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Is there a proper way to approach God, address Him, talk to, worship, and think about him?
Yes, scripture gives a repertoire of thought and expression to respond to God.
The book of Psalms is an essential source to understand how we can and should express ourselves to Him.
It was the hymn book for the covenant community of Israel in the temple, during festivals, and during personal devotion to God.
Today, we will look at Psalm 15 and consider David's question, “Who shall sojourn in God’s tent?”.
A Psalm of David - Superscripts
As we studied earlier, the book of Psalms is a collection of songs and poems written in an ancient style.
Hebrew poetry consists of short lines of thought that are connected by comparison, completion, or addition of thoughts.
The lines are grouped into pairs of two or three.
These lines are further grouped into larger sections of thought.
Our English translations help us see these groupings through indentations and extra line space.
In addition, English translations often give a title or description of the chapter, sometimes in a different font or text style.
The translator intentionally adds this as a guide to the main idea of the chapter.
These are not part of the original Hebrew text.
However, immediately before the psalm there is sometimes a section that gives an attribution, description, or musical direction.
These are called superscripts.
They appear in the Hebrew text.
They remind us that these songs are deeply rooted in a specific historical context and use.
Context and Structure
Today, we can use this song as a guide to remind us how we can and should think about our gathering together or spending personal time to worship God.
Psalm 15 has the topic and structure of being part of a liturgy, a song or composition used as worshippers approach the sacred place of worship (Tabernacle and later the Temple).
As they get closer, they examine their lives before they enter.
The psalm begins with two questions followed by lines of answers and a conclusion.
This questions and answers share a familiarity with wisdom psalms that emphasize the different paths of following God.
There is a proper and improper way.
God desires for those who worship Him to align their lives to conform to His way.
Good Questions
Why does David ask this question about being in the sacred location of the tabernacle or Temple?
David recognizes two things.
First, God is holy, and second, a holy God requires holiness from his people.
The people of Israel knew stories in the Bible that revealed God’s holiness.Narratives such as the garden of Eden, Noah’s ark, and Moses at the burning bush reminded Israel of God’s holy attribute.
At the same time, God taught them of their lack of holiness and need for obedience in order to be with God.
For example, the laws of cleanliness and temple sacrifice showed them how “unholy” the people could be in their hearts and by simply living in a fallen and sinful world.
The temple structure emphasized that there were limits to entering God’s holy place.
The outside courts were open to all, but the subsequent inner sections were increasingly limited to a smaller group.
Ultimately, the Holy of Holies was entered by only one person once a year.
Each worshipper needed to think soberly about themselves and their potential sinful character as they came closer to the “tent” and “holy hill”.
Today we do not have a sacred temple, nor is our church building a sacred immovable location.
The place where God desires to dwell is in those who believe in Christ.
But are we not just as unholy as those worshippers of long ago?
What makes our entry into God’s presence accessible today?
It is because of Jesus Christ that we have access to life with God.
In Christ, we are part of a new covenant.
God brings us near to himself.
Ephesians 2:12-13
As we look at the answers in the Psalm concerning “who may dwell”, we should recognize that Jesus fulfills each of these requirements.
He fulfilled all the righteous commands of God.
And because He invites us to be “in Him,” we too may enter with humility, thanks, and obedience.
Jesus is the only one truly worthy to enter the dwelling place.
If we are in Christ, we may enter but we also must seek to be Christ-like in our lives.
Good Answers
The first answer focuses on being blameless, which implies being “whole, or whole-hearted”.
This applies to one’s commitment to serving and following God alone.
“Whole” living means living in obedience (righteous - doing what is morally required by God).
Think about your walk with God over the past months or years.
You may notice moments of great passion for God and possibly moments when God was the last thing in your heart.
The hymn lyrics are accurate, “prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love,” You may have drifted back into sinful habits.
Maybe a major event in life knocked you down, and you relied on your old ways to get you through.
Be encouraged.
God is faithful and just to forgive us as we come back to him in repentance.
The blameless ones speak the truth and hold back from slander.
Their conversation is never deceptive, nor do they use their mouth to hurt others to “get ahead”.
When it comes to living or working with or alongside other people (neighbors), the righteous person seeks to live in peace by recognizing God’s requirements to love others.
The ten commandments contain six commands that focus on how we view and tread others.
Obedience to God requires that we be “Christ-like” in all our relationships.
The next phrase may seem a bit extreme, “despise a vile man”, but we must see it in the context of the guidance of the wisdom psalm.
The wisdom psalms remind us only two options: to follow God or not (the righteous and the wicked).
The righteous person will not be envious of the wicked.
Rather, they will take align themselves with the God who takes “no delight in wickedness”.
Psalm 5:4
The person who may dwell with God keeps his oaths.
This describes a person who remains truthful and honest even when it becomes a disadvantage.
Imagine being pulled over by an officer, no seatbelt, texting, speeding, etc.
Is it not a strong temptation to say or not say things to get you out of an expensive fine.
The last answer focuses on the righteous person who deals with resources (money, time, things) with integrity.
Even in the ancient world, people borrowed money.
God governed debt by not allowing Israel to collect interest from their own people.
This may seem risky, but God intended debt to be a temporary situation and provided specific laws to prevent it from becoming a way of life.
The righteous person will also not be consumed with getting richer at any cost and avoids bribery.
How do you measure up?
In the earliest days of covid, entering some public places required a mask and temperature checks.
Many are still rightfully cautious about the potential spread of illness.
A person needed to be “in good health” to participate in a gathering.
What does the psalm say about being prepared to enter God’s holy presence?
Are there any restrictions or requirements?
Yes.
And if you look at the answers, you will notice that you have failed at some point to measure up to the requirements of God’s holiness.
So why does the Christian message invite us to come to know God when we clearly stand in opposition to His holiness?
How can we "measure up" to holiness?
First, we must enter by recognizing our sinfulness and God’s holiness.
Just as Isaiah recognized his own “unclean” state of life in the presence of God, we, too, must come to God recognizing both our sinfulness and God’s solution.
Isaiah 6:5-7.
Then we need someone who is holy to be our means of entrance.
We may then look to God’s solution in Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:17
Who may enter is answered by being in Jesus Christ.
And because we are made righteous through Christ, we are empowered to live in obedience to God’s commands.
We do not obey God in order to receive grace but because we have received grace.
Only by God’s grace can we enter and live a life of Christ-like obedience.
Some Modern Concerns
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