Or, A Short Catechesis for the Unshakeable
Scripture: Psalm 15:1-5
Date: July 19, 2015
Speaker: Sean Higgins
Nothing is more foolish then disregard for God, whether that disregard is mild or militant. Nothing is more wise than worship of God. You and I are made to worship, and we’d be fools to think we don’t need to. We’d also be fools to think that we can worship any way we want. God deserves assiduous worship and God defines acceptable worship. Psalm 14 makes the previous point and Psalm 15 makes the latter.
In Psalm 14 we learned lyrics to help us process the spiritual corruption around us that comes when men won’t worship. In Psalm 15 we learn lyrics to help us pursue the spiritual qualities needed in us for worship. Psalm 14 portrayed a fool in his folly. Psalm 15 portrays the worshiper in his walk. Psalm 14 reminded the singers that the Lord will judge the evildoers. Psalm 15 reminds the singers that the evildoers are not welcome to dwell with the Lord.
We saw this already in the Psalter, Psalm 5.
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.
The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
(Psalm 5:4–5)
It isn’t evil in abstract, evil as gnarly looking thunder cloud floating on the horizon, that doesn’t belong with God, though it is true that in Him is no darkness at all. The point in Psalm 5 and the point in Psalm 15 is that God only permits certain persons into His presence. Evil is personal, so is holiness. Gender doesn’t matter, nor age or language or education or occupation. But it absolutely matters what kind of character they have/they are. Psalm 15 is a song about the life of worship, a description of the acceptable pre- (and post) worship path.
The song works like a catechism with a question and answer format. Set to melody, the would be worshippers learn what should be asked as well as the right reply. Psalm 15 also finishes with an important result. This is a QAR catechesis for those who would be unshakeable.
Being unshakeable is a valuable asset in the midst of so many fools. Godless men mock, trap, crush, shame, trouble, shoot at, plunder, and position themselves to master “the generation of the righteous.” Even their mercies are cruel (see Proverbs 12:10). Who can stand against the wicked? Those whom God calls “my people” (14:4). Psalm 15 asks and answers and assures His people.
The first line of the song swings two hammers in order to drive home one nail.
O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
(Psalm 15:1)
No more important question could be asked.
The question addresses the qualifications for worship. The word tent typically meant the Tabernacle (translated as such in the KJV), calling it your tent leaves no doubt. It referred to the place of God’s revealed presence, the place for worship where God met with and blessed His people. Your holy hill refers to Jerusalem, the same place as “Zion” in 14:7, the city on a hill and the last historical location of the tent (before the building of the permanent Temple).
The men of Israel were required to attend at least three annual feasts in Jerusalem. These two “who?” questions, perhaps sung by the pilgrims to the priests as they approached the Tabernacle, deal with the main concern: who, or better, what kind of man shall sojourn or shall dwell in the presence of God? Who may abide with God?
This is a question that fools don’t bother with. They don’t concern themselves with God or care if He has standards.
The majority of the song answers the question. Through a series of positives and negatives, the life of the worshipper is put on display (just as the life of the evildoer was displayed in the previous song). Here are the requisite virtues and prohibited vices.
The first three positives describe the man in his personal integrity.
He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart;
(Psalm 15:2)
Walk is a well-known wisdom word that describes a man’s habits and pattern of conduct, his mode of operation. A man is blessed who avoids certain influences (Psalm 1) and here he walks blamelessly . He isn’t sinless, but he deals with sin the right way. He also does what is right and speaks truth in his heart . He is a righteous-doer not an evildoer (14:4). He says in his heart, “There is a God and I’m not him” (unlike the fool in 14:1). He pursues truth, goodness, and blamelessness. His righteousness is from the inside out, and on the outside it is obvious for sake of his reputation.
The next three negatives describe the inverse of the man in his relational loyalty.
who does not slander with his tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
(Psalm 15:3)
How he relates to the persons near him, his neighbor and his friend , determines if he is qualified to relate to the person of God and be near Him. The life of worship affects his mouth. He does not slander with his tongue , nor do his ears take up a reproach . He doesn’t say, “Hey, did you hear about…” or “Hey, tell me what you heard about…” In other words, don’t tell lies or listen to lies and then let them stand on your shoulders to get over the fence into the next yard. Don’t take accusations up, put them down. This verbal biting and devouring is a way of doing evil to his neighbor . From the same mouth come blessing to God and cursing of those made in God’s image? That’s not good with God.
The next two contrasting phrases describe the man in his cultural associations, who he identifies with as “my people.”
in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
but who honors those who fear the LORD;
(Psalm 15:4)
There is another possibility for translating the first part of verse 4. It could be, “who despises himself as vile in his own eyes.” This would take the but as a contrast between honor; he does not honor himself but he does honor others. However none of the major translations understand it this way. We should be humble, yes, but verse 4 is not about spelunking into the seventh circle of introspective guilt.
This is about correct categorization and connection. The life of a worshipper sees evildoers and the vile person is despised . The vile man is the reprobate, the one committed to murder in the name of choice and thievery in the name of helping the poor. A vile man fixes himself toward evil, he doesn’t just fall into it. They are to be despised , given no approval, let alone admiration. God is love and God hates the wicked (Psalm 5:5, 6). Those who worship God reflect Him.
