Psalm 26:8 Your House

Psalm 26:8 I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells.

In Psalm 26 David makes his strongest pleas of innocence yet and in contrast to places where he confesses his sins. It can surely only be understood in the first instance in terms of innocence over a particular issue. The further messianic nature of the psalm is obvious. It is a plea then for vindication. In proclaiming his innocence, David says that he has led and leads a blameless life (1, 11) and has trusted in the LORD without wavering. God's love is ever before me, he says and I walk continually in your truth, not sitting with deceitful men or consorting with hypocrites. He abhors the assembly of evildoers and refuses to sit with the wicked. A holy man, he proclaims aloud God's praise and tells of all your wonderful deeds. In verse 8 he says, quite unaffectedly, that he loves the house where the LORD lives, the place where your glory dwells. He has in mind the Tabernacle, of course, which pointed to heaven and to the Christ who would come from there. It is a key part of his godliness not to be overlooked. On this basis, then, he prays that God will not take away his soul along with sinners, my life with bloodthirsty men. He wants to be redeemed and to know mercy and is confident he will know it. So, a blameless walk, unwavering trust, truthfulness, separation from sinners, clean hands, love for Christ, praise, witness - these are characteristic of a man walking with God. So often we fail in these things - we are blameworthy, faithless, dishonest, worldly, impure, lacking love to Christ and slow to praise and witness. We must turn from such ways and look always to Christ.