Psalm 15:3-5

Psalm 15:3-5

“He hath not slandered by his tongue, He hath not done to his friend evil;
And reproach he hath not lifted up Against his neighbour.^a
Despised in his eyes is a rejected one, And those fearing Jehovah he doth honour.
He hath sworn to suffer evil, and changeth not;^b
His silver he hath not given in usury, And a bribe against the innocent Hath not taken;
Whoso is doing these is not moved to the age!^c”

A) Verse 3 of this psalm shows a principle that Jesus taught regarding our thoughts and our actions. The verse is broken up into three parts, the first two of which deal with our thoughts and actions. Jesus told those around him that even if we think anything slanderous, hateful  thoughts towards our neighbor, we might as well have committed murder. (Matthew 5:21-22) When the psalmist says, “He hath not slandered by his tongue”, this is showing that as a Christian, a righteous man or woman of God, he has nothing on the tip of his tongue that is derogatory or evil inside of him. Often when we have suddenly forgotten the answer to a question a common phrase we use is, “It’s on the tip of my tongue.” If we have slander on the tip of our tongues, even if the thought of slander is not there but the feeling of it, the emotion of something negative towards your brother is consuming you even though you can’t pin it down, that’s still sin. We are to be free from all malicious thought and any accusations against our brothers. The Apostle John reminds his readers the same thing that Christ said; he also reminds them that the love we are to be clothed in is a self-sacrificing love. (1 John 3:15-16) Let our feelings, thoughts and actions be not on belittling those around us, but on how we can serve each other in thought and deed. Resist Satan, and he will flee, for we are not called to be anywhere near the evil of this world. (James 4:7) So let nothing but the Spirit itself dwell in us, may we submit to Him and let him do what He wills in us. (John 14:23)

B) This verse has two ways of being interpreted. One way is to say that the man of God holds in contempt those whose actions are wicked, while still being able to be free from the presence of evil thoughts or words. The second way is that the Christian is to find himself rejected and worthless in his own eyes. Both are great ways to read this verse. The first way of interpreting the verse we see a very godly man who is able to rightly judge his brothers, yet has an undying love for them. He sees their actions and knows the wicked things that they have done, yet he can only think of how he can build them back up. He holds them in contempt, at a distance, not because he views himself as more, lest he sin, but a distance so that he does not fall into the same snare. This idea is echoed in Paul’s writing in Galatians when trying to restore a fallen brother in Christ. (Galatians 6:1)

The second way of reading this verse actually comes from a translated version by Aben Ezra, “He is mean and contemptible in his own eyes” which is also a valid translation from the original, “ נבזה בעיניו נמאס, nibzeh beeynaiv nimas”. I don’t know which I like more because I stumble continually with trying to separate the sin and the sinner, and yet there is something so glorious and redemptive in the second way this verse is interpreted. We are to never put ourselves on a high pedestal, or think anything great of ourselves. We are to serve each other, and view ourselves as nothing. (1 Corinthians 10:24) Just as Christ came to wash our feet and save us from our sins, we are to have the same attitudes towards our brothers. As Christ humbled himself, and by taking on the form of man, not grasping at the being of God and took on our form, there shines something beautiful in that. (Philipians 2:6-8) How can someone so holy, so perfect in every way become lower just to serve, just to save us while we were sinning against Him? (Romans 5:8) This is the God we serve, we serve a God who has given himself to us, saved us and given His Word to use, so that all who believe in Him are saved. (2 Corinthians 11:4)

When was the last time that you lowered yourself, humbled yourself not to those who are close to you, but to those who despise you? Sinners show love to those who love them, so shouldn’t we do more? (Luke 6:32) If Christ showed the standard for living on Earth, and His whole time He spent humbling himself, putting those who had no right to be near the living God ahead of him, why are we not doing the same? Christians often use the term, “taking up the cross” as an expression about dying to ourselves, but I do not see many dead men or women around me. I don’t see people who gasp for breath, who are begging for a drink of water or a piece of bread, I see people who are healthy and do not have any thirst or hunger. Do I see a generation of dead men and women as we are called to be? I am the first to admit as I look in the mirror I do not see a dying man, and for that God convicts me. But let this be a note to anyone who reads this, if you look in the mirror and see an emaciated man, do y0u not also see the light of Christ in shinning through your life?

C) The last verse in Psalm 15, ties everything together. We have a man who does not take advantage of those who are innocent, for he is ultimately a man who fears the Lord. This whole psalm is also to point out that these things are only accomplished by those who fear God. These are the standards and the rules that he has given us that we need to keep. We are to abide in Him daily, and have the Holy Spirit convict us of the truths that He has already spoken. (John 14:26) When a Christian neglects these truths, he is not abiding close to Christ, and the fear of the Lord is not in his eyes. (Romans 3:18) I think that is important to look around and see anyone else that isn’t living up to this psalm. When we see a brother or sister in Christ who is not abiding in Christ, we are to restore them and pray for them. (Galatians 6:1) Let us not forget though, that it is a sin if we know we are to be praying for someone and fail to do so. (1 Samuel 12:23) Restore and pray for those who are shaken, help them see the truths of God and the love He has shown us. Be certain that you don’t have a log in your eye before you go to your friend with the speck, but be prayerful of those who you can help.

The psalmist ends with a promise, a guarantee that Christ gives to his followers. Those who keep God’s commandments and abide in Christ are on solid foundation that is unshakeable. When we start studying the Word, we find more about God and see more of what He has done for us. Too many people neglect to study the Bible, and are seeking experiences only. This is one of the most dangerous things possible because your foundation is going to be based on moment to moment feelings rather than everlasting truth. This is why we study God’s word so that we may pour more concrete on our foundation. Knowing who God is and what He has done for us is the concrete that we build our lives on.