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January 15, 2012

"Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?" — Psalm 24:3

If you have ever joined a club or organization, there probably were some membership requirements that you had to satisfy. Maybe it was a work-related association that required a certain number of years experience. Or maybe it was a social club where you might have needed sponsors or an interview before you were “accepted.”

In any event, before joining any kind of organization, the question typically comes up: Who is allowed to join? What qualifications are needed in order to enjoy the benefits of that group?

It seems that David in Psalm 24 is asking a similar question in verse 3: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?” David poses a similar question in Psalm 15:1: “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?”
David’s questions reminded worshippers then that although everyone may attend worship at the sanctuary, not everyone will receive God’s blessings or will enjoy the status of righteousness. Indeed, in a recurring theme throughout the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), God expected His people to welcome their privileges from the heart, and to reflect that in their behavior.

So what is required? David lists the following: clean hands (which also can be translated in Hebrew as “innocent”), a pure heart, and a desire to trust and follow God rather than idols and false gods. A person who meets those requirements is the one who will receive blessings from God and who will be regarded by others as having “right standing with God their savior” (v. 5, NLT).

This type of “membership” requirement is expressed elsewhere in Scripture: “The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous” (Psalm 15:2); “a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (Psalm 51:17); “The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him” (Proverbs 15:8).

Those are the ones who will be considered members in good standing and who will be welcomed into His presence.

We all ought to take a good look at what club we are trying to join — hopefully a holy, biblical one — and what we are doing to meet its standards.

With prayers for shalom, peace,


Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President

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