Perspective

Occasionally I sit and ponder the Scriptures with a desire to see what they would say to me and they reveal themselves. I am not a theologian nor biblical scholar but I do like to spend time with the Scriptures as often as I can. Early on in my Christian walk I ran into the Navigators and learned a few things from them about digging into the Word.

One of the books printed by NAVPRESS is Historic Creeds by Kenneth Boa. There I found we can come to love God in greater measure through meditation especially when memorization accompanies the practice. The book leads us through topics such as Loving God through His World, His Word and His Works. It also goes into historic titles and instructions for "The Practice of Sacred Reading". I did not know the "how" and "why" I was doing what I did until this book explained it to me. I also did not intend to promote a book on my first blog but it is done and I am happy with having done it.

Having said all that, here is the point. Over the last year I have spent time with Psalm 15. I have committed it to memory and I sit with it thinking about each word and each combinations of words. Here is Psalm 15 in the New Living Translation:
         
          Who may worship in your sactuary Lord?
                  Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
         
          Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right
                   speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
          Those who refuse to slander others
                   or harm their neighbors
                   or speak evil of their friends.
           Those who despise persistent sinners,
                   and honor the faithful followers of the Lord
                   and keep their promises even when it hurts.
           Those who do not charge interest on the money they lend,
                   and who refuse to accept bribes to testify against the innocent.

           Such people will stand firm forever.

With regard to the first question, the Psalm asks, I suggest, that worship is available to anyone who believes everywhere they go. Jehova-Shammah is the Lord who is there. Where ever we go He is there. He is with us enroute and proceeds us to our destination. We cannot go without His going with us and being there when we arrive. That is very assuring to me that I am protected any time I am proceeding in obedience. When obedient I am in His sanctuary.

With regard to the second question I have a different view. This view has been enhanced and clarified from our recent experience at the International House of Prayer - Atlanta where we spent seven months of 2009. Our perspective has turned more eternal from that experience.

In my mind, the holy hill is and has always been Mount Zion. However, looking from an eternal perspective not only is it Mt. Zion, it is also the landing spot for the New Jerusalem. Who may enter his presence may be limited first by the injunctions of Psalm 15 and second by the language found in Hebrews 3:14&15, "For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. But never forget the warning: Today you must listen to his voice. Don't harden you hearts against him as Israel did when they rebelled."

This puts us to the test of both questions. Psalm 15 gives us guidelines for life. Hebrews 3 tells us how long we must live by those guidelines. What do you think?