Mensa Otabil - Treat People Well (10/19/2025)
Where is Psalm 15? If we look at verse number three: «He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend.» Psalm 15, as you know, is a question; it’s a contemplation. David is wondering what kind of person can abide in the house of the Lord, in the tabernacle on God’s holy hill. He begins to reflect on the qualities needed for a person to be in the presence of the Lord. It’s not just about going to church or going to the temple but enjoying the presence of God at all times. We all ask the same question: how can I enjoy the presence of God at all times? Here, we are being guided through the actions we must take.
It’s interesting that even when you read the Ten Commandments, about six of the commandments pertain to how we treat people, not directly to God, but to how we treat one another. You see that reflected in Psalm 15. He mentions three things: if you want to experience the presence of God, don’t abide with your words. This means don’t tell false stories about people, don’t spread false information, and don’t gossip. When we say someone is backbiting, it means they are taking a bite at you when you’re not there-someone is spreading a story about you when you cannot defend yourself, and that’s backbiting. The passage says if you want to experience the presence of God, don’t go about biting others; you must treat people well.
Then it says you do not do evil to your neighbor. Of course, Jesus amplified this statement by saying we should love our neighbor as ourselves. So God is saying that if you want to enjoy His presence, you need to treat people well-do not do evil to your neighbor. In the Old Testament, you murder a person by actually killing them, but in the New Testament, Jesus says that if you hate them, you have committed murder. Treating people well involves not just our actions but also our thoughts toward them. We are not supposed to do evil to our neighbor, even in our thoughts.
You might say, «Pastor, that is hard.» Yes, it is hard. But if you want to enjoy God’s presence, if you want to feel the presence of God all around you, these are the things the psalm tells us we should do. Then it says you do not reproach your friend. You do not do anything questionable against your friend. As you read through the psalm, you realize that how we treat people is very important to God.
We often think, «I just want to be in the presence of the Lord; I want to pray, worship, and be close to God,» yet we treat people very shabbily. The psalm says, «No, if you want to enjoy God’s presence, apart from worshiping in the house of the Lord and praying and doing all the spiritual things, you must also be mindful of how you treat others.» You do not go about biting others; you do not do evil to your neighbor, and do not even think it. You do not reproach, disgrace, or shame people. You do not do things to put others down. If you follow this, we are sure we will enjoy the presence of the Lord. I trust each one of us will find ways to bring ourselves closer to the presence of the Lord.
Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, I yield my tongue to You. Use my words to bring life, healing, and edification to others. In Jesus' name, Amen.» Well, I’ll catch you again. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.