“No attribute of God is more dreadful to sinners than His holiness.” So wrote Matthew Henry, an English Presbyterian pastor and commentator of the 17th century. Once again: “No attribute of God is more dreadful to sinners than His holiness.” A “dreadful” attribute of God? Sounds like something we might not want to emphasize in our worship services. I mean, if we want to grow the church, we can’t go around talking about attributes of God that inspire DREAD in people. They might never come back! No, we should talk about “love” and “grace” – and keep those terms as ambiguous as possible. So please, none of this dreadful “holiness” stuff. People don’t want to come to worship to feel guilty, after all. They want to feel “uplifted.” Or in today’s cutting edge, church growth language: “They want an authentic, transcendent worship experience.”
Now, here is the glaring irony. Pastors are told in church growth seminars and books to basically engineer these “worship experiences” that “speak to the culture,” in order to grow the church successfully. And the way we are to do that is to essentially DENY the basic problem of worship. Yes, there is a basic problem to worship we can’t skirt. And it’s not about whether to use a praise band or an organ. Here’s the problem: how can sinners enter the presence of this dreadfully holy God in worship? The God whose eyes are too pure to look upon our sin? The God who is a consuming fire to us, as sinners? Worship is not something to play with; worship is not something to “engineer” or manipulate for the sake of a “target audience.” Worship is deadly serious, because the dreadfully holy God is to be our only “target audience” in worship. And we as sinners must deal with this problem of how we can worship a holy God.
Psalm 15 addresses this very problem. In verse 1, the problem of worship is presented in the form of a question: who may enter to worship and to dwell in the holy presence of God? Verses 2-5 present the answer: the only qualified worshiper is the One who is perfectly righteous. And then the last part of verse 5 presents a promise to the qualified worshiper: such a One will never be moved from God’s holy presence.
So verse 1, the question: Who may enter to worship and to dwell in the holy presence of God? Specifically, David asks, LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? Or, “Yahweh, my covenant God, who may sojourn, journey & enter into Your tabernacle – the place where You dwell among Your people, enthroned in holiness. Who may continue in Your presence on Your holy hill – on Mount Zion,where You have established Your holy throne, to rule in the midst of Your people.” This “holy hill,” Mount Zion, becomes poetic imagery of God’s heavenly Zion, His heavenly presence & throne, from which He rules. In fact, the tabernacle and later temple are patterned after the heavenly courts – as God revealed that pattern to Moses on Mount Sinai.
But, why are these questions asked? And when are they asked? Many Old Testament scholars think this psalm may have been a psalm of entrance into the tabernacle and later temple. In other words, as the worshipers approached the tabernacle, perhaps they sang this psalm. Some speculate that maybe it was used antiphonally – that is, it was sung responsively between the people and the priests. Maybe as the worshipers enter the outer court of the tabernacle, they would sing these first two questions. And the priests would sing the response with the remainder of the psalm. It seems to be a plausible theory.
But we’ve been assuming something that we need to make explicit. We’re talking about “entering” God’s holy presence in worship. But isn’t God everywhere “present”? If you read Psalm 139, David meditates on that reality, that God’s presence isn’t limited to the tabernacle – or to the assembly of the church. And as Christians, aren’t we individually temples of the Holy Spirit? Doesn’t Christ dwell in us by His Spirit? Yes, all these things are true.
But throughout the Old Testament and into the New Testament, there is still the reality of the church assembling before God for worship. Of coming into His presence. Psalm 100 speaks of the approach of worship: Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. In the NT, we have Hebrews 12, which speaks of the New Covenant Church coming to the heavenly Zion for worship. And earlier in that letter, 10:25, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
This language of “assembling” is OT language of assembling for worship and covenant renewal as God’s people. God calls us to assemble before Him in worship, speaks to us through His covenant Word, and we respond in prayers spoken and sung. We worship the God who, by His Word, has saved us and made us a new people, and who continues to renew us through His Word.
