Who can abide in the presence of the Almighty God? In the Book of Exodus the Lord told Moses to warn the people lest they should come unto the Lord in Mount Sinai and die (Exodus 19:21). Even Moses could not look upon the Lord's face lest he die (Exodus 33:20). Thanks be to God that he provided Jesus Christ the Righteous, a man in whom the Lord was well pleased, to be a propitiation for our sins, and upon whose death the veil was rent in two and so now all who are in Christ Jesus have access to the Father through the son and so will dwell with him for all eternity in heavenly glory amen. Yet this Psalm, which provides for the requirements of the one who will dwell with the Lord, which, like the law I would suppose no man could keep perfectly, was of David and composed long before the first coming, so what is the purpose of its inclusion? C.H. Spurgeon contends that it is Christological, an argument apparently based on its very demands of holiness. I agree and see it as a kind of confirmation and at times elaboration (or perhaps clarification) of the Law.
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 not evil to his neighbor,
nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
(Psalms 15:1-3 ESV)
The man of God is a man of the people in that he looks after their interests, though he is not beholden to their opinions of him. He respects his neighbor and loves his neighbor as himself for he know that each person is made in the image of God. He is a good example to others ("walks blamelessly") and is a man of his word ("speak truth in his heart"). Per Spurgeon, the righteous "scorn double meanings, evasions, equivocations, white lies, flatteries and deceptions." I think one of the most corrosive practices of the tongue in this age (and as I believe has been going on for a long time back) is the practice of white lies. One of the main propagators of white lies are social niceties.
We are often saying "we're good" when we're not and not telling the truth about a variety of matters that in our minds are trivial. All of these things have an effect of deadening the conscience to lying in general. I agree that it's difficult to come up with something to say when someone asks how you're doing and you don't want to get into it but I usually just "It's the day the Lord made" or "It's coming along" or "It's going" and I have not had many problems with this. I personally don't really like questions that are matters of form nor do I like intrusive questions but this seems to just be a matter of course these days and sometimes people get offended when you don't ask them how they're doing so it can appear to be a lose-lose. I generally refrain form asking as I feel someone will usually tell me if they want to but I understand that's not always the case. I also try to make an effort not to encourage flattery in others nor to let any flattery come out of my mouth. Anyways enough on that point.
The man of God is a peacemaker and I think this is something we practice every day even though we may not realize it. We are ambassadors for Christ and designated peacemakers and so often we can keep the peace amongst others by keeping peace and having salt in ourselves. We should keep choice words inside and not give vent to our anger nor slander our neighbor even if we think we have grounds to. Let sleeping dogs lie.
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.
(Psalms 15:4-5 ESV)
I think what the psalmist is trying to say here is that we should hate the sin and not the sinner, although that is not clear at a surface reading. Also, we should remember that this Psalm was attributed to David, who had a particular role as judge of Israel that we as Christians do not hold, for we should judge no man. However, we should praise those who are god-fearing men and do all we can to help them and support them in their walks.
The holy and godly man takes on the attributes of the Lord, he is steadfast in his word even to his detriment. Given that no man knows the future any oath is extremely dangerous to make and can in its breaking put a man under condemnation of blasphemy. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Lord Christ instructed us not to swear (Matthew 5:34).
And what of usury? Many of the commentators I have read believe this just meant exploitative practices of usury that were applicable to the nation-state of Israel (see Spurgeon). I am inclined to agree although I also believe there are many instances in modern times of the exploitative practices of usury or one party using its leverage and bargaining power to take advantage of the other. This is another practice that I feel is just generally accepted in this day and age, not to say there is not some legal defense provided for but rather that the moral approbation of financial exploitation is generally accepted if not as standard practice, then without the level of moral indignity found in the early church. This from John Weemse on the practices of the early church towards usurers: "The house of the usurer was called...the house of the devil; and they ordained that no man should eat or drink with such a usurer, nor fetch fire from them; and after they were dead that they should not be buried in Christian burial." And on those who helped the usurer: "so they made the scribes, who wrote the bonds, and also the witnesses, incapable of any benefit; and that no testament or latter will, written by such should be valid" (id). Perhaps what upset them so much is that the end result of such exploitation was poverty and financial ruin of the debtor (Henry Smith in Spurgeon) and all its attendant effects on society, not to mention the wrath of God that such treatment incurs.
And finally the righteous man takes no bribes. He is no agent of men nor can his justice be perverted by men. As the justice of God will not be turned away by a bribe, neither will the justice of the righteous man be perverted by it. We should be cautious for bribes come in many forms, not just pecuniary but "favors" or special treatment. The only unmerited favor a righteous man should receive is that of grace through Jesus Christ our Lord.
