The Lodestar

In the Old Testament, priests stood at the door of the Tabernacle and later at the Temple to check if a person was qualified to enter the worship place. For example, priests should examine skin diseases and determine whether a person is clean or unclean enough to enter the worship place (Lev 13:1—59). If found unclean, that person must wait till he is healed and re-examined before entering. The Law listed physical conditions that prohibited a person from entering the presence of the Lord. Some are evident to others, and some, like bodily emissions, are known only to the person. So, there was a self-checklist to decide whether a person could worship at the shrine.

However, the priest had no control over the worshipper's morality. Psalm 15 complements the Old Testament Law codes—the moral conditions to enter the presence of the Lord. It all has to do with the worshippers' personal integrity and social relationships.

The first condition is pure and holy talk. “He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks 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” (Psa 15:2—3).

Prophet Zechariah commanded the people of Israel that God requires them to speak the truth. “These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace” (Zech 8:16). Followers of Christ have no excuse. As Paul exhorted, “Having put away falsehood, let each of you speak the truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another” (Eph 4:25).

The second requirement concerns the proper use of the tongue. It should never be used to hurt others. The Bible commands, "You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbour: I am the LORD” (Lev 19:16).

Third, it concerns social relationships, rejecting evil and associating with righteousness. Those who want to be in the presence of the Lord should justify the evil in society but uphold righteousness. They should disdain the “vile person” and honour the godly persons (Psalm 15:4).

Fourth is integrity. The people who desire the presence of the Lord should not change their words but stick to what they say, even if it hurts them.

The final one concerns the proper use of money. Lending money was the most usual form of extortion. “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him” (Exod 22:25). This prohibition has nothing to do with investments expecting returns. Read against the backdrop of ancient economic conditions, it prohibits exploiting those who are financially weak.

The Bible, through its strict laws, taught that the presence of God should not be taken casually. Holiness is personal and social. Otherwise, how we relate to God and to other members of our society matters as we seek God's presence.

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