Psalm 15 (NIV)
LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the LORD;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.
CONSIDER THIS
Today’s post is from A Meditative Journey Through the Psalms by Timothy and Julie Tennent. Most recently, he served as the president of Asbury Theological Seminary among other posts he holds across the global church. She is a gifted musician and was one of the driving forces that helped bring to fruition the Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise. We will share some of their writing on the Psalms on Sundays.
There is no more ultimate or fundamental question than this one: Who may dwell in the presence of God? This question is raised in the opening verses of this psalm. The answer is a series of moral certitudes: the one who lives a blameless life, doing what is righteous, speaking truth from the heart, slandering no one, loving one’s neighbor, despising the vile, honoring those who fear the Lord, keeping oaths, lending money to the needy without exorbitant interest, and refusing to accept bribes. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of the life of the righteous. Rather, it means to portray in broad terms that God is holy and that we must be holy if we are to stand in his presence. The New Testament never relinquishes this truth. John says, “In him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). The book of Hebrews likewise declares, “Without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). No one can read this psalm without realizing the great chasm that exists between God’s holiness and our lives. No amount of moral effort on our part, or any attempt to redefine God’s holiness by putting it within human reach, will suffice. There really is a great gulf between humanity and God. This is no time to say, “Well, I’m better than the next fellow” or “God grades on a curve.” Rather, it is the time to recognize afresh our need to hear the gospel.
It would be a mistake to see this psalm as being in tension with the Christian doctrine of justification, whereby we are justified by what Christ alone has done, apart from any list of righteous acts that we have done. This psalm is not about entrances, but about dwelling and abiding. It is not about justification, but about sanctification. Only Jesus Christ is truly righteous. Only Jesus Christ fully manifests the holiness of God—he is the only righteous One. Our only hope is to cast ourselves upon his righteousness and to “be found in him, not having a righteousness” of our own, “but that which is through faith in Christ” (Phil. 3:9). The great miracle of the gospel is that in Christ not only are we declared righteous (an alien righteousness), but through the power of the Holy Spirit we are empowered to live righteously in ways we never could do in our own strength or determination. Christ alone has ascended to the mount of God. By abiding in Christ, we not only receive his righteousness, but we allow him to transform and change us to be like him. Being in Christ is what enables us to dwell in the presence of God.
For the Awakening,
Timothy and Julie Tennent
THE HYMN
Sing Psalm 15 with the Seedbed Psalter today. I suggest the tune “Morecambe” (“Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart”). You can hear the tune played online by Julie Tennent here. If you listen to the podcast audio version, I will sing the psalm in this same tune. For your convenience, the words from the Psalter are printed below.
1 Who, Lord, may dwell within Your holy place,
And live upon Your holy, righteous hill?
2 Those who walk blamelessly, and do what’s right,
And speak the truth from their heart ever still.3 Who never slander with an evil tongue,
Nor do their neighbor any wrongful deed;
Who cast no slur on either friend or foe,
4 Rejecting those who walk by sinful creed.The righteous honor those who fear the Lord;
They keep their oath, despite the hurt or pain.
5a No wicked bribe they take for a reward.
Money is lent without dishonest gain.1 Who, Lord, may dwell within Your holy place?
Who live upon Your holy, righteous hill?
5b Those who walk in this path and do these things,
Will not be moved or shaken from Your will.
P.S. Get the Resources
If you would like to have the meditations and the metrical psalter in a beautiful two-volume set—which I highly recommend— you can order those through the Seedbed store.
2 Responses
“There is none righteous, no not one.” The way that some Christians no longer proclaim biblical virtues and instead praise the opposite makes me think that if they had been in Sodom and Gomora they would have said to God: “What do You mean that You can’t find ten righteous people? They’re all righteous! Ours is a good city.”
I believe that that to love someone truly and without reservation or conditions and to get him/her to love me the same way. I must show that person I am truly like that person. I do not believe opposites attract.