RESIDENCE, SECURITY, INTEGRATION-Psalm 15-17
RESIDENCE (Psalm 15): Who may live in God’s presence? (15:1-5). “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?” (Ps 15:1).
SECURITY (Psalm 16): Present Faith, Future Hope (16:1-11).“Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. ” “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Ps 16:5, 11).
PRESENCE (Psalm 17): See the Presence of God (17:1-15). “As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness” (Ps 17:15).
INTEGRATION: Thought, Word and Deed. “Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed. Though people tried to bribe me, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent through what your lips have commanded. My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled” (Ps 17:3-5).
Who can enter God’s presence? Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? (Ps 24:3) The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god” (Ps 24:4).
The 1st Christian sermon in history (Acts 2:25-32) quotes Psalm 16:8-11):
25 David said about him: “‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, 27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead [sheol], you will not let your holy one see decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead [hades], nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.
How to never be shaken or stumble in life:
- “Whoever does these things will never be shaken” (Ps 15:5b).
- “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Ps 16:8).
- “My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled” (Ps 17:5).
- Always live with moral integrity before the eyes of God, who probes, tests and searches everyone’s heart. (Psalm 19:14; 139:23-24)
What can we say about Jesus from Psalm 15-17?
Psalm 15: Jesus lived the most perfect life (Ps 15:1-3), yet he died the most brutal death.
Psalm 16: To show us the path of life (Ps 16:11), Jesus had to go the way of death.
Psalm 17: Jesus was the most perfectly integrated man who ever lived (Ps 17:3-5), yet he became totally disintegrated, being swallowed up in the belly of the beast— into the depths of darkness, into the heart of our dysfunction, to the limits of godforsakenness–to make us whole.
