Psalm 84
To the choirmaster: according to the Gittith [Probably a musical or liturgical term]. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1 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.
The psalmist gushes with desire for God’s presence. This is the first of the four psalms of the Sons of Korah in Book 3, and its theme is an echo of the first psalm of the Sons of Korah, Psalm 42, an expression of deep desire for nearness to God. The initial exclamation focuses on God’s tent, his tabernacle. In the time of this psalmist, the word refers to the temple of Solomon, the centerpiece of worship in this era. The writer was likely a priest and had the privilege of actually entering the sanctuary and perhaps even seeing the glowing of the glory of God in the Most Holy Place. The word “lovely” is elsewhere translated, “beloved”, indicating that God’s house was not only beautiful (literally and spiritually), but it was also elevated to the highest place in the psalmist’s heart. The word is used elsewhere in the Psalms in Psalm 45:1, the “song of the beloved”, a wedding song. God is addressed as YHWH of the angel armies, a title that is most famously used in Psalm 46 where the people dwell secure in YHWH as their fortress. The writer describes his soul as being spent, finished, completed, wiped out in desiring the space where God dwells. From the depth of his being, his heart and flesh cry out with a ringing cry, a loud song to the living God. The dramatic language here convicts me of my lack of passion when it comes to desiring the presence of God. I’ve had desires like the psalmist describes -- anticipation of an exciting event or experience in most cases -- but even these worldly pleasures haven’t evoked this kind of emotional outburst from me. The eagerness with which the psalmist approaches ritual acts of worship is stunning in many ways considering how most people feel about worship these days. We make the distinction between public and private worship, but the psalmist here is speaking of public worship, specifically of pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem for one of the feasts. The most similar experience I can recall is making the trip to a Promise Keepers event where I anticipated worshiping with 65,000 other men, or praying on the mall in Washington DC with 750,000 men. Those were landmark experiences in my life, but they have long faded. Cultivate in me today this kind of desire to worship with the body of Christ, to be spent in anticipation of singing with others, to be exhausted emotionally when considering the beauty of the gospel as it is preached and experienced in the eucharist, to sing out with a loud cry at the mere thought of being in the presence of the LORD of the angel armies.
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
In his ecstatic joy at drawing near to the house of God, the psalmist now expresses envy at those who have the privilege of abiding in God’s house continually. For the average person, a temple visit was an occasional experience. If you were very pious you might make the trip to Jerusalem three times a year or more. If you were a priest you had periodic assignments to serve in the temple. But if you were a bird that could nest in its rafters or a swallow that could dart in and out of its confines at will -- what a blessing was yours! To approach God in his temple anytime you desired was a privilege that no man enjoyed, so it didn’t seem fair that birds could do this at will. This holy envy evoked a blessing from the psalmist: “Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise.” This is likely a reference to the priests who seemed to be in the temple courts every day, although it was likely that this was an occasional duty determined by lot (see Zechariah’s experience in Luke 1). The beauty of the gospel is that God has come near to us in Christ. His body is the temple and we are welcome to live in him and enjoy his beauty, glory and sustenance at will. Like the bird, we can build a nest and raise our young in an environment permeated with the presence of the LORD of hosts. Like the swallow, we can live in continual communion with God, a song of worship always on our lips, if we so choose. We no longer have to take a week off work and journey to a place of worship. The reality of “Christ in us, the hope of glory” has come and we no longer have to yearn for presence in a physical space. Being satisfied with the presence of Christ, other desires will fade in comparison. The sparrow and the swallow don’t know how good they’ve got it because they are not sentient creatures. They are oblivious to the holiness that is all around them as they go about their mundane tasks of life. Unfortunately the same can be true of us. May my eyes be open today to the all-encompassing presence of God in my life -- whether that is through relishing the beauty of creation, experiencing the joy of family and friendships, or singing God’s praises in a congregation or in the privacy of my car. Don’t miss the blessing that worship can be. Like the sparrow, you can enter his presence at any time you choose.
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. [Hebrew lacks 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.
The psalmist pronounces a second blessing on the man (Adam) whose strength is in God. His inner being is set on the highways (pilgrimage to Zion). The next verse makes it clear that the “man” is representative of all pilgrims who are making their way through the Valley of Baca (location unknown), making it a place of springs, early rains covering it with pools. If there is blessing in dwelling in God’s house night and day, there is also a blessing in the journey to God’s house. The one who desires to meet with God will find themselves strengthened within as they focus on that destination. They grow in faith and confidence as they walk together with others in discipleship. There is speculation regarding the word “Baca” that it means shrub, suggesting a desert environment through which the pilgrim journeys to meet with God. This is consistent with the wilderness metaphor that is found throughout scripture. The wilderness is both a place of great challenge but also great growth. The word “Baca” also suggests weeping, which also fits with the wilderness metaphor. The difficulties of life that bring about tears are actually the seasons that strengthen us, if we’ll let them. The wilderness becomes a garden, a stunning picture of the biblical view of suffering. The barren wasteland gives way to abundant water, springing from the ground and pooling on the surface. These verses remind us of the lyrics of “Desert Song”, encouraging the pilgrim to move forward on the journey to intimacy with God. This journey always takes us through the valley of suffering and tears. How else can we expect to know the one who is identified as a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief?” God meets us in our pain and turns our tears into nourishment for our soul, redeeming our suffering.
