PSALM FIFTEEN

AUTHOR:  This psalm is attributed to David.

OCCASION:  We cannot know with certainty what brought this song forth, nor have we any need to so know.  It is suggested by some that it was occasioned by the bringing up of the ark from the house of Obed-edom (II Samuel 6:12ff), but evidence to this end is lacking.  Most assume this to be like psalm 1, a general statement of a great truth for all times and circumstances.

OUTLINE:  The psalm is easily divided into two parts, the first simpler than the second.  I. THE QUESTION (1).  The question concerns true religion, or rather the man who practices it.  II. THE ANSWER (2-5).  The answer to the question is set forth in a most straightforward fashion, as the psalmist simply lists the "do's and don'ts" of the man who stands in God's good graces.  "The psalm contains a statement of what real religion is:  one of the most explicit and formal of the statements which we have in the Old Testament on that subject" (Barnes).

1    LORD  This would seem to be the one to whom the question is addressed, but we take it rather to be the one about whom the question is asked, for the psalmist goes about to answer his own question in the psalm itself.  It is a poetic use of question and answer designed to teach a lesson.  Whereas the question appears to be directed to God, in reality the psalmist is asking it for the benefit of the reader, and the answer he gives is his own answer, but the reader will recognize that each thing he says in that answer is proper and correct.  He violates nothing in the answer he gives.  WHO SHALL ABIDE IN THY TABERNACLE?  To "abide" here means to "sojourn".  It means, literally, to stay in a place for a while.  We do not  take it, however, to be an indication that the reward of the faithful will be a temporary one, for the question is concerning the 'tabernacle' of God.  A tabernacle was a tent, by its very nature and design it was a temporary dwelling.  The remainder of the verse (and the psalm itself) argues in favor of the reward of the faithful being an eternal one, and his use of the temporary word "sojourn" here is merely in keeping with the illustration he was using.  Too much may easily be read into this phrase, especially by men in our day; we must remember that the common dwelling of the Hebrews at the time of the penning of this song was a tent, and whereas they moved their tent from time to time (and indeed with great regularity), thus making it a "temporary" dwelling (sojourn), there was great permanence in their temporary dwelling.  It was temporary inasmuch as it moved from place to place continually, but it was permanent as well, as it was their constant home.  We see this word used in New Testament terms, pointing   back to Abraham and the other Patriarchs, on this wise:  BY FAITH  ABRAHAM, WHEN HE WAS CALLED TO GO OUT INTO A PLACE WHICH HE SHOULD AFTER RECEIVE FOR AN INHERITANCE, OBEYED; AND HE WENT OUT, NOT KNOWING WHITHER HE WENT.  BY FAITH HE SOJOURNED IN THE LAND OF PROMISE, AS IN A STRANGE COUNTRY, DWELLING IN TABERNACLES WITH ISAAC AND JACOB, THE HEIRS WITH HIM OF THE SAME PROMISE:  FOR HE LOOKED FOR A CITY WHICH HATH FOUNDATIONS, WHOSE BUILDER AND MAKER IS GOD" (Hebrews 11:8-10).  Though his dwelling was then temporary, it was nonetheless his dwelling; and it is in this sense that we take the question.  A tent is temporary to us, but not to them.  WHO SHALL DWELL IN THY HOLY HILL?  Here there is no question as to the permanence of the reward, as "dwell" carries with it the idea of permanency.  The "holy hill" referred to is Zion, typical of heaven.  The point of the question is this:  Who is qualified to take residence in  the place of God?  Who is it that practices true religion, and shall therefore be rewarded?

