Abstract
This paper deals with the African reading of Psalm 24:3-6: The implications for the enforcement of morality among Christians in Africa. The book of Psalms is subdivided into five books comparable to the Pentateuch. Psalm 24 falls into the first book which is used as a liturgy of entrance into the Israelite temple. In Psalm 24:3-6 a worshipper asks for entry requirements to be met which are clean hands and pure hearts, not lifting up the soul to what is false, and not swearing deceitfully. The methodology used is the African perspective of readers’ response. Pastors and Christian leaders must lead the people with integrity befitting the sacredness of the hill of the Lord. Christians are the temple of God and are expected to observe ritual purity everywhere every time in order to receive blessings from God, (Onyame). Keywords: Morality, Shrine, clean hands, pure hearts, ritual purity.
Highlights
The name “Book of Psalms” originated from the Greek title Psalmoi with a subtitle Biblôs psalmon which means stringed instrument or a collection of songs which can be equated to mizmôr in Hebrew which means hymns.[1]
2 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, Who do not lift up their souls to what is false, And do not swear deceitfully
The second stanza, starting from versus 3, is an enquiry which states as follows: “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place”? As already stated, some Africans believe that the hills or mountains are the dwelling place of the Supreme Being when he visits the earth and as such making the mountains or hills a sacred place
Summary
The name “Book of Psalms” originated from the Greek title Psalmoi with a subtitle Biblôs psalmon which means stringed instrument or a collection of songs which can be equated to mizmôr in Hebrew which means hymns.[1] According to Sabourin,[2] the book of psalms comprising 150 chapters is subdivided into five books (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150). These five divisions of the book of psalms are referred to as the Psalter, where Psalm 24 is found. This temple (hěkāl, Hebrew word for both temple and palace) was Yahweh’s palace where he resided to rule the earth just as human kings do from their palaces.[6]
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