Psalm 15: Who Can Abide With God In His Holy Place?

Psalm 15:1  A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 

King David loved the LORD and served Him well throughout his life as a shepherd, a warrior, a king and the sweet Psalmist of Israel.

In this Psalm he asked two important questions.

"Who shall abide in the LORD's tabernacle?" and "Who shall dwell in His holy hill?"

Let us consider the first question "Who shall abide in the LORD's tabernacle?"

We must remember that the tabernacle was a portable worship center designed by God with a pattern given to Moses to build it.

The book of Exodus contains most of the details about this structure and an accurate scale model below helps us visualize what it may have looked like.

This is the tabernacle King David referred to and below is an artists rendering of what Jerusalem looked like from a distance.

He accumulated a massive amount of materials for building the Temple that Solomon completed, but it was not started until after David died.

Therefore, this tabernacle was still used as the place where the Israelites met with God to offer the required sacrifices and to give Him worship and praise.

So when David asked "Who shall abide in they tabernacle?" this is the structure that he had in mind.

It was a holy place and it is said by many that the tabernacle is the most complete picture of Christ contained in the Old Testament.

Though the outside was designed to be rather plain, the inside ceiling was covered in beautiful woven fabrics of royal blue, deep purple, purest white and scarlet red.

The ark of the covenant, the table for the showbread and the candlestick (menorah) were made of purest gold and of the highest quality of workmanship.

Since God promised to meet with His people at the mercy seat, between the outstretched arms of two cherubim, it is a most holy place.

Only the priests and any Levites needed to assist them were permitted to enter into the tent like structure.

Only the high priest could go behind the veil where the ark was placed, once a year to offer the blood of atonement for his sins and for the sins of the people.

In answering both questions, David used a positive way of describing who may abide in God's tabernacle, followed by a negative description telling us what kind of person cannot enter therein.

Psalm 15:2  He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 

Three characteristics mark the man (or woman) who can abide in the presence of the LORD.

First is walking uprightly. What does it mean to walk uprightly?

A man or woman who walks uprightly is one who keeps God in the center of his thoughts, or as Paul said, he has set his affection on the things of God above, where Christ is enthroned (See Colossians 3:1-2).

An upright man seeks first the kingdom of God each day, before anything else (See Matthew 6:35).

The ones who walk uprightly take the Word of God as the rule for their conduct and behavior.

The upright man views himself as a stranger in the world, passing through, being guided throughout life by God, and pressing on toward his heavenly home.

The upright man or woman continually walks through this life mindful of being a citizen of the kingdom of God, and seeking to please our King in all things.

The moral law of God shapes his words and actions as he senses the weightiness of God's holy standard.

An upright man is not perfect, but he does not live in sin, nor does he make sinners his companions (See Psalm 1).

Next, the upright man works righteousness in all his interpersonal relationships.

As a creature created by God, he has a sense of his duties toward his Creator. We must learn to love and serve God first and foremost.

Therefore, he desires to love God with all his strength, heart, soul and mind for this is the very least that he can offer to the LORD.

As a member of a civil society, an upright man knows his duty toward other people.

He is to love and serve them as he would love and serve himself. He is to love and serve others as he loves and serves God.

He will not lie to his neighbors, nor will he cheat him out of anything.

He will not steal anything from his neighbor, nor will he commit adultery or murder.

Finally, the upright man will do what is right for himself and his own body.

He will avoid gluttony so that he might remain fit and healthy.

He will avoid poisoning his body with alcoholic drinks, or smoke, or other forms of substance abuse.

The third mark of an upright man is that he is known to speak truth in his heart.

Proverbs 4:23  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Mark 7:21-23  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22  Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23  All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Why did David mention speaking truth in the heart?

Because what is in our heart will emerge in what we think about, what we say and what we do.

Recognizing this truth, the upright person will apply himself to know and treasure the scriptures.

He will read them daily, think about them throughout the day so that when he speaks, his words are tempered with God's word. 

Psalm 15:3  He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. 

Because God has shaped the upright man with His Word, this man will not spread false rumors about his neighbor. He will not malign them with his words.

He will do what is good rather than doing evil to his neighbor..

He will not do or say anything to tarnish his neighbor's reputation such that the rest of the community looks down on him.

Psalm 15:4  In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. 

An upright man will not affirm a vile, wicked person but he will give honor to those who know and fear the LORD.

He may loan something to his neighbor, and if his neighbor does not return it or repay him, he will suffer the loss, instead of making an issue of it.

The upright man's character is consistent because he is guided by the scriptures and he trusts the unchanging God of eternity who can save him from eternal destruction.

Psalm 15:5  He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

David goes on to tell us that the upright man will not loan money to anyone in order to charge them an exorbitant interest rate.

He will never take advantage of the poor as some did, in taking away the property of a widow.

David has fully and sufficiently answered the questions "Who shall abide in thy tabernacle? or Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?"

It is the man, or woman or young person who lives in humility before God, who loves His Word and seeks to live by all that God commands.

This person will not waver in his walk with the LORD.

May we resolve to be the kind of man or woman that David describes in this Psalm, so that our gospel light may shine brightly into the lives of those who do not yet know God.

Bob