Abide in God’s presence!
[Psalms 15]
How can we Christians live our life of faith without being shaken? Can we live in this world as we confess our faith in firm faith? Today, on CNN News, I heard about 12 out of 13 people who died in an explosion in the West Virginia coal mine and one still in critical condition. Despite being trapped in the deep coal mine for 41 hours, family members, relatives, and friends gathered in one church were delighted by ringing church bells when they first heard the false news that all 13 were alive. They said they sang the song "Amazing Grace." But after 3 hours, when they heard that 12 people died and only 1 was saved, one person in the church said “They were praising God” at the first wrong information and 3 hours later when they had the correct information “They were cursing.” At that time, a man named Hatified, the chairman of the company that owned the coal mine, said, “We prayed for 13 miracles. We want to celebrate the one miracle that was delivered.” Although we may sympathy a little bit about how the people who heard the first wrong news and praised “Amazing Grace” to God and then cursed after hearing the second correct news, we feel that their faith were shaken for some reason. But I think this kind of shaking is not only for them, but also for us. When we are happy, we praise and and give thanks to God. But when we go through difficulties and hardships, especially in the death of a loved one, we grumble and even curse God rather than consistently praise Him and give thanks to God. I think the reason for this lack of consistency is the fragility of knowing that God is God and not trusting in Him completely. If I try say in the view of Psalms 15, the reason is because we aren’t abiding in God’s presence.
In Psalms 15:1, the psalmist David says, “O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill?” Here, “who may abide in Your tent” means ‘Who may abide in God’s presence?’ Of this question, David gives ten answers in Psalms 15. I think these ten answers are’The ten commandments in abiding in God's presence.’ As we keep these ten commandments well, we will be blessed with this: “He … will never be shaken” (v. 5). Then, what are the ten commandments in abiding in God's presence?
The first commandment is to walk in integrity.
Look at Psalms 15:2a – “He who walks with integrity ….” Here “integrity” means ‘pureness’ or ‘faithfulness.’ This is contrary to double life and it means character that isn’t capricious (Park). An example is Job. In Job 2:3, we can see how God boasted Job to Satan: “For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” Although Job was in great agony because of Satan’s attack, he still held fast his integrity. Job, who dwelt in the presence of God, did not sin with his lips, no matter what the situation, even if all of his children were dead. He was able to do so because he lived a life of fearing God and because of his integrity character. A man of integrity isn’t afraid of the environment, people, or even Satan, but rather lives a life of being far away of sin because he fears God. David held fast his integrity even the fools were surrounded him (ch. 14). It was because he knew that God tried the heart and delighted in uprightness, the integrity of his heart (1 Chron. 29:17).
The second commandment is to work righteousness.
Look at Psalms 15:2 – “… and works righteousness ….” Here the word “righteousness” means ‘what is right in the sight of God’ (Park). However, Satan is making things that are not right in the sight of God seem to be right. I don't know how terrifying Satan's schemes are. An example is “the woman” in Genesis 3. When the serpent came to the woman and tempted her to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Satan made her to see the tree as a delight to her eyes (Gen. 3:6) even though it was never right thing in the sight of God to eat that fruit. Even now, Satan is deceiving us to see what is right in God's eyes as not right, and to see what is wrong in God’s eyes as right by tempting us to fall into the lust of the eyes. But David lived a righteous life as a righteous man, no matter what Satan's temptations were. He lived a righteous life that did what is right in the sight of God, not in the sight of man.
The third commandment is to speak truth in our hearts.
Look at Psalms 15:2 – “… And speaks truth in his heart.” David knew that God desired truth in the innermost being (51:6). So he also knew that in order to dwell in God's presence, he had to speak truth in his heart. But those who have a quirky character who lives a double life speaks lies in the heart rather than telling the truth in the heart. Such a person cannot dwell in the presence of God. To hate with the heart and pretend to love with words is not honest with themselves, so they cannot say that they are living a righteous life in the sight of God. They don’t do justice because they don’t do what is right in the sight of God. The Bible encourages us not to live this kind of life. Rather, the Bible encourages us to speak the truth to God and to people in our hearts in order to abide in God's presence.
The fourth commandment is not to slander with our tongues.