2    HE THAT WALKETH UPRIGHTLY, Literally, "uprightly" means "perfectly".  The statement then is concerning one who is complete, lacking nothing.  It spoke to the character of the man, not so much that he never made a mistake, but that he was of such a constitution as to make him deal properly with his sins.  "Walketh" here depicts life as a journey, and man as the traveler. The thing about the man who shall live eternally in the presence of God that is distinguished in this partial answer to verse 1's question is this:  he is a man who approaches the journey of life endeavoring to be full and well rounded with respect to every matter of life.  AND WORKETH RIGHTEOUSNESS,  That is, does rightly.  This speaks to the man who goes about to obey the commands of God, both positive and negative.  It is not a "one time obedience", (notice the "eth" of "worketh"), but rather a life given to obedience.  This is in harmony with every teaching of God concerning obedience.  There is not a passage which teaches that God is totally unconcerned with our response to His will for our lives; but there is an abundance of evidence to the contrary.  Consider a few:     WHOSOEVER ABIDETH IN HIM SINNETH  NOT:   WHOSOEVER  SINNETH  HATH NOT SEEN HIM, NEITHER KNOWN HIM.  LITTLE CHILDREN, LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU:  HE THAT DOETH RIGHTEOUSNESS IS RIGHTEOUS, EVEN AS HE IS RIGHTEOUS.  HE THAT COMMITTETH SIN IS OF THE DEVIL; FOR THE DEVIL SINNETH FROM THE BEGINNING.  FOR THIS PURPOSE THE SON OF GOD WAS MANIFESTED, THAT HE MIGHT DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.  WHOSOEVER IS BORN OF GOD DOTH NOT COMMIT SIN; FOR HIS SEED REMAINETH IN HIM:  AND HE CANNOT SIN, BECAUSE HE IS BORN OF GOD.  IN THIS THE CHILDREN OF GOD ARE MANIFEST, AND THE CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL:  WHOSOEVER DOETH NOT RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NOT OF GOD, NEITHER HE THAT LOVETH NOT HIS BROTHER (I John 3:6-10).  WHEREFORE, MY BELOVED, AS YE HAVE ALWAYS OBEYED, NOT AS IN MY PRESENCE ONLY, BUT NOW MUCH MORE IN MY ABSENCE, WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING.  FOR IT IS GOD WHICH WORKETH IN YOU BOTH TO WILL AND TO DO OF HIS GOOD PLEASURE (Philippians 2:12-13).  THOUGH HE WERE A SON, YET LEARNED HE OBEDIENCE BY THE THINGS WHICH HE SUFFERED; AND BEING MADE PERFECT, HE BECAME THE AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION UNTO ALL THEM THAT OBEY HIM (Hebrews 5:8-9).  THEN PETER OPENED HIS MOUTH, AND SAID, OF A TRUTH I PERCEIVE THAT GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS:  BUT IN EVERY NATION HE THAT FEARETH HIM, AND WORKETH RIGHTEOUSNESS, IS ACCEPTED WITH HIM (Acts 10:34-35).  The passages could go on for many pages, but these suffice.  God requires obedience, and the psalmist is correct in asserting that the man who shall enter into God's place of rest is obedient to God's commands in life.  AND SPEAKETH THE TRUTH IN HIS HEART.  Not only does the man that is to be rewarded with God's final rest live properly and work obedience, but he does these things from the heart; that is, he is sincere in his belief that these things are necessary.  God has always required strict adherence to the dictates of His word, but He has equally required obedience from the heart.  This is well illustrated with Paul's words:  FOR TO ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST, AND TO DIE IS GAIN.  (Philippians 1:21).  He did what he did to please Christ, as the Lord was his all in all.  We must act from the heart in order to please the Lord.