But do you feel the weight of these questions which begin Psalm 15? These questions are addressed to God, but they are designed for self-examination, for any who would presume to approach God in worship: LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? In other words, who is qualified to enter Your holy presence, to worship in the splendor of Your holiness?
So let me stop and ask some questions of you: what do you do to prepare to meet God in holy worship? Do questions like these ever cross your mind? Do you take any time on Saturday night or Sunday morning to reflect on this awesome reality, that you are going to assemble with God’s people in God’s holy presence, for holy worship, as His Church?
How do you enter this place where we are about to engage in the worship of God? Yes, here we are, in a pretty “un-churchy” room in the Neighborhood Guild. Yes, Sunday school has run over. Yes, people are milling about in the hallway, or the back room. Yes, some are arriving late. Yes, you’ve been stressed out, trying to get the kids out the door (or other family members, or yourself!). But what effort have you made to prepare to enter God’s holy presence in worship? And do you really think you are qualified for this holy task of worship? Well, let’s consider that next.
The problem has been posed in the form of two questions, which we summarized, “Who may enter to worship, and to dwell in the holy presence of God?” Not to worry, the LORD gives a very precise & thorough answer in verses 2-5:
The only qualified worshiper is the One who is perfectly righteous. Well, the problem will be resolved – but not necessarily in a way we would find comforting!
As we go through these verses, we should notice there is a pattern. The conditions required of the worshiper are both positive and negative. And they are presented alternatively in four groups: positive, negative, positive, negative. And there a total of ten qualifications or conditions that are listed.
Obviously, the Ten Commandments might come to mind here. But these ten conditions do not exactly parallel the Ten Commandments. Some of the qualifications are more general, and some give specific application of particular commandments. So the fact that there are ten may be to say, “Here’s a complete portrait of what someone might ‘look like’ who is truly qualified to worship God.”
So let’s begin to look at the qualifications for the one who may enter God’s holy presence to worship and to dwell. Verse 2 presents a group of three positive conditions: He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. The first condition could be translated, “He who walks – or lives the entire course of his life – “blamelessly,” or “faultlessly,” or even “perfectly”! (We haven’t gotten very far, and we’re already undone!)
Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 5, verse 48 – after explaining what it really means to love our neighbor as ourselves. It includes loving even our enemies, just as God does! He sums it up by saying, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” That’s not good news, but it is God’s standard.
God requires of us that we continue in all things which are written in the Book of the Law, to do them [Gal 3:10]. His Law demands a perfect righteousness. If we are to enter God’s presence for worship, if we are to live in His holy presence, we must be perfectly righteous. Why? Because He is perfectly righteous.
Now, we are stuck in our own skin as sinners. We hear what God’s Law requires of us, and we respond with frustration, “Who then can ever hope to enter God’s presence?” And when we do respond like that, we’re on the right track!
The qualified worshiper is not only one who lives the entire course of his life perfectly, but his righteousness is active and dynamic. He doesn’t just avoid sin, he actively does the right thing according to God’s law. Righteousness is a living thing in his life – it’s real. God’s standards are his priority, his meat & drink – and he lives it out, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
This qualified worshiper is not just externally righteous – he’s not just someone who “behaves” and doesn’t break the rules. No, his righteousness is an inner reality: he speaks the truth in his heart. Now sometimes, we might say things that happen to correspond with reality. OR we speak the truth because the gig is up, and mom has caught us with our hand in the cookie jar – we can’t deny it! OR we speak the truth because we don’t want to get caught in a lie – and so we do a cost-benefit analysis of whether the truth, in this case, might be better for me to speak.
But for the qualified worshiper, truth is an inner reality. Jesus said in Luke 6:43-45, “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
And anyone who truly speaks unblemished truth, the kind of truth that accords with the God who is Truth, is the one who speaks from the abundance of truth in his heart. Only the “good man” with the “good heart” brings forth good words, true words – as far as God is concerned. And words are a good measure of whether one has a good heart. Of whether one truly loves the LORD his God with all His heart, soul, mind and strength.
