We are reminded in this Psalm a type of admonition that those who see God's wrath in the Tribulation and beyond in Isaiah 33:14 where it is said with fear "who can dwell with everlasting burning?" That; no doubt will be the result of viewing what is seen in the end of Isaiah 66; as well as the state of the land which becomes everlasting pitch in Isaiah 34:9. There will also be fire at Armageddon and the world will be aware of Antichrist's and the False Prophet's judgments at the end of the Tribulation. We are reminded that the wicked will not stand at the judgment in Psalm 1:5.
We see many characteristics of the 10 commandments here in these short verses. We see loving our neighbor in verse 3 (and verse 2 surely implies an attitude of loving God in all ways as the first commandment requires). We also see how other things like vows are kept; that would be the meaning here and we must remember at least in N.T. times that we are not to communicate beyond "yea and nay" whenever purely human agreements are made. ( Matt. 5:34). Such things between God such as marriage vows; and other promises are to be kept and we can see one painful example in Judges 11:36-39. We also see in verse 4 having the fear of the Lord which of course is the beginning of wisdom and found in numerous scriptures.
Finally; we see a statement on usury (charging interest on loans). This was warned against the Jews doing this to their own people in Leviticus 25:35-38. This of course would put many banks out of business today but of course anything like this makes the poor worse off and the rich gaining more for their own selfish interests. We may not be able to help what banks do but in our own loans we can.
Mary. 'Usury' is an older English word, which today we would refer to as 'interest' (e.g. gaining interest on an investment, or paying interest on a loan). In the biblical usage, 'usury' sometimes had a slightly negative connotation: one of excessive interest. In the Old Testament, the children of Israel who lent out money to another 'brother in the faith', was commanded not to even charge interest (whether in money or kind) on that loan, but to freely lend (see Deuteronomy 23:19,20).
I'm unsure whether that Law is still practised in Jewry, but in Islam (which could be similar to Jewish practise), this teaching is also apparent. However, banks & other lenders somehow obviate this ruling by introducing other conditions. Even when one purchases an item at a store, even though the purchase price tag might be evident, you're not actually paying the price asked, but putting a 'contribution or gift' (Hadiya: Urdu) towards the cost of that item. So, 'usury' & money matters that were strictly enforced in the past, are somehow altered by 'letter but not by spirit', so that the profits still keep coming in.
THE BOOK Of LIFE Our names must be in it on Psalms 15 - 3 years ago
All the Scriptures that pertain to the Book of Life; for everyone's information and edification.
Psalms 51:1
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my TRANSGRESSIONS.
Psalms 51:9
Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine INIQUITIES.
Revelation 3:5
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will NOT blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Revelation 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life....
Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:15
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 13:8
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Philippians 4:3.....whose names are in the book of life.
Revelation 17:8
Revelation 21:7
Revelation 22:18, a warning
Note: first 2 scriptures are what David prayed in prayer after he royally messed up, and knew it.
This is how we should pray in 1 John 1:9 always.
(Your Surety= Hebrews 6:18-20)
When we royally mess up.
We are a Royal Priesthood. In Hebrews 6:18-20 is named the High Priest of our faith.
It is good to read this psalm & take to heart the righteous paths for one's own life. To seek them and remember serving others is Christ's will for His sheep. But, we cannot do it consistently.Oh we can desire it, oh we can try. But we are not able to do it consistently. This is where The Righteousness of Christ must cover us. Even the parable of The Good Samaritan shows us plainly the lavish love the Samaritan had for an unknown in need cannot be done by any of us. Of sure we can help, once, twice, maybe even a few times, or even many times. But stay with an unknown person overnight and fork over two months wages for an unknown in need to stay, heal, eat and lodge at an inn? Who does this? No we cannot do that. Maybe for ourselves, maybe for a family member, but certainly not for an unknown. And there is our failure. Not that we can't do the exact as the parable, but we cannot love as lavishly as God can. So we come short always of His Holiness. But Thank God & Our Lord Jesus Christ that Christ's righteousness has covered us to remove this condemnation. Praise be to Jesus Christ The Lord. Peace my brothers & sisters.
Psalm 15 compares with John 13. In John you are commanded to love one another and in Psalm 15 you are also commanded to love your brethren by not harming them with words and usury, in both chhapters, if you obey God command you will dwell with Him.
