A Psalm of David.
O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart;
who does not slander with his tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
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;
who does not put out his money at interest
and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.
Psalm 15 asks and answers an important question. The question: Who can dwell in God’s holy presence? The answer: He who is immovably devoted to doing what is right. Verses 2-5 describe the moral character of the one who shall live in the house of the Lord. He does what is right and speaks the truth (2). He does not slander and does no evil to his neighbor (3). His affections are in tune with the Lord’s (4a-b). He keeps his word, even to his own hurt (4c). He gives without seeking gain (5). He cannot be bribed (5b). This man cannot be moved because he lives for God, not self (5c).
In contrast, the self-centered person is easily moved. He is always changing. He is unpredictable and unreliable because the rule of his moral life is subjective and self-serving. For him, moral choices are determined not by asking, “What is right in God’s sight?” but “What’s in it for me?”.
The self-centered life is the anthesis of the life described in Psalm 15. Actions are determined not by an objective moral standard of what is right (i.e., God) but personal desire and perceived outcomes. Truth becomes a matter of word games. Slander, a sinister kind of speech, is a means to tearing others down to build one’s self up (3). Evil done to others is justified if it serves the desires of self. Reneging on promises is normalized because the self-centered person has lost the ability to live sacrificially for others (4b). In the moral universe of the self-centered, taking advantage of the needy becomes another means to selfish gain. In this world, anyone can be bought when the price is right (5).
Lamentably, Psalm 15 in reverse describes the moral condition of our culture. Perhaps we even feel the sting of finding ourselves described in some ways. Truth is, we’ve all lived self-centered lives. Luther was right when he said that as sinners we are all turned in on ourselves. By nature we live a self-centered life.
But if that’s right, and it is, then Psalm 15 poses a pressing problem for us. None of us live up to the description of Psalm 15. If this is the life required for dwelling in God’s presence, then left to ourselves, we are unfit for God’s holy presence. We desperately need a Savior who can cleanse and change us.
Psalm 15 read in the light of gospel points us to the solution. Jesus Christ is the man described in Psalm 15. Read in this light, it is a moving description of the beautiful character of Jesus Christ. Throughout his life on earth, he always did what was right and spoke the truth. He never slandered. He did no evil to others. He always kept his word, even to his own hurt, even when it meant enduring the agony of the cross. He never took advantage of those in need. He could not be bribed because he was utterly devoted to doing the will of his Father. And because this is who Jesus is, after dying and rising, he ascended the hill of the Lord with clean hands and a pure heart (Ps. 24). And because he is our Mediator, by his shed blood he is able to wash us clean and bring us near to God.
There’s more good news. In union with Jesus, we are forgiven and welcomed into the Father’s holy presence on the basis of the pardon and righteousness we receive through faith in Christ. But in Christ, we also have the grace of sanctification. It is the Father’s settled purpose to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ by the Spirit (Romans 8:39). Read in this light, Psalm 15 describes the people we become in Jesus Christ — a people who are immovable in doing what is right because we have been set free from selfishness to serve God.
Prayer
Father, we praise you for your perfect holiness. We confess that by ourselves we are not fit to dwell in your presence; we need a Mediator — someone who has walked blamelessly and done what is right. We thank you that we have such a Mediator in our Lord Jesus Christ. We rejoice that he is the man who has ascended the hill of the LORD, and that by his obedience and suffering, we can draw near. Thank you for that forgiveness we have in him, and for the work of the Spirit which conforms us to Jesus-likeness. Continue that work in us until the day when we live forever in your dwelling place to offer unending praise. Amen.