"Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?" Psalm 15:1
Additional readings: Isaiah 33:13-24, John 15:11-26, Psalm 68
The Tabernacle in the wilderness and the Temple at Jerusalem represent, as we know, the Church, both in the world at large and in the individual soul, A building with its furnishings is an expression of the use which is performed in it. Our Churches in general conform to the plan of the Tabernacle. There is in them the place for the Word, the altar, the communion table, and the baptismal font. The furniture suggests worship of the Lord, prayer, instruction, the cleansing of repentance, and the reception of strength from the Lord. We know that the real Church is not the building but the states of worship which it expresses and promotes.
When the temple at Jerusalem was destroyed, the Jews lamented: "Our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned with fire" (Isaiah 64:11). This tells of the loss of the innocent states of worship of the Lord enjoyed by the people of ancient days. The fires of self-love had destroyed their worship. And we recall the Lord's words: "Seest thou these great buildings? There shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down" (Mark 13:2).
This prophecy was fulfilled literally, but the important lesson for us is that it was fulfilled spiritually. The truths of the Word were rejected and true worship of the Lord had ceased.
The tabernacle and the temple had three clearly marked divisions, the Holy of Holies into which only the high priest might enter, the Holy Place, reserved entirely for the priests and Levites, and the outer court set apart for all clean Hebrews. Thus it is with the Church today. There are three great classes of Christians. There are good men in the natural degree who worship in the outer court of the temple; there are those who are in genuine love to the neighbor and are members of the spiritual Church, and these enter the Holy Place; and there are those who are in love to the Lord, who form the Church in its highest and most real sense, and who enter the Holy of Holies.
"Who shall abide in thy tabernacle?" This may refer to any one of these groups; it may be interpreted to mean, "Who shall dwell in heaven?" There are various degrees of salvation. Today emphasis seems to be laid on a good external life, a life of service and of external charity. And one may indeed dwell in heaven if he has lived a good outward life, provided he has done so from obedience to the Lord. For we should not forget that in every truly good life there must be worship. The outer court was a part of the tabernacle.
The fifteenth Psalm, from which our text is taken, is very similar to the words of the prophet Micah: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8).
First we must recognize the Source of good and do what is right in worship of the Lord. Our Psalm reads: "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, not doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoreth them that fear the lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved."
To walk uprightly and to work righteousness is to be in good as to life, and to speak the truth is to be in the knowledge of the true doctrine of life. And we know that we should not be uncharitable in our conversation, and also that we should not look favorably on evil. The command not to put out money to usury does not forbid legitimate gain. Money may be loaned for a profit secured. As a business transaction, this is, within certain limits, legitimate and justifiable. But spiritually the passage means that we should not take unfair advantage of those in distress or do good for the sake of gain or give aid to another only for the sake of recompense, but that our motive should be to help the neighbor. Simple obedience to the Commandments will bring its blessing, if there is in it acknowledgment of the Lord. I t will bring the external life into order, and result in happiness. But we should not rest content with this kind of obedience. Jesus said, "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you" (John 15:15).
If we read and obey the Word simply from a sense of duty, we are servants. And this is the first step with everyone. But the Lord wishes to lift us higher than this. It is reasonable to seek correctness in one's religious belief. It is reasonable to desire to understand the laws of life and to know God. Many today consider this unimportant. What difference does it make, they say, what one thinks about the Lord - whether He be God, or a second Person in the Trinity, or simply a splendid example to follow? What does it matter?
This is very much like asking what is the advantage of having a correct idea of the solar system and of the universe about us. People lived happily even when they thought that the sun revolved about the earth. They were just as contented in many respects as after they knew the truth. But the world of our day is not the world that believed the fabrications of the ancients in regard to the universe. Knowledge of the facts has not only changed our concepts but has also transformed practically everything in our lives. If we knew nothing about God, we are like men who shut themselves up in houses and never see the sun. They perceive the sunlight as it enters their home through the doors and windows. They feel the warmth of spring and slimmer and the cold of autumn and winter, but they only imagine the source from which light, heat, and all consequent activity proceed. We are living in a world which calls itself Christian, yet the Christian Church has failed to overcome its evils. Mistaken notions of what Christianity is must of necessity fail to transform the world. This is because the world grows up. It passes from the stage of simple obedience to the stage of desiring to know. The early Church was in the condition of servants. A servant is one who obeys his master from a sense of duty or for the sake of reward, but a friend is one who loves another for the sake of goodness and truth. The Lord explains this difference when He says, "The servant knoweth not what his lord doeth" (John 15:15).
Before one can be even a faithful servant, he must indeed know the law of his master, but he knows it only as an authoritative command which he must obey. But the Lord wishes us to understand, so that we may see with our own eyes and act in intelligence and freedom. He wishes to lead us into all truth. "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." The motto of the New Church is "nunc licet intellectualiter intrare in arcana fidei," which is Latin for "now it is permitted to enter intellectually into the things of faith."
The outer court was the largest portion of the temple, but without the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies it would have been an empty shell without meaning or use. The greater part of our lives is taken up with external activities, but if it has not the spiritual understanding within it, and still further within it the reverent recognition of the Lord and dependence upon Him, our lives are an empty shell without meaning or use.
We are not meant to pass all our life in the outer court. The acceptable life rises from doing justly to loving mercy and then to walking humbly with God.
"Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart."