Find the Commentary Box Through the Search Box - In Reply on Psalms 15 - 4 years ago
Psalm 15:4
(A Psalm of David.) LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
2
He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
3
He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
4
In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
5
He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
COMMENTARY
Wesley's Notes for Psalms 15:4
15:4 Vile - An ungodly man. Honoureth - He highly esteems and loves them, though they be mean as to their worldly condition, and though they may differ from him in some opinions or practices of lesser moment. Sweareth - A promissory oath. Hurt - To his own damage. As if a man solemnly swear, that he will sell him such an estate at a price below the full worth; or that, he will give a poor man such a sum of money, which afterwards he finds inconvenient to him. Changeth not - His purpose, but continues firm and resolved to perform his promise.
He that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not is a person that takes an oath. When such a commitment comes with a higher personal cost than first anticipated, some with less integrity would back down and not follow through. This person values honesty and the sincerity of his word more than his own personal welfare.
The impulse to compare myself with the character in Psalm 15 is irresistible: like the sword in the stone, I can't resist giving it a tug. But, the Holy Spirit is true in His ministry ( John 16; 7-11): He helps me see that I fall short of the Glory revealed in those few verses. He also brings to mind Jesus in His ministry here on earth then I recognize that Psalm 15 is a portrait of Jesus, that the Glory belongs to Him. The Holy Spirit also comforts me regarding salvation: though I fall short of the Glory of God, "... He hath made Him to be sin for us Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. ( 2corinthians 5; 21)". Truly, the Glory belongs to Jesus and no other. Bless you Lord Jesus and blessed be your Holy Name!
Take the test in Psalms 15 and let us each see where we stand with the Lord. If our individual standing does not meet the lipmus test found therein, proceed to Colossians 3(1-5) and follow those instructions and pray and retake the test daily. ( Psalms 77:13) Loving God and your neighbor is the lipmus test,and the test is an open book test,which merely says: prove yourself by dividing the word of God,hear a little and there a little,and always remember Psalms 23:1....
Cont. "..This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. John 6:28" It will require hard work of self examination and giving account honestly to God, and to remember the word of God in all the appropriate moments of the day when we are ambushed by the things of the flesh and contradictions of the world seeking to take away us from holiness and a good conscience into sinning.
Bill; "..This is the work of God,that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. John 6:28" In the parable of the sower, who was responsible for every man's heart, what kind it was, and whether it was in a right condition for the Word to bring forth fruit? It takes WORK to change your heart from being beat down hard by the world walking all over it! It takes work to dig deep and get rid of the stones...
"...This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.' John 6:28 Notice the Lord uses the word WORK. Faith without works is dead. Real knowing and understanding the LORD, is taking a course in life directed in His Spirit to keep the commandments out of an obedient heart. ALL GRACE is then manifested by our actions, words and innermost thoughts; the reflection of His divine nature.
Bill; all the Scriptures you quote are wonderful; but why don't you believe they have any power to make you a new man? Why do you attack me for writing the truth about the work of grace? If you haven't yet repented of all your sins, and still afraid of being REALLY AND THOROUGHLY CONVERTED; that would explain your hostility to showing proof of your love to Jesus, by actual day to day OBEDIENCE!
Mild Bill,saved by grace on Psalms 15 - 6 years ago
Marilyn,"Then said they unto him,What shall we do,that we might work the works of God?Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God,that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.John6:28
Mild Bill,saved by grace on Psalms 15 - 6 years ago
Disciple,U err."The completed word and work of grace is in the action!"
That's wrong reasoning.Grace of God is completed on the cross.We
are complete in him and his work on the cross.Colossians2:10
Fruit is not our works, but God's changing our character to a likeness of Christ
while we are here.Matthew7:22
Who ? I am working everyday to be one the Who. I try to walk up right, work righteously and speak the Truth at all times.
If I treat my neighbors and my family like I want to be treated then I will be one of the WHO!
Dear Bill; Amen to all you wrote. It is gratitude that kisses Jesus' feet and washes them with its tears and wipes them with the hairs of its head! He that loves much is the one forgiven much. By our fruits we are known! And the axe is laid to the root of the tree: every tree that produces NOT good fruit IS CUT DOWN AND THROWN INTO THE FIRE! The completed word and work of grace is in the action!
everyone else reading this,do you possess everlasting life now?Have all your sins been paid for?Is there anything to keep you from entering heaven?If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.John8:36 Our service to God is out of gratitude, with nothing to merit salvation.Heirs by grace of God only.
"LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart." Dear Brother Bill, I don't know why this is so hard to understand: the whole reason for our being left here after we're saved, is to show forth the grace of God by a really converted life, BY GOOD WORKS! Its not competition w/grace!
