The Unshakable Resident: A Portrait of True Religion Text: Psalm 15:1-5
Introduction: The Ultimate Guest List
Every generation, in its own way, asks the question that David poses in this psalm. They may not use this language, they may not be thinking of Yahweh's tent or His holy mountain, but the question is still there, haunting the background. The question is this: "How do I get in?" How do I find a place of stability, of permanence, of meaning? How do I get on the right side of whatever ultimate reality there is? Who gets to be a friend of God?
Our culture has its own answers, of course. To dwell on the modern holy mountain of cultural acceptance, you must be tolerant, you must be affirming, you must celebrate every novel form of rebellion, and you must never, ever suggest that there is an objective standard of righteousness. The guest list for the world's party is long, but the price of admission is the surrender of your conscience and your backbone. It is a house built on the sand of public opinion, and when the winds of judgment blow, it will be a great ruin.
But David is not asking about a temporary social club. He is asking a question of eternal import. This psalm is a psalm of entry, a catechism for the worshiper approaching the tabernacle. Imagine the pilgrim, having traveled to Jerusalem, standing at the base of Mount Zion and asking the gatekeeper, "Who is qualified to go in? Who may have fellowship with the living God?" This is not a question about real estate. It is a question about righteousness. It is a question about what kind of person can stand in the presence of a holy God and not be consumed.
The world thinks that nearness to God is a matter of sentiment, of good intentions, of being "spiritual but not religious." But Scripture teaches us that God is a consuming fire, and fellowship with Him is not a casual affair. Psalm 15 provides a portrait, a character sketch, of the man who is qualified for such fellowship. And as we shall see, this portrait will either drive us to despair or drive us to Christ. For only one man has ever perfectly embodied this description, and it is only by being found in Him that we have any hope of dwelling on that holy mountain ourselves.
The Text
O Yahweh, who may sojourn in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy mountain?
He who walks blamelessly, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart.
He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear Yahweh; He swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He does not put out his money at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
(Psalm 15:1-5 LSB)
The Question of Fellowship (v. 1)
The psalm begins with a direct and earnest question, posed to God Himself.
"O Yahweh, who may sojourn in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy mountain?" (Psalm 15:1)
David asks two parallel questions. Who may "sojourn" in your tent, and who may "dwell" on your holy mountain? The first word suggests a temporary stay, like a guest or a traveler. The second implies permanence, a settled residence. The question is comprehensive: who is fit for any kind of fellowship with God, from a brief visit to an eternal stay? The "tent" refers to the tabernacle, the place of worship and sacrifice. The "holy mountain" is Zion, the place God has chosen to place His name.
This is the fundamental question of all true religion. It is not "How can I get God to do what I want?" or "How can I have a spiritual experience?" but rather, "How can I, a sinner, stand before a holy God?" The question presupposes that there are conditions. Not just anyone can wander into the presence of the King. There is a standard. This is an idea that is utterly offensive to our egalitarian age, which believes that all paths lead up the same mountain. But the Bible is clear: there is a specific character required for communion with God. God does not adjust His holiness to suit our sin. We must be changed to suit His presence.
The General Answer: A Life of Integrity (v. 2)
God's answer, through the psalmist, begins with three general characteristics that define the man who is fit for fellowship.
"He who walks blamelessly, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart." (Psalm 15:2 LSB)
First, he "walks blamelessly." The Hebrew word here for blameless, tamim, does not mean sinless perfection. Noah was called blameless, as was Abraham and Job, and none of them were without sin. Rather, it means whole, complete, sound, having integrity. It describes a life that is consistent, without hypocrisy. His walk, his entire manner of life, is oriented toward obedience. He is not two-faced. The direction of his life is set toward God.
Second, he "works righteousness." In the Bible, righteousness is not a static quality or a private feeling. It is active. It is something you do. And it is not to be understood as simply checking items off a moral to-do list. Righteousness in the Old Testament is fundamentally relational; it is about fulfilling the demands of a covenant relationship. To work righteousness is to be loyal to God and to your covenant neighbor. It is faithfulness in action. It is doing the right thing by God and by man.
Third, he "speaks truth in his heart." This goes deeper than simply not telling lies. This man's integrity is internal. He is honest all the way down. He doesn't just speak truth with his lips while his heart is full of deceit. His inner world corresponds to reality. He is not self-deceived. He thinks true thoughts. This is the foundation of all the other characteristics that follow, because what a man is in his heart will inevitably come out in his words and actions.
The Particulars: Righteousness in Relationships (vv. 3-5a)
After the general description, the psalm gives us a series of specific, concrete examples of what this blameless walk looks like. The devil, as they say, is in the details, and it is here that our self-justifications begin to crumble.
