About this sermon
“O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” David answers with the marks of the godly: integrity, righteous deeds, truthful speech, refusing to slander, keeping one’s word even when it hurts, and refusing to profit from a neighbor’s need. These marks describe those whom God has already brought into communion with himself through Christ, and his Spirit grows them in these graces day by day.
Sermon transcript
This evening, my sermon text from the Psalms is Psalm 15. It’s a short psalm, five verses in length, but it’s packed with much that is for our instruction and edification. Psalm 15, friends, let us hear God’s holy word. It is entitled A Psalm of David.
O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? He who walks with integrity and works righteousness and speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend, in whose eyes a reprobate is despised. but who honors those who fear the Lord. He swears to his own hurt and does not change. He does not put out his money at interest, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God endures forever. Let’s ask the Lord’s blessing upon the proclamation of his word. Lord and Father in heaven, once again, we thank you and praise you that you have not left us without a word. You have given to us your word revelation in Holy Scripture. And we ask, oh Lord, as the scriptures are indeed a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, we pray that by your Holy Spirit, this portion of your word would enlighten us, would instruct us, and would transform us by the power of your spirit. We ask once again that you set a guard over my lips that I might speak only that which is faithful in your sight, edifying to your people and glorifying to your holy name. Through Christ our Lord we pray and all of God’s people said. Amen. You may be seated. The title of my sermon this evening is The Godly. And there’s four key words to listen for, communion, abide, godly, and promise.
Well, dear ones, as we saw on the last Lord’s Day evening, Psalm 14, the psalm that immediately precedes our text for this evening, describes the characteristics of the biblical fool. That is, the one who lives his life as if there is no God. As Psalm 14 verse 1 says, the fool has said in his heart, there is no God. And so on the last Lord’s Day evening, the title of my sermon as I preached on Psalm 14 was, The Fool. But by contrast, beloved, the psalm that we are considering for this Lord’s Day evening, Psalm 15, describes and summarizes the characteristics of the very opposite type of person. It describes the characteristics of the godly. namely those who live their lives oriented towards God in covenant communion with the Lord and thus who are welcomed as guests in Yahweh’s royal tent, His holy dwelling place.
Now this psalm is ascribed to King David and I see no reason to doubt why we should view this as a psalm of David. I believe we should take that at face value. But what are the circumstances that led to this psalm and what is the purpose? What kind of a psalm is it?
Well, some Old Testament scholars suggest that Psalm 15 is what could be described as an entrance liturgy for worshipers who were entering into either the tabernacle or later on the temple, where the priest would ask the worshipers the question that is posed in verse 1 and where the worshipers were expected to answer according to what is found in the rest of this psalm. So some view this as a liturgical psalm, and certainly perhaps it was used that way, but that kind of thinking, that kind of assumption about the function of this psalm is really speculative, to be quite frank. It could have been used that way, but we don’t know that for certain. And once again, I think, I know I quote from him often, but I think that Dr. Willem van Gammeren probably is more on target when he writes the following.
He says, the psalm begins with a question and concludes with God’s promise. The question and answer method coupled with the concluding promise suggests that the psalm is a wisdom psalm. That is to say, this is a psalm that expresses how the godly seek to live according to divine wisdom as found in the Word of God. So instead of viewing this as a liturgical psalm or a psalm that had a liturgical function, it’s best to view this as a wisdom psalm.
Well, I’ll let the scholars battle that one out. But the point is, the important thing is, that the psalm lays before us one of the most important questions that could ever be asked of us. And that question is posed to us, or it’s actually two questions that are basically getting at the same idea, that’s posed to us in verse one.
As the psalmist, as David, comes before Yahweh, the faithful covenant God and Savior, and he says, oh Lord, oh Yahweh, Who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? The question that this poses to us, beloved, who is welcome to dwell in God’s holy presence? Whom does God welcome into his favorable, gracious, loving, covenantal, holy presence?
And so what we find first of all in this psalm, in the introductory verse to this psalm, is the question of communion with God. Beloved, a living communion of friendship and fellowship with the true and living God is the very purpose and goal of our existence as God’s image bearers. God created us to know him, to love him, to enjoy eternal communion and fellowship with him. Our shorter catechism in the very first question and answer puts it well.