"And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." If the Lord comes and finds no fruit, how shall it be known what kind of man you are? Certainly not one in His likeness!
Two forms of righteousness,"they being ignorant of God's righteousness,and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."Demons appearing as ministers of righteousness,based on works,2Cor.11:15."much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one,Jesus Christ".Gifts are free!
"And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing." 2 Samuel 24:24 TRUE TRUE TRUE!!! No one is redeemed or can come at all to the Father except through the blood of Christ; but no one just slips in without doing righteousness. Its not a contest, but proof of grace wrought.
Who, is "he" in the following verses, the Lord Jesus. "if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void". Having once violated any law we have no righteousness. Believers receive an imputed righteousness which was bought by Christ.By the grace of God the payment is put on our account,never earned.Our service to God is out of gratitude, with nothing to merit salvation.Heirs by grace only.
"LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?" When the rich young man came to Jesus asking what he must do to have eternal life, the Lord told him, You know the commandments...do these and you shall live." Afterwards He spoke directly to the young man's innermost thoughts, and his covetousness. What part of these things David mentions, are too hard for us to live by?
We see many characteristics of the 10 commandments here in these short verses. We see loving our neighbor in verse 3 (and verse 2 surely implies an attitude of loving God in all ways as the first commandment requires). We also see how other things like vows are kept; that would be the meaning here and we must remember at least in N.T. times that we are not to communicate beyond "yea and nay" whenever purely human agreements are made. ( Matt. 5:34). Such things between God such as marriage vows; and other promises are to be kept and we can see one painful example in Judges 11:36-39. We also see in verse 4 having the fear of the Lord which of course is the beginning of wisdom and found in numerous scriptures.
Finally; we see a statement on usury (charging interest on loans). This was warned against the Jews doing this to their own people in Leviticus 25:35-38. This of course would put many banks out of business today but of course anything like this makes the poor worse off and the rich gaining more for their own selfish interests. We may not be able to help what banks do but in our own loans we can.
I'm unsure whether that Law is still practised in Jewry, but in Islam (which could be similar to Jewish practise), this teaching is also apparent. However, banks & other lenders somehow obviate this ruling by introducing other conditions. Even when one purchases an item at a store, even though the purchase price tag might be evident, you're not actually paying the price asked, but putting a 'contribution or gift' (Hadiya: Urdu) towards the cost of that item. So, 'usury' & money matters that were strictly enforced in the past, are somehow altered by 'letter but not by spirit', so that the profits still keep coming in.
Psalms 51:1
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my TRANSGRESSIONS.
Psalms 51:9
Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine INIQUITIES.
Revelation 3:5
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will NOT blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Revelation 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life....
Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:15
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 13:8
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Philippians 4:3.....whose names are in the book of life.
Revelation 17:8
Revelation 21:7
Revelation 22:18, a warning
Note: first 2 scriptures are what David prayed in prayer after he royally messed up, and knew it.
This is how we should pray in 1 John 1:9 always.
(Your Surety= Hebrews 6:18-20)
When we royally mess up.
We are a Royal Priesthood. In Hebrews 6:18-20 is named the High Priest of our faith.
Mishael
(A Psalm of David.) LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
2
He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
3
He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
4
In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
5
He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
COMMENTARY
Wesley's Notes for Psalms 15:4
15:4 Vile - An ungodly man. Honoureth - He highly esteems and loves them, though they be mean as to their worldly condition, and though they may differ from him in some opinions or practices of lesser moment. Sweareth - A promissory oath. Hurt - To his own damage. As if a man solemnly swear, that he will sell him such an estate at a price below the full worth; or that, he will give a poor man such a sum of money, which afterwards he finds inconvenient to him. Changeth not - His purpose, but continues firm and resolved to perform his promise.
Take the test in Psalms 15 and let us each see where we stand with the Lord. If our individual standing does not meet the lipmus test found therein, proceed to Colossians 3(1-5) and follow those instructions and pray and retake the test daily. ( Psalms 77:13) Loving God and your neighbor is the lipmus test,and the test is an open book test,which merely says: prove yourself by dividing the word of God,hear a little and there a little,and always remember Psalms 23:1....
Jesus is Lord and Testator.
Shalom
That's wrong reasoning.Grace of God is completed on the cross.We
are complete in him and his work on the cross.Colossians2:10
Fruit is not our works, but God's changing our character to a likeness of Christ
while we are here.Matthew7:22
If I treat my neighbors and my family like I want to be treated then I will be one of the WHO!