3    HE THAT BACKBITETH NOT WITH HIS TONGUE,  The word "backbiteth" here means slander, evil report.  The thought is that of a man (or woman) who goes about bearing false reports on others.  Such is always condemned of the Lord:    THESE SIX THINGS DOTH THE LORD HATE:  YEA, SEVEN ARE AN ABOMINATION UNTO HIM:  A PROUD LOOK, A LYING TONGUE, AND HANDS THAT SHED INNOCENT BLOOD, AN HEART THAT DEVISETH WICKED IMAGINATIONS, FEET THAT BE SWIFT IN RUNNING TO MISCHIEF, A FALSE WITNESS THAT SPEAKETH LIES, AND HE THAT SOWETH DISCORD AMONG BRETHREN (Proverbs 6:16-19).  BUT I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT EVERY IDLE WORD THAT MEN SHALL SPEAK, THEY SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT THEREOF IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.  FOR BY THY WORDS THOU SHALT BE JUSTIFIED, AND BY THY WORDS THOU SHALT BE CONDEMNED (Matthew 12:36-37).  Words of truth and praise should come from the lips of the righteous, and James points out that for other than this to be the case is sin:  OUT OF THE SAME MOUTH PROCEEDETH BLESSING AND CURSING.  MY BRETHREN, THESE THINGS OUGHT NOT SO TO BE.  DOTH A FOUNTAIN SEND FORTH AT THE SAME PLACE SWEET WATER AND BITTER?  CAN THE FIG TREE, MY BRETHREN, BEAR OLIVE BERRIES? EITHER A VINE, FIGS? SO CAN NO FOUNTAIN BOTH YIELD SALT WATER AND FRESH (James 3:10-12).  The one who shall enter God's rest, then, does not bear false and harmful reports on others.  NOR DOETH EVIL TO HIS NEIGHBOUR,   That is, does not do any harm to his fellowman.  Involved in this would be the idea of harm by mouth, but it also includes more than this.  Any harm is intended.  NOR TAKETH UP A REPROACH AGAINST HIS NEIGHBOUR.  The meaning is this:  He does not receive evil and slanderous reports about his neighbor that are unsubstantiated.  An anonymous poet wrote:

A gossipy tongue is a dangerous thing
     if it's owner is evil at heart,
He can give whom he chooses full many a sting
     that will woefully linger and smart.
But the gossipy tongue would be balked in its plan
     for causing heart burning and tears
If it were not helped out by the misguided man
     who possesses two gossipy ears.

There was once a preacher whose grandfather became ill, and desiring to treat him properly and still do his work (which was in a state far removed from his grandfather), he sent his wife to care for him.  A gossipy woman began to tell the community that the preacher's wife had left him to live with another man in their home state.  Some might argue that the essentials of her story were true, for she did leave to live with another man, but who could argue that she was right in telling this?  And what of those who believed and repeated it?  Such shall not enter into God's eternal rest.

4    IN WHOSE EYES A VILE PERSON IS CONTEMNED;  There are many in this life who are in positions of authority, who are rich, or are otherwise seemingly important whose lives are lived in sin and who profit at the expense of others.  The man who would enter into God's rest does not show respect to these merely because of the advantage to be had in such  a disposition.  He looks with the proper disapproval on those who live in sin.  BUT HE HONOURETH THEM THAT FEAR THE LORD.  Regardless of authority, wealth or seeming importance, the one who would enter into God's rest looks with great approval upon that man whose life is in tune with the will of God.  He gives proper respect to the righteous, knowing:  ...INASMUCH AS YE HAVE DONE IT UNTO ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE MY BRETHREN, YE HAVE DONE IT UNTO ME (Matthew 25:40).  He respects the one who deserves respect, as opposed to the one receives respect because of the advantage it offers.  HE THAT SWEARETH TO HIS OWN HURT, AND CHANGETH NOT.  This concerns the making of a contract, the entering into of an agreement.  The one who would enter into God's rest must honor his agreements, regardless of their adverse impact.  He is faithful and honest in all of his dealings, not just those by which he can profit.

