Dr. Jim Renihan 02/26/2023

Psalm 15 and the Question of Who May Dwell with God

By the way, I might just say this for the ushers, I don't know that any of them are in here right now, but perhaps we can take a retiring offering for the seminary, for Dr. Renahan's seminary, for we pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Come on up. And by the way, at noon you might hear a noon whistle. It's pretty loud. Do what I do, just ignore it. Years ago we had a guest speaker and that whistle went off and he thought it was the deacons telling him it was time to stop.

Thank you.

I notice that you don't have a trap door under the pulpit. Is that something in the town that goes off?

Yes.

Yeah, okay, good.

Please keep your Bibles open to Psalm 15 and look at this with me. I'm asking the question, and I want to answer the question, who is the man who is described in Psalm 15? Who is this man? Well, in commenting on this psalm, John Calvin suggests a possible occasion and setting for its composition.

He surmises that perhaps David, you'll notice at the superscription David was the author of this psalm. Calvin suggests that perhaps David watched as throngs of Israelites approached the tabernacle of God.

And because he was a spiritual man, he knew that many of them were hypocrites while others were genuine followers of the Lord. And so he poses the question that we find in verse 1. You see, David knew that not all Israel was true Israel.

Even though they were by birth members of the covenant community, many of them in fact were covenant breakers. Their lips spoke about the Lord. Their bodies performed all of the necessary and appropriate actions towards the Lord.

But their hearts were far from him. And so David contemplates these questions. Who is it that rightly approaches God? Now I have a very simple outline for this sermon this morning. I want to look at the question at the beginning of the psalm.

Then walk our way quickly through the answer that David provides. And then wrestle with an interpretation of this psalm. And then come to an application. So the question, the answer, the interpretation, and the application.

And God willing, he will, by his spirit, help us to understand what King David wrote so many years ago. So let's begin by looking at the question that we find in verse 1. The introduction. It's straightforward enough.

Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle? Who may dwell in your holy hill? Now it's really important to contemplate the significance of this question. Which is effectively one, though it's phrased for us two times.

It's called Hebrew parallelism. Notice the words. The first thing that David says is he uses the word Lord. He addresses the God of heaven and earth. And I'm sure you know that in our Bibles in the Old Testament.

When the name Lord is spelled out for us in all capital letters. That's a clue that our translators have provided to us. That the Hebrew name behind the English is the name Jehovah. It's the covenant name for God.

When you see L, capital L, and then small k's or lower case o-r-d. The Hebrew word is Adonai. It can be used of virtually any relationship where there's someone in authority and someone who's in submission.

But when you see it spelled out like this, it means it's the covenant name of God. The name by which he reveals himself only to his people. A name by which he is unknown to the nations. So as soon as we see this, we know that David is very concerned about the one true God.

The God of heaven and earth. The God of Israel. And his revelation. So David addresses him. And the next word that we see is the word who. Which person. Who among the multitudes. Headed up the hill towards the tabernacle.

Who is it?

Is it that man? Is it that woman? Who is it that can come and abide. Who can take up permanent residency at the tabernacle of God. Now this isn't the temple. The temple waited to be built until David's son Solomon was able to do so.

But it is the tabernacle. It was the symbolic dwelling place of God. A tent that was pitched among the nation. And so David is asking the question. Lord, God of Israel. God who has revealed himself to us.

Promised his grace to us. Who is it that may live in your presence? Who may approach you. Who may walk up the hill. And stay there. And be welcomed into your presence. Now the second phrasing of the question is very similar.

But it gives us some different expressions. And adds some idea to it. Here in our translation the word is dwell. It's equal to the word abide in the first part of the question. But now the place where they're coming to dwell is the holy hill of God.

That is Mount Zion. You know in the Bible. Mountains are very important. And God symbolically dwells on the mountaintop. In fact the tabernacle was to occupy a high place. You remember in reading through the history of all of the kings.