Look at Psalms 15:3 – “He does not slander with his tongue ….” The word “slander” means “foot.” In other words, it means to harm others with words while walking around with one’s feet (Park). In a word, slandering with his tongue refers to stumbling speech. Some of these stumbling speech are spreading rumors, gossiping about neighbors, eventually the words that harm the neighbor. This is never a Christians’s life in God’s presence. Our feet should be beautiful feet to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, not to spread words that harm others. Words are really important. At the beginning of the day, it's great to start by listening to warm words, praise, encouragement, or something that delights others. But if we start the day with speaking negatively of others and slandering others, then we feel very dark and our hearts are heavy. So Apostle Paul says in Colossians 4:6 as follow: “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” As this word says, I know I have to speak graciously like seasoned with salt but it isn’t really easy to practice it. I really need God’s grace and wisdom.
The fifth commandment is not to do evil to our neighbor.
Look at Psalms 15:3 – “… Nor does evil to his neighbor ….” This command contrasts with the third commandment, ‘To work righteousness.’ It means that those who want to dwell in the presence of God must do what is right in the eyes of God, not evil to their friends. In other words, we must not harm our neighbor. What evil can we commit to our friends? For example, when our friend has sinned and takes responsibility and confesses, we who works righteousness forgive our friend and accept him. This is because God has justified the one who repent and allows fellowship with Him (Lk. 18:13, 14) (Park). But even though he is already the repentant soul and God sees him right, the one who does evil to his friend condemns him rather than seeing him righteous. And he does not allow fellowship with himself. This is doing eveil to his friend. Then he cannot abide in God's presence. Therefore, we must not do evil to our friends in order to abide in God's presence.
The sixth commandment is not to take up a reproach against our friend.
Look at Psalms 15:3 – “… Not takes up a reproach against his friend.” The Bible says in James 3:9-11 that the purpose of the tongue is to praise and thank God. If we harm a person with it, we cannot achieve the purpose of the tongue. Especially Apostle James says, “if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth” (v. 14). He says that this wisdom isn’t that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic (v. 15) and the result is “there is disorder and every evil thing” (v. 16). In order to abide in God’s presence, we must not take up the reproach against our neighbors, but rather must walk with integrity. And we must speak truth in our hearts.
The seventh commandment is to despise a reprobate and to honor those who fear the Lord.
Look at Psalms 15:4 – “In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear the LORD ….” Here “a reprobate” is the one who despises God and we don’t need to respect him to curry favor with that wicked (Park, Calvin). But we must honor those who fear the Lord. In Psalms 25:14, the Bible says “The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him ….” Those who abide in God’s presence are those who have intimate fellowship with God, and we must honor them. God with those who fear Him (103:13, 17). Therefore, we must abide in God's presence by despising those who despise God and by honoring those who fear God.
The eighth commandment is to keep his vow.
Look at Psalms 15:4 – “…who keeps his oath even when it hurts.” God is pleased with those who practice what he has determined before Him (Park). Here, the vow is the vow of God's truth and goodness. This is what Ecclesiastes 5:5 says, “When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools Pay what you vow!” Therefore, we shouldn’t make a vow recklessly. If we made the vow, we must keep it. Then we can abide in God's presence.
The ninth commandment is not to put out his money at interest.
Look at Psalms 15:5 – “He does not put out his money at interest ….” One of the old Jewish laws forbids the farmers not to take interest of any kind from the poor because it was one of the act of pity for the poor (Lev. 25:35-38). So the Hebrew law didn’t allow for money to be lend with interest to the fellow Hebrews. Its purpose was to reduce the suffering of the poor. Those who ignore this law knew only money (Park). Therefore, in order to abide in God's presence, we must not put out our money at interest for loving our neighbors.
The tenth and last commandment is not taking a bribe against the innocent.
Look at Psalms 15:5 – “… Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent ….” The Bible commands us: “You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just.” In order to abide in God’s presence, we must not take the bribe against the innocent.
Look at Psalms 15:5 – “… He who does these things will never be shaken.” This is God's promise that those who faithfully obey the Ten Commandments to abide in God's presence will not be shaken forever. By faithfully following the Ten Commandments above, I pray that our lives of faith will stand firmly without being shaken so that we may abide in the presence of God forever.
Desiring to abide in God’s presence,
James Kim
(Praying for standing firmly on the rock of faith)