Read Psalm 15 first: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+15&version=NIV
Who may sit on your holy mountain? Who can be in your tent?
Well scripturally- Moses goes to Mt Sinai. Jesus takes Peter James and John to the Mount of Transfiguration where Moses and Elijah are also there. The high priest goes in the tabernacle once a year in the desert. The high priest went once a year to the temple mount in Jerusalem. So one answer is not very many people. But then I think of the opening to the book of John. “God came and made his dwelling among us” some have said it’s better translated as God came and made his tent among us.
Jesus changes the game- who did he sit with? Women, adulterers, the sick, children, the poor, the tax collectors, even the pharisees, and his betrayers. Many of these people though- he changes as we saw in our reading of Mark. The sick are healed. The children and women who were pushed aside are given special honor. The tax collector returns the money he took away and then some.
Speaking of Jesus the rest I think describes him:
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.
Does Jesus despise a vile person? Maybe, yet we’re all pretty vile. Keeps an oath and doesn’t change their mind is a tough one. Speaks truth yes- and yet does no wrong and speaks no wrong. Lending money without interest also an amazing thought- rare! No expectation of making money off the poor. These are all things to aspire too. I think the speaking the truth without saying wrong about our neighbor is the one I need to work on. I avoid conflict typically. So to speak the truth even if it’s not positive is a necessary thing for me to do but how to do it with love and know when it needs to be said is important.
What aspect of this chapter challenges you that you want to work on?
But more importantly be thankful we have a God who makes his dwelling with us. He comes down the mountain to lift us up to him!
Marking It Up 