Who Is Qualified to Worship?

Who is Qualified to Worship?

Twentieth after Trinity

October 18, 2015

Psalm 15. Domine, quis habitabit?

1 LORD, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? or who shall rest upon thy holy hill?

2 Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life, and doeth the thing which is right, and speaketh the truth from his heart.

3 He that hath used no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour, and hath not slandered his neighbour.

4 He that setteth not by himself, but is lowly in his own eyes, and maketh much of them that fear the LORD.

5 He that sweareth unto his neighbour, and disappointeth him not, though it were to his own hindrance.

6 He that hath not given his money upon usury, nor taken reward against the innocent.

7 Whoso doeth these things  shall never fall.

When Groucho Marx received notice he had been elected to the exclusive Friars’ club, he immediately sent a telegram saying, “Please accept my resignation. I don’t want to belong to any club that would accept people like me as a member.”

Do you ever wonder who is qualified to go to be a member of the church and worship God? King David did. He writes about it in Psalm 15.

1. Question

1.1. To understand David’s question, we need to have in mind some things about Old Testament worship. The tabernacle was the Lord’s temporary dwelling place among his people till the temple was built by Solomon. Inside the tabernacle was the ark of the covenant. The tabernacle was the Lord’s tent among the tents of his people, and the ark was his throne.

During the dark days of the judges the tabernacle was placed at Shiloh. When the people were at war with the Philistines, the evil sons of the priest Eli got the idea of ark might have magical powers and took it into battle. The Israelites were routed, and the ark was captured. Eventually the Philistines returned the ark, but it was not placed in the tabernacle.

When David became King and made Jerusalem the capital, he brought the ark to Jerusalem. At that time tabernacle was not in Jerusalem, so David built a second tabernacle for the ark and placed it on Mt. Zion, the future temple site. There priests carried out the rituals of Old Testament worship.

1,2. We can imagine David looking at the tabernacle, watching worshipers going up Mt. Zion and asking, “LORD, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? or who shall rest upon thy holy hill?” The place where David put the tabernacle was holy because the Lord had promised to meet with his people at the tent where sacrifices were offered. David was asking, “Whom do you allow to participate in your worship? What are the qualifications of a worshiper?

David’s question was not just about participation in worship but also about fellowship. Remember the tabernacle was God’s tent. We show hospitality when we invite people into our homes. In the ancient world inviting someone into your tent was an act of friendship. So David was asking, “Lord, whom will you allow to visit with you in our tent, whom will you allow to live on your holy hill? Who is invited into your fellowship?”

It is wise for us to ask, perhaps especially as we come to the Lord’s Table, “Lord who may worship you? Who is invited into your house, the church? Whom do you invite to have communion with you in the bread and wine? With whom do you enter into fellowship?”

2. Answers. David received an answer listing qualifications for worshipers. This list focuses on ethical qualifications, especially in our relations with others.

2.1. Character of the Worshiper.

Leads an uncorrupt life, or “walks blamelessly.” This person’s way of life is blameless. He is a person against whom there are no charges of leading an evil life. But it goes deeper than outward blamelessness; it goes to the heart where there is spiritual soundness and wholehearted devotion to the Lord.

Sometimes we vote for a politician because we believe he is un-corruptible. Then there is an announcement that he is charged with public corruption. He has used his office to enrich himself. It turns out that he has a long history of corruption all the way back to when he took office. His actions and character are corrupt.

Does what is right.  There are questions that represent two ways to treat people - whether it is business deal, or a marriage, or friendship, or someone we just come across. One question is, “What can I get away with?” The other is, “What is the right?” One question considers what is to our advantage; the other what pleases God and shows love to our neighbor.

Speaks truth in his heart. One meaning of the word “true” is what is factually true. But “true” can also mean “trustworthy.” Sometimes people say what is accurate, not because they have a trustworthy character, but because they can’t get away with lying, or because they figure it is more to their advantage to tell the truth than to lie. But a person who is true in his heart tells the truth because he is has integrity. In one case truth telling is a tactic; in the other it is an expression of character.

