Most people want to live in a just world, a world where everyone gets a fair shake. Unless of course you are one of the corrupt people, and want to hang onto your power, the power you obtained by doing injustice. Then you want things to stay just the way they are, but put on a good show by saying that things must change. In order for things to actually change, the evil power-grabbers would have to give up most of their power, like that is going to happen!
In order for justice on a less global scale to happen, a scale closer to home, we must do four things, according to this psalm. Each is presented in a pair of statements about the character of the person who will be allowed in God’s presence in heaven. Each gives us a good picture of what a Jesus-follower’s walk should look like. Not that a righteous walk gains entrance to heaven; only perfection does that. But since we have accepted Jesus’ payment for our sins, we can now, through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, live a life that pleases the LORD, a life that reflects His character in this world.
The first, (which is really the second, honest communication being the first from verse two and three), is that our judgments would line up with His judgments. We would have the same attitude toward evil behavior that the LORD does. We would reject the actions of the same people the LORD rejects. Those He would label vile, we label vile. We boo at the evil and cheer at the good. We reject the baser actions of people and applaud those who get it right. Too often we spend so much time pointing out the evil that we miss the opportunities to honor those who are doing it right.
The third deals with the way we make decisions and keep our commitments. Too many people back out of their commitments too easily. I love the way the writer speaks of keeping his commitment, He says we need to keep it “even when it hurts.” When it is inconvenient is when we need to keep it. When it is hard to keep our word is when our character gets tested. We need to do what we say. Our walk must match our talk. People are looking at us, wondering if we are people of integrity. We need to keep our promises.
Some people solve this by never making promises, never making any real commitment, always keeping their options open. They say “I’ll think about it.” Or if they want to put a spiritual spin on it they will say “I’ll pray about it.” I’m not saying that everyone who says one of these things is making an excuse, but if they don’t actually think or pray, it is an excuse. Let your “yes” be your “yes.”
The fourth and final practical example of what righteous living looks like deals with money, a delicate subject for most people. The first half of this pair of instructions deals with a rule that was given by the LORD around lending money. When someone made a loan to a poor person, they were to do it without charging any interest. That’s right, 0% loans. In doing so they recognized that their wealth was not theirs, it was the LORD’s, and they had an obligation to help the poor. To charge interest would be a double insult: they can’t afford to pay it, and you don’t need it.
The other side of money has to do with how money corrupts justice. It is not just the bribes that are taken, but the more subtle taxes and exemptions that get added to legislation that favor one group above another. All these laws have the effect of taking money from one group and giving it to another. They are done as favors for past or future actions. They pervert justice.
All these specifics answer the question asked in the first verse of this psalm, who is qualified to enter God’s presence. And since we all fail, we must rely on the LORD’s mercy. We must humbly bow before Him, submitting our past, present and future into His hands. And then live a life that honors Him, that reflects His loving character to the world.
The Arnold Journey 