The worshipper is not a (cynical or self-righteous) recluse. He honors those who fear the LORD . He honors God’s people, the people he is a part of. Do they worship the Lord? Then they are on the same side. He doesn’t distance himself from them or talk down at them. The New Testament illustration of a body would work here. Don’t despise another member of your body. That doesn’t even make sense. Nor is it consistent with the life of worship.
The final phrase in verse 4 may belong with the first two phrases.
who swears to his own hurt and does not change; (Psalm 15:4)
Commitments made are commitments to be kept, no matter what. Vows are better to avoid than break. You do what you said you were going to do. You keep your word. A worshipper of God will be faithful and dependable like God, who also sacrificed to his own hurt .
Perhaps this relates to the first part of verse 4. If the culture began calling evil good and good evil, and you had promised to help someone who was now being attacked and condemned, what would you do? If the believing bakers were thrown into prison, the fellow worshippers would honor them by taking them food (or promoting their story and/or helping them to pay legal fees), even to their own hurt. Hebrews 10 illustrates this.
But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. (Hebrews 10:32–35)
Worshippers don’t quit honoring the righteous when the righteous get picked on. That’s when we ought to honor them more, and then if we get lumped in and take our lumps, that will make the suffering more sweet.
The final part of verse 4 may also relate to verse 5. If you offer a loan to a neighbor in order to help him, you would rather let him take advantage of you than for you to take advantage of him.
The beginning of verse 5 describes the man in his financial affairs.
who does not put out his money at interest
and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
(Psalm 15:5)
Two unrighteous approaches are identified: usury and bribery. The law prohibited charging interest on loans to fellow citizens (Exodus 22:25). The reason for giving a loan was likely because a family was in trouble, maybe about to sell themselves into slavery. Interest added to the same problem: now they owned more money that they didn’t have. It takes advantage of those who should be cared for, a way of shaming the plans of the poor (Psalm 14:6).
Taking money as a way to make legal decisions is also prohibited in the life of worship and was against the law (Exodus 23:8). Justice is not a commodity to be auctioned to the highest bidder. Even if you were paid to do the right thing it is still inappropriate, let alone if taking cash against the innocent . Economic and judicial integrity mark the life of worship.
A few more things about these characteristics. First, the list represents rather than exhausts the life of an accepted worshipper. It covers a lot of principles without providing an exact response for every case. Though there are 11 items in Psalm 15, they do not match the 10 Commandments, and Israel knew that those were pretty important. David provided a lyrical catechism for young (and old) to show the bearing of the life of worship.
Second, the list of characteristics reveals the life of a worshipper accepted by God, but not how he came to be accepted by God. The song speaks about those who walk and dwell with God, those who are being changed as they worship God, and not that those works save those persons.
We are all sinners. David sinned. The sacrificial liturgy enacted in the Tabernacle in Jerusalem to which these worshippers were going was for sinners. Everyone is called to worship, even if they do not meet these characteristics, and they must start with humble repentance and seeking forgiveness for falling short. The list is Psalm 15 is not prohibitive as much as it is directive. Examining your life before you come isn’t to keep you from coming but to remind you why you need to come. It also reminds you what sort of course should be pursued when you go.
Third, these are earthly characteristics. Worship does not take us to another place, it changes how we live in this place.
God is glorified in holy worship, in the congregation and in the community. But the song ends with a personal encouragement.
He who does these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15:5)
The ESV says, never be moved . The NAS translates it, “will never be shaken,” the NET “will never be upended.” Being pushed to the brink and falling has come up a number of times already in the Psalter. The arrogant claim this for themselves, “I shall not be moved” (Psalm 10:6). The righteous don’t want their enemies to taunt them, “let my foes rejoice because I am shaken” (13:5). When we are conscious of the LORD’s presence we rejoice “because he is at my right hand I shall not be shaken” (16:8).
We are in a battle. There is hostility between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. We have two concerns: whom does God accept? How will that affect me in the world? If we answer the first question correctly and pursue righteousness by grace, if we desire to please Him, then we will not please those who hate Him. Security comes from God when we dwell with Him in worship.
Who you are in your heart when no one is watching, how you give and receive information about others, your perspective on who are truly courageous in culture, and the values you embrace in business are part of a life of worship.
These only work by faith, and faith is what the fool doesn’t have. Faith frees you to give help, frees you to defend and let God take care of the results. You won’t live this way without faith in Him. You need worship of Him to stimulate it.
Does your character prepare you for worship or does worship prepare your character? Yes. If you would be unshaken, learn this short catechism.
If the life of worship requires certain characteristics then now is the time when you begin preparing for next Lord’s Day. But actually, because we become what we worship, you have been being prepared for worship by worship, and your behavior this week will show it. Which comes first, the character worship requires or the character worship produces? Neither. God comes first who is at work in us to establish our hearts blameless in holiness.
[M]ay the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:12–13, ESV)