Some of them were good kings. But they failed in one way. Remember how they failed? They didn't remove the high places. Why was that so bad? It's because God claimed for himself the high places. When a king failed to remove the worship of pagans upon a high place.

In a sense he was allowing these idolaters to continue their worship of God. He may have been good in all things. But he had to reclaim the hilltop for the Lord. Now in the book of Psalms. This idea of God seated upon the mountain.

At the top of the mountain is very important. Just keep your finger here for a moment. And turn over to Psalm 48. It's not by David. But it is a helpful description of what David has in mind. Psalm 48 a song.

A psalm of the sons of Korah. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.

Where?

In the city of our God. In his holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation. The joy of the whole earth. Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north. The city of the great king. God is in her palaces. He is known as her refuge.

That helps us to understand what David is describing to us in verse 1 of Psalm 15. You see David knows that this is the place where God dwells among his people. And so he asks the question. Lord who is it that may take up residence with you?

I hope you'll agree with me. That it's an urgent question. Because it separates the true followers from the hypocrites. Now the language that David uses. Dwelling or abiding as we have it in our translation.

Is very different from visiting or appearing at a place for effect. David knew that there were some of those who were walking up the hill to the tabernacle. Who only did this so that others would see them.

They wanted to be known or thought of as someone who was religious. But their hearts were not into the action that they were given. And so he contemplates and asks this question. Who may abide? Who may dwell in the tabernacle on the holy hill of God?

It's straightforward and simple. Now immediately David comes to the answer. And the answer takes up most of the rest of the psalm. Who may abide? Who may dwell? That's the question. And David contemplates under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Who caused him to write this psalm. And he provides to us some answers. Some of them are positive characteristics. Some of them are negative characteristics. And in fact there's a pattern here in the way that David provides the answer.

He begins with a positive. He follows this with a negative. Returns to a positive. And for the second time comes back to a negative. So that's the pattern that David provides for us in the next four verses.

Let's take a look at what he says. The first positive is what we find in verse two. Remember David is contemplating who is it that can live in God's presence. And the beginning of the answer is, he who walks uprightly and works righteousness and speaks the truth in his heart.

He begins by speaking about actions. To walk, to work, and to speak. Now we understand these fairly simply. In the Bible, this phraseology that says to walk is a description of one's lifestyle. It's a description of a person who is upright.

Whose life is characterized by holiness and integrity. David continues by speaking of his work. He works righteousness. That is, when you observe him, he does what is right. Deeds that are pleasing and acceptable to God.

When we see this language of righteousness, that's how we have to understand it. That God is pleased with the actions that take place. And then thirdly, David uses the phrase, he speaks. He speaks the truth in his heart.

Now it's interesting, isn't it? That he doesn't say the truth is on the lips. But rather that the truth is in the heart. And once again, quoting from John Calvin, he summarizes this really well. He says, to speak in the heart is a strong figurative expression.

But it expresses more forcibly David's meaning than if he had said from the heart. It's in the heart. It denotes such agreement and harmony between the heart and tongue. As that the speech is, as it were, a vivid representation of the hidden affection or feeling within.

So the words that come forth from the lips are words that are genuine reflections of that which is present in the inner person, in the inner man. You see, Calvin's right. The answer here begins with a high standard.

He walks uprightly. His life is characterized by righteousness that God accepts. And he speaks the truth in his heart so that what he says is consonant with what he is on the inside. Now this leads David immediately to the first of the negatives that we notice.

Negative characteristics. Look at your Bible. He has contemplated speech. And this causes him to think further about speech. He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend.

If he speaks the truth with his heart, he doesn't backbite with his tongue. The contrast is very clear, is it not? In fact, one suggests the other and helps to define the meaning of the other. David is saying this person who may dwell and abide in the presence of God is one who does not speak kindly to the face of another while despising that person in the heart.

And then when that person is absent, speak against that person. Again, the lips reflect the truth of that which is on the inside. Now the second and third parts of verse three probably likewise have some relationship to what's going on here.

