Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/spurgeon/ps15.1

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        SUBJECT, &c.--This Psalm of David bears no dedicatory
title at all indicative of the occasion upon which it was
written, but it is exceedingly probable that, together with the
twenty-fourth Psalm, to which it bears a striking resemblance,
its composition was in some way connected with the removal of the
ark to the holy hill of Zion. Who should attend upon the ark was
a matter of no small consequence, for because unauthorised
persons had intruded into the office, David was unable on the
first occasion to complete his purpose of bringing the ark to
Zion. On the second attempt he is more careful, not only to allot
the work of carrying the ark to the divinely appointed Levites
(#1Ch 15:2|), but also to leave it in charge of the man whose
house the Lord had blessed, even Obededom, who, with his many
sons, ministered in the house of the Lord. (#1Ch 26:8,12|.)
Spiritually we have here a description of the man who is a child
at home in the Church of God on earth, and who will dwell in the
house of the Lord for ever above. He is primarily Jesus, the
perfect man, and in him all who through grace are conformed to
his image.

        DIVISION.--The first verse asks the question; the rest of
the verses answer it. We will call the Psalm _THE QUESTION AND
ANSWER_.

                           EXPOSITION.

        THE QUESTION. _Jehovah_. Thou high and holy One, who
shall be permitted to have fellowship with thee? The heavens are
not pure in thy sight, and thou chargedst thine angels with
folly, who then of mortal mould shall dwell with thee, thou dread
consuming fire? A sense of the glory of the Lord and of the
holiness which becomes his house, his service, and his
attendants, excites the humble mind to ask the solemn question
before us. Where angels bow with veiled faces, how shall man be
able to worship at all? The unthinking many imagine it to be a
very easy matter to approach the Most High, and when professedly
engaged in his worship they have no questionings of heart as to
their fitness for it; but truly humbled souls often shrink under
a sense of utter unworthiness, and would not dare to approach the
throne of the God of holiness if it were not for him, our Lord,
our Advocate, who can abide in the heavenly temple, because his
righteousness endureth for ever. "_Who shall abide in thy
tabernacle_?" Who shall be admitted to be one of the household of
God, to sojourn under his roof and enjoy communion with himself?
"_Who shall dwell in thy holy hill_?" Who shall be a citizen of
Zion, and an inhabitant of the heavenly Jerusalem? The question
is raised, because it is a question. All men have not this
privilege, nay, even among professors there are aliens from the
commonwealth, who have no secret intercourse with God. On the
grounds of law no mere man can dwell with God, for there is not
one upon earth who answers to the just requirements mentioned in
the succeeding verses. The questions in the text are asked of the
_Lord_, as if none but the Infinite Mind could answer them so as
to satisfy the unquiet conscience. We must know from the Lord of
the tabernacle what are the qualifications for his service, and
when we have been taught of him, we shall clearly see that only
our spotless Lord Jesus, and those who are conformed unto his
image, can ever stand with acceptance before the Majesty on high.

        Impertinent curiosity frequently desires to know who and
how many shall be saved; if those who thus ask the question, "Who
shall dwell in thy holy hill?" would make it a soul-searching
enquiry in reference to themselves they would act much more
wisely. Members of the visible church, which is God's tabernacle
of worship, and hill of eminence, should diligently see to it,
that they have the preparation of heart which fits them to be
inmates of the house of God. Without the wedding-dress of
righteousness in Christ Jesus, we have no right to sit at the
banquet of communion. Without uprightness of walk we are not fit
for the imperfect church on earth. and certainly we must not hope
to enter the perfect church above.

              EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

        Verse 1.--"_Lord, who shall abide in thy
tabernacle_?"--In that the church of Christ upon earth is a
"_tabernacle_," we may note, that neither the church itself nor
the members of it, have any fixed or firm seat of habitation in
this world: "Arise, depart, for this is not your rest." #Mic
2:10|. "Here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to
come." #Heb 13:14|. God's tabernacle, being a movable temple,
wandered up and down, sometimes in the desert, sometimes in
Shiloh, sometimes among the Philistines, sometimes in
Kirjathjearim, and never found any settled place till it was
translated into the mountain of God: even so the church of God
wandereth as a straggler and a stranger in the wilderness of this
world, being destitute, tormented, and afflicted on every side,
persecuted from this city to that, and never enjoying any
constant habitation of sound and sure rest until it be translated
unto "_God's holy hill_." The verb _gûwr_ <01481> (as the learned
in Hebrew note) signifying to dwell as a stranger, or a
sojourner, imports that a citizen of heaven is a pilgrim on earth
... In that the church is a _tabernacle_, we may see that it is
not a fort, compassed about with any strong walls, armed with any
human forces; and yet such as keep within her are defended from
heat of sun, and hurt of storms. Her strength is not here, but
from above, for Christ her Head is in all her troubles a present
help, a refuge against the tempest, a shadow against the heat.
#Isa 25:4|. The church on earth is indeed a _tabernacle_, but it
is _God's_ tabernacle, wherein he dwelleth as in his house;
"Lord, who shall abide in _thy_ tabernacle?" for to this end the
Lord commanded the tabernacle to be made, that he might dwell
among them; and again, whereas he promised by Moses to set his
tabernacle among them the blessed apostle construeth it of his
dwelling among them. #2Co 6:16|. "You are," saith he, "the temple
of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and
walk in them." To the same purpose, God is said elsewhere to
dwell in Sion, and to walk in the midst of the seven golden
candlesticks, that is, in the midst of the seven churches in the
midst of his city (#Ps 46:5|), in the midst of his people. #Isa
12:6|.--John Boys, D.D., Dean of Canterbury, 1571-1625.

