Pastor and theologian John Stott wrote that we humans “are both breath of God and dust of earth, godlike and bestial, created and fallen, noble and ignoble. That seems to be why we both seek God and run away from him, both practise righteousness and suppress the truth in our unrighteousness, both recognize the claims of the moral law upon us and refuse to submit to it, both erect altars in God’s honour and need to repent of our ignorance and sin.”
Given these contradictions, David wondered who among us is worthy to dwell with God. “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?” (v. 1). “Sacred tent” refers to the tabernacle, while “holy mountain” refers to the hill in Jerusalem on which the temple would be built.
Our devotional study topic this month is mountains and valleys in the Bible. We’ll study passages involving both literal and figurative mountains and valleys, focusing on what happens in these places and what they come to symbolize as a result. For the next few days, we’ll examine mountains in Scripture as special places to meet God.
One version translates the opening question in Psalm 15: “Who may be a guest in your home?” This frames the issue in terms of hospitality, which is not a one-time event but rather an ongoing relationship. We could paraphrase the meaning as, “Who will be permitted to stay with God on a long-term basis?”
The psalm answers: A person worthy to dwell with God is righteous (v. 2). They speak truth and act with sincerity or genuineness. Their words are pure (v. 3). They fear the Lord, hate sin, and love their neighbor (v. 4). They keep their promises and act with integrity. They show compassion and work for justice for the poor and powerless (v. 5).
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BY Brad Baurain
Dr. Bradley Baurain is Professor and Program Head of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at Moody Bible Institute. Bradley has the unique privilege of holding a degree from four different universities (including Moody). He is the author of On Waiting Well. Bradley taught in China, Vietnam, the United States, and Canada. Bradley and his wife, Julia, have four children and reside in Northwest Indiana.