Psalm 15
Pastor Mark Hudson
The question of who may worship God might strike many of us as unusual. We are always welcoming people, inviting any and all to join the church. For us, the more the merrier. We also have a theological bent that includes everyone. To be a follower of Jesus Christ, one does not have to keep kosher, be circumcised, or obey a long list of commands and rules. In fact, this has made Christianity thrive in disparate cultures around the world. Unlike Jews or Muslims who have set requirements involving language and culture.
Yet, in a sense, worshipping a holy God is reserved for a certain group of people. Worshipping God, according to this Psalm, is not about singing, bowing, or sacrificing. Worship involves our entire being, who we are all times of the day and how we treat others. Notice the similarities with Ps 24 and Is 33 for similar descriptions of those who may worship this Majesty. The Psalmist begins with a simple question in v. 1. “O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” Then verses 2-5 answer the question with a clear and unambiguous affirmation of the blessing on the godly person. Don’t pass over the somewhat obvious implication of verse 1. God is the One we worship, and He is the host. We are invited. We have no claim to his tent. We are only there because He allows it. So, He has every right to say who can and cannot worship Him and how He chooses to be worshipped. He may refuse some who worship Him. He, and He alone, sets the requirements and expectations. We have no right to demand anything from this majestic, worthy, honorable, and holy God.
Notice also that so much of the description of the person God allows to worship Him is how the person relates to others. We might think the emphasis would be how the worshipper relates to God. And of course, that is true. But look at the emphasis on how a godly person relates to others:
- 3 who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend.
v.4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord.
- 5 who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
One might say, worship begins Sunday afternoon and carries through Saturday night. If you want to see if we truly worship, observe how we treat others during the week. Ask our neighbors, those we work with, our customers, etc. what kind of people we are. In fact, according to this Psalm only those who pass this ‘test’ are true worshippers. It matters to God how we treat and interact with others.
Now of course, none of us can walk ‘blamelessly.’ That is why we are always looking outside ourselves to Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can approach God in His inherent righteousness. But we should not conclude we then have no obligation to live a life that reflects the holiness of God. We have an obligation to be people of integrity. We are to live so people cannot point to obvious contradictions. We are to speak not in a twisted way but from our heart.
Our words about others are never to further a scandal or to repeat negative things especially when they are not verified, true, or need to be expressed. We also need to ask ourselves, Should I be saying this? In other words, is it my role to express this? In v. 4, we see the flip side of love. If you love babies and life, you will hate abortion. Not the women and men responsible but the abortion and all its aftereffects. If you love peace, you will hate all that promotes war. Of course, these examples are not without qualification. But you can’t love righteousness and also vileness. You must despise a vile person for all the harm that person does to others and the dishonor that comes to God Himself. You will then honor those who fear God.
The person who God allows to worship Him is one that keeps his/her word if it that means they might suffer for it. A person of integrity is not always looking to self but to God first, and then to others. How does that ring true in your life? Finally in verse 5, this first phrase does not mean all bankers are an affront to God. Rather both of these strophes refer to a person who takes advantage of the poor and innocent. God has always had a concern for the poor (Ex. 22:25ff; Ex 23:1, 3, 6, 11; and many more). Taking a bribe is a serious affront to God who loves justice. When you think of the evil of the world and all the injustice can you understand why Ps. 7:11 is true? “God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.”
If your faith is genuine, God is pleased and honors that faith. This Psalmist would agree with James, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Not only would Psalms 15 but Paul and everyone else who knows God would agree.
Dear God, we know we can never fully measure up to Your standards. But we strive to live out our faith as consistently as we can by looking to Christ and relying on the Holy Spirit. Forgive our many shortcomings but help us not to use that as an excuse to keep fighting the good fight. We can please You and we do. You love us and love when we live out what we know and believe. Keep up looking away from ourselves to our Savior in whose name we make this prayer. Amen.