What is the chief end of man? What is mankind’s primary purpose? Why did God create us? What is our purpose? Man’s chief end, you know the answer, is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. and we glorify and enjoy God as we live in covenant fellowship and communion with our Lord.
Now, of course, sadly and tragically, in Adam, our original covenant head and representative, because of him and his breaking of the covenant of works, we’ve lost that communion. Apart from Christ, we are outside of communion and fellowship with God. Apart from His saving mercy, we may not abide in the tent of the Lord. We may not dwell on His holy hill. In Adam, we were kicked out of Eden.
And what was Eden? Yes, it was a lush garden, but I believe that we are to understand that Eden was the original temple of God. Adam and Eve dwelt in the protective, holy presence of God in Eden. It was the garden temple of the Lord. And when Adam and Eve fell into sin, what did God do? He thrust them out of his temple and he sent them east of Eden. He sent them into exile. But the good news is that Christ’s redemptive work in his active and passive obedience restores us as his people to communion and fellowship with God.
And the old covenant symbol and type of that was the tabernacle. later on the temple, but since this is written by David, remember David wanted to build the temple of the Lord, but remember God said to him, well, you’re a man of warfare, it’s going to be your son, Solomon, who would build for me a temple, and that’s how the biblical history plays itself out. So in David’s day, the tabernacle, or tent of the Lord, was still erected. And the question that David poses is, who may abide in your tent? This is the tabernacle and later on the temple.
What is the significance? Do you remember the significance of the tabernacle and later the temple under the Old Covenant? What were they symbols of? Well, they were earthly copies of heavenly realities. They were earthly pictures and types and symbols of God’s royal presence and his covenantal rule among his people.
And so when David asks, oh Lord, who may abide in your tent? In other words, who may come into the tabernacle? Well, the question behind that question is, who is qualified to live in communion, in fellowship with God? Who is qualified to abide in his holy presence?
Especially in this post-fall era in which we live, where mankind has been thrust out of Eden. Well, David’s answer is, in brief, the blameless man. David describes the characteristics of such a man in verses two through the first part of verse five. And we’ll talk more, we’ll get into the details of this in just a bit. But let me ask you, dear listener, as we have considered this first point, this matter of communion with God, The issue is this, are you, dear listener, at home in the Lord’s presence?
Where do you feel most at home? Are you most at home doing your own thing, living your own life, focused on your own agenda, your own goals, your own aspirations? Or are you most at home when you are in communion with your loving and gracious Heavenly Father? When you are communing with the Lord in the word, in prayer, in worship? Are you at home in the Lord’s holy presence? Do you desire even long to enjoy communion with your heavenly Lord in the word and in prayer and worship? Do you cherish God’s holy presence?
Obviously, David did, because David, though David was a sinful man, and he had many flaws, many sins, but God was merciful to him, and David was brought to repentance, And David longs, the question that he poses to the Lord in this prayer in verse one, oh Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill?
These questions express a heart that yearns for communion and fellowship with the holy God of the covenants. And so we see, that this is the primary question that we are presented with in this psalm. But next, we get to the body of this psalm, the central portion of this psalm. And what we have here in verses two through five, the first part of verse five, is a description of the godly. A description of the godly. It says in verse two, in answer to this question, who may abide in your tent, who may dwell in your holy hill, David, under the Spirit’s inspiration, answers, he who walks with integrity. That term walks indicates a life, a lifestyle.
He who lives a life of integrity and works righteousness and speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend, in whose eyes a reprobate is despised. but who honors those who fear the Lord. He swears to his own hurt and does not change. He does not put out his money at interest, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.”
Now, before we dive into these details, the details of this passage, there is a more basic important question that we need to ask ourselves. And we need to ask this question keeping in mind the whole counsel of God revealed in all of scripture. And the question is this, is this list here in verses two through five, is this list a list of conditions or prerequisites for dwelling with God? or is what we have in these verses a selective description of the characteristics of the godly? Another way to put it is, are these conditions that we must fulfill in order to be saved? For after all, the goal of our salvation is to abide in the tent of the Lord, to abide in God’s holy presence, in friendship, communion, and fellowship. And if these are conditions, then these are things that we must do first before God welcomes us into his holy presence. Or are these characteristics of the godly? You may say, well, I don’t see the difference. Oh, but there’s a very important difference, my friends.
You see, if these qualities that are listed in verses two through five, if these are viewed as conditions for salvation, conditions that we must fulfill in order to dwell in peace in God’s presence, then that would contradict what scripture elsewhere teaches about the fact that our justification and salvation are purely by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, apart from works of righteousness, apart from works of the law.
And again, many scripture passages assert the truth that our salvation is by God-given faith alone, apart from works that we do, even the works that result from true faith. And so consider, for example, and I’m just going to review a few, what should be a few very familiar passages, but Romans 5, 1 and 2.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction, some translations say our access by faith into this grace in which we stand and we exalt in hope of the glory of God. Through faith in Christ, we are justified. And justification is the prerequisite for access to the holy presence of God. And that is by grace alone, through faith alone.
Or consider another familiar passage in Paul’s writings, Ephesians 2. verses 8 and 9. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Now notice, going back to our passage, looking at verse 2, If these are conditions for salvation, conditions for dwelling in God’s holy presence in the sense of being saved, well, then in order to do that we must work righteousness. It says of this man, the godly man, that he walks with integrity and works righteousness. But we’re told in Ephesians 2, verse 8 and 9, that we are saved by grace through faith and that is not the result of works so that no one may boast. Or consider again, this is the final review of this truth that I trust is clear to all of you. But in Titus chapter 3 verses 4 through 7, Paul writes these glorious words.
He says, but when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace, we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. And so, beloved, I believe, based on passages like that, that we dare not read these verses as if they are presenting to us conditions for salvation, meritorious or otherwise. Rather, beloved, what we have here, I believe we should view this list as a selective, it’s not exhaustive, it’s a selective description of the characteristics of those who are saved, of those who have been regenerated by sovereign omnipotent grace. In other words, these are not conditions for being declared right with God and thus welcomed into his holy presence, but instead these are fruits and evidences of a true and living faith, a faith in Christ by virtue of union with Christ.
This faith which God implants within the souls of those whom he causes to be born again. So again, There’s a very important distinction, I hope you’ve learned tonight, between conditions, on the one hand, and characteristics. So with that, hopefully I didn’t confuse you. Hopefully that clarifies things as we go forward in this passage. So we look at verse two.
In verse two, David mentions some of the positive qualities that characterize the godly man, the one who fears, reverences the Lord, the one who’s been renewed, regenerated by the Holy Spirit. He says of such a man, that he walks with integrity, he works righteousness, and he speaks truth in his heart, or from his heart, as it could be translated. So, first of all, in terms of positive qualities that characterize the godly, there are, first of all, a life of integrity, righteous behavior, and truthful speech. And this is not to say that the godly, that the saved, exhibit these qualities in perfection. But if you’ve been born again by the Spirit, if you are in union with Christ, if the Spirit has implanted new life within your soul, your fundamental disposition and direction in life will be changed so that you will strive after these things. And more and more, as you grow in the knowledge and love of the Lord, you will be characterized by these things over time.
So he lists in verse two positive qualities, but then he also, in verse three, lists some negative qualities, some qualities that the godly avoid. In verse four, I’m sorry, verse three rather, it says, he does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend. So verse two tells us, But the godly are characterized by, verse three tells us what the godly avoid. And what do they avoid? Well, first of all, they avoid slandering others.
And this has in view, I believe, slander that has as its goal destroying the good name and reputation of others. We’ve all been guilty of wagging tongues, of gossip, and we should repent of that when we are guilty of that. You know, I like to, you know, when we were raising Isaac, I like to tell my son, you know, don’t say something about other people behind their backs that you wouldn’t be willing to tell them to their face. Unless you have, you know, good reason to do that for their good, don’t do that. So, and again, I think one of the implications of this is that someone who is a slanderer, someone who knowingly, consciously, intentionally seeks to destroy the good name and reputation of others out of spite and hatred, how can such a one have love of the brothers in his heart? In fact, John the Apostle in 1 John says that if you hate your brother, you don’t have eternal life abiding in you. The unrepentant gossip and slander, those who are guilty of unrepentant slander and gossip are not Christians.
Let me just be blunt. You’re not born again by the Holy Spirit if you have a slanderous spirit. if you have hatred in your heart to such an extent that you wish to kill the reputation and good name of another in the eyes of others. Of course, we have a big problem with that in our society today. I mean, there’s nothing new under the sun. The human heart has always been filled with such evil and such hatred.
But I think, and I’m not against social media, I’m not anti-technology, but social media has kind of brought this out. There’s so much slander. There’s so much, you know, we say cancel culture. There’s so much out there in our culture today. And it’s so easy to get online and to seek to destroy. the reputation and character and good name of those who to you are strangers simply because they may disagree with you politically or what have you.
And so these are things that the godly avoid. They avoid slandering others. They also avoid doing evil to a neighbor. You know, if you are a godly man and you love the Lord, then you’re going to love your neighbor. You’re going to want to see the good of your neighbor done, not to see them destroyed. Another thing they avoid is reproaching, bringing reproaches against a friend. It could be translated casting a slur.
And who is this friend? It says in verse three, he does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend. Who is this friend? Again, Dr. Van Gemeren explains, he says, this is somebody with whom one frequently associates.
The wicked had no sense of loyalty and laid traps for anyone to fall into. The wise man does not purposely hurt his fellow man. The godly and the wise are two different ways of talking about the same man. The wise man does not purposely hurt his fellow man, let alone his friend. He is a man of fidelity.
And then verse four, in whose eyes a reprobate, some translations I believe have it a vile person, is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord. He swears to his own hurt and does not change. Here in verse four are described the attitudes and actions of the godly one, the wise man. the one who is the opposite of the fool. He is one who is said to despise the reprobate.
And this term reprobate in our reformed theology, when we think of the reprobate, we think of the non-elect. But I think in this passage, that’s not the way this term is being used. It’s being used to describe someone who is settled in their wickedness.
Now we know that God has among his elect, God has some of his elect who for a time are in that kind of a condition and God sovereignly transforms them and saves them and brings them to repentance. God is able to do that with such a vile person. But in the eyes of the godly, Those who are characterized and committed to evil are despised. After all, if you love God, you will love the things that God loves and hate the things or find and have a despising attitude towards things that God despises.
Well, Pastor, aren’t we supposed to love even our enemies? Well, yes, absolutely. We are to love our enemies and those who persecute us. We are to pray for those who persecute us and spitefully use us. But that does not mean that we affirm them, that we honor them in our hearts. There is, you know, sort of that tension there. We pray for them. We pray for their repentance and desire their repentance. But we also view their sin, view them in their sin, with an attitude of despising, because we love the Lord. And we honor those who fear Yahweh.
Van Gemeren explains this vile man, a reprobate, he says, the vile man knows no other way than evil and mischief. He is not the occasional offender who needs restoration. And then he refers to Galatians 6 verse 1, which talks about a brother who stumbles into sin. And, you know, what is the church to do when a brother or sister in Christ stumbles in the way, maybe even falls hard? Is that the time to break out the fingers and say, You, vile person, no. A brother or sister who stumbles into sin needs us to come alongside of them and help pick them up and get them back on the way. This is not describing someone who fears the Lord, loves the Lord, but stumbles into sin.
This is describing someone who, as Van Gemeren puts it, someone who is determined in his way, determined, settled in his wickedness. Only God can change such a man’s heart through sovereign grace. We also notice in this verse, verse four, that the godly man is a man of his word. He keeps his promises, even if doing so means personal sacrifice. As it says at the end of verse four, he swears to his own hurt and does not change. He doesn’t just make a promise, but when keeping the promise is painful or requires sacrifice, well, okay, I’m going to back off of that promise. No. He’s one who keeps his word.
Think about it. God, our gracious heavenly father in Christ, keeps his word to us, even though it involved the sacrifice of his son. In the gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s yes and amen. And God has said yes to you and to me, brother or sister in Christ, in Jesus Christ, even though it cost the life of his son. And so the godly man swears to his own hurt. And then the beginning of verse five is very interesting.
It says, he does not put out his money at interest, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. Now this, and we don’t have time to go into this in depth, but this raises the issue of interest. We know that the Bible, that God’s law in the Old Testament forbade the Israelites from taking interest from their fellow Israelites. They were permitted to take interest from foreigners, but not from their fellow Israelites.
How are we to make sense of that in light of what David is saying here? I like what the ESV study Bible, the study note there says. It says the following, when the Pentateuch laws regulate loans, they are generally envisioning private loans to a neighbor, say when his crops fail and he needs help buying seed for planting rather than commercial transactions. This is talking about, you know, personal loans and so forth.
In such cases, Israelites are forbidden to charge interest to their fellow Israelites. They may charge interest to a foreigner, but not to their fellow Israelites. But the point of what David is saying here in verse five seems to be that the godly man, the one who reverences the Lord, the one who dwells in the Lord’s holy presence, will not seek to deepen the poverty of his neighbor by leading his neighbor into further debt. If you are a godly man, you will not take advantage of your poor neighbor and leave your neighbor in greater debt just so you can gain advantage over him.
That’s godless behavior. Not only that, we are told that such a man will not accept a bribe to pervert justice. Justice and mercy go together. And those who have experienced God’s mercy will also be concerned that there’ll be justice. And so as it says in verse five, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. For again, the godly one will stand with the innocent.
Now friends, let me ask you, when you consider this description of the character, the attitudes and the actions of the godly one, where do you stand? As I read through this passage, you know, at some level I, you know, I’m tempted to pat myself on the back and say, okay, you know, I don’t, I’m a pretty good person, quote unquote, by the externalities of what is described here. However, if we honestly assess ourselves in the light of God’s holy law, we all fall short. And none of us lives up to these characteristics perfectly.
So friends, in an ultimate sense, Christ and Christ alone exemplifies the characteristics of the godly man. In fact, ultimately he is the only godly one. And we are only godly and righteous in union with him. by His merit and sacrifice alone. But in union with Him, as He has made us right with the Father, and as we grow in grace and knowledge, God transforms us by the Spirit and enables us more and more to exemplify these character qualities and actions in our own life. And so we are left in closing with a promise to the godly. And we find this promise at the end of verse five. He who does these things will never be shaken. That’s a wonderful promise. He who does these things will never be shaken.
The world, the flesh, and the devil throw at us so many things that have the power and potential to shake us up. to unmoor us from our foundation. But in Christ, He is our rock, He is our refuge, He is our strength. The godly will face trials and afflictions and may fail for a time, may fall into sin for a time. But our faithful covenant Savior and Lord will support us and grant us stability. Praise God, friends, that if we are in union with Christ, we have an everlasting stability and security in him. For he stabilizes us by his sovereign hand through his spirit and by his precious and very great promises.
And so as we close our time in the word this evening, while this is a very convicting passage, it’s also a comforting passage because it points us ultimately to Christ. And remember what our Lord Jesus said, again, quoting from the New Testament in John chapter 10, verses 27 through 30. In the Good Shepherd discourse, the Lord Jesus says this, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. The sheep do follow Christ.
They do exhibit these characteristics to one degree or another, they follow him. and I give them eternal life. It’s not something they earn or deserve, it’s something that is given to them gratis as a gift. I give them eternal life to them, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. What stability, what firmness, what rootedness we have in union with Christ, our good and great shepherd.
And so the promise of John 5, 24, the Lord Jesus says, truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. And because, brothers and sisters, we who trust in Christ for our salvation have passed out of death into life, we, by sovereign grace, may abide in his tent. We may dwell on his holy hill. And one day, we will dwell on his holy hill in the ultimate consummated sense. when the Lord comes to take us to be with him forever.
May your trust and faith be in him both now and to the end of your days. Amen. Let us pray. Our Lord and Father in heaven. Once again, we thank you that you have privileged us to enjoy covenant communion and fellowship with you, that you have made that possible through Christ, and that by your spirit, you have worked within us this true and saving faith by which we rest in Christ alone for our salvation and are enabling us more and more to exhibit these characteristics in our lives. Forgive us, Lord, for the many times that we fall short, for we fail every day. And yet, your mercies are new every morning. And so we ask, Lord, that we might continue to grow in the knowledge and in the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as we are transformed from glory even unto glory. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
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