— A brief exposition of Psalm 15 —
“He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour,” verse 3.
In verse 3, the Psalmist returns to highlighting that which is not found in the character of those who shall abide in the tabernacle of the Lord or who shall dwell in His holy hill.
I. THE CHARACTER OF THE CHRISTIAN IS AS COMPLEX AND AS ELABORATE AS IS THE GLORIOUS NATURE OF GOD.
That is because the true Christian, upon his regeneration, has become a ‘partaker’ of the nature of God. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust,” 2 Peter 1:3-4.
Being a’ partaker of the divine nature’ is not to be understood as the Christian being ‘deified’! This is impossible, of course. The nature, perfections, and glory of God, are incommunicable to creatures. Rather, it means that by way of resemblance and likeness, we partake of the divine nature. The new man, being formed in the heart in regeneration, takes on the image of God, and bears a likeness to the image of his Son. It is the beginning of a gracious process by which the image and likeness of believers is more and more changed, from glory to glory, through the application of the Gospel, and the promises of it. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord,” 2 Corinthians 3:18.
John speaks of that final transformation in 1 John 3:2. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
This Psalm therefore sets out the important features of one ‘born again’ from above.
II. GOSPEL HOLINESS IS SEEN IN A BELIEVER’S BEHAVIOUR TOWARD HIS NEIGHBOUR.
The term ‘neighbour’ appears twice in this verse three though all three statements within the verse relate to the believer’s attitude toward his neighbour. Both words which appear as ‘neighbour’, though different in the Hebrew, refer to those close by.
1. He backbiteth not with his tongue. It is usually with the teeth that we bite! But how hurtful and wounding can be the tongue. ‘Backbiting’ is a much more serious sin than many imagine! The word ‘backbiteth’ comes from a Hebrew root signifying foot. It most surely indicates a person who ‘foots it’, goes from one house to another, spreading ill reports. (more…)
