Shalom,
I like the Message Bible for Psalm 15:
1 God, who gets invited to dinner at your place? How do we get on your guest list?
2 "Walk straight, act right, tell the truth.
3 Don't hurt your friend, don't blame your neighbor;
4 Despise the despicable. Keep your word even when it costs you,
5 Make an honest living, never take a bribe. You'll never get blacklisted if you live like this".
Under the Old Covenant the people were required to obey the Law. Righteousness, though, has ALWAYS been by faith! Habakkuk 2:4:
4 Look at the proud; his soul is not straight or right within him, but the [rigidly] just and the [uncompromisingly] righteous man shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness.
We who have received Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal SAVIOUR have THIS promise in Hebrews 4:16:
16 Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor), that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].
Psalm 15 SHOULD be a picture of our lives BECAUSE we have spent time daily in HIS presence, before HIS throne! AMEN!
Matthew 15:11:
11 It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that makes him unclean and defiled, but what comes out of the mouth; this makes a man unclean and defiles [him].
Jesus was saying this in response to the Pharisees complaining that the disciples of Jesus did not wash their hands before they ate. Can you imagine the sight of all of those healed and delivered in the multitudes that followed Jesus and THIS was what they took away from that? Sounds like the world today! Jesus went on to explain to His disciples in verses 17-20:
17 Do you not see and understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the abdomen and so passes on into the place where discharges are deposited? 18 But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles [him]. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts (reasonings and disputings and designs) such as murder, adultery, sexual vice, theft, false witnessing, slander, and irreverent speech. 20 These are what make a man unclean and defile [him]; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him unclean or defile [him].
Not washing your hands before you eat might make you sick, but it will not make you unclean before God! As believers, we know that thoughts come AT us from the outside. they are either thoughts form God and line up with His Word, or they are thoughts from the enemy and are contrary to the Word (sometimes ever so subtly!). When we accept these thoughts, they become a part of us! Those evil things described in verse 19 start out as thoughts. They SHOULD BE rejected immediately. When they aren't, then they get inside of us and they WILL produce evil in our lives through our words and actions. That is why we are to cast down those thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5)! We call it "reject and replace". Reject the ungodly thoughts and replace them with what the Word of God says. THEN our thinking will produce godly words and godly actions that will have GOD'S results! Thank You, Jesus! I was going to post a video from the Visual Bible - Matthew for this chapter, but I found this instead. It is a summary of the Book of Matthew with scenes from the Visual Bible accompanied by the song "With Everything" by Hillsong. I thought it was very well done! Enjoy!
As you continue to read through the Old Testament, remember that God's Chosen People, the Jews, were chosen NOT because they were better than others, but so that He could preserve a line to bring Messiah through. Every thing that God did through all of these years was done with that in mind! Then, in the fullness of time, He brought forth JESUS! Yeshua - the Messiah of Israel - and Saviour of the world! EVERYTHING in the Old Testament and under the Old Covenant was pointing towards HIM! That should help you in your study and meditation! Remember, also, that the gifts and callings of God are WITHOUT REPENTANCE! That means that His chosen people are STILL to be blessed by those who desire to live in the blessing of God! Father, we pray for the continued peace and prosperity for the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem - in Jesus' Name! AMEN!
Shalom in Him!