        Verse 1.--"_Lord, who shall abide_," etc. If David, a man
endued with an excellent and divine spirit, one in whom singular
wisdom, rare knowledge, and deep understanding of hidden secrets
appeared, who being taught of God in heavenly things, far
surpassed and exceeded in wisdom all his teachers and
counsellors, did notwithstanding desire to know the sheep from
the goats, the good from the bad, the saints from the hypocrites,
the true worshippers of God from dissemblers, the true
inhabitants of the holy tabernacle from the intruders of the
wicked, lest therein he should be deceived; how great cause have
we, in whom neither the like spirit, neither such wisdom, nor
equal knowledge, nor comparable understanding, by many degrees
appeareth to fear our own weakness, to doubt of our own
judgments, to confess our own infirmity, and to suspect the
subtle sleights and coloured pretences of men: and for further
knowledge in hidden, deep, and secret things, with David to
demand and ask this question, "Lord, who shall abide in thy
tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?" ... Where David
saith, "Who shall abide in thy holy hill?" he giveth us to
understand that there is no true and sound rest but in the _holy
hill of the Lord_, which is the church. Then the wicked and
ungodly which are not of God's house, of his _holy hill_, of the
church, have no quiet, rest, nor sound peace; but they are in
continual perplexity, continual torment, continual disquietness
of their minds.--Richard Turnbull, 1606.

        Verse 1.--"_Abide in thy tabernacle_," etc.--The
worshippers in the outer court only will get their eternal abode
without among the dogs, sorcerers, etc.; but they that shall be
inhabitants of heaven, come further in, even unto the tabernacle
itself: their souls are fed at his table, they find the smell of
his garments as of myrrh, aloes, and cassia; and if they miss it
at any time, it is the grief of their souls, and they are never
at rest till they recover it again.--^Thomas Boston.

        Verse 1.--"_Who shall dwell_," etc.

        "Now, who is he? Say, if ye can,
        Who _so_ shall gain the firm abode?
        Pilate shall say, 'Behold the Man!'
        And John, 'Behold the Lamb of God!'"

^John Barclay, quoted by A. A. Bonar, in loc.

        Verse 1.--"_Holy Hill_."--Heaven is aptly compared to a
hill, hell to a hole. Now who shall ascend unto this holy mount?
None but those whom this mount comes down unto, that have sweet
communion with God in this life present, whose conversation is in
heaven, though their commoration be for awhile upon earth, who do
here eat, and drink, and sleep, eternal life.--^John Trapp.

        Verses 1,2.--The disguising and counterfeiting of
hypocrites in all ages, occasioned haply this query: for, as Paul
speaks, "all are not Israel that are of Israel," a great many
living in the church are not of the church, according to that of
the doctors upon this place, _multi sunt corpore qui non sunt
fide, multi nomine qui non sunt nomine_. Wherefore David, here
perceiving that sundry people were shuffled into God's tabernacle
like goats among the sheep, and tares among the corn, being Jews
outwardly, but not inwardly, deceiving others often, and
sometimes themselves also, with a bare profession of religion,
and false opinion of true piety, cometh unto God (as to the
searcher and trier of the hearts of men, acquainted with all
secrets, and best understanding who are his own), saying unto
him, O Lord, forsomuch as there is so much unsoundness and
hypocrisy reigning among those that dwell in thy tabernacle,
professing thy word, and frequenting the places of thy worship
beseech thee most humbly, to declare to thy people some tokens
and cognizances by which a true subject of thy kingdom may be
discerned from the children of this world. Here then, observe,
that an external profession of faith, and outward communion with
the church of God, is not sufficient unto salvation, unless we
lead an incorrupt life correspondent to the same, doing the thing
which is right, and speaking the truth in our heart. And,
therefore, the silly Papist is exceedingly deceived in relying so
much upon the church's outside, to wit upon the succession of
Roman bishops, upon the multitudes of Roman Catholics, upon the
power and pomp of the Roman synagogue, crying as the Jews in old
time, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord," our
church is the temple of the Lord. The carnal and careless
gospeller is deceived also, placing all his religion in the
formal observation of outward service, for a mere verbal
Christian is a real atheist, according to that of Paul (#Tit
1:16|), "In word they profess that they know God, but in their
works they deny him;" and so many who seem to sojourn in God's
tabernacle for a time, shall never rest upon his "_holy hill_;"
and this assertion is expressly confirmed by Christ himself: "Not
every one (saith he) that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my
father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have
cast out devils? and in thy name have done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from
me ye that work iniquity." #Mt 7:21-23|. Consider this, all ye
which are Christians in lip only, but not in life, making a mask
of religion, or rather a very vizard, with eyes, and mouth, and
nose, fairly painted and proportioned to all pretences and
purposes. O think on this, all ye that forget God, he that
dwelleth on high, and beholds the things here below, suffers none
_to rest upon the mountain of his holiness_ but such as _walk
uprightly, doing that which is just, and speaking that which is
true_.--John Boys.

                       HINTS TO PREACHERS.

        Verse 1.--Qualifications for church membership on earth
and in heaven. A subject for self-examination.

        Verse 1.--I. _Comparison of the church to the
tabernacle_. God's presence manifested, sacrifice offered, and
vessels of grace preserved in it; mean externally, glorious
within. II. _Comparison of its double position to that of the
tabernacle_. Moving in the wilderness, and fixed on the hill.
III. Enquire into qualifications for admittance into church and
tabernacle. Parallel with the priests, etc.

        Verse 1.--The great question. Asked by idle curiosity,
despair, godly fear, earnest enquirer, soul troubled by falls of
others, holy faith. Give answer to each.

        Verse 1.--The citizen of Zion described.--^Thomas
Boston's Sermons.

        Verse 1.--Anxiety to know the true saints, how far lawful
and profitable.

        Verse 1.--God the only infallible discerner of true
saints.