PRÉCIS ON THE SAINTS OF HONOR: A DAVIDIC PROFILE OF THE TAMIM OF THE LORD

SCRIPTURE. “Lord, who shall dwell [temporarily] in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell [permanently] on Your holy hill? He who walks and lives uprightly and blamelessly, who works rightness and justice and speaks and thinks the truth in his heart, he who does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his friend, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he who honors those who fear the Lord (who revere and worship Him); who swears to his own hurt and does not change; [he who] does not put out his money for interest [to one of his own people] and who will not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.” – PSALM 15:1-5, AMPC

KEY TERM: “UPRIGHT.” ‘Tamim’ [תָּמִים]: From a root word, ‘tamam’ [תָּמַם], “To be ‘complete, clean, upright;’ entirely moral, sincere, perfect; undefiled, without spot or blemish; blamelessness in God’s Way, knowledge and Law; associated with truth, virtue, and righteousness; as with a finished or fulfilled work; entirely [spiritually] circumcised; ethically sound [and unwavering].”

QUOTATION. “‘I am not bound to win but I am bound to be true’ – I am not bound to succeed but I am bound to live up to what light I have – I must stand with anybody that stands right: Stand with him while he is right and part with him when he goes wrong.” ― ABRAHAM LINCOLN, 1854; In M.T. Sheahan,American, 1903–1910

COMMENTARY.  “‘The way to heaven, if we would be happy, we must be holy.’ We are encouraged to walk in that way. – Here is a very serious question concerning the character of a Citizen of Zion. It is the happiness of Glorified Saints, that they dwell in the Holy Hill; they are at Home there, they shall be for ever there. It concerns us to make it sure to ourselves that we have a place among them. A very plain and particular answer is here given.

‘Those who desire to know their Duty’ – Will find the Scripture a very faithful director, and conscience a faithful monitor. A Citizen of Zion is sincere in his Religion. He is really what he professes to be, and endeavours to stand complete in all the will of God. He is just both to God and man; and, in speaking to both, speaks the truth in his heart. He scorns and abhors wrong and fraud; he cannot reckon that a good bargain, nor a saving one, which is made with a lie; and knows that he who wrongs his neighbour will prove, in the end, to have most injured himself. He is very careful to do [unnecessary] hurt to no man. He speaks evil [falsely] of no man, makes not others’ faults the matter of his common talk; he makes the best of every body, and the worst of nobody. If an ill-natured [untruthful] story be told him, he will disprove it if he can; if not, it goes no further. He values men by their virtue and piety. Wicked people are vile people, worthless, and good for nothing; so the Word signifies. He thinks the worse of no man’s piety for his poverty and mean condition. He reckons that serious piety puts honour upon a man, more than wealth, or a great name. He honours such, desires their conversation and an interest in their prayers, is glad to show them respect, or do them a kindness.

‘By [all] this we may judge of ourselves in some measure.’ Even wise and good men may swear to their own hurt: But see how strong the obligation is, a man must rather suffer loss to himself and his family, than wrong his neighbour. He will not increase his estate by extortion, or by bribery. He will not, for any gain, or hope of it to himself, do any thing to hurt a righteous cause. Every true living member of the [true] Church, like the Church itself, is built upon a Rock. He that doeth these things shall not be moved for ever. The grace of God shall always be sufficient for him. The Union of these tempers and this conduct can only spring from Repentance for sin, Faith in the Saviour, and Love to Him. In these respects, let us examine and prove our own selves.” – MATTHEW HENRY, Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, 6 vols., 1708-1710; edited

DK. DR. FRANCIS SCHAEFFER penned his seminal work on Christian history, culture, and philosophy in the form of a Question we must all answer before both God and man: ‘How Should We Then Live?’ (1976). King David’s Psalm answers his question as precisely as any other in the entire Biblical Canon. And Mr. Henry’s superb elucidation of that Psalm is nothing less than brilliant.

So what could I possibly add to these magnificent Words from God? Only this: When I asked the Messiah to take over my life on October 30, 1979, I did so midst an ocean of tears of contrition with only one request of Him:

“Please Lord! Make me a good man; I do not want to be a bad man anymore.”

For me at least, it was the prayer perfect. If flowed from the deepest caverns of rot in my corrupted soul. It was not contrived nor eloquent by any human standard of speech. But, beloved, it was genuine. Which brings me to my FINAL POINT:

‘If’ our hearts are ‘sincerely committed’ to our King, without guile or pretense; and we labor to ‘work out our salvation’ with loving fear and trembling – ‘then’ we are His entirely: Willing to live for Him, to bear fruit for Him, to suffer for Him, and if need be, to lay down our life for Him.

Against which not even the very Gates of Satan’s Hell shall dare to prevail against such a one. Neither in this life, dear friends, nor in the glorious, stunning and incandescent Life to Come! Selah.