Reflections on Psalms 15

 Psalms 15(Contemporary English Version)

1. (A psalm by David.) Who may stay in God's temple or live on the holy mountain of the LORD?
   
2. Only those who obey God and do as they should. They speak the truth
   
3. and don't spread gossip; they treat others fairly and don't say cruel things.
   
4. They hate worthless people, but show respect for all who worship the LORD. And they keep their promises, no matter what the cost.
   
5. They lend their money without charging interest, and they don't take bribes to hurt the innocent. Those who do these things will always stand firm.

---

David portrays in this Psalm the one who is worthy to dwell with the Lord, giving some of the qualities of such a person. This is the obvious aspect of the Psalm, but less obvious is that it also describes the one who desires to dwell with the Lord. Those who do not fit this description have other desires and have made other choices.

The one who is eligible to be a "guest" of the Lord, and who desires to be the Lord's guest, "lives honestly, practices righteousness, and acknowledges the truth in his heart." (15:2) This verse sums up the qualities of who who is eligible to dwell with the Lord while the remainder of the Psalm describes what is meant by living honestly, practicing righteousness, and acknowledging truth in ones heart. In essence, the person who is eligible to be the Lord's guest lives in harmony with God's standards, which is what it means to be righteous. Such a lifestyle conveys that such a person is in agreement with God standards.

Listing some of the characteristics of those whose lifestyle is in agreement with God's standards can be helpful, but it can also become problematic if one becomes caught up in keeping a checklist. In so doing they may become more concerned with meeting the qualifications than they are in genuinely living in agreement with God's standards. It then is more a matter of the will than of the heart. Such a one may do the right things but it is not who they are nor do they take joy in doing it. As soon as life throws them a curve they will decide keeping the checklist didn't work and go about living the way they wanted to in the first place.