WHO ARE THE LORD’S GUESTS?

This psalm was probably composed with Psalm 24 to celebrate the bringing of the ark up mount Zion. The form of the psalm is very simple. There is first a question, v. 1, and then an answer to the question, vv. 2-5.

All through the psalms, David states his longing for fellowship with the living God, Psa. 61. 4. Thus he asks the question here. It is for the Master of the house to say on what terms He extends hospitality to guests, and a sense of the glory of God and of the holiness which becomes His presence causes the psalmist to ask the question. The desire behind the question is for intimate communion with God. The psalmist recognizes that the character of the Host determines the character of the guest, and therefore only the man of upright life can be the guest of God.

God wants approved character in His guests—the fundamental requirement is righteousness; the self-righteous man cannot stand here. It is in the presence of God that the psalmist draws his portrait of the godly man. He describes what he is positively, vv. 2, 4, and also what he is not, vv. 3, 5. So practical righteousness consists of what a man does not do, as well as what he does. He “walketh uprightly”; this contains the idea of wholehearted devotion to God, and complete integrity in dealing with men, Gen. 17. 1. Walking is of far more importance than talking! A man’s life carries more weight with others than his speech.

Then he also “worketh righteousness”. A man must first be righteous before he can work righteousness in life. “He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous”, 1 John 3. 7. The tree makes the fruit, and not the fruit the tree; therefore the tree must be good before the fruit can be good, Matt. 7. 18. A righteous man can do a righteous work, but no work of an unrighteous man can make him righteous. We become righteous only by faith. He also “speaketh the truth”, and his whole heart goes along with it. Here is a man who has a blameless life—by doing right and speaking truth. It is very needful that we watch our work, walk and talk, if we would have fellowship with God. Those who would walk with God must be like Him, 1 John 2. 29; Phil. 1. 10, 11.