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"Who shall dwell on your holy hill?"

~ Psalm 15:1b

 

Setting the stage for this reflection from Ephesians 2:1-3,12:

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience -- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind....remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world."

Limiting myself to only this truth about my (and your) condition as a man, this psalm is a MAJOR discouragement! David asks, "Who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?" (v.1) Knowing my own heart and reading such confirmation of the reality of my heart from this Ephesians passage, I know it is not ME! I believe David also knew it was not him.

Adam and Eve lived on a holy hill in the Garden of Eden, in the tent of God's presence but could not maintain "walk[ing] blamelessly and [doing] what is right". (v.2) Mankind attempted to build a holy hill (Tower of Babel; Gen. 11) as a tent/temple to access and dwell with God but could not. The Exodus Israelites were brought by God to a holy hill (Mt. Sinai) where God's presence came down and dwelt, but they could not ascend the hill and dwell with him. (Exodus 19:12,23-24) God provided a gracious temporary mediating means for them to be made holy in the sacrificial system (Leviticus 1-9) and yet only the High Priest once a year could enter into the Holy of Holies in God's tent, the Tabernacle (Exodus 26,40). Later on, Solomon built the Temple (1 Kings 6-8) on a holy hill (Mt. Moriah(Gen.22:1-2)/Mt. Zion) were the same system of sacrifices granted a holiness allowing entry into God's tent on God's holy hill.

The answer that God gives through David in verses 2-5 about "Who" cannot be attained by any mere man. Reaching back to Psalm 2:6, "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.", it is clear that this psalm is NOT prompting us to seek, nor indicating that we can obtain, a works-righteousness to gain access and dwelling with God in his tent on his holy hill. The answer to the question "Who" is none other the Jesus Christ himself, the Son of God, the King. He was the final (and perfect) sacrifice offered on Golgotha (Mt. Moriah/Mt. Zion), God's holy hill. He is the one who fully, completely and perfectly meets the description in this psalm. David did not know him by name as we do, but he knew there was one to come who would meet this description.

Jesus did not take his blood into the temple built by human hands but instead entered the heavenly temple (of which all these earthly things have been copies/shadows of) to make atonement "once for all...securing an eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9). And more than that, Jesus himself has become the temple (John 2:18-22); the mediating means by which we can draw near to God...no longer strangers and aliens separated and without hope. All those who are now, by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8), positionally in Christ, meet the description of verses 2-5 by his imputed righteousness. This truth is what makes it so that we "shall never be moved." (v.5b) We can, and must, then seek to practically become what is described here through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in obedience to God's commands.; because of what Christ has already done for us.

With all this truth added to the truth I started with, this psalm becomes a MAJOR encouragement! Be encouraged this day my fellow believer, because of your Savior Jesus Christ!