O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
     and speaks truth in his heart;
who does not slander with his tongue
     and does no evil to his neighbor,
     nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
    but who honors those who fear the LORD;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
who does not put out his money at interest
    and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.—Psalm 15 ESV

Introduction

Have you ever noticed how certain groups have different entrance requirements? Little kids have clubs with a secret knock. How often have you seen this in the movies where adults have a secret hide out and they keep a guard behind a locked door with a little sliding part of the door to look out and say, “what is the secret password?” Some high tech movies show top secret rooms that require the highest security clearances. Their identity has to be verified by a retinal scan or fingerprints or whatever.

Psalm 15 pictures something similar. A person wants to gain access into the tent of God’s presence (the tabernacle). This text talks about the entrance requirements through three movements: a question, an answer, and a blessing.

1. Question (v. 1)

O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

Many people assume that a Levite priest would be the gatekeeper who had the task of reminding worshippers of the requirements for entering the holy place. There is no evidence that this psalm was a script that people followed. Psalm 15 pictures something both simple and momentous. Someone comes to the tent of God’s presence (the tabernacle), located on God’s holy hill (Jerusalem), and asks what is required to enter. Psalm 5:4 used this same word “sojourn” and said, “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil cannot ‘sojourn’ with you.”

2. Answer (vv. 2–5b)

The answer that Psalm 15 gives is a character requirement. There is no secret knock or retinal scan, or secret password; there is a character profile. Verses 2–5 use parallelism—there are six couplets that each deal with a different aspect that comprise a righteous person. Clearly, the list is meant to be suggestive, not exhaustive. It is a representative list. Similar lists appear in Psalm 24 and Isaiah 33.

There are six pairs (couplets) that cover six areas of life: (1) complete character, (2) speech, (3) conduct, (4) values, (5) integrity, and (6) money.

1. Complete Character (v.2a)

He who walks blamelessly and does what is right

The psalmist describes the righteous person as someone whose lifestyle (i.e., their walk) is “blameless.” The word for “blameless” means actually means “whole.” This is a person that is the same from a Monday through Sunday. His or her character is complete and well-rounded—there are no glaring inconsistencies—not strong in one area and weak in another. 

My mind almost invariably goes to sports analogies. A basketball player may be a superstar, but have a glaring weakness. Shaquille O’Neal was a dominant player, but became a liability on the free throw line. They would actually have to take him out of the game in key moments because opponents would adopt the strategy called “hack a Shaq” because there was a good chance that he was going to miss one or both free throws.

The next line of the parallel couplet makes the same point concerning what someone does. The righteous person does things that accord with what is right.

3. Speech (vv. 2b–3a)

... and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue

This couplet focuses on what the righteous person says and does not say. He does speak truth in his heart; he does not slander with his tongue.

Psalm 10 and 12 have both complained about how the wicked use their tongues to lie and flatter. The righteous person is trustworthy and dependable. He tells it like it is. He does not need to be under oath to tell the truth. Andrew Lloyd Wright once testified in court that he was the greatest architect in history. His wife said that maybe a little more humility would have been appropriate, but he reminded his wife that he was under oath and had to say what he thought.

We all understand the damage that slander can do. It is a weapon that can kill someone’s reputation. He uses his tongue to speak the truth instead of spin stories that will hurt others and rip their character to shreds in the eyes of others.

4. Conduct (v. 3b–c)

... and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

How do you treat those closest to you? This part of the psalm says the righteous person does what the Law says: “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:44). This psalm says it this way “he does no evil to his neighbor.” Furthermore, he does not take up a reproach against his friend. A reproach is a cutting word of scorn or ridicule. The righteous refuse to ridicule others when they fail or fall upon hard times—this would be to verbally kick them while they are down.

5. Values (v. 4a–b)

... in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; 

This parallel pair looks beyond talk and actions to the values of the heart. The righteous person will not honor someone that God despises and despise someone that God honors. The righteous have shared values with other righteous people—vile things disgust them and righteous things are appealing to them.