You need a good heart and a clean mouth to speak words of praise to the holy God who is Truth. So how are we doing so far? Do you think you’re qualified to worship in the presence of this holy God? Before you answer, let’s continue.
Verse 3 now presents some negative conditions: He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend. Here’s one who truly loves his neighbor as himself.
Now we know that God hates all sin. But we also know that there are some sins that God says He really, REALLY hates! Sins that are an abomination in His sight. We know from Leviticus that homosexuality is one of those sins – as is idolatry. (And while not everyone is guilty of homosexual sin, we are all certainly guilty of idolatry – whenever we try to make God more manageable. Obscuring His holiness, or the demands of His Law – even as we try to engineer a “relevant worship experience,” perhaps?)
But one of those sins that makes the “abominable” list is evil speech according to Proverbs 6:16-19, which has the effect of “sowing discord among the brethren.” Also, Romans 1 famously speaks of how God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all the unrighteousness of men. Included in that indictment of man’s rebellion which provokes God’s wrath is yes, homosexuality; yes, idolatry; and YES – those who are “whisperers” and “backbiters.”
Literally, this negative condition in verse 3 can be translated he who does not ‘go about’ with his tongue. The image is of someone going from person to person, with their tongue, with their words, to hurt someone else, to damage their reputation. The old word for this person is the “talebearer.” Leviticus 19:16 commands, You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people… I am the LORD.
You know, a church might think it has its “doctrinal ducks in a row” – we strive to be faithful to what the Bible teaches about God and man and salvation; even about worship! We take good theology seriously. We might think that because our church hasn’t yet been scandalized by some horrible sin, that maybe we’re doing OK! But how many churches are dens of iniquity in the eyes of God because of gossip? Because of backbiting? This is something that plagues men and women. Yes, woman are often guilty of gossip. But so are men, even leaders in the church. My word, we can even gossip as we ask for prayer for someone’s problems, that we’ve now exposed to everyone else in the room. God hates gossip – and gossipers are disqualified from worshiping in the presence of the holy God.
The qualified worshiper does no evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against a friend. He can be trusted to never betray his loyalty to those with whom he is closest. He will not be the cause of mistrust, broken friendships, of malice, bitterness, or hurt. He doesn’t do evil, or speak evil to or about those closest to him.
If you think about your life, how many broken relationships can you recount? How many for which you at least share some of the blame? How many in which you failed to seek reconciliation, and just let that relationship die a bitter, neglected death? Have you truly & completely loved your neighbor as yourself? If not, then you are disqualified from worship, and from living in God’s holy presence.
Verse 4 presents another set of positive conditions for the qualified worshiper. He is one who agrees perfectly with God’s just judgment: In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the LORD. He doesn’t have special exceptions, or excuses, for those who are vile in the eyes of God. Those who fear the LORD, he honors, he esteems the highest.
Verse 4 continues: He who swears to his own hurt and does not change. A man who keeps his promises, even if it costs him everything. We’re quick to justify our own promise-breaking, aren’t we? We don’t keep appointments, never mind the big stuff! “Oh, I known I signed that contract, and promised to repay, but I’ve made that promise too many times, and can’t live up to my obligations. Sorry!” Or we might say in our hearts: “Oh, I know I vowed my love to that other person in the covenant of marriage – ‘for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health’ and all that. But it’s just so hard to be married to this person, to love them. I don’t know if it’s worth it.” From the little stuff to the big stuff, the qualified worshiper is the one who keeps his word – no matter what.
