – The question of ‘Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?’
• 09:58 – Jerusalem’s geography and ascent theme explained
• 11:09 – Salvation in the Psalms vs. New Testament context
• 14:47 – Acrostic structure of Psalm 25 and its significance
• 17:19 – The pattern of “Ascend, Enter, Approach” in Psalm 26
• 22:09 – Contrast between Yahweh as king and David’s humility
• 23:40 – David’s heart for God’s kingship
• 27:21 – Friendship with God rooted in reverence and honor
• 29:13 – Overcoming fear of “damaging” the Bible—calling for active engagement
• 29:59 – The “Bible falling apart” quote
• 31:06 – Final timeless truth: Scripture keeps us from sin, and sin keeps us from Scripture

Timeless Truth for Today

"Yahweh and Jesus are both seen through the Scriptures as holy, worshiped, exalted, enthroned—fully other than us, yet fully approachable." (25:51)

• The divine invitation is not just to stand in awe of God’s holiness but to approach with honor and intimacy, engaging meaningfully, both with Him and with His Word.

For those on this journey—whether on day 260 or day 2—the encouragement is to engage deeply, approach confidently, and allow the transformative pattern of the Psalms to shape your daily walk.