THE LONGING OF THE HEART AND SOUL FOR GOD ALONE
MESSAGE - PSALM 84 – THE SONS OF KORAH
Psalm 84:0 For the choir director - on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah
PSALM 84 V 1 “How lovely are Your dwelling places, O LORD of hosts! Psa 84:2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.”
Have you ever had a desire that is so strong you can’t get it out of your mind? You count down the days and then the hours. It is something special you are looking forward to. Maybe you are 50 and have never been on a plane for Europe, or on a special voyage. Then the time of departure arrives and you are so excited that you look around and take everything in and then you feel part of the whole adventure. Well that is like the experience of this son of Korah, only that he was not going on a plane trip or a voyage. He was going to enter the Tabernacle, to the outer courts. The tabernacle was God’s dwelling place among men, His people Israel, and when the psalmist went there, he was entering the presence of God.
He describes all this with words of joyousness for his whole being was delighting in God. This is a psalm of praise from a man who loved God’s presence on earth and now enjoys the very presence of God in heaven. Let us look at the words he uses – In verse 1, the word “lovely”, to begin with. God’s dwelling places are lovely; that is, where God is, is lovely. For the Jew it meant being in the Tabernacle, and as the Korahites, that part of the tribe of Levi, were the music organisers and directors of music for the praises of the Lord in all the Tabernacle worship, then they had such an experience of God’s presence in that service.
For the Christian, God’s dwelling places are not on earth but in heaven for Christians are a heavenly people. Drawing near to God is not drawing near to some earthly structure, but drawing near to the very presence of God who is with us and in heaven as well. Where 2 or 3 are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst. To be in “God’s presence” is to enjoy His presence with us for He is with every one of His saints. We have the Holy Spirit who is God with us. The Lord Jesus Christ abides with us forever, because he comes to sup with us and is with us forever.
It is wrong to speak of our Christian gatherings as “being in the house of God” or “The House of the Lord”, or naming a place a tabernacle such as the Baptist Tabernacle in Brisbane. It is wrong to speak of a temple as some Christian groups have a Temple as their name. The Roman Catholics from olden times named their buildings after a saint or some distinguished Apostle thinking this gave the building some special holiness and extra God-presence. All meeting places for church gatherings, whether they are in halls, or churches or buildings are just merely constructions and are not places where God dwells. God dwells with His people and where they are He is there also, but God does not operate in the way it happened in the Old Testament days. The expression such as “Welcome to the house of the Lord” is also not correct. Let no emphasis or special significance be placed on the meeting place/building.
In verse 2, the psalmist longed for the courts of the Lord. “For the courts of the Lord” - The word used here refers to the different areas around the tabernacle and later, the temple, within which many of the services of public worship were conducted, and which were frequented by different classes of persons. Only the priests could enter inside the veil of the tabernacle.
Verse 2 ends with, “My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.” The writer echoes what is a godly response to the Lord from those who know Him. Sadly this is not always the case with so many Christians in our days because of busyness and secularism and worldly-ism. What priority does God have in a person’s life? If that is the top priority then the heart and flesh sings for joy to God, otherwise you come to meetings with no real desire or purpose. Revelation chapters 4 and 5 touch on the joyful praise in heaven in a coming day and there, the emphasis is on the Lamb, not on egocentric self. We must make sure that we don’t neglect the hymns of joy here on earth. We must sing joyful melodies to the Lord, ones that exalt our Saviour, and the best way to do that is to be saturated with the bible. Be immersed in God’s word, for the word leads to praise and worship. I think a study of Psalm 119 brings that out. We won’t get inspiration and joy that rise up in us by sitting in some church building, but we will by spending time in the courts of heaven (in God’s presence with His word).
PSALM 84 V 3 “The bird also has found a house 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. Psa 84:4 How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah.”
What verse 3 is saying generally is that the birds find shelter and comfort even in and around the Tabernacle and its altars. If that is so, then the writer may expect for himself, from God, a welcome at the Tabernacle. The birds have their nests close to God’s house so the psalmist desires just a place for himself close to God’s presence. It could be said - “As the birds delight to nest at Your altars, so do I love to dwell in Your house.” We look into it further. There is an interesting study in birds in this verse but I will choose only part of it. The KJV and NIV translate “sparrow” and the NASB leaves it at “bird”. The word is found upwards of forty times in the Old Testament, and is evidently used in a very general way to include a great number of small birds, chirping birds. It is a generic term for small birds.
