In Psalm 14, David declared two important truths that is relevant and interconnected to his observations in this Psalm (15):
- A fool rejects the existence and accountability of God (Ps 14:1).
- None are righteous in the eyes of God (Ps 14:3).
David now reflects on the qualities of a righteous person who draws near to God and worships in his dwelling place, thus he says, “Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” While images of the tabernacle that resided in “Zion” (the City of David, Jerusalem) are in David’s mind, his inquiry is spiritual in nature. Here are some attributes of the righteous he describes:
- He who walks blamelessly and does what is right. The word “blameless” refers to a person who has a “pattern” of life, or lifestyle of obedience to God. Similar description is offered in Ps 1:1-3 of such a righteous man who enjoys God’s special favor and grace.
- He speaks in truth which flows from the springs of his heart.
- He does not slander with malicious intent.
- He does no harm to this neighbor in word or deed.
- He loathes wickedness and those who commit their lives to evil.
- He demonstrates godly integrity in his business dealings.
- He refuses bribes that subverts justice.
David rightly concludes, “He who does these things shall never be moved.” Like the righteous man described in Ps 1, Bible Commentator (Allen P. Ross) adds,
“not only will he enjoy fellowship in the Lord’s presence, but also he will experience divine blessings and security” (*)
How should you and I understand this text in light of our standing before God? A few thoughts:
The Righteous One. Like David, Paul records in his letter to the Romans the same truth that “none are righteous,” (Rom 3:10-18) which spotlights humanity’s need for the redemptive righteousness of God. Jesus was blameless on our behalf so that we could enter into and experience the presence of God, thus enjoy his grace and favor (1 Pt 1:18-19). He was the perfect one (sinless) that died for imperfect people. It is God who makes us righteous through his Son so we may enjoy the full benefits and inheritance as a child of God. Speaking of the righteous, Paul declares, “…are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (25) whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (26) It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:24-26). Because of God, we now have his Spirit that empowers us to live a “pattern” of life (blameless) in obedience to God. Now we can view David’s list of righteous attributes described in Psalm 15 through the lens of the Spirit’s aid in our lives:
- by the Spirit, goodness and faithfulness enables us to speak the truth in love.
- by the Spirit, self-control, patience, and kindness restrains our tongue from slanderous activity.
- by the Spirit, love serves as a catalyst in our care for our neighbors as we would ourselves.
- by the Spirit, joy and steadfastness in God enables us to grieve over sin and hate wickedness as God does, but also take pleasure in God’s delivering grace being available and administered to others.
Here is the main takeaway. We manifest the fruits of righteousness when we live by the Spirit (Gal 5:16). Though we experience ground shaking circumstances, we are not moved because our foundation is Christ, thus (again) David concludes with this encouragement, “He who does these things shall never be moved.” Amen.
Blessings,
Dr. Jason S. Price, Th.D
www.springoflivingwaters.com
(*)Walvoord, John F and Zuck, Roy B (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Old Testament). An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty. SP Publishing, Inc.