Psalm 27: A Short Shopping List

 

I recently wrote a blog post on the beatitude found in Matthew 5:6,

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

                                                                     for they will be filled."

 

In that post, I tied kingdom justice to kingdom righteousness. The impact we have on the world has a lot to do with that for which we genuinely hunger. Jesus suggests that the true disciple is hungry for “righteousness”, but what is that? It is not the legalism of the Pharisee that draws many boundaries not in an effort to draw near to God in love, but actually in looking for what it can get away with. Pharisaic righteousness defines what things are God's and what things are ours. The righteousness the disciple seeks is greater than that, for it is not so much a behavioral standard to which we attempt to adhere, as it is a loving relationship to which we respond. The true disciple's hunger, their one controlling desire, their burning passion, is to be pleasing to and in the presence of their loving Savior and King. The cry of the psalmist continues to echo through the millennia, from caves and cathedrals, camp meetings, and church services...

 

One thing have I asked of the Lord,

            that will I seek after:

                 that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

                                     all the days of my life,

               to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

        and to inquire              in his temple.

  For he will hide me in his shelter

                                 in the day of trouble;

        he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

        he will lift   me high upon a rock…

You have said, “Seek my face.”

My heart says to you,

                               “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” (Psalm 27:4-5, 8)

 

This passage speaks not so much about living in a cool building 24/7 as it does about desiring the abiding presence of God in their life. From this relational center, flows a fountain of divine compassion and advocacy that brings the disciple alongside those who bear the burden of a fallen world’s injustice to bring healing. Ezekiel used just such imagery in prophetically describing the effects of kingdom righteousness (47:1-12).

 

One thing I have noticed is that if we relationally seek the presence of God then not only will we find him, but he will begin to rub off on us. His desires will become our desires, and his way of working will become more our way of working. So what is it that God wants; what is it he seeks? In Isaiah 5:1-7 the Lord goes looking in his vineyard (Israel/Judah) for “good fruit” (justice/righteousness) but only found a riotous outcry and bloodshed. If our desire is to live consciously in the presence of God then we will long to see the justice of grace at work in the world. If we want to be with the self-giving, self-humbling, Trinitarian God, then we will become more meek and more committed to advocating for the glory and honor of others than we are about seeking our own.

 

Psalm 27 is partly a psalm of confidence (in the Lord) and partly a personal lament (prayer request). When seeking the Lord is our priority then we can be confident no matter what army we face because we will have seen the faithfulness of the Lord at work in our lives. If we choose to abide in Christ, in his love, and his words abide in us (John 15:1-17) then Jesus says to us,

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (John 15:16)

Isn’t this the answer to the psalmist’s prayer? Doesn’t it bring us to the same exclamation that we will observe the work of God in the world and give us the confident determination to wait for it and be part of it?

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:13-14)

 

 Will you join me?
 

Psalm 15 "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service?"

Psalm 15:1-2

O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
    Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
    and speaks truth in his heart... 

Comments: I always call this “A psalm of Integrity”. Here the psalmist gives voice to the cry of God-seeking—but imperfect—people throughout history, “What do we need to do to live in God's presence?” or, to put it in New Testament terms, “…to be saved?" David gives a detailed list of that kind of person who can approach and be comfortable in a relationship with God. What a practical list of attributes and attitudes this psalm provides! 

As I would sum it up, the person who can dwell in the presence of God:

•        Walks blamelessly
•        Does what is right every time
•        Speaks the truth in his heart (he doesn’t even lie to himself)
•        Doesn’t slander with his tongue
•        Does no evil to his neighbor,
•        Doesn’t betray his friends
•        Doesn’t look up to vile people
•        He honors those who honor the Lord;
•        Keeps his promises even when it hurts
•        Doesn’t charge interest when helping others (not about what he gets out of it)
•        Won’t lie, even when he needs the money (never profit over people).

There is just one problem—we don’t add up, neither did David…and he knew it. It was clear to David that his integrity depended on the lovingkindness of the Lord.

So what do we do in that moment of honesty, when we see God as he really is, and ourselves as we really are and feel suddenly under-dressed and disqualified? Such moments come rarely for those who in their pride and self-sufficiency sense no need. For others, feelings of unworthiness and the dirty rags of disgrace are the uniforms of their daily lives.

The person this psalm describes as having integrity in all areas of their life is a great example for us, but thankfully we don't have to "earn it" ourselves. We can’t presume to approach God in unrepentant sin. When you go to a wedding you wear wedding clothes (Matthew 22:11-12). Our sin must be dealt with, and our nakedness must be covered. Before the King, there can be no excuses, no explanation, and no argument. What we must do—while it is still today—is admit that we need “a wedding garment” befitting the invitation we have received and to trust Jesus to provide what we need.

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
    my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
    he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)

For us, as Christians, we are made worthy in Christ, not in our own efforts. Yet, if Jesus lives in us we will become more like him in our behavior as well. He came to serve, and such love transforms our hearts. It is Jesus' integrity that covers us, delivers us, gives us victory and enables us to dwell in the presence of a holy God as one who belongs there. 

We can’t hope to stand before the Lord in any kind of self-righteousness, but like the tax collector in Luke 18:9-15 who cried out, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' and went home justified. In putting his faith in the mercy of God, his righteousness exceeded that of the Pharisees. What about now? Do we have faith in Jesus' integrity on our behalf?

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Peter 2:3-4)

He gives us not only the needed shirt and shoes but all that we need for life and godliness…his very nature!