David is thinking in sequence. He doesn't backbite with his tongue. He doesn't do evil to his neighbor. He doesn't take up a reproach against his friend. Really, you know what David is describing here?

He's describing the second great commandment. Remember what that says. Love your neighbor as yourself. The one who can dwell in the presence of God is the one whose heart and whose life is given over to loving others.

Whose lifestyle is characterized by giving himself up to others. Now this leads us to the second positive which we find in verse four. Take a look at that again. In whose eyes a vile person is despised.

But he honors those who fear the Lord. He who swears to his own hurt and does not change. David is telling us that the man who qualifies to dwell in the presence of God is a discerning person. And he's able to distinguish between people.

In fact, this is somewhat unexpected. At least I think that it's unexpected. You don't consider the fact that possibly as David is describing the spiritual characteristics of one who may dwell in the presence of God.

That despising someone would be included. Isn't that a little bit unexpected? Yet that's what David says. Because he's able to discern the difference. And what's the difference between the vile person and those who honor the Lord?

Ultimately it's God himself. The vile person is the one who disobeys the commandments of God and gives himself over to a sinful and wicked lifestyle. And David says the one who may dwell in God's presence is the one who is able to look at that and say that person is evil and wicked.

I will despise him. And yet at the same time he looks at those who follow the Lord. Who come to serve him. Who love him. And he recognizes that he must honor these people. You see the deciding factor is God himself.

In fact I think that we can say that the deciding factor here is the first great commandment. To love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and strength and might. Because those who love the Lord in that way are to be honored.

Those who reject him and pursue their own ways are to be despised. And at the end of verse 4, David picks up this relationship between heart and word again. He says that this man who may dwell in the Lord's house is a man who keeps his word.

When he speaks, when he swears or promises or makes a vow, he follows through with it because he has spoken it. Even when it means that he hurts himself. Even when it means that he has said something that causes him difficulty, he will do it.

That's what a righteous man is. A man of his word. That brings us in verse 5 to the second set of negatives. You see the pattern here? Positive, negative, positive, negative. The second set of negatives.

He who does not put out his money at usury nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. Here, David is describing this person's use of his money. And he does so in terms of the abuse of the poor. Now, the New King James Version, which I've been reading to you and which your pastor read to you, uses the word usury.

If you have an English Standard Version in front of you, it uses the word interest. But I like the word usury better. Because the Bible is not against proper rates of interest. It uses this word, the old English word usury.

Usury means to take advantage of someone by excessive rates of interest or other means of financial gain. Or let's put it this way. It means keeping the poor in poverty by abuse of financial relations with them.

Keeping them down. Taking advantage of them. Finding ways to bring their money into your pocket rather than to someone else's pocket, into the pocket of the poor. So that they can climb out of their poverty.

And then David says, not only does he do this or not do this to those who are poor, he's a man of truth. Because he won't take bribes. He does not put out his money at usury nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

That is, this person cannot be bought for the sake of lies. That's what a bribe does. It oppresses the innocent because it will speak against them. And it protects the guilty who deserve punishment by means of a lie.

You know, when I think about this, I'm reminded of Paul's words in 1 Timothy chapter 6. It's a phrase that Paul uses that's frequently misquoted but is very apropos at this point. Paul says this. The love of money, not just money, but the love of money, you know what the rest of it says? Is the root of all kinds of evil.

For which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. The love of money. The desire to fill the bank account, to fill the pocketbook, to have wealth in this life is a means by which many stumble.

Because they love mammon rather than loving God. This is what David says. The one who has the right to stand in the presence of God to take up the dwelling place in the tabernacle is the one who doesn't do these things.

He doesn't take advantage of the poor and he can't be bribed for sinful purposes. This brings us to the conclusion. Look at how the psalm ends. He who does these things shall never be moved. He who does these things will remain in the Lord's presence forever.

And the reason that he will remain in the Lord's presence forever is that the Lord cannot be moved. Those who trust in him cannot be moved because he is himself eternal, immutable, unchangeable. Now that's a rapid tour through the psalm, is it not?

