The title comes from Psa 101. If we spend time reading Psa 101, we will see how David resolves to control himself, administer his household, as well as manage the country. Many hence reckon David wrote this before or just right after he became king. He thought very carefully how to use people wisely and how to rule the nation.

David was anointed thrice in his life. First was when he was anointed by Samuel whole he was still a shepherd boy. The second was at Hebron right after the death of Saul. At that time, he only ruled over the tribe of Judah. 7 years later, he was anointed the third time to be king over the entire nation of Israel. We see he had his ups and downs in order to sit on the throne.

In historical Chinese books there is the recording the phrase regarding the cultivating oneself, managing the family, ruling the nation and making peace over all lands. A person must first start cultivating HIMSELF. Then he would have the capability to rule over his family. Only then would he be able to rule over the state nations. Finally, the aim is to bring peace to all the lands.

This is also in line with what the Bible says when Paul encourages Timothy. Paul said that if one cannot manage his own household, how can he manage the household of God? Therefore we must first of all start with ourselves.

The aforementioned Chinese phrase isn’t the complete. There is also the need for your heart to be upright.

Psa 101:1
How does one know whether he is upright? None of us are upright by ourselves. We need to compare ourselves to God. Therefore to be upright, we must adopt the nature of God - mercy and justice. Because God rules the entire universe by His mercy and justice.

Even before he cultivates himself, David wants to measure himself against the mercy and justice of God. Only then will he proceed to cultivate himself.

From the life of David, we know he has the spirit to do these things but it was difficult to carry out. His spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak. But of course, having resolve to do what is right is better than not having resolve to do so. In his entire life, we see him struggling to do the will of God. That’s why in the next two verses, he speaks of himself “I will behave wisely in a perfect way” (v2).

This is seen when he became king. When he was first anointed, he didn’t immediately ascend to the throne. We see him being pursued by Saul. Later on, even his son wanted his life. Before he could sit firmly on the throne of Israel, he had to undergo many challenges. But we see his heart was upright; he waited patiently for the time of God.

1 Sam 18:14, 30
“And David behaved wisely in all his ways”
“David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul”
David was living in a time where Saul sought his life. But we see he wasn’t shaken from doing what was right. He continued being a faithful servant in helping Saul to fight his enemies. Later on when Saul was afraid of David and drove him out by making him a captain, he continued to act wisely and God was with him (v14). Even when he had the opportunity to harm Saul, he didn’t. We therefore see that David looked at himself and made sure he was upright. Even though he had many opportunities and was tempted to take things into his own hands, he ultimately submitted to the will of God.

Psa 101:2
“I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.”
Now his focus has shifted to his home. Besides himself, he wants his whole house to walk uprightly. A person is most genuine at home. Sometimes we put on a mask at work or church, no one really knows what we’re thinking about. We may be listening for the sermon, singing hymns and kneeling down to pray but no one really knows what we’re really thinking about except God. But when we are home, do we conform to the standards of a Christian too? When our spouse or children look at our lives, would they find that we behave differently in church and at home?

As a child grows up and sees the parents don’t follow their own teachings, they’d be confused. Once a student talked to the speaker. He said when he was at home, he would call his younger brother to come and pray together. His father would come along and say it’s very late and to go to sleep. The student said they would pray first and then sleep after that. The child has been taught in the church to have a prayerful life and wants to cultivate a prayerful life at home. But the parents are puzzled why they would waste so much time praying. They cannot stand it when the child wants to cultivate a prayerful life. The child is confused why the parents behave in such a manner. “Should we all not ought to pray together before we sleep at night?”

It is when we are at home that we show our true selves. Let us resolve to walk within our house with a perfect heart. This isn’t easy of course, if not David wouldn’t have needed to RESOLVE. We hence ought to be resolved to be a true Christian even at home, so that our family will have an upright heart too.

Psa 101:3
“I will set nothing wicked before my eyes”
At home, we should be very watchful of what we’re watching. What have we set before or eyes? When we’re tired and want to destress, we usually pick up our phones. Sometimes we’re not careful about what we ought to and ought not to watch. When wicked is set before our eyes, it’s difficult to walk upright.

“I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me”
What we see will defile us. For example we might read or watch some pornographic materials. Or we might face with temptations because of some advertisements in online games. Sometimes when we’re not careful with what we’re watching, we might come in contact with what may defile us. A student once told the speaker that when he woke up at night, the people on the advertisement weren’t wearing clothes. But the student was very innocent/天真 and didn’t know it was porn. But hearing such things pains our heart because they are exposed to such things from so young.

If the members of the family don’t walk with a perfect heart, everyone in the family will be affected.

How did David resolve to use people in the nation? A country is made up of many families. As the country develops, he must choose his servants very carefully; who he should use and who he shouldn’t use. While we are not kings today, we can reflect on what kind of people we are and whether we’d be used by our Lord. Will we be used or rejected?