He who does these things shall never be moved.
(Psalms 15:5 ESV)
What more to say than that?
Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that we abide in you and in your righteousness, for if we abide in you and you in us then we dwell upon that Rock that cannot be moved, though the waters may crash against it and the winds rage against it, that Rock shall remain.
*ESV=English Standard Version
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 not evil to his neighbor,
nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
(Psalms 15:1-3 ESV)
The man of God is a man of the people in that he looks after their interests, though he is not beholden to their opinions of him. He respects his neighbor and loves his neighbor as himself for he know that each person is made in the image of God. He is a good example to others ("walks blamelessly") and is a man of his word ("speak truth in his heart"). Per Spurgeon, the righteous "scorn double meanings, evasions, equivocations, white lies, flatteries and deceptions." I think one of the most corrosive practices of the tongue in this age (and as I believe has been going on for a long time back) is the practice of white lies. One of the main propagators of white lies are social niceties.
We are often saying "we're good" when we're not and not telling the truth about a variety of matters that in our minds are trivial. All of these things have an effect of deadening the conscience to lying in general. I agree that it's difficult to come up with something to say when someone asks how you're doing and you don't want to get into it but I usually just "It's the day the Lord made" or "It's coming along" or "It's going" and I have not had many problems with this. I personally don't really like questions that are matters of form nor do I like intrusive questions but this seems to just be a matter of course these days and sometimes people get offended when you don't ask them how they're doing so it can appear to be a lose-lose. I generally refrain form asking as I feel someone will usually tell me if they want to but I understand that's not always the case. I also try to make an effort not to encourage flattery in others nor to let any flattery come out of my mouth. Anyways enough on that point.
The man of God is a peacemaker and I think this is something we practice every day even though we may not realize it. We are ambassadors for Christ and designated peacemakers and so often we can keep the peace amongst others by keeping peace and having salt in ourselves. We should keep choice words inside and not give vent to our anger nor slander our neighbor even if we think we have grounds to. Let sleeping dogs lie.
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.
(Psalms 15:4-5 ESV)
I think what the psalmist is trying to say here is that we should hate the sin and not the sinner, although that is not clear at a surface reading. Also, we should remember that this Psalm was attributed to David, who had a particular role as judge of Israel that we as Christians do not hold, for we should judge no man. However, we should praise those who are god-fearing men and do all we can to help them and support them in their walks.
The holy and godly man takes on the attributes of the Lord, he is steadfast in his word even to his detriment. Given that no man knows the future any oath is extremely dangerous to make and can in its breaking put a man under condemnation of blasphemy. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Lord Christ instructed us not to swear (Matthew 5:34).
And what of usury? Many of the commentators I have read believe this just meant exploitative practices of usury that were applicable to the nation-state of Israel (see Spurgeon). I am inclined to agree although I also believe there are many instances in modern times of the exploitative practices of usury or one party using its leverage and bargaining power to take advantage of the other. This is another practice that I feel is just generally accepted in this day and age, not to say there is not some legal defense provided for but rather that the moral approbation of financial exploitation is generally accepted if not as standard practice, then without the level of moral indignity found in the early church. This from John Weemse on the practices of the early church towards usurers: "The house of the usurer was called...the house of the devil; and they ordained that no man should eat or drink with such a usurer, nor fetch fire from them; and after they were dead that they should not be buried in Christian burial." And on those who helped the usurer: "so they made the scribes, who wrote the bonds, and also the witnesses, incapable of any benefit; and that no testament or latter will, written by such should be valid" (id). Perhaps what upset them so much is that the end result of such exploitation was poverty and financial ruin of the debtor (Henry Smith in Spurgeon) and all its attendant effects on society, not to mention the wrath of God that such treatment incurs.
And finally the righteous man takes no bribes. He is no agent of men nor can his justice be perverted by men. As the justice of God will not be turned away by a bribe, neither will the justice of the righteous man be perverted by it. We should be cautious for bribes come in many forms, not just pecuniary but "favors" or special treatment. The only unmerited favor a righteous man should receive is that of grace through Jesus Christ our Lord.
He who does these things shall never be moved.
(Psalms 15:5 ESV)
What more to say than that?
Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that we abide in you and in your righteousness, for if we abide in you and you in us then we dwell upon that Rock that cannot be moved, though the waters may crash against it and the winds rage against it, that Rock shall remain.
*ESV=English Standard Version