"He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;" (Psalm 15:3 LSB)
The first set of particulars deals with the tongue. The man who dwells with God has his speech under control. He does not "slander," which means to peddle gossip or malicious reports. He does not use his words to tear others down. Nor does he do "evil to his neighbor." Sandwiched between two sins of the tongue, this likely refers to verbal abuse, curses, or ruining a man's reputation. Finally, he does not "take up a reproach against his friend." This means he doesn't listen to gossip either. He doesn't provide a landing strip for slander. When the backbiting tongue starts up, his angry countenance drives it away (Prov. 25:23). He is loyal to his friends, even when they are not present.
Next, the psalm describes his moral allegiances.
"In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear Yahweh; He swears to his own hurt and does not change;" (Psalm 15:4 LSB)
This is a deeply counter-cultural virtue. This man makes his judgments based on God's standards, not the world's. A "reprobate," a vile person, is despised in his eyes. This doesn't mean he is personally nasty to them, but rather that he does not approve of their wickedness. He does not honor what God dishonors. He calls evil, evil. Our culture demands that we honor the reprobate and despise the righteous, but the friend of God does the opposite. He "honors those who fear Yahweh." He values what God values. His loyalties are with the people of God, regardless of their social status.
Furthermore, his word is his bond. "He swears to his own hurt and does not change." When he makes a promise, he keeps it, even if circumstances change and it becomes costly or inconvenient to do so. His integrity is not for sale. He is not a man of situational ethics. His "yes" is yes and his "no" is no.
Finally, the psalm addresses his financial dealings.
"He does not put out his money at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent." (Psalm 15:5a LSB)
He does not put his money out at "interest," or usury. The Old Testament law forbade charging interest on loans to fellow, impoverished Israelites (Ex. 22:25). The point was to prevent the exploitation of the poor and vulnerable. This man does not use his financial power to crush his needy brother. His love for his neighbor outweighs his love for profit. And he cannot be corrupted. He will not "take a bribe against the innocent." He will not pervert justice for personal gain. His righteousness is more precious to him than riches.
The Promise of Stability (v. 5b)
The psalm concludes not with a command, but with a glorious promise.
"He who does these things will never be shaken." (Psalm 15:5b LSB)
This is the great reward for the righteous man. He has ultimate security. The word "shaken" means to be moved, to totter, to be overthrown. The world is a place of chaos, of shifting sands, of collapsing kingdoms. But the man who lives this life of integrity, who is a friend of God, is established on a rock. He is unmovable. The mountains may be cast into the sea, empires may rise and fall, but he will stand firm. Why? Because his life is tethered to the unshakable God.
Now, as we read this list, our natural response should be a profound sense of our own failure. Who among us can claim to have fulfilled this perfectly? Who has never slandered, never had a duplicitous thought, never failed to keep a promise, never honored the wicked for fear of man? This psalm is a mirror, and when we look into it honestly, it shows us our sin. It shows us that, on our own merits, none of us are qualified to ascend the hill of the Lord.
The Man Who Dwells on the Mountain
So, is this psalm meant to crush us? Is it a ladder to heaven with all the rungs missing? No. It is meant to show us our need for a substitute. It is meant to point us to the one Man who is the perfect embodiment of this psalm.
Who is the one who walked blamelessly? Jesus Christ. Who is the one who always worked righteousness? Jesus Christ. Who spoke truth, not just with His lips, but in the very fiber of His being, because He is the Truth? Jesus Christ. His tongue was free from all slander. He did no evil to His neighbor, but rather went about doing good. He despised the vile hypocrisy of the Pharisees and honored the humble faith of those who feared God. He swore to His own hurt, making a covenant promise to save us, and He did not change, even when it led Him to the cross. He did not exploit the poor, but became poor for our sakes. He could not be bribed, resisting even the devil's offer of all the kingdoms of the world.
Jesus Christ is the answer to the question of Psalm 15. He alone has the right to dwell on God's holy mountain. And because of His finished work, the good news of the gospel is not, "Be like this man and you can get in." The good news is, "This Man has gotten in for you, and He brings you with Him."
Through faith in Him, His perfect righteousness is credited to our account. We are clothed in His integrity. And by the power of His Spirit, we are being transformed into the image of this portrait. We are not saved by doing these things, but having been saved, we are now free and empowered to begin doing them. This psalm becomes the blueprint for our sanctification.
Therefore, we can approach the holy mountain not with fear, but with boldness. We do not come in our own name, but in the name of the one true Resident. And because we are in Him, the promise is also ours. In a world that is shaking itself to pieces, we who are in Christ will never be shaken. We will dwell in His tent forever.