The other word relating to bird in the verse is “swallow” and that is fairly accurate. You know swallows try to build in any nook they can find in houses or structures. The Bowls Club always has swallows flying around trying to find a place on the lights. A traveller observed this - “Still the swallow seeks the temple enclosure at Jerusalem, and the mosque of Omar, as a secure and safe nesting-place.” It would be absurd, by the way, to imagine the birds would build their nests on the Tabernacle altar. It just means they are close by and flit all around. I like the comment made by Barnes - It may denote a bird of any kind, but is properly applied here to a sparrow, a species of bird very common and abundant in Palestine; a bird that finds its home especially about houses, barns, etc. That sparrows would be likely to gather around the tabernacle and even the altar, will appear not improbable from their well-known habits. "The sparrows which flutter and twitter about dilapidated buildings at Jerusalem, and crevices of the city walls, are very numerous. In some of the more lonely streets they are so noisy as almost to overpower every other sound. Their chirping is almost an articulate utterance of the Hebrew term (???? tsippôr), which was employed to designate that class of birds. It may be taken for granted that the sparrows are not less numerous in other places where they have similar means for obtaining shelter and building their nests. The sparrows, in their resort to houses and other such places, appear to be a privileged bird. Encouraged by such indulgence, they are not timid - they frequent boldly the haunts of people.”
How do we relate all this to us? Well our desire is not the altar in God’s house, or to be at or in some building associated with gathering or worship, but to be in the very presence of God, and as we are a heavenly people, then we worship and meet in the heavenlies and seek the presence of the heavenly Jesus. Being in the presence of God with His people is the great privilege we have. Look at verse 4 that talks about dwelling and praising. That ought to be us. Notice how verse 3 ends. Do you see those words – “O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.” That is nearness as if the psalmist is embracing God. That is how it ought to be. Nearness is connected with walk. One may walk with God closely . . . or at a distance. We must always examine ourselves to see how far from our Saviour we are walking. I wrote a poem about this in the past and I will include it here -
HAS WARMTH OF NEARNESS CHANGED TO COOLNESS ?
Have you entered straits of greyness, in your Christian walk,
Where the things of God have cooled and at them now you balk?
Former joys have dissipated like a rained-out cloud;
Songs of praise and hymns to God no longer sing aloud;
No desire for communion with the Lord your God;
Recognising not the road where formally you trod.
Then realise this; things are amiss.
The former days are lost in haze.
When did depart that faithful heart,
To sever strings of godly things?
Prayer has lost its vital link once faithfully maintained.
Gone from you that strong desire we once knew ingrained.
When you raised a ready voice that reached to God on high,
We all knew the glow of that when you to God drew nigh.
Prayerful voice and joyful strains know now a withered state.
To the saints of God, I fear, you scarcely now relate.
Please note this friend, it’s not the end.
That’s not the way you have to stay.
With all entailed, God has not failed.
Turn from this track; there’s a way back.
When you are from God estranged, how can you know His peace?
Must your soul remain cast down, for God’s love does not cease.
Occupied, your life is now, perhaps with lesser things.
Nothing though will mask the fact; your soul with disquiet rings.
Learn that one away from God, knows ling’ring misery.
All that’s substituted, is in self-willed energy.
You have a choice - lament, rejoice?
So rise up now - to God then bow.
In misery, there’s no pity;
Deflated life just makes for strife.
Where commences then the path, that leads from this sad state;
From depression and despair to the full joyful gait?
Recall of God’s blessings past, of mercies He has shown:-
Dwell on them, retrace your steps, and understand what’s flown.
Turn to God in sole dependence; let your heart be soft;
Give God opportunity to carry you aloft.
You wrongly tacked - off you tracked,
To your own way one fateful day.
Recall His face then full of grace.
When you believed, and Christ received.
God commands His lovingkindness to the distraught soul;
Bathes him in refreshing mercy; calls him to be whole.
Songs of praise there will arise, as songs sung in the night.
Burdens lifted from the heart; priorities set right;
Steps regain their joyful vigour in the pilgrim walk;
Blesséd things of God will occupy his time and talk.
His gentle hand helps you to stand;
To rise again from failure’s pain.
Joy’s song you’ll sing; the night will ring;
New peace arrives - a walk revives.
If you find yourself depressed, or cast down in your soul;
If despair has overtaken and has filled your bowl;
Those great blessings from the past, and God’s sweet dealings there,
Are the goad and crook you need to move back to God’s care.
Songs of joy will fill the night, and prayer will rise, not wane.
Christian fellowship will be renewed to you again.
Distress may come, if you succumb -
Look up above; our God is love.
Recall the past; He’s held you fast -
His grace please heed; He’ll meet your need.
Ron Ferguson. Copyright. (Use with acknowledgement)
PSALM 84 v 5 “How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion! Psa 84:6 Passing through the valley of Baca, they make it a spring. The early rain also covers it with blessings. Psa 84:7 They go from strength to strength. Every one of them appears before God in Zion.”
This passage speaks about the man of God, the trusting and walking man of God. The key to verse 5 is the fortitude that comes from God. The strength of a man is found in God. It comes from God. That man/person is blessed. These 3 verses, 5,6 and 7 look at the godly whose strength is in the Lord. Things are said about them and we must take note of the good things.
1. In whose heart are the highways to Zion. That means that the happy pilgrims who are going to Zion are going there because their hearts desire it. There is a group of psalms called “The Psalms of Assent” and they were sung by the pilgrims as they made their way up the cliff or hill to Zion for festival.
2. When passing through the valley of Baca, they make it a spring. This verse is a bit difficult, so I will simply mention the general thought from a commentator – “The vale of Baca was some waterless and barren valley through which pilgrims passed on their way to Jerusalem; but faith turns it into a place of springs, finding refreshment under the most untoward circumstances, while God refreshes them with showers of blessing from above, as the autumnal rains clothe the dry plains with grass and flowers.”
3. Early rains cover the valley of Baca with blessings. The general thought is that God provides rain for the weary pilgrim passing through the valley.
4. They go from strength to strength. Benson speaks of these pilgrims and says, “The farther they travel onward in that way, instead of being faint and weary, as travellers in such cases are wont to be, they grow stronger and stronger, being greatly refreshed with the comfortable end of their journey, expressed in the following words. Or, they go from company to company. For they used to travel in troops or companies, for many reasons, and some companies were before others accordingly, as they were nearer to the place of worship, or more diligent or more expeditious in travelling. And such as were most zealous would use their utmost endeavours to outstrip others, and to overtake one company of travellers after another, that so they might come with the first unto God in Zion.”
5. “They all appear before God in Zion.” Each member completes the journey and arrives before God.
Of course an application can be made here with these verses. The Christian is a pilgrim who has the desire to journey to God in his and her heart. The journey passes through deserts and valleys of tears but hardship is turned to joy and blessing when God showers His love and care on His people in difficult times. When refreshed, God’s people fellowship with each other in the journey and in the end, all stand before God their Delight and Saviour and Provider.
PSALM 84 v 8 “O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer. Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah. Psa 84:9 Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed.”
Now comes the psalmist’s prayer. He asks that his prayer might be heard, and that God’s ear will be tuned to his request. He asks God to notice their shield. He asks the Lord to look upon this group of pilgrims possibly led by this son of Korah.
PSALM 84 v 10 “A day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. Psa 84:11 The LORD God is a sun and shield. The LORD gives grace and glory. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psa 84:12 O LORD of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!
In verse 10 we come to one of the famous verses in the Old Testament. I am going to give the KJV rendering of it because it is best known - For a day in your courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. What is the psalmist saying? Well, he is making a comparison between nearness to God, and nearness to the wicked. Before that, he makes a comparison between one day and 1 000 days. For him, just one day close to the Tabernacle is better than 1 000 days spent on other things.
How lightly some of us take the presence of God to consider what our priorities are desiring. How many Christians would say they love the 1 000 days of pleasure and activity and self-pleasing, rather than seeking the presence and nearness of God? How many would serve at the threshold or the gate for a convention or some gathering of Christians, rather than out in association with the wicked? If the writer was just a doorkeeper for the tabernacle that would be far more glorifying, than being in the tents of the wicked, associating with the world. I suppose it all comes down to what impact our faith has on our practice. It is a verse we should try to think about and apply rigorously to ourselves.
Verses 11 and 12 are wonderful. The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield; a Sun to light the way in our holy walk, and and to give warmth, the warmth of God’s presence. God is our Shield to protect and comfort in all the battles of this life from foes we see, and foes we don’t see. The psalmist was convinced that God supplies all good things to those who walk uprightly. We are recipients of His grace and glory. “O LORD of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!” We have wonderful and caring God.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
