Daily Readings and Thought for January 6th. “HE WHO WALKS BLAMELESSLY AND DOES … “
David’s chaotic early life after he killed Goliath led him into and through situations which caused him to pen many very meaningful Psalms on his relationship with God. These Psalms are part of the Hymn Book of Israel and they challenged the thinking of all Israelites who sang them – and they challenge all who read (and sing) them today.
David was such a godly man; we must try to get our thinking into ‘tune’ with his ways of thinking for it is clear God guided him into penning these words and then preserved them for our reading and meditation – and some of them we even sing.
Psalm 15 begins with 2 questions. “O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent?” and “Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” In David’s days the LORD dwelt in the ark in a tent; it seems the tabernacle Moses made no longer existed. In his son Solomon’s days’ the ark was placed within the Temple he built on God’s “holy hill.” This was the very spot where Abraham long before, as we shall soon read in Genesis, had been willing to sacrifice Isaac.
Now let us carefully note the answers David gives to those two questions. Those who will “dwell” in the presence of God are “He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks the truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbour, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honours those who fear the LORD” [v.2-4]
This short Psalm concludes in v.5 with the words, “He (or she) who does these things shall never be moved.” That means, they will stand firm when all around are shaking with fear. We specially noted that God looks to those “who speak the truth” in their heart, that is, those who are totally honest with themselves.
The next Psalm (16) shows the extent to which David was granted a vision of ‘the holy one’ who was to be his greater son. But let us not miss the verses in this Psalm in which he acknowledges his own wonderful relationship with God. “I will bless the LORD who gives me counsel in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” [v.7,8] Let us follow David’s example.