Very quickly. And you're saying, oh, that was a fast sermon. Well, there's a lot more to say. Because now we have to interpret this psalm. What is it all about? What is it saying to us? Do you agree with me that this is a high standard?

And what should we make of it? Now let me ask you a question. I'm going to give you my answer to this question after I ask you this question. Does this psalm encourage you? You know what? It doesn't encourage me.

In fact, it deeply discourages me. Because if I look at myself and I know myself honestly, these things can't apply to me. I don't qualify to live, to dwell in the house of the Lord. And friends, if you apply it carefully to yourself in all honesty, you have to say that you do not qualify to live in God's holy hill.

So how do we understand this psalm? Well, there is a traditional interpretation. And sometimes, based upon a false idea of what the church is, it thinks of this psalm as a means of distinguishing between the sheep and the goats, or between the wheat and the tares.

It wants to say that in the church, the visible church of Christ, there is a mixture of the two. But within that visible church, there is an invisible church, the true church. And the invisible church consists only of those who are described in this psalm.

Hypocrites live one way, the faithful live another. If you were to go home and take down a commentary on the book of Psalms, or if you were to fire up sermon audio or any other source of sermons, I would suggest to you that probably most of the sermons and most of the commentaries that you encounter, that's the way that they will take this.

It's a word to us about the way that we are to behave. Some live one way, a holy way, they may dwell in God's hill. Those who don't live in a holy way may not dwell there. But I have to disagree with this interpretation.

You know, it's the easiest, it may be the most common, and perhaps the most obvious way of reading the text, but let me show you why I think that it's incorrect, and why we ought not to read the text in that way.

The first thing that I want you to notice with me is that that interpretation doesn't fit the context of the surrounding Psalms. You know, a lot of work has been done on the book of Psalms lately. And in that work, many scholars have demonstrated that there is a context to the Psalms.

Whoever put them together, put them together not simply by choosing several of them and putting them in order, but rather because there are themes that are present in the various Psalms that are put together.

Sometimes that's obvious. Psalms 120 through 134, the songs of ascents, because all of them have that title, we're able to see that they're clustered together. But there are ways in which we can notice that other Psalms are clustered together, or they are influenced by their context.

So let's have a look at the context of Psalm 15. Let's not just read it as if it's isolated, but let's notice how it's put together. One theory about the composition of the book of Psalms is that it was done by Ezra the scribe just after the return from exile in the 5th century BC.

The oldest of the Psalms is Psalm 90, so far as we can tell, a Psalm of Moses, the man of God. The most recent Psalm is probably Psalm 138, which is after the return from captivity. So there's a thousand year span of time between the oldest and the newest.

And it's interesting that Psalm 90 is not Psalm 1. They're not arranged chronologically. There's a reason that Psalm 90 is placed where it is. Well, there's a reason that Psalm 15 is placed where it is.

So I want you to look with me at the context. Let's just go back to Psalm 12. We'll notice some verses in the immediately preceding Psalms. Psalm 12. Now remember, if you're reading consecutively through the book of Psalms, you're encountering these things in preparation for what you'll read in Psalm 15.

So you want to have this in your mind as you're coming to our Psalm. Psalm 12. To the chief musician on an eight-stringed harp, a Psalm of David. Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases. For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.

They speak idly, everyone with his neighbor with flattering lips and a double heart, they speak. Psalm 14. To the chief musician, a Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt.

They've done abominable works. There is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside. They have together become corrupt.

There is none who does good.

No, not one.

Immediately before our Psalm, David makes these sweeping statements about sinners. And he tells us that as the Lord looks, there's no one who qualifies at all. And then we read Psalm 15. David asks the question, who may abide in your tabernacle?

Who may dwell in your holy hill? Well, I would say based on what he has just said in Psalm 14, no one. No one. Psalm 16. What follows after? Preserve me, a miktam of David. Preserve me, O God, for in you I put my trust.

