Psalm 84

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Psalm 84

The Blessedness Of Dwelling In The House Of God

To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 How lovely is Your tabernacle,
O LORD of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the LORD;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
My King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
They will still be praising You. Selah
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.
8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
9 O God, behold our shield,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
12 O LORD of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

This psalm is a pilgrimage song of praise and prayer. It is often sung by the pilgrims who are travelling to Jerusalem to worship God in His House.

Such journeys of faith are often filled with countless hardships and great difficulties as the faithful ones have to journey not only through rough and rugged terrains but also dry and thirsty deserts over long distances in order to reach the holy city of God, Jerusalem.

The destination is the tabernacle of God where God dwells. The desire is so great that the souls of the pilgrims yearn and even faint to reach the courts of the LORD. Even their hearts and flesh cry out for the living God. They can only find true rest in His holy sanctuary. They long to be with God, and dwell with Him in His House. There is a divine blessedness in dwelling with God in His courts!

The sparrows have found a home. And the swallows have nests. They have raised their young near the altars of God. Truly, how blessed are the people who live in His House. They are always praising and worshipping God.

How blessed are those people whose strength come from the LORD as they desire to travel to Jerusalem. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it like a spring. The autumn rains fill it with pools of water. The people get stronger as they go up to Jerusalem to meet God.

As they journey, they pray, “LORD, hear our prayer and listen to us. O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of Your Anointed.” This Shield is a reference to the King or Messiah. The Coming King is the Shield and Defender of Israel. In simple words, bless our Protector and King, so that the temple may be restored and rebuilt.

One day in the courtyards of His Temple is better than a thousand days anywhere else. They would rather be a doorkeeper in the Temple of their God than live in the homes of the wicked.

The authors of this psalm were the sons of Korah or the Korahites. They had been set aside for the service of the LORD.

1 Chronicles 9:19
Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, from his father’s house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, gatekeepers of the tabernacle. Their fathers had been keepers of the entrance to the camp of the LORD.

The Korahites were in charge of the work of the service. They were gatekeepers. They were responsible for guarding the gates of the Temple. Their ancestors had also been responsible for guarding the entrance to the Temple. They were daily opening the doors for others to join in worshipping God in His House.

However, there was a sad story of the sons of Korah in Numbers 16-17. Korah, Dathan, Abiram and On turned against Moses. These 4 men gathered 250 other Israelite men and challenged Moses. They were well-known leaders chosen by the community.

The purpose of their revolt was to bring about a change in leadership. As the leaders of the opposition stood outside of their tents, the ground opened up and consumed Korah and the others.

Only a few survived. They were spared by God, and were assigned to be servants in the sanctuary. Therefore, as a reminder of that past event, the sons of Korah sang how it was better to be servants in the House of the LORD than to be in the tents of those wicked ones who were opposing the LORD.

Truly, the LORD God is like our sun and shield. The LORD gives us grace and glory. He does not hold back anything good from those whose life is innocent.

Blessed are those people who trust Him!

If interested, please view: A Place At Your Altar

Written on:
17 April 2024