5    HE THAT PUTTETH NOT OUT HIS MONEY TO USURY,  It was forbidden to charge interest to brethren for the use of money, and this word "usury" embodies that meaning.  We usually use the word "usury" to indicate "unlawful interest", however here it means any interest.  Because the Israelites were brethren, members of the same family, the family of God, they were forbidden to charge any interest to their brethren (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:35-37).  They were allowed to charge interest to strangers, or those of other nations (Deuteronomy 23:19-20), because there was no kinship there.  The reason for this was that the ones with money were to be willing to freely aid those of their own family (spiritual family) and not seek to profit from them; whereas those of the world who needed help could be asked to pay interest because there was no such family relationship in place.  NOR TAKETH REWARD AGAINST THE INNOCENT.  This concerns the taking of bribes.  The one who enters into God's rest does not allow himself to be paid to do right, nor to be paid to overlook right and side with sin.  Often then, as now, the innocent were unable to match the financial resources of the guilty, and often the guilty used his wealth to defeat the innocent.  HE THAT DOETH THESE THINGS SHALL NEVER BE MOVED.  He, in answer to the question of verse 1, shall abide in the tabernacle of God forever.  He will have  a  solid  foundation,  unmoved  by  the  shifting sands of time and sin.  He is of such a character as to weather the storms of life and sail safely into the harbor of love in the world that is to come.

QUESTIONS:  PSALM FIFTEEN

1.Who wrote this psalm? __________________________________
2.Do we know for sure what occasioned it? ___________________
3.What does "tabernacle" mean? ___________________________
4.What is another word for "abide"? _________________________
5.What is the "holy hill"? __________________________________
6.Is the rest here promised an eternal one? ___________________
7.Does God require obedience to His Law? ___________________
8.Is this a "one time" act, or a continuous life? _________________
9.Must one actually "do" God's commands? ___________________
10.Must one believe in his obedient acts? _____________________
11.Is God concerned with sincerity? __________________________
12.What does "backbiteth" mean? ___________________________
13.Is it sinful to tell "half-truths" about others? __________________
14.Is it wrong to receive gossip about others? __________________
15.Does a righteous man hold in high regard the wicked? _________
16.Should a righteous man show preference to the righteous? _____
17.When an agreement is made, is it right to violate it when it works against us? ___________________________________________
18.Was it lawful for God's people to charge interest to each other? _
19.Was it acceptable to charge interest to foreigners? ___________
20.Is bribery, either receiving or giving, sinful? __________________
21.What shall the man who complies with the teachings of psalm 15 receive? _____________________________________________
HEAR HIM
                        1                                                                                          7
Hear Him now as He speaks to thee,                             Having believed turn from your sin
     He's earned the right to speak;                                      For except ye repent
He longs each lost one to set free,                                 The crown you cannot hope to win,
     Empower all the weak.                                                 Your sin strive to prevent.
                        2                                                                                         8
To demonstrate His boundless love                                Tell others of the faith you've found,
     And pay the price for sin                                                His lovely name confess,
He sacrificed His home above                                        Than this there is no sweeter sound
     And gave His Life for men.                                             So make the great address!
                        3                                                                                         9
They crucified the King of kings                                     Then like those souls on Pentecost
     On the Old Rugged Cross,                                              Be buried in His Name;
He willingly endured such things,                                    Acknowledging that you are lost,
     Freely suffered the loss.                                                   He'll save you just the same.
                        4                                                                                        10
Now He calls us to hear His word                                 Then live each day His Will to do
     Is this too much to ask?                                                  Be faithful to the end,
His words are true -- He is the Lord!                            For now you're living life anew,
     'Tis but a simple task.                                                     Obey your Heav'nly Friend.
                        5                                                                                       11
For all the proof is plain to see                                       Then when He comes back in the sky
     'Twas not done in the dark,                                              To end all earthly strife,
So hear the words which set men free                            With Him you'll live and never die!
     And press on t'word the mark.                                          Receive the crown of life!
                        6                                                                                     12
Now, having heard, you must believe                             Yes, hear Him as He speaks to thee,
     Each thing He has to say;                                                  And take His words to heart;
If you the blessing would receive:                                   From ev'ry sin He'll set you free,
     Put faith in Him today.                                                       From you He'll ne'er depart.
H. L. GRADOWITH
 
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