O my soul, you've said to me, said to the Lord, you are my Lord. My goodness is nothing apart from you. As for the saints who are on the earth, they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight. Now, you will find Psalms in which David protests his innocence before the Lord.

But here he is telling us where his goodness comes from. It's not righteousness in himself. It's not his own actions. It's not his words. It's not the consonants of his heart and his lips. Rather, his righteousness comes from God.

He tells us that he has no goodness apart from the Lord. Now, someone might say, but wait a minute, brother. And this is a reasonable observation. If it's in your mind, I think it's reasonable. Someone might say Psalm 15 is about relative righteousness.

It's about the deeds of a godly man as over against a hypocrite. Well, that's possible. It could be interpreted that way. For example, look at Psalm 17, a prayer of David. Hear a just cause, O Lord. Attend to my cry.

Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from your presence. Let your eyes look on the things that are upright. You've tested my heart. You've visited me in the night.

You've tried me and have found nothing. I purpose that my mouth shall not transgress. So far, so good. David is protesting his innocence to the Lord. But notice how he continues. Concerning the works of men, by the word of your lips, I've kept away from the paths of the destroyer.

Uphold my steps in your paths, that my footsteps may not slip. Once again, where does David's righteousness come from?

It comes from the Lord.

It comes from him. It's not a righteousness that David invents on his own. If we understand this in terms of relative righteousness, we have to say that this can only be understood in a limited sense.

But I would suggest to you there's more that we need to consider before we come to a final conclusion as to the interpretation of our psalm. Look at it again. Look at Psalm 15 again. And think of the question.

And think of the conclusion. Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle? Who may dwell in your holy hill? He who does these things shall never be moved. Now, are these relative terms? Are they terms about a visit?

Well, no, they aren't. They're actually qualifications for permanent residence in God's presence, to abide or to dwell or to never be moved. These are terms of permanency, of someone who qualifies to be in the presence of God.

And so I ask the question, can anyone do these things? Is it possible for anyone to do these things? I have a third argument. The third argument is I want you to notice a key phrase in verse 2 of Psalm 15.

He who walks uprightly and works righteousness. Now, that's the way that the 1611 King James, the New King James, the New American Standard all translate this. The English Standard Version says, he who does what is right.

Now, I know that usually when we speak of works righteousness, we employ this phrase as a noun form. And here it's a verb. But doesn't it jump out at you? Isn't this a form of do this and live? Is that how we stand in God's presence?

On the basis of what we do? You see, I'm bold enough to say that the traditional interpretation only leads to discouragement and to shame and to doubt. Who is it that can abide these things? Who can fulfill these things?

Who can do these things? Or to use David's question, who may abide in the Lord's tabernacle? And who may dwell in his holy hill? I can't. And I mean no wrong to you when I say neither can you.

We cannot.

So then what is this psalm about? Let me suggest to you a better interpretation. It seems to me that David is not writing to promote introspection and discouragement. He's not trying to push us down. But rather, he's writing prophetically.

And he's writing to turn us away from ourselves. You see, he does describe someone who performs these things. He describes to us someone who works righteousness. He describes to us someone who earns the right to dwell in God's holy hill.

And who is this one? David answers. He tells us in many other psalms. Let me just give you a couple of examples. From Psalm 110, verses 1 and 2. The Lord, Jehovah that is, said to my Lord, Adonai, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.

The Lord shall send the rod of your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of your enemies. Or, if we're reading consecutively through the psalms, we will have previously read in Psalm 2 these words.

I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree. The Lord has said to me, you are my son. But, there's another. I want you to keep your finger here and turn to Psalm 24. Consider the parallelism between Psalm 15 and Psalm 24.

Psalm 24 is extended. It has more to say. But notice the parallelism. Read it with me. A psalm of David. The earth is the Lord's in all its fullness. The world and those who dwell therein. For he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

This is a claim of sovereignty that David makes for God. He is the ruler of all the world. Then what does David say? Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who may stand in his holy place? That's effectively the same question with which Psalm 15 begins, isn't it?