Psa 101:5
“Whoever secretly slanders his neighbour, Him I will destroy.”
Slander means to speak badly of a person behind his back. An Aramaic translation of the Bible translates this phrase to ‘3 tongues’. The first tongue harms the person you speak of, the second harms the person who hears you, the third harms yourself.

Throughout David’s life, he met many of such slanderers. The worst being his son Absalom. We will examine the character Ziba.

2 Sam 16:3
David was fleeing from Jerusalem because his son Absalom was coming after him. He met Ziba, a servant of Mephibosheth. He received David and David asked where his master’s son was. “Indeed he is staying in Jerusalem…” (v3b)
When David heard this, he gave whatever was Mephibosheth to Ziba. This hurt his master immediately. Disloyal Ziba caused Mephibosheth to lose whatever belonged to him.

2 Sam 19:26-27
After David returned, when Absalom had already died, David asked Mephibosheth why he didn’t come with him. Turns out it was because his servant had deceived him. Mephibosheth was lame and couldn’t do things without his servant. And then he lost his property. This slander also harmed King David because he believed the words of Ziba and made the wrong judgement.

But those who slander will also meet with judgement; they will have no standing in the nation ruled by David. Of course a person who slanders another is motivated by self interest. We might not truly slander others but might we exaggerate the weaknesses of others? This is also slander.

Another person David couldn’t accept:
Psa 101:7
“He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence”
Lies are more general than slander, it would include flattery as well. We can imagine how someone would try to flatter/please the king, motivated by their own self interest.

Psa 12:3
David writes, “May the Lord cut off all flattering lips.”

There was a tyrant in the Roman Empire. One day the king fell ill. To please the king, he spoke flattering words “If you are healed, I’ll be willing to lose my life!” Perhaps he thought the king was definitely going to die so by saying this, people would look up to him. The king really recovered and acceded to his request, killing him.

From here we see when we speak flattering words and exaggerate things, we may harm ourselves.

The flipside is true: when other people flattering us, we ought to be careful.

Acts 12:22-23
King Herod was a persecutor of Christians. Here he was giving an oration to the people. The people flattered him saying, “This is the voice of God. Not a man!” Hearing praise from others is not a sin. You cannot stop another person from speaking flattering words to please you. When you hear such words you may be on cloud nine, worse, you may think you’re really like that.

Herod didn’t give glory to God when he heard this. He really felt his voice was like the voice of God. Hence he was judged.

Therefore whether we are the recipient or giver of flattering words, we must be careful.

Psa 101:6
“My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me”
Throughout the life of David, he encountered people who were sincere to him, especially when he was fleeing for his life, those who treated him well were truly faithful to him.

Notably was old Barzillai who came with food to feed him and his men while they were fleeing from Absalom. He wasn’t like Ziba who wanted benefit for himself. David and his men truly needed food, and Barzillai provided. Later after Absalom died and David was reinstated as king, if Barzillai wasn’t truly sincere and faithful, he would’ve gone to David to ask for a reward. But let’s take a look at what he did instead.

2 Sam 19:33-35
“And the king said to Barzillai, “Come across with me, and I will provide for you while you are with me in Jerusalem.” But Barzillai said to the king, “How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? I am today eighty years old. Can I discern between the good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any longer the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be a further burden to my lord the king?”

Old man Barzillai was truly a sincere man. David was truly appreciative and ensued to receive him to Jerusalem to take care of him. But Barzillai rejected. This shows he didn’t help David to gain something later. If he did, he would’ve accepted. Instead he said he was already so old, there was no way to enjoy himself, he would just stay in his hometown. Unfortunately David didn’t have such a faithful man to serve him in the palace.

Such were men David favoured; sincere and faithful to him.

Psa 101:8
“EARLY I will destroy all the wicked of the land”
When David had established a stronghold on the throne, there were still wicked people. Even though he resolved to, it was difficult to do so. Nonetheless he continued having this resolution to destroy all the wicked man. When he was old and going to pass the throne down to his son Solomon, he instructed Solomon how to deal with wicked men who had dealt wickedly with him.

1 Kings 2:6
David talks about Joab here, a general who had followed David all the time. But he was very sly. At that time, one of the generals of Saul - Abner - wanted to go over to the side of David. It was during a time of peace he wanted to do this. In a war, when the opposing soldiers have surrendered, they are not supposed to be harmed. But Joab acted as if he wanted to talk to Abner, drew near and killed him. Joab did this a few times to consolidate his own power; killing the innocent during times of peace. Later he went over to the side of Adonijah the son of David. So Solomon later put Joab to death. Even if a wicked man may not be immediately punished, his punishment will definitely catch up to him.

What kind of man will we be in the Kingdom of God? Let us not be a slanderer, flatterer, or someone not upright. Let us be someone faithful and truthful.