Christian Photographers Community

Psalm 84

God chose the temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem as a special place to meet with His people, to make His Presence with them known, and to receive their praises and petitions.  The people were to think of Him as being present in an awesome way between the cherubim above the mercy seat of the ark.  Not that they thought of Him as contained there, as though limited to that or any other place (1 Kings 8:27), but they believed that it was there that He made His holy Presence known.  The command of God, therefore, was that only the high priest, and then only once each year, could even approach that holy place, and even then only with an elaborate display of the symbolism of atonement through sacrifice.  It was indeed the most holy place, and the godly Jewish mind thought of it with awe and reverence.

But he also thought of it with joy, because it represented to him God's choice of Israel alone, among all the nations of the earth, to experience His special Presence and blessing.  The temple and its holy of holies represented God's setting apart of one nation to be reconciled with their God after the general rebellion of humanity!  For the godly Israelite, therefore, with all this in mind, it was a great joy to come, as often as possible, to worship God, and to join His redeemed people in singing His praises. 

The psalmist expresses that joy here.  He says, "How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts!  My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God."  He tells the Lord that "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!"

Such thoughts of the meaningfulness and glory of God's dwellingplace led the psalmist to still further thoughts of the glory of God Himself, the glory of the God Who dwells with His people in that special way yet Who also blesses them wherever they are and in whatever they are doing.  He says, "Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage (to the temple in Jerusalem).  As they pass through the Valley of Baca (tears), they make it a spring (of blessing).  The rain also covers it with pools.  They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion!"

As he sings this song, the writer himself also appears before God in that wonderful place of meeting.  He says, "O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!  O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of Your anointed."  He's praying for the king, here called their "shield" and God's "anointed." 

The psalmist, being therefore in that wonderful place of God's Presence with His people, expects that he will undoubtedly be heard as he prays, so he ends the song  with an exclamation of confidence: "O Lord of hosts!  Blessed is the man who trusts in You!"

With differences because of our different era, this psalm is just as much for the Christian today as it was for the Israelite.  There are two important differences. The special place of God's dwelling today is not in the Temple but in the meeting of His people - the Church - and our King and "shield" today is Jesus Christ.  With those differences, though, the psalm applies to God's people today just as it did to the psalmist and people of that day.  Our hearts, too, should "long, even faint for the courts of the Lord," and our hearts and flesh should "cry out for the living God."  Do you want to be there when He makes His presence known to His Church?  In fact, do you long to be in His presence forever?

If you experience that longing then it should be a delight to you to meet with God's people each Lord's day, and such "a day in Your courts (should be) better than a thousand."  You should be able to say, "I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness!"  Oh let us look forward each week with joy to meeting with the living God!

U.K. 10.50a.m.

Thank-you Al.

This is one of my favourite psalms.

The Valley of Baca or "Weeper Valley" was on the old pilgrimage route to the Temple in  Jerusalem.
The area was usually very wet at the time of Pilgrimage and indeed the pilgrims were tearful as they reached it.....However their hearts  were set on reaching Zion (Zion's Hill, the Temple)......as they reached Baca Valley they could see the Temple in the distance and strength increased for that last spurt....

Whenever I feel low, I find encouragement in this Psalm.....Even in Weeper Valley the Lord gives us springs to lift us up and carry us on our journey.

Surely when the Lord puts a desire on our hearts He gives us the strength to fulfil it!

That's really beautiful, Jenny, and I truly thank you for bringing that up about the "Weeper Valley."  I hadn't looked up the Hebrew on Bacah, but I'm sure that's what it is.  That's good insight!

8.30p.m.

I have to pop in here tonight...I am in "Weeper Valley".I come here often......so much grief and pain everywhere..in Israel, in Sweden and on this day.......IN AMERICA.

I am so reminded of Jesus...He would not be deterred.....
"He set His face to go to Jerusalem, to the Cross.......

In our hearts are the Highways to Zion (Ps 84:5).

DEAR ONES THERE IS NO RESURRECTION WITHOUT CRUCIFIXION