The words are a little bit different, but the idea of the question is the same. So we're encountering the same issue. And now notice, David answers in a very similar way. Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who may stand in his holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol nor sworn deceitfully, he shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face.

Then we have that little Hebrew word silah, which has pause and think about it. But David doesn't stop here. He wants us to meditate on this Psalm, the one who has the right to ascend into the hill of the Lord and stand in his holy place, and the answer is very similar to what we find in Psalm 15.

But then David goes forward, and the rest of the Psalm identifies for us the one who is able to dwell, to abide, to stand in God's holy presence. Look at what it says. It's absolutely glorious. It's as if David is speaking to the heavenly throne room.

He's speaking to the tabernacle on earth, which is a representation of the throne room in heaven. And look at what he says. He talks to the gates and the doors as if they could hear him, because what he's about to describe is greater than anything, greater than anyone.

Lift up your heads, O you gates, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors. Remember, this is an answer to the question. Lift up your heads, O you gates, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in.

The King of glory will abide. The King of glory will dwell. The King of glory will enter. The King of glory will stand. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O you gates, lift up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts. He is the King of glory. Who may dwell? Who may abide?

Who may enter? Who may stand? It is the King of glory. Now, everyone, every Christian, recognizes that Psalm 24 is a messianic psalm, and it's a psalm about the kingship of the Messiah. Now, when we read Psalm 15, and we read Psalm 24 in the context of the entirety of the Psalter, we must interpret Psalm 15 and understand it in the same way.

Dear friends, I have not just good news,.

But great news.

Jesus Christ has accomplished everything that is stated in Psalm 15. He is the one who has earned the right to abide in God's holy hill, to dwell on his temple, to enter in and stand in the presence of God forever.

Who is the man of Psalm 15? Jesus Christ is the man of Psalm 15. He is the one who abides in God's tabernacle and dwells in his holy hill. Who is this man? It's Christ. Dear friends, it's not me, and it's not you.

It's our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, this psalm is really interesting because it's a psalm of law and a psalm of gospel. I preached it to you in the beginning as a psalm of law and asked the question,.

Can you do this?

And you know in your heart, there's only one answer.

No, I can't. I don't qualify.

So when it comes to us in that sense, it's a psalm of law that teaches us we have no righteousness that will qualify us to stand in the presence of God. Nothing at all. But then it becomes a psalm of gospel when we see that Jesus Christ is the one who has perfectly satisfied all of the demands of God's law who has done the things that are described for us in Psalm 15, who enters in and takes up his dwelling there.

And that's how we have to see this psalm. Law when applied to us. Gospel when applied to Christ. So let me ask you a few questions. Do you see Christ here? I hope, I hope that as we were working our way through the psalm before we got to the interpretation, I hope that you were feeling the weight of your sinfulness.

I hope that you were agreeing with me that you don't qualify. But then I hope that when you see Christ here, you say, that's what the gospel is and that's how I may stand in God's presence by trusting in his holy son because he is the man of Psalm 15.

He's the only one who is righteous. And dear friends, you must find your righteousness in him. Don't come to the judgment one day thinking that you have a righteousness that you have built up that will allow you to be in the presence of God.

You don't have it. You'll be not just disappointed for ever and ever you will be devastated by the fact that you did not believe. He right now by his spirit calls you to trust in him. Not to trust in your own righteousness, not to trust in your own works but to trust in him.

And you may find your righteousness solely in him. When we believe in Christ that which he has done is credited to our account and we may stand in the presence of God. You see, I would urge you not to be discouraged by Psalm 15 because Psalm 15 is meant to cause you to look to Christ.

He is the one who has fulfilled the Lord's righteous demands. Look again at Psalm 16 immediately after. David understood this point. Psalm 16 verse 8 I've set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Remember how Psalm 15 ended? He who does these things shall never be moved. I set the Lord at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices my flesh also will rest in hope for you will not leave my soul in sheol nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption.