What does it take to dwell in the presence of a holy God? Verse
1 of this psalm is a question, and the rest of the verses are the answer to
that question. The question is fairly straightforward: “Lord, who may
dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?” Fair question.
Who gets in?
The answer found in the balance of the psalm isn’t altogether
an encouraging word. The answer is, “[One] whose walk is blameless”
(v. 2). I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I’m willing
to get in the front of that line!
The text was probably used as an entrance psalm in the worship
of the Temple. Picture worshipers standing outside the Temple, not yet having
gained entrance. As worship begins, they call into the inner part of the sanctuary,
“Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary?” And the answers comes
back to them from the priest, “He whose walk is blameless and who does
what is righteous.” Are you going in?
Has the bar been set so high that no one can clear it? Is there
no one who can dwell in the presence of a holy God? The call is clearly to
a pure and holy life. It is a call beyond our ability. So why is this word
here?
Perhaps it serves as a shocking reminder that if we ever rely
on what we can do to be pleasing to God, we are in serious trouble. God calls
us to a life of holiness and purity that is beyond our ability to live. Why?
Is it a cruel joke? No. It’s a life-long lesson of scandalous grace.
This word of Psalm 15 came to a people who could easily rely
on religious systems. They were susceptible to the idea that if they had simply
done the sacrifices right and worked the system right, then they were welcome
into the presence of God. So this word comes to remind them powerfully that
their salvation is not based on their sacrifices or ability to act like religious
people. They needed to stand at the entrance of the Temple and see not their
self-justification but their need of forgiveness and grace.
The need is evident in the question of verse 1. What will it
take for me to be welcomed into the presence of a holy God? The requirement
also is made clear in the text. It requires my holiness. But how can this
be? It cannot, unless God chooses to do something for me that I am incapable
of doing for myself.
The answer that is implicit here is made explicit in the gospel.
The dilemma of these Hebrew worshipers is also our dilemma. It’s easy
for us to begin to rely on our religious systems. If we make the sacrifices
and keep the rituals, then we of course have the right to come before God
and be justified. But the disturbing word of Jesus comes to remind us that
we are not able to make ourselves pure enough. He calls us to something beyond
our natural ability. This is where the gospel word is introduced. In Jesus
Christ, God is providing all that we need to gain entrance in the sanctuary—His
forgiveness and cleansing.
This doesn’t mean that we have to come to church crawling
in on our hands and knees or that we have to despise ourselves. Because of
Jesus Christ we do enter the presence of God in celebration—no doubt
about it. But there is a world of difference between grace and pride. The
attitude that should characterize our worship is the realization that God
calls us to be a holy people, and we are not holy. Not on our own or by our
own effort. We are only holy by His grace.
(For a complete manuscript
of this sermon, go to www.preachersmagazine.org.)
One of the challenges of preaching from First Testament texts
is to make sure that the preaching is solidly Christian. That is, to make
sure that the gospel is proclaimed. This passage serves as a good example
of how First Testament and New Testament texts can be brought together in
a way that not only has integrity with the Bible but also is a faithful proclamation
on the Lord’s day of the good news of salvation through Jesus.
Psalm 15 raises a critical question for contemporary seekers of God. What does it take to be acceptable to God and to “get in”? The psalm provides an answer, but it is an incomplete answer. The psalm clearly gives the requirement of a holy God for His people—that they also should be holy. However, the preacher needs to show how the provision of the new covenant makes this possible. What transforms the requirements of this psalm from a barrier to a gateway is simply the realization that as I look at my life against the call of God, I see my need for forgiveness and mercy. And the good news is that my need has been met through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
