How Amiable Are Thy Tabernacles: An Exposition Of The 84th Psalm

How Amiable are Thy Tabernacles: An Exposition of the 84th Psalm

Psalm 84 can be thought of as comfort food for the soul. In times of stress, there is often the desire to eat. One thinks of the comfort of warm milk and cookies. This might remind some of us of our mothers who would serve them just before bedtime. It projects a feeling of security. This is medicine before the terrors and uncertainty of the night. Perhaps you have your own comfort food. But the foods we eat can be bad for our health, especially in excess. The very remedy for our stress becomes the cause of stress itself. This may very well be true with earthly comfort foods, but not from the bread which comes from heaven.

The 84th Psalm begins with the words: “How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of Hosts! This is the way that the old English of the King James Version puts it. The word “amiable” is not in common use today, so many modern versions use words like “pleasant,” “lovely,” or “inviting.” So why would I wish to use “amiable” then? Amiable does indeed overlap these other words in meaning, but it conveys a slightly different mood. The word is related to the Latin “amicus” which is translated “friendly.” It is also related for the Latin word for “love.” So we can think of the amiable tabernacles of the LORD as being a warm, inviting, and comfortable place.

The King James also uses the old word “tabernacle.” It is often translated as “dwelling places.” But “tabernacles” is more precise as it reminds us of the first Tabernacle in the wilderness which God commanded Moses to build for Him. It was a tent which could be moved from place to place. It was not a fixed location like a house or a temple. The Tabernacle was a place where the LORD who is everywhere present chose that His presence would be especially present with the Children of Israel. In 2 Samuel 7, the LORD reminds David that He walked with His people in the Wilderness, a dry, hostile, and uninviting place. There were enemies all around. But the LORD was present in the midst of His people to encourage and comfort them.

The text now addresses God as the “LORD of Hosts.” Again, the word “host” means something different than we now associate it. We think of a host as someone who invites guests to his house, provides for them there, and gives them comfort. Although this meaning would fit well here, there is a lot more to the LORD of Hosts than this. The term actually means the “LORD of Armies.” When an army is used in this sense, it provides protection for all who come within its jurisdiction. Other nation’s armies lead to fear and insecurity, but not “our army.” Yahweh is the captain of this army. He gave comfort and encouragement to Joshua who faced the walled city of Jericho during the conquest of Canaan. The LORD of Hosts walked with Joshua and Israel through the Jordan Valley.

Word pictures are used to describe the LORD’s sanctuary. It is a place where the sparrows build their nest, even at the altar. Sparrows are small, vulnerable birds who need a safe place to make their nest. They often find this security near human habitations. Although there aren’t many who would invite sparrows into their houses, we often permit them to raise their young in the eaves of the roof outside the house. Or we might even build them a special bird house whose opening is big enough for them but too small for their enemies. This is symbolic of God’s care for His people. We can feel secure to raise our families in the shadow of His wings.

Now let us revisit the word “tabernacles.” We should expect the singular “tabernacle” to be used as the one place where the presence of the LORD resided, such as it did in the Temple in Jerusalem. The sons of Korah which was a priestly guild of musicians probably served there. But they don’t use the word Temple, but tabernacles. Perhaps the plural is what is called “a plural of majesty.” But perhaps it is better thought of as many dwelling places rather than one. Not all of Israel resided in Jerusalem. For them to go there as was commanded by the LORD required a pilgrimage. This journey to Jerusalem could be quite dangerous. The psalmist mentions one of them, the Baca Valley which was a dry desolate place. This very valley has been central in the Arab-Israeli conflict for decades. It remains a very dangerous place. But the psalmist tells us that for God’s people that He turns these places into springs of water. The presence of the LORD is not just in Jerusalem, but even in our dangers. He is not in a far off place. He walks with us in our troubles. His presence is with us. In the Christian faith, the Presence of God is in us by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is also with us when only two are three are gathered in His name. But the Holy Spirit is with us individually, even when we feel most alone. So the tabernacle of the LORD exists wherever His presence is and felt. God has many dwelling places. This is not to deny the special presence of the LORD in a place. For the Israelite, this was a Temple in Jerusalem. For the Christian, it is God’s throne in heaven. We are pilgrims on a journey to this special place. We look forward to the day when Jesus returns for us and we find our ultimate rest and security in the Kingdom, a place where it would be better to be the doorkeeper of than to dwell where the wicked do. In this life, the wicked seem to prosper, and there is temptation to cast our tent there at least in part. We want God, but we want mammon also. We must consider the final destination for the redeemed as compared to the lost.