97. The Righteous Will Be Resurrected

Psalm 15

In Psalm 12, the writer was looking at the negative viewpoint but now he focuses on the positive.

This Psalm starts by asking two questions.

1. Jehovah, who shall dwell in Your tabernacle? Psalm 15:1.

The first time, in this verse, that the psalmist uses the word, dwell, the word, in the Hebrew text is sojourn.  Translated it reads, Lord, who shall sojourn in your holy temple in Jerusalem?  This is what the question meant to the psalmist, but, of course, the Christian Bible is now a worldwide book and so we apply this psalm to ourselves and make the word, tabernacle, mean God's presence. Lord, who may sojourn in Your presence?

     2. Who shall dwell on Your holy hill?

Here the word, dwell, has the meaning of being settled down.  Who are those that feel comfortable enough in Jehovah's presence to settle down there?  Psalm 15 tells us who those are:

• He who walks uprightly, the one going flawlessly (in Hebrew)
• and works righteousness, the one contriving righteousness (in Hebrew)
• and speaks the truth in his heart; not just with the lips, but from the heart.
• he does not backbite with his tongue, 
• nor does evil to his neighbor, 
• nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; 
• but he honors those who fear Jehovah; 
• he has sworn to his hurt, and does not change it; if you make a promise you do your very best to keep it even if it is determental to you.
• he has not put out his money at interest, (credit card companies and financial institutions should pay attention to these words and quit gouging their customers).
• nor has he taken a bribe against the innocent. Psalm 15:2-5.

Christ summed that list up with these words, Therefore all things, whatever you desire that men should do to you, do even so to them; Mat. 7:12.

Psalm 16

For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol, neither wilt thou allow thy Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt make known to me the path of life: thy countenance is fulness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. 16:10-11.

It is agreed, almost universally in Christendom, that these words, thy Holy One, refer to Christ.  That is not at all surprising since twice, in the Book of Acts: ch. 2+13, Saint Peter made that connection.  Following St. Peters lead modern Bible scholars say things like, How peculiarly this belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Hawker's Bible Commentary.  It is peculiar to Christ, to be called the holy one of God. John Wesley.

We must not press that thought though.  Considering the next part of the verse: neither wilt thou allow thy Holy One to see corruption.  This is in the plural number, חסידיך  chasideycha, thy Holy Ones; but none of the versions translate it in the plural. Clarke.  The reading here in the text is in the plural form, “thy holy ones". Barnes.  Obviously, if thy Holy One, is in the plural it cannot refer only to Christ, but it must refer to those about whom the psalmist was writing in the first part of this psalm; those who are righteous.

David expresses his faith in the resurrection of the just in the last verse of the next psalm, As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness. Psalm 17:15 JPS.

He was agreeing with the teachings of Christ's Church that the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this corruptible shall put on incorruption,  and when this mortal shall put on immortality, then will take place the word that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory. 1 Cor. 15:52-54.