Blessings in God’s House

Psalms 84:1-12
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!

The sons of Korah knew the blessings from being in the presence and service of the LORD.  Here they sang of that joy and fulfillment of dwelling in God’s house, the congregation of His people.  This longing was as if his entire heart and soul were set on being in the presence of God and His people.  Like nesting birds, they found there home at the altar of God where sacrifices of worship were offered in reasonable service (Romans 12:1).  Those who live in God’s presence will be constantly praising Him.  Selah, dwell on that!  We find strength in setting our hearts fully on the anointed, the Messiah-Christ, as verse 9 reveals and 5 promises by principle.  We are sojourners in this life on the way to an everlasting life before our Lord and God in the celestial city to come down from Heaven (Revelation 21:2).  When we pass through our own valleys of weeping and sorrow here, we find springs of grace and comfort from above along the way of our journey, increasing in His strength because we know that we will one day appear before Him there!  There is hope and comfort along the sojourner’s path, and so we pray as these gave examples for us to follow as a map guiding the pilgrim making progress in His sanctification.  He hears our prayers.  Selah.  Oh, knowing that our protector, our shield is more than faith (Ephesians 6:16), but is God Himself - knowing this, we look upon the face of the anointed (Messiah, מָשִׁיחַ), and find our hiding place under His wings (Psalm 91:4, 119:114).  This is why the psalmist sang here that it is infinitely better to be the humblest and lowest servant in God’s house than live in luxury with wickedness apart from our holy God.  Because He is holy, we are to be also (1 Peter 1:15-16).  He will not keep any good thing from the righteous, and protects us as a shield and gives light as the sun to us.  Such grace and glory offered to us!  Above all else, we are blessed for trusting Him, which is faith in His word and work (John 6:29, Genesis 15:6, James 2:23, Romans 4:3).  How completely happy and contently fulfilled is the one who trusts in Him! dwelling in Him with heart and soul!  Amen and amen.