How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
3 Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
ever singing your praise! Selah
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
6 As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early 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 Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed!
10 For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
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 bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
blessed is the one who trusts in you! Psalm 84 ESV
A Psalm to the Sons of Korah
- Sweeter than the joy of the wine press, (for that is said to be the meaning of the word rendered upon Gittith), is the joy of the holy assemblies of the Lord's house; not even the favoured children of grace, who are like the sons of Korah, can have a richer subject for song than Zion's sacred festivals. C. H. Spurgeon
It is always interesting to see the "Sons of Korah" in some of these titles, given that the Korah of Moses time was a traitor. This is the beauty of grace, the knowledge of self, that we were all born enemies of God. He is above primogeniture, culture and sin. Our lineage means that we are born slaves to sin, everyone from Adam on, but look what God can do for those that mourn, who are poor in spirit. The sons of one of the biggest, most entitled whiners that we read of during Moses time, they are not swallowed up, so God be lifted up. They have much to sing about.
For the courts of the Lord - This is the day I would pretend to be sick, the day I preferred to sleep in or go fishing, but the Psalmist desires the congregation of the Lord. That day is a day of physical rest, but a feast for the hungry soul, one of the means by which God brings growth, so I now tell my flesh, "get up, we are going to the house of the Lord."
Even the sparrow finds a home - They come and go so freely, and at the time of this writing, remember that the shroud is still in place, the access is limited. The Psalmist sees that this is where the swallow raises her children, and how lovely and marvelous would that be, but this has not been the heart of every worker in the church. Some see it as a profession, as a pragmatic means to a good life, self fulfillment or enlightenment, the honor of men, but to the writer it is the most glorious gift of God, to be in His house forever singing His praises.
In whose heart are the highways to Zion - These are true Pilgrims, who worship Him in spirit and in truth. They are going to the festival, the place of worship, and for some it is a long journey, but it starts in the heart, and the heart loves every step that brings it closer. We were made to have fellowship, communion with the saints, but if our hearts have not changed then we will go toward entertainment, to social gatherings, concerts, the worship of material things, and for the praise of others towards ourselves.
- Sweeter than the joy of the wine press, (for that is said to be the meaning of the word rendered upon Gittith), is the joy of the holy assemblies of the Lord's house; not even the favoured children of grace, who are like the sons of Korah, can have a richer subject for song than Zion's sacred festivals. C. H. Spurgeon
It is always interesting to see the "Sons of Korah" in some of these titles, given that the Korah of Moses time was a traitor. This is the beauty of grace, the knowledge of self, that we were all born enemies of God. He is above primogeniture, culture and sin. Our lineage means that we are born slaves to sin, everyone from Adam on, but look what God can do for those that mourn, who are poor in spirit. The sons of one of the biggest, most entitled whiners that we read of during Moses time, they are not swallowed up, so God be lifted up. They have much to sing about.
For the courts of the Lord - This is the day I would pretend to be sick, the day I preferred to sleep in or go fishing, but the Psalmist desires the congregation of the Lord. That day is a day of physical rest, but a feast for the hungry soul, one of the means by which God brings growth, so I now tell my flesh, "get up, we are going to the house of the Lord."
Even the sparrow finds a home - They come and go so freely, and at the time of this writing, remember that the shroud is still in place, the access is limited. The Psalmist sees that this is where the swallow raises her children, and how lovely and marvelous would that be, but this has not been the heart of every worker in the church. Some see it as a profession, as a pragmatic means to a good life, self fulfillment or enlightenment, the honor of men, but to the writer it is the most glorious gift of God, to be in His house forever singing His praises.
In whose heart are the highways to Zion - These are true Pilgrims, who worship Him in spirit and in truth. They are going to the festival, the place of worship, and for some it is a long journey, but it starts in the heart, and the heart loves every step that brings it closer. We were made to have fellowship, communion with the saints, but if our hearts have not changed then we will go toward entertainment, to social gatherings, concerts, the worship of material things, and for the praise of others towards ourselves.
…25 I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.… Ezekiel 36: 25-27
As they go through the valley of Baca -
- Ways, which otherwise would have been deserted from want of accommodation, were made into highways abundantly furnished for the travellers' wants, because the great annual pilgrimages led in that direction; even so, Christian converse and the joy of united worship makes many duties easy and delightful which else had been difficult and painful. - C. H. Spurgeon
- Not merely to be in the assembly, but to appear before God was the object of each devout Israelite. Would to God it were the sincere desire of all who in these days mingle in our religious gatherings. Unless we realise the presence of God we have done nothing; the mere gathering together is nothing worth. - C. H. Spurgeon
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer - Though we assemble together, each of us should have a plea, a desire toward God. The heart of corporate worship is that every individual has a personal relationship with the Lord. We are not saved by membership to a denomination or building, but by the saving work of God, Who has provided in His Son, a sacrifice worthy of atonement, and by His Spirit the means to find such grace.
- Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. Here we have the nation's prayer for David; and the believer's prayer for the Son of David. Let but the Lord look upon our Lord Jesus, and we shall be shielded from all harm; let him behold the face of his Anointed, and we shall be able to behold his face with joy. We also are anointed by the Lord's grace, and our desire is that he will look upon us with an eye of love in Christ Jesus. Our best prayers when we are in the best place are for our glorious King, and for the enjoyment of his Father's smile. - C. H. Spurgeon
Than a thousand elsewhere - One day before the Lord, in the service of the Lord, in the lowliest perceived place at His court, is better than being a king in this world. The closer the person is to God the fainter the appeals of this earth become.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield - The sun brings light and reveals the holiness of God, but has also given us a shield in Christ, for no man can approach the sun unless he is found in the Son. The cross is the shield for all those who come, but no one comes unless the Father draws them, for all else it is a stumbling block. To those who are lost it is a hideous thing, but to those who the Spirit calls it is life and there is nothing else so beautiful.
…25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’ 26 When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father— the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father— He will testify about Me. 27 And you also must testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.… John 15: 25-27
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