Psalms 15:1

LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? The Lord's abode is represented by the "tabernacle," wherein His worshippers had communion with Him. In it they only 'sojourned' [as the Hebrew literally means - guwr (H1481)], as guests for a time with Him, the gracious Host. Men are not by birth the rightful inmates of it, but become so through grace. The regenerate 'abide in the Lord's tabernacle;' i:e., they dwelt with God in intimate communion (Ephesians 2:19), and as the blessed result, enjoy God's sure protection (cf. Psalms 15:5, "He shall never be moved"). The very name, "the tabernacle of the congregation" (Exodus 33:7), implies the place where God held communion with His people. Here the tabernacle meant is not the Mosaic one, which was then at Gibeon without the ark of the covenant (1 Chronicles 16:39), but the tabernacle prepared by David for the ark on Zion (2 Samuel 6:17; 1 Chronicles 15:1; 1 Chronicles 16:1; 2 Chronicles 1:4). In heaven His people shall dwell with Him forever. In the visible Church we have glimpses of His glory, and, by His gracious invitation, sojourn in it as in a temporary refuge. In the perfect Church above we shall abide permanently, and see Him face to face. Purity of heart is the necessary qualification that God requires for admission to both. Compare Psalms 5:4; Psalms 23:6; Psalms 27:5; Psalms 61:4; and the parallel, 24:3.

Dwell in. As 'sojourn' (margin) points to temporary and imperfect communion with God in this earthly "tabernacle," so "dwell" expresses the perfect and abiding communion with Him in the heavenly hill.

Thy holy hill. The fact that it is God's hill, and therefore a holy hill, implies that "without holiness" no man can dwell in it (Hebrews 12:14).