|
| | Psalm
15:4a
The
following is a Bible study posted on our Bible Study Group.
Happy Thursday, everyone!
The further I get into my study of Psalm 15, the more convinced I am that only
Jesus Christ, the perfect God-man, could ever live up to all the characteristics
listed in this Psalm. However, the Bible reminds me that "I can do
all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:13). How
comforting it is to know He lives within me!
Today we're going to study the first of two characteristics listed in Psalm
15:4, how to look at good people and evil people. Next week we're going to
discuss keeping promises.
----------
In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear
the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
Psalm 15:4 (KJV)
----------
I had some trouble with the first part of this verse ("In whose eyes a vile
person is contemned.") until I talked it over with my husband. I
started working on this Bible study at my husband's computer, so I only had
access to my well-worn copy of the King James Bible. At first glance, I
figured that "contemned" was just an old way to spell
"condemned." I reasoned that we need to see all vile people as
condemned by God and deserving of His punishment.
However, being a good little girl, I pulled my dictionary off the shelf and
looked it up. In reality, I found that "contemned" means to view
with contempt or to despise. So I learned that this verse is really saying
that in our eyes, vile people are to be viewed with contempt or despised.
What?!
As a good Baptist, I have been taught that we are to love our enemies, bless
them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them which
despitefully use us (Matthew 5:44). This verse seemed to be contradicting
those truths.
That's when my husband came to my rescue (see 1 Corinthians 14:35). He
reminded me that we're studying a verse from the Old Testament, and that we need
to remember that Christ had not yet come into the world. Christ changes
everything!
I love the story that author Gary Ezzo tells about his little daughter's worn
out rag doll. His daughter would carry her little doll lovingly to her
father and ask her father to hold the baby doll for her for a few minutes. Mr.
Ezzo would look at that little doll and wonder why he was holding such a rag-tag
toy so carefully. What worth could it possibly have? Yet he realized
that in his little daughter's eyes, that doll was very precious. In the same
way, vile sinners might have no worth in our eyes, yet to our heavenly Father,
they are precious enough that He sent His dear Son Jesus to die for their sins
on the cross. Therefore, others should be precious to us as well, whether
or not we can see their worth.
I have a friend whose husband has been cheating on her for eight years. They
have four children, but he has five additional children by other women. He
is an alcoholic and a drug addict, and when he is using these substances, he is
abusive and violent to my friend and her children. As a new believer, how
should she view this man, her husband?
Well, Psalm 15:4 is correct when it says that in her eyes, he is to be
contemned, despised and viewed with contempt. He has sinned greatly, and
God never views sin lightly. If in the Old Testament people died for the
sin of complaining, how much more must God despise the violent deeds of this
husband? We also are to love what God loves and hate what God hates.
Sin is sin, and we must be careful to always call it
by its proper name. It is easy, in our society, to become lax in our
attitude of sin. And in the same way, as our verse says, we are to honor
those that fear the Lord. As mothers and fathers, it is our solemn
responsibility to teach our children to despise the vileness of sin and to
esteem the glories of righteous living.
However, because of Christ and His sacrifice for these vile sinners, there must
be a difference between our view of people and our actions toward them. This
young mom is right to despise the wickedness of her husband and even to protect
her young children from him. However, she also bears the great
responsibility of seeking reconciliation with him by praying that he will be
saved and will repent of his sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18 says that God
"hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the
ministry of reconciliation."
Reconciliation is never easy. In fact, I can think of nothing harder!
Isn' t it wonderful that the verse before says, "Therefore if any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all
things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17)?
So we have two goals to hold in front of us:
(1) To view sin and sinners with the same contempt that God has for
sin, and to hold the righteous person up in great respect and honor.
(2) To treat sinners with the same love and preciousness that God
has, because of Christ, even when we don't feel like it.
You know what? I've gabbed enough for one day! Why don't we look at
the second half of Psalm 15:4 next week?
If you would
like to participate in our current study, click
here to join.
Next - Psalm
15:4 (Part 2)
Home
|