This strikes me as a vital distinction for our day. I read James Montgomery Boice say that we have a generation of people today who would rather be envied than admired. They admire the rock star who has a train wreck for a lifestyle, but nevertheless is rich and famous and larger than life. We admire talent, rather than character. Character is optional and maybe even a little off-putting because it is not flashy enough or sensational enough to attract enough attention to itself. But that is the very point. Godly people don’t want to draw attention to themselves. Godly character directs the attention to God.

6. Integrity (v. 4c)

... who swears to his own hurt and does not change

The righteous person keeps his word even when it hurts. Faithfulness triumphs over convenience. An inconvenience or cost will not deter someone from staying on the path promised by one’s words. Marriage vows are the most obvious application. 

6. Money (v. 5a–b)

... who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent.

Here the issue is two-fold: how did the person get the money and how do they use the money. The first question relates to interest—“the righteous do not put out their money with interest (literally with a “bite”). This line does not deal so much with business transactions as with helping people in need. It is an exposition of the Law (Exodus 22:25; Deuteronomy 23:20; Leviticus 25:35–38) that prohibits cashing in on someone else’s misfortune. You don’t sell food at a profit to the needy. You don’t view people as a living/breathing “business opportunity,” but as a person made in the image of God. Do you see the image of God or do you see the image of a dollar sign when you look at people? (If money is an idol, you will continually sacrifice vulnerable people to that false god. The righteous person gives to people in need; they don’t take from people in need.)

The next image is the person that takes a bribe (using or receiving money in a corrupt way—money becomes a corrupt and unjust power transaction). The Law repeatedly forbids taking bribes to pervert justice (Exod 23:8; Deuteronomy 10:17; 16:19; 27:25). By extension, it prohibits any kind of perversion of justice for financial gain.

Main Point: The main point of Psalm 15 is simple: One must meet the standards of God to dwell in the presence of God. The one who meets these standards receives a reassuring blessing now at the end of verse 5.

3. Blessing (v. 5c–d)

He who does these things shall never be moved.

The psalm ends with a blessing for those that enter into the sanctuary of God’s presence. Therefore, notice that the psalm begins and ends with a focus on a secure dwelling place: a place to come and dwell (v. 1) and then never be moved from that spot (v. 5). The worshipper finds a home and a sense of belonging and security. 

Your sure provisions gracious God
attend me all my days;
oh, may your house be my abode,
and all my work be praise.
Here would I find a settled rest,
while others go and come;
no more a stranger, nor a guest,
but like a child at home.
(From hymn “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need”)

The children of God reflect the character of God and dwell in the presence of God.

Application

The First Advent—the Cradle to the Cross

Hearing these things recited at the gate would remind the Israelite how they had failed to live righteously (there is no one righteous—Psalm 14). You don’t go into God’s presence proud, puffed up—expecting like a Pharisee that God will clap for your superior moral performance. You won’t take a bow and say, “I thank you God that I am not like other people.” You will see places where you have fallen short of God’s perfect righteousness and character. So you will surely bring something else God required to come into his presence: a sacrifice. If they came thinking they had nothing to confess, then a psalm like this would remind them and they would thank God that he opened a door to come into his presence through a sacrifice.

But there could be no coming into God’s presence without a sacrifice. The sacrificial system did not really take away sin. It was only preparatory—teaching, training, preparing. There is now no more sacrificial system because Jesus came to fulfill it. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Christ came because no one could live this way.

But he is more than just a sacrificial Lamb—he is pictured as the very tent of meeting—the place where people come to meet God. John 1:14 says that the Word became flesh and tented or tabernacle (dwelt) among us. He is the sacrifice and he is the tent—he is our all in all.

Jesus is the greater tabernacle and meeting place for the presence of God because he is the place where mercy is poured out. Do not read Psalm 15 as a checklist of things to do in order to earn mercy credits or something. The Bible does not give you a prescription to earn mercy—it tells you of a place where you receive mercy. 

