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!
This 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 answer 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 lifelong 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 is also 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 here is implicit 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.
