The Holy Hill - Psalm 15
The Holy Hill - Psalm 15 Study
Below is a single session Bible Study on Psalm 15. In this chapter, David reflects on God’s standards and how we measure up. While this passage focuses on being in God’s Graces, it speaks much to how our words influence our heart.
This Bible study is self-contained. There is no homework. You and your group will spend some time in quiet together while you individually read the passage and journal through a few questions. Then you will come back together and discuss Psalm 15 together.
How to use this Devotional
You will need a journal (or your notes app), your Bible, and a favorite pen.
If you are in a group: Follow the study as written. Highly recommended that you print a copy for each group member.
If you are doing a solo devotional: Read through the study. Use the discussion questions as journaling prompts.
Introduction
God has a lot to say about how we use our words. Just as an example, there are over 180 proverbs about communication, out of around 600. That’s nearly one third. Proverbs 18:21 says: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” (ESV). Clearly our words hold power. And yet, they can be the hardest things for us to control sometimes.
As we are reading pay special attention to how words affect relationships, both with God and with other people. We are going to look closely at a song written by King David. David wrote many of the songs in the book of Psalms.
We will be verse mapping this Psalm to gain a better understand of the wisdom God has revealed in David’s words. Verse mapping is a study tool that can be used on individual verses or whole passages of scripture. The goal is to fully comprehend the passage by defining words, making connections to other passages, identifying people and places, and recognizing repeating themes. In a moment, we will break and individually verse-map Psalm 15 using the prompts provided. But first, let us read God’s Word out loud togther.
➤ Read Psalm 15 Out Loud
Ask one group member to read Psalm 15 out loud from the member worksheet.
➤ Read Psalm Individually
Mini Overview: Psalms is located in the middle of your Bible, and is the largest book in the Bible. It is categorized as one of the books of wisdom.
Verse Mapping:
Highlight the first verse. Write out to the side what you think this means.
Highlight synonyms for communication (Example: speech, gossip, confess, promise, etc.)
Draw an arrow from each highlighted word to it’s object (example: In the sentence “I talk about my day to my friend.” talk —> friend)
Circle the verse or verses that are the reward for right communication. Draw stars around this verse.
In a second color, highlight “who swears to his own hurt and does not change”. Look up this phrase in other translations and copy one alternative version out to the side. (recommended translations: NLT, NIV, NCV, AMP)
Discussion Questions:
What observations did you make about Psalm 15?
How did you define the first verse of this passage?
Which type of speech mentioned in the Psalm do you struggle with the most?
Verse two says “He who walks blamelessly…” Do you think that David means that we must be perfect in our use of words? (1 Kings 15:5)
Are there any guidelines we can draw out of this passage for how we can use our words wisely?
What does David mean by “He who does these things shall never be moved.”? (v. 5b)
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