The first part of verse 5 presents the last set of negative conditions for the one qualified to worship the holy God: He who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. Here, the worshiper’s integrity is revealed by his financial dealings. He doesn’t take advantage of those who are in financial difficulty. In the Ancient Near East, a person without financial resources might be sold into slavery – and would desperately seek a loan to prevent that. Often, people would take advantage, and charge outrageous interest – even up to 50% of the amount. We also find out that this man cannot be bribed against the innocent – his testimony can’t be “bought.” He demonstrates perfect financial integrity.
Now these are two particular examples of financial righteousness. Other biblical standards of financial integrity would include paying taxes to whom taxes are due. Working hard to provide for your family. Tithing – not robbing God of His due. Giving generously to the work of the Gospel, to poor members within the church, or to help the poor within the larger community. Working a full and honest day for your pay. And ultimately, realizing that the money you make is to serve God’s glory and advance His kingdom – not yours.
So as we have seen, the only qualified worshiper is the One who is perfectly righteous. So what does God promise to for the One who has qualified to live in God’s presence? The perfectly righteous worshiper will never be moved from God’s presence – no matter what else might happen to him in this world.
The last part of verse 5, and the conclusion of the psalm: He who does these things shall never be moved. The whole world may hate him, may reject him, may kill him – but he shall never be moved from the presence and favor of his holy God.
So has OUR problem – the problem of worship – been resolved? As we come to the end of Psalm 15, I hope we have come to end of ourselves. The question was asked, Who may enter to worship and dwell in the holy presence of God? And God has answered, Only the One who is perfectly righteous. And an eternal standing in My holy presence is promised only to that perfectly righteous Man.
The fact is, no one in Israel – in David’s day, before or after – could qualify. No one in all the world could qualify. No one since Adam & Eve were driven from God’s holy presence for their rebellion. We have all fallen short of this standard of perfect righteousness. We are not qualified as worshipers, let alone to dwell in the presence of the holy God.
There is One glorious exception, however. There is only One who has qualified to abide in God’s tabernacle, to dwell in His holy hill. There is only One whose entire course of life was perfectly faultless; who lived a dynamic life of active righteousness – fulfilling all the righteousness of God’s holy Law. Who embodied the Truth of God, and was alone pure of heart. Who truly loved the LORD His God with all of His being.
And Who completely loved His neighbor as Himself. Who never gossiped – He always spoke the unblemished truth to everyone. Who never did evil to His neighbor, or betrayed His friends. Who hated what God hates – with a perfect, holy hatred; and Who loved what God loves, with a perfect holy love. Who lived a life of simplicity and self-denial, forsaking the love of money, which is the root of all kinds of evil. He served His Father alone, and not Mammon.
Who swore an oath to His own hurt, and did not change. Who promised His Father that He would live and die for His people; to save them from sin and death; to cleanse them from the defiling sin that would disqualify them as worshipers; to give them a robe of perfect righteousness – His own – that would qualify them to worship in God’s holy presence – and to live forever in God’s holy presence. He promised to do that – and Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God made flesh – kept that promise to His own hurt, and did not change… even to death. So God the Father raised Him from the dead, that all who trust in Him alone, would never be moved from His holy presence.
The only solution to your personal “problem of worship” is Jesus Christ – who lived and died for all who would trust in Him. He is the only One who can give you access to the holy God, and make your worship acceptable in His eyes. Have you embraced Him by faith? Are you resting in Him alone to enter and dwell forever in holy presence of God?
1 Corinthians 6 says to the believing Church, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived..." In other words, sinners are disqualified from God’s kingdom, from His presence! "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." In other words, you were once disqualified – but Christ has qualified you: He has cleansed you from your defiling sin; He has set you apart as holy in God’s sight; He has taken away the guilt of your sin, and given you His righteousness – that you might be fit for God’s kingdom and presence forever!
The holiness of God is a dreadful thing to the sinner; but to the
justified sinner, the holiness of God is beautiful. Because by His grace, through faith, God has
qualified us in Christ to worship Him in the splendor of His holiness – to
enter and to dwell forever in His holy presence. Those who would make little of the holiness
of God, make little of the grace of God, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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