2.2. Words of the Worshiper.

Does not slander with his tongue, does no evil to his neighbor, and does not take up a reproach against his neighbor. Slanderers and reproachers pay no attention to the command of the law, “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people…” (Lev. 19:16). They are people who like to “go around” checking up on others with the hopes that they will discover something unfavorable. When they find out something, they go around spreading it to others. They delight in finding out, and spreading bad things they discover. They can cloak their motives by saying things like, “I don’t want to gossip, but I think I should tell you something,” or “I share this just so you can pray about it.” The truth is they enjoy spreading derogatory information.

The person who does not do evil to his neighbor does not look for negative information about others, takes no pleasure in finding out negative things, and does not spread negative information unless duty requires it. Love does not uncover and broadcast the sins of others, but “covers all offenses” (Prov. 10:12).

2.3. Loyalties of a Worshiper

Despises a vile man.  Vile people, in the context of Israel’s life, break their covenant with God. They do not trust, love, and serve the Lord, but turn their backs on the Lord and do what they please.

The worshiper despises them. That does not mean he looks on them as the Pharisees looked on sinners - with self-righteous disdain. Rather, the vile are not their heroes. They do not admire and praise them. They do not long to be included in the circles of those who are vile but popular.

Honors Those Who Fear the Lord. Rather they honor those who fear the Lord. Those who fear the Lord are not those who fear as dominated children cringe before their parents. They trust, love, and serve him. They are loyal to the Lord and delight in pleasing him.

The worshiper honors those who fear the Lord.  These are the people they admire and make their heroes. They belong among those who fear the Lord.

2.4. Dealings of the Worshiper.

How does worshiper treat others?

He keeps his promises. He “swears to his own hurt and does not change.” One of the ways to discover our own or another’s person’s integrity is by what we does when we make a promise we finds is going to hurt us. What do you do when you promise your son you will play baseball with him and discover it conflicts with your favorite TV show? When you enter a contract and find out you will lose money? When you vow to love, honor, and cherish but find out the person you married is hard to live with? Worshipers keep their promises even when it hurts.

Does Not Take Advantage of Others. “He does not put out his money to usury” or “charge interest.”

The law did not forbid all charging of interest, but it did forbid charging interest to your brother:

You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest (Deut. 23:20).

A brother might fall on hard times and ask for help (Lev. 25:35-38). You must not take advantage of your brother by charging him interest. You can ask him to repay you when he is able, but don’t add interest. Don’t take advantage of your brother by charging him interest.

Does not take a bribe against the innocent. What can turn you against another person? What would it take to cause you to betray a friend? What would be the price of your bearing false testimony against an innocent person? For some the bribe is monetary; for others a promotion or position; for others acceptance or praise. Can our integrity or friendship, or loyalty be bought? The worshiper on God’s holy hill has integrity and will not betray what is right for his own advantage.

This is the person who is qualified to worship God. He can have fellowship with God. God extends friendship to him. He may sojourn in God’s tent and dwell on God’s holy hill. He will not fall. He will stand. His place is secure.

3. One True Worshiper

But I need to ask a question. Are you that person? Am I? Do you know anyone who is? We should be. But we aren’t.

There is only One who is. That is the Lord Jesus Christ. He lived a life that was perfect. His worship of God was pure. After he made the sacrifice for our sins, he rose from the dead, ascended to the Father, and entered the Holy of Holies in heaven where he sprinkled his shed blood - not for himself but for us.

We can worship God and enjoy his fellowship because, and only because, Christ is the Mediator of our worship. He cleanses us from our sins and clothes us with his righteousness so that we can worship a holy God acceptably. We remember our reliance on the one Mediator every time we come to this Table.

That does not mean we are indifferent to our lives. When we come to the Table we are charged to examine ourselves, to repent of our sins, and to amend our lives. We acknowledge what we should be, grieve that we are not, and seek by God’s grace to become what he wants us to be. But we do not presume to come trusting our own righteousness but trusting in the merits of our Savior.