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
The journey to Zion, this metaphor for discipleship, is a process of growing stronger. The pilgrims go from strength to strength, getting stronger and stronger until they reach their destination, appearing before God in Zion. While they are traveling together, the text emphasizes that each of them appears as individuals before God in Zion. In fact, the following verse is back to the first person voice, “Hear my prayer, give ear, O God of Jacob!” Our salvation is both individual and collective. He is accountable to God individually, but we are all together in the same journey. Each test of our faith produces perseverance, character, and hope. This is consistent with the biblical view of suffering. Pain is neither denied or avoided but understood as an aspect of life that has the potential to make you a better person if one learns from it and strengthens faith muscles through resistance. This is at the heart of how physical muscles grow -- the application of resistance. Without resistance and use, muscles atrophy, and the same is true of spiritual muscles. Our faith muscles, if they are never tested, will slowly waste away just as surely as unused muscles will lose their strength over time. The reality that we will all appear before God should have a sobering effect. The New Testament is clear that we will have to give an account for what we have done with our life, this undeserved gift of life and the talents that we possess. Are we exercising and stewarding those talents, making more of them? Going from strength to strength by exercising our gifts? Or are we allowing them to deteriorate from disuse? While we know that we have an Advocate who will represent us before the judge, It is a frightening reality that we will have to give an accounting for our life, and there are things for which we should be ashamed. The title “LORD God of hosts” is popular with the psalmist, using it here for the third time in the psalm. It suggests extreme reverence for God as commander of armies of angels. He is not a God to be trifled with. We will each stand before him whether we are on an intentional journey to meet with him or not. We are not free to make up things about him, to imagine him in a way that makes him less holy and more palatable to modern sensibilities. He is who He is, YHWH God of hosts.
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.
The psalmist has asked that God hear his prayer (verse 8), invoking the same word “shema” that he used regularly in making his confession of the unity of God (“Hear O Israel, the LORD is God, the LORD is one”). Now he asks for God to see his shield and anointed. This is most likely a prayer for the king as both of these terms (shield and anointed) are used elsewhere interchangeably for “king”. Thus the psalm was likely composed during the monarchy when theologically speaking, the king stood as an agent and representative of God to and for the people. This is a prayer for blessing on the king. The fate of the nation was often tied with the character of the king. The temptation to power and abuse was always present in leadership, and so the psalmist prays for his own sake and for the sake of the nation that the king would be seen and known by God, that the king himself would have this kind of pilgrimage, even though he only has to go next door to worship at the temple. This thought of living next door to God may be behind the phrase, “a doorkeeper in the house of God”. The word suggests “one who stands at the threshold, right outside, guarding the way in.” Only the priests could enter the holy and most holy places. Only they could enter the courts for sacrifice and prayer. The worshipers stood outside, watching and listening as best they could. But even this limited position was better than living within the tents of wickedness. To dwell in wickedness is to live apart from the holy God. It is to be deeply lonely while medicating the pain of that loneliness with lies. Being close to God for even one day is better than three years anywhere else. Name the best place on earth -- the most beautiful, the most relaxing, the most exciting -- whatever brings you the most pleasure. One day of being in God’s presence is better than all of those days put together. Do you believe this? Does it show in your daily habits? The book of Hebrews tells us that the way has been opened for us to enter the holy place through the body of Christ 4:14-16; 9:11-28). We don’t have to dwell right outside anymore. We can enter in with full assurance. We are all priests and the way into the holiest of places has been open for us. The veil has been torn from top to bottom. This has been done by God to make it clear that we can move in and live with God every day. The longing of the psalmist has been realized in Christ, and we who know him have the unbelievable opportunity to live in relationship with him 24/7 -- not just one day at the climax of a pilgrimage. Will you enter in or continue to make yourself at home in the world?
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!
The divine name, YHWH, is prominent in this psalm, with the name “LORD of hosts” occurring four times in twelve verses. This may suggest greater intimacy between God and man, certainly a theme of this psalm. Earlier the psalmist prayed for the shield (the king), but now he acknowledges that YHWH himself is a sun and shield, bestower of favor (grace) and honor (glory). The sun is a sign of God’s favor, both life and light-giving, warming us in the winter and causing life to flourish in the summer, enabling us to see, and creating intensely beautiful sunrises and sunsets (see Psalm 19:5-6). The second metaphor is that of a shield, a symbol of protection. In battle a shield was something you instinctively trusted, reflexively thrusting it in front of you as the arrows fly around you. Paul identifies the shield of God with faith (Ephesians 6:10-18). The shield does no good if it’s not picked up and carried. So YHWH gives and protects life, and he doesn’t withhold anything good from those who walk according to his ways. Sometimes we think that we are missing out on something by following the Torah. As Billy Joel observed, “sinners have much more fun.” But this is a lie, an arrow of the enemy that is easily extinguished by the shield of faith. YHWH bestows grace and glory. Like a good father he gives his children fish not serpents, honor not shame. There is an inherent blessing from trusting in him. Verse 12 contains the third promise of blessing in this psalm. In addition to the previously mentioned blessings of presence (blessed are those who dwell in your house) and pilgrimage (blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage), the psalmist adds the blessing that comes from trusting in God. Resting in him as sun and shield, bestower of grace and glory, the one who trusts dwells secure wherever they are in life, whether on the journey of life itself or nearing the end of that journey as they enter the gates of Zion to receive the reward of faithfulness.