Psalms 15

July 31, 1993 Psalms 15:

- we're studying through selected Psalms in our adult SS
classes.
- so far we've looked at 2 Psalms:
- Psalm 1 - which addressed how to be a satisfied/blessed
person.
- Psalm 8 - the importance of having the right view of
God.

- you know, when you think about those topics--there's some
conclusions we can already begin drawing about the book of
Psalms:

1) one conclusions is that this book deals with some of
the most important questions/issues of life.
- we ought to be very thankful that God has given us
this book.

2) it's important for us to study what God says about
these questions because the world in which we live
has "it's own set of answers" and we're bombarded
with those "answers" daily.
- cf - buy this and then you'll be satisfied
- watch this sitcom and learn how to solve
problems and be happy in 30 minutes or less.
- (or from a different perspective) - the
"deification" of man in our world, and how
man has the right/ability to decide:
- what morality should be
- who should live and who should die
- how long a marriage should last

- point is - we're living in a world that proposes "answers"
to these kinds of questions daily--are we in a position
where we're "armed with biblical truth?"
- the Psalms will help us do that.

3) we also ought to remember that these chapters were
actually songs that were sung as part of the Isrealite's
worship.

- INPUT - because they were songs--how do you think they
would have affected the Israelites "during the week?"
(one of the benefits of songs is that they "stay
with us"--they make the truths easier to remember
and easier to concentrate on.)

- we're not singing these Psalms as part of our
study, but wise would be the person who took time
to read over and meditate on the Psalms that had
been studied.

- this morning, we're going to study Psalm 15

- READ Psalm 15:1

- Psalm 15 begins by posing:

I. Two Important Questions

- before we look specifically at the two questions in
verse 1, let me ask you this:
- INPUT - how would you complete this sentence -- "Verse
1 is talking about ________"

(varied answers)

- let's look specifically at what the verse is saying

A. What kind of person walks with God?

- these two questions are not "restatements" of each
other.
- they're both important///they're both related--but
they're not identical

- the first question "who may abide in thy tent
(NASB)" or "who may abide in thy tabernacle? (KJV)"
is talking about a temporary condition.

- the word "abide" means "to sojourn for a temporary time."
- you remember that the tabernacle in the OT was something
"transient" that the Jews transported with them as they
traveled through the wilderness.

- both the word abide and the word tabernacle
suggest something temporary.

- so the first half of verse one is talking about something
very important--but also something that is temporary.

- now let's push this a little further:

- INPUT - what was the purpose of the tabernacle in the
OT?

(the place where God manifested His presence to His
people, the place of fellowship with God, the place
where God spoke to His people and they spoke to Him)

- when you "put that into the equation," we can begin to get
an idea of what David is picturing?

- the question is - what are the characteristics of the
person who is in fellowship with God--who "walks with
God" during his/her lifetime?

- Gen. 5:21-24, 6:9 - READ

- this is where we got the wording for this point "what kind
of person walks with God?"
- INPUT - why is it important to know the answer to this
question?

- INPUT - what has to happen after knowing the answer to
this question? (living in a way that’s consistent
with the answer)

- the second question in verse 1 is:

B. What kind of person will live with God?

- this question is a natural progression from the first
one?
- the word "dwell" indicates permanence.

- the idea here is - what kind of person will spend
eternity with you?
- in other words - what will the person be like now
who is on their way to heaven?

- now we probably need to make a distinction at this point:
- we're not talking about: HOW is a person reconciled with
God so they can walk with Him, or HOW is a person
saved so that they will live with God in eternity
- we know from many places in Scripture that
salvation is by grace through faith in Christ
alone-not of works
- INPUT - verses that teach this? (Eph. 2:8-9,
Titus 3:5)

- but Psalm 15 is addressing the issue os - what is a
person like now, here on earth--if they have been
saved?
- what are some evidences of the person who is a
believer, and what is necessary to have
fellowship with God today?

- now, when you think about it from that perspective--there's
a book in the NT that addresses that same set of questions
- what book is it? (the book of I John)
- cf. I John 1:3, 6-7, 5:13

- so, in some real senses, Psalm 15 is the OT counterpart to
the book of I John.

- now, like we said when we began our lesson, the Psalms deal
with some of the most important issues of life.
- now, if you look down at the rest of the chapter--
you'll see that it's not very long
- which means the Lord doesn't give a long list of
answers to these questions... (before you
"peek", I'll tell you--there are 11 answers in
these verses)
- INPUT - but what should we conclude about
the list even before studying it?
(these are some of the "majors"--these
are some of the things that are most
important to God)

- let's start studying the answers to these important
questions:

II. The Answers (Ps. 15:2-5b)

- the progression of this Psalm is this:
- the questions are asked in verse 1
- they are answered in "general terms" in verse 2
- then they are answered in more specific terms later
in the Psalm.
- let's look first at the:

A. General characteristics

1. he lives uprightly

- NASB - "walks with integrity"

- INPUT - what are some ways a person's integrity
might especially manifest itself?

- INPUT - why is it so tempting to "cut corners"
on our integrity?

- cf. - diff. things that came up building
the house.
- septic system, gutters, CO

2. he works righteously

- we talk a lot about how we can't work our way
to heaven
- that’s right//necessary to emphasize-but
we can't carry that to the point of
thinking that works aren't important

- Eph. 2:10, I John 3:7

3. he speaks honestly

- INPUT - how are #'s 1 & 2 "tied in" with #3?

(a person who is living uprightly and working
righteously doesn't have any reason to lie.)

- but probably most of us has been in a
situation where we weren't doing right--
then we "had to" lie to cover that up, and
then perhaps that led to a series of lies

- cf. 2 girls at Seattle conference

- INPUT - what does what we've been speaking about have to do
with the opening questions in verse 1? ("the
finest fellowship is with the fewest sins")

- INPUT - now, there's several more characteristics to study,
but what questions should we be asking based on what
we've studied so far? (How does my lifestyle "measure
up" to the characteristics we're studying?)

B. Specific characteristics

1. he does not slander

- one writer on this passage said, "The word depicts
a man who has a long nose and a sharp tongue! He
is a snooper, always looking secretly to obtain
tidbits of information. It does not matter to him
whether the information is true or false. Whatever
he gathers he passes along in a manner that hurts
the person about whom he speaks. He speaks with
innuendo, saying things like, "I noticed that Jones
wasn't speaking to his wife this morning," or, "I
thought I saw one of the Smith kids parked in front
of the Twilight Bar last night." A slanderer is
capable of destroying an innocent person. Prov.
26:22 - The words of a tale bearer are like wounds,
and they go down into the innermost part of the
belly."

- cf. illus. of backbiters and David Livingstone's
wife.

- INPUT - how will this sin affect the issues addressed in
verse 1?

- INPUT - how would this sin affect a church family?

2. he doesn't destroy

- we're talking about the phrase "nor does evil to
his neighbor"
- the word evil refers to badness, suffering, hurt

- the idea is - the man/woman who walks with God
doesn't leave people "harmed, hurting, or
suffering."

- INPUT - when are you and I most prone to violate
this principle (when they were evil to us) What
does the Scripture say about this? - return good

3. He doesn't ridicule

- word reproach means "ridicule."

- the idea is that that godly people don't "get
mileage" out of someone else's misfortune.

- INPUT - how might you or I violate this one today?

- INPUT - implications to childraising?