Contributor: Alex Kokobili

INTRODUCTION

The previous study of Psalms Chapter 1 showed us the blessings the God and the consequences of ungodliness. The Godly are blessed with God’s presence and are sustained by the law of the Lord both day and night while the ungodly are condemned to be judged because of their unrighteousness. Today’s discussion focuses on Psalms 15 which emphasizes the character of those who abide in the Lord. Character is virtue or essential good conduct that should portray goodliness which we can also relate with 2 Peter 1: 2-8 “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

VERSE 1: Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

The Holy Hill represents God’s presence. This is not a physical hill, mountain, or elevated piece of land but God’s dwelling place which is our lives. This can also be manifested in a place where people are gathered in God’s name for His purpose, but the emphasis as a new creation in Christ is that our bodies should be available to carry His presence (1 Corin 16: 9 Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit).

The gathering of the saints is also portrayed in this limelight of God’s tabernacle (Mathew 18: 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them).

The significance of the holy hill reminds us of the hill of Zion which was the point in Jerusalem where the temple was located. However, as believers, this now has a spiritual connotation of God’s manifest presence in Jesus Christ in us through the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 12: 22-24 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel).

To abide in His holy hill. Such a person must:

• Receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (John 3: 16)

• Have clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully (Psalm 24:4)

• Live righteous, and those who have faith in God (Isaiah 26: 2)

• Live a sanctified life in holiness with a pure conscience (Hebrews 10:22, Hebrews 4: 8, Isaiah 6:1-5).

• Have the revelation and manifest knowledge of Jesus as the door of salvation (John 10:9). Having peace in God through Christ and dwelling in His grace (Romans 5: 1-2). Understanding God’s eternal purpose in Christ (Ephesians 3: 11-12)

• Depend on the Holy Spirit for divine ability and presence to comply with His will (John 16: 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth). The gifts of the Holy Spirit must be at work (1 Corin 12). Our lives must portray the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law).

VERSE 2: The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart. “Walking uprightly and blameless before God”.
God expects us to live in accordance with His commandments whether we think it is philosophical or not but to trust Him to direct the affairs of our lives.
As a Christian apart from pleasing God with your life, business, family, etc. We are advised to:

• Avoid being cruel to others (Proverbs 11:17-18). Have a pure conscience!

• Be aware that whatsoever you sow even as a child of God, you will also reap (Galathians.6:7-8).

• That God watches us and sees our actions both in secret or in the open (Psalm 34: 5 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry).

• Watch your association or manner of communication. (Psalm 119: 63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts, 1 Corin 15: 33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners).

• That God will always come through to help the righteous even in times of afflictions (Psalm 34: 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivered him out of them all).

• The one who works blameless will be an ambassador to proclaim God’s goodness to others (Psalm 26: 7 That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, And tell of all Your wondrous works).

• Depend on God’s wisdom at all times (Psalm 51: 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom).

• Be truthful (Ephesians 4: 25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another).

VERSE 3 He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend. “Watch Your Tongue”.

• We have to understand the power vested on the tongue and be guided (Psalm 18: 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit).

• A Christian must be guided while speaking both to Christians and non-Christians (James 1: 26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless)

• A filthy heart will speak filthiness (Psalm 5:9, Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice), Matt. 12: 24 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth).

• The unfaithful man’s mouth is a snare for bitterness (Romans 3: 10-14).

• Don’t slander people even if they wrong you (Leviticus 19: 16 Do not go about spreading slander among your people).

• Our mouth is used for all manner of prayer (1 Thessalonians 5: 17 be unceasing and persistent in prayer)

• Our mouth is for praising God and not complaining (Psalm 145:21 My mouth will declare the praise of the LORD; let every creature bless His holy name forever).

• Use your mouth to bless others and not curse them (1 Kings 8:14-15 Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 And he said: “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and with His hand has fulfilled it, saying).

VERSE 4: In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change. “Honor God and those who honor Him”.

A vile person has no regard for Godly virtue or a righteous lifestyle and hence things to consider:

• We must hate what God hates which is sin and do not be aligned with those who mock God’s righteousness (2 Peter 2: 5-8 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

• Vain thoughts dishonor the Lord. Let’s be careful (Psalm 119: 13 I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love)

• Caution your speech and never compromise your thoughts by being politically correct (Proverbs 8: 7 For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips), 2 Peter 2: 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked).

• Let the Word of God comfort and guide our disposition of life (Colossians 3: 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord).

• Don’t be in a rush to make a promise or vow and if you have made a vow examine it because God keeps account of all things (Numbers 30: 9 But any vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, anything by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her. let it be fulfilled).

• Fulfill your vows to God (Ecclesiastics 5: 4-5 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it).

• All vows, oats, or alliances that are not connected to God’s alignment must be prayerfully discounted (Romans 8: 1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit).

VERSE 5: He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. “Integrity before God”.

Usury means a place where people lend money at an unreasonable rate. Bribery means collecting money as a form of inducement that compromises your righteousness. Integrity is required if we would stand before God and have access to His presence and blessings.

• Imbibe integrity and desist from shady business deals, bribery, making profits out of greed, or partaking in any dealings that involve compromising our faith (Jeremiah. 17:11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay are those who gain riches by unjust means. When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them and in the end they will prove to be fools).

• Avoid greed when dealing financially with the poor or vulnerable people (Proverbs 22: 22-23 Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate; 23 For the Lord will plead their cause, And plunder the soul of those who plunder them). • Riches made honest give peace (Proverbs 21: 6 A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare).

• Little profit with contentment is righteousness than a bounty gained by injustice (Proverbs 16: 8 Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice, 1 Timothy 6: 6-11 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs)

• Christians must ever forget that financial wealth and economic elevation come from God and it must never be derailed from this reality (1 Chronicles 29: 12 Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler over all. In Your hands are power and might to exalt and give strength to all).

CONCLUSION

The discussion reminds us about the character of the person whom God receives which starts from having intimacy with God and in this process we are enabled by His Spirit to be conformed to His will in all that concerns us either physically or spiritually. Character is also referred to as virtue and portraying any character without goodliness means we would always be ensnared to the dictates of the flesh and its struggles making us unfruitful before the Lord.

2 Peter 1:3-8 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Also, Galatians 5: 22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.