Summary
What is it that allows us to come into God’s presence? Is it nice clothes? A long list of good works? Being descended from the right parents? Uttering the right words or providing the correct list of sacrificial items? The Bible is consistent in its answer to this question. Not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, “but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21).
Psalm 15, a hymn sung as worshipers entered the temple grounds, also addresses this question, demonstrating that it is personal character which allows us to enter God’s presence. As we examine this list, we should all see that we fail to meet the ethical requirements listed; thankfully, Jesus has met these requirements for us so we may enter God’s presence by Christ’s righteousness given to us.
Our passage explained
v1-3
In verse one, the psalm poses a question: “O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” The worshipers are coming to the temple (a permanent tent which replaced the tabernacle of the Exodus) to worship their covenant-keeping God, and so they ask who may come into his presence on Mount Zion, where God especially dwelt with his people.
v2-4
The answer to the question is found in verses two to five, where a series of positive and negative ethical standards are described. Firstly, in verse two, three positive personal characteristics are described: “He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart.” The one who draws near shall “walk blamelessly” in godliness, acts in righteousness, and speaks truthfully.
In verse three, the psalmist lists three negative personal characteristics to avoid. The one who may dwell with God “does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend.” The righteous one speaks truthfully, and does not speak lies (slander). He acts in righteousness, not committing sins and harmful acts against his neighbour. He does not cast slurs on someone because of their actions or their situation.
v4
In verse four, the psalmist returns to positive characteristics of the true worshiper. He is one “in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change.” The one who may approach God adopts the moral posture of God: he does not glorify and popularise the wicked (“vile person” refers to someone rejected by God).
Instead, he honours those who “fear the LORD,” that is, those who worship God. The positive moral characteristics are rounded out by noting that he is a man who keeps his word, even to his own great cost.
The list of personal characteristics is completed in the first part of verse five with a final set of negative characteristics to avoid, both centered on money. The acceptable worshiper of God “does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent.”
v5
Lending to fellow members of the covenant community was banned (Lev. 25:36-37, Deut. 23:19) because lending only those in financial trouble sought loans. Imposing interest added to the poor person’s burden, rather than helping them. Likewise, taking a bribe “against the innocent” enriched yourself at the expense of someone who had done no wrong, and perverted justice: something the perfectly just God hates (Ex. 23:8). These sins affected the societal life of the covenant people, and so the acceptable worshiper would not act unethically in this way.
Psalm 15 ends with a promise to those who act ethically, in the last half of verse five. “He who does these things shall never be moved.” Those who act ethically will never be removed from the temple and from God’s presence. Instead they shall dwell with God forever. This does not just mean physical presence at that point, but eternal presence with God, enjoying his protection forever.
Our passage applied
As we work through this list of ethical characteristics which the acceptable worshiper must show, we must admit that we are not able to enter into God’s presence on our own merit. We are not blameless, but too often walk in sin, speak lies, love the evildoer more than the humble worshiper of God, do not keep our word, and have behaved unethically towards each other.
None of us can say we have kept the positive characteristics completely, and avoided the negative characteristics entirely. Only Christ has. We all have gone astray like wandering sheep, but God has laid on Christ our iniquity (Isaiah 53:6) and given us Christ’s righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21) so we may enter God’s presence to praise him.
Since God has enabled us to enter into his presence through Christ’s sacrifice and mediation, we know we shall enjoy God’s presence forever. As a result, we can respond in worship, already welcomed, by seeking to live ethically wholly, doing the will of God who has brought us into his kingdom by grace through faith.
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