Friday, July 1, 2016

Who May Dwell in the Tabernacle? – Psalm 15:1



“LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?  Who may dwell in Your holy hill?”

David asked these questions and used the remainder of this psalm to list the qualifications of those who will dwell with the Lord.  

“He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart;
He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the LORD; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.”
(Psalm 15:2-5a)

God is consistent in His scripture, whether it be Old or New Testament.  He repeatedly shares His desire to be with His people.  God is not secretive about how to dwell with Him.  This question of David’s is one that we should consider frequently, and help others consider.  In the New Testament, God shows us that He wants us with Him in His tabernacle.

“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people.  God Himself will be with them and be their God.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor pain, for the former things have passed away.”  (Revelation 21:2-4)

‘And He will dwell with them!’  I cannot wait!  I want to be with our Righteous and Holy God.  Shortly after this passage, scripture then describes who will and who will not dwell in this tabernacle with God.

“He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.  But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”           (Revelation 21:7-8)

Do you want to dwell forever with our Holy God in His tabernacle?  Then you must be an ‘overcomer.’  Yet no person can overcome this world on his own power.  “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:7)  If you have not already surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, do not waste another minute.  Believe and receive Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as your Savior and you will be with Him for eternity.  You will be an ‘overcomer.’  

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.  And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5)

May you grow in the grace and knowledge and overcoming victory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

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