The Bible gives directions to a place where all mercy and grace is found—and it is found no where else. And when you get there it is not poured out in part—but all of it is poured out at once. Imagine that you were in the desert and there was only one place where water was found. It was all stored there. Someone gives you directions and you enter the building. The building is like an indoor water park where the water is collected in a big bucket way up high and then it starts to tip and the children run underneath it to get drenched. There is only one big cosmic bucket—it is found beneath the cross. Jesus is raised up on the cross and we come and stand beneath it and watch the giant bucket of grace and mercy fall on us like a flood. The cross is the place where we are drenched in mercy and grace and steadfast love until there is not one dry spot anywhere on our souls.

That is why Martyn Lloyd-Jones said that the “ultimate test of our spirituality is the measure of our amazement at the grace of God.” Lord Jesus—to your cross I look now and swiftly run. I boldly draw near to that place where mercy is poured out. Drench me! The only sacrifice that is sufficient for such cosmic crimes against the High King of heaven is the all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ.

The Congregation of the Righteous (Psalm 1:6; Psalm 15)

Too many people stop right there in their exposition of Psalm 15, but they have only told half of the story. Psalm 15 fits the picture of Psalm 1. We argued that Jesus fits the picture of Psalm 1 perfectly. In Christ, we fit the picture of Psalm 1—not totally in every way, but truly— in real ways. The same is true of Psalm 15. The Psalms testify that none is righteous. The righteous requirements of Psalm 15 can only be perfectly fulfilled by Christ. But what happens now to those who come to Christ?

The main point of Psalm 15 mirrors the same point made by the New Testament.

Psalm 15: One must meet the standards of God to dwell in the presence of God.

NT: “Follow after holiness, without which no one shall see the LORD” (Hebrews 12:14).

This means that it is not enough to simply claim to be a Christian. It is possible to believe the right things, say the right things, go to church your whole life, and not go to heaven. Jesus said so.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

“And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'” (Matthew 7:23 quoting Psalm 6:8).

The claim to know Christ can be verified or falsified by the spiritual appetite test of Matthew 5:6.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” 

This text helps us understand how God’s people view Psalm 15. Psalm 15 describes a spiritual menu in which everything looks mouth-watering. You look at it and you say, “that is what I want—I yearn to be that man or that woman.” O for more grace and more fruits of the Spirit to grow in my life.

One man named Augustine tried to find the meaning of life in the fulfillment of all of his restless longings. He tried sexual pursuits, intellectual pursuits, and everything in between. He found that had tried it all and was more miserable and hollow than before. He had made the mistake of thinking that if he just kept trying it, then it would work. Like running into a locked door again and again and again … saying, if I just hit it harder this time.

But one day—it all changed. He made what I call “the great discovery.” He heard children saying, “take up and read.” He took it as a sign from God to open the Bible and read it. He opened to a passage that was like an open door to his very heart and mind. It told him about all the things he had tried that had failed. Don't participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy (Romans 13:13). 

Then the verse gave him what he had been missing all along.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.—Romans 13:14

He said that he stopped reading at that point. He didn’t have any need to read on. The verse happened. He felt in that moment that God gave him the ability to trust in Christ and embrace Christ and put on Christ. And from that point on—his heart felt so full! He found what he had been missing his entire life.

He was reflecting on that paradigm shifting moment—the hinge point of his life—where everything changed. He came to see that God created our bodies with natural desires. He thought his heart would be happy if he provided an answer to those bodily longings. But he found that his heart had a stronger longing—a bigger need—a cavern that could not be filled up with all the things of earth—they were like trying to fill the Grand Canyon with pennies.

Then he wrote this: “You have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they can find rest in you” (St. Augustine, Confessions). He found that his appetites changed on the spot at that moment. A spiritual hunger comes with the new birth—just like a new born baby gets hungry for milk. The new birth brings new desires—a new hunger and a new thirst arising from within for righteousness.

Some of you today don’t know why your heart is screaming at you. You can’t get your longings to quiet down. You thought that more money or more sex or more drugs would do the trick and get your heart to stop crying out. But you don’t need more of what you have already tried. Your hearts are starving and screaming for Jesus. Your heart has a crack in it the size of the Grand Canyon and you are trying to fill it with pennies—only Christ can fill the chasm.

This new hunger and thirst that comes from the new birth—it also grows over time. Can you imagine a teenager only eating as much as a baby? I love what C.S. Lewis says about holiness.

How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing ... it is irresistible. (From Letters to an American Lady) 

The real thing is irresistible. You don’t look at Psalm 15 like a dry laundry list of duties—but like a mouth-watering menu—you want to order and devour everything on the menu. Holiness is inseparable from joy. Christians are happiest when they are holiest.

Let us test our spiritual appetites and how Jesus sees us. There was once a church in Laodicea that was filled with people that claimed to know Jesus, but their deeds didn’t show it. What would Jesus say? Lukewarm Christianity is like food poisoning—it is unappetizing and makes you throw up. 

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”—Revelation 3:15–17

Nobody goes to Starbucks (where they have hot coffee or iced coffee) and says, “Do you have anything lukewarm? Some people want to actually say that a lukewarm Christian is a real Christian. Lukewarm Christianity is counterfeit Christianity. Don’t be deceived. Let me ask you this. Can you really imagine that the definition of a Christian is someone that makes Jesus vomit? What is a Christian—Oh get a bowl and I’ll show you—barf! No way. I am saying these things to you because I love you and I don’t want you to be deceived. There is nothing worse than waking up in hell when you thought your whole life that you would go to heaven. 

The Second Advent: Salvation Will Come ‘Out of Zion’

Jesus is coming again—for some his coming will be a blessing and for others it will confirm their curse. Who is under a curse? Listen to the final note of 1 Corinthians 16.

If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!—1 Corinthians 16:22

How do you know if you have love for the Lord? Jesus said if you love me you will keep my commandments. You cannot desire Christ and not desire Christlikeness. Anyone who claims to follow Christ without hungering and thirsting for Christlikeness is not following Christ. Why do you want forgiveness? Some want forgiveness so they can be free to sin without penalty. Christians want more than forgiveness—they want freedom from sin. Not just to be free from acts of sin, but free from the very desire to sin. We want freedom from sin—not freedom to sin. 

Closing Song: "Lord, I Need You"

Sermon Discussion Questions

Outline

1. Question (v. 1)
2. Answer (vv. 2–5)
3. Blessing (v. 5)

Main Point: Being welcomed into the presence of God requires measuring up to the standards of God.

Discussion Questions

1. What is the main point of Psalm 15? What is the outline? How does the main point bring the points of the outline together?
2. What are the character requirements laid out in Psalm 15? How do the people depicted in Psalm 14 and Psalm 15 differ?
3. Does Psalm 15 call for sinless perfection to enter into God’s presence? Why or why not?
4. How do those who hunger and thirst for righteousness view the requirements of Psalm 15?
5. Describe all the ways that Psalm 15 points to Jesus.

Application Questions

Comment on the following sentences. Explain where you agree and disagree and where the statements perhaps need to be nuanced.

• “The new birth brings a new hunger and thirst for righteousness.”
• “Beware of any brand of Christianity that is possible without being born again.”
• “Christians who are holiest are happiest.”
• “We cannot define a Christian as someone who makes Jesus vomit.”
• “Lukewarm Christianity is counterfeit Christianity.” 

1. Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness? Do you have doubts if you are born again?
2. Do you know anyone who claims to be a Christian, but does not have a hunger for holiness? How can you talk to them about this passage in wise and loving ways?

Prayer Focus
Pray for the grace of God to increase our hunger for holiness. Pray that God would awaken this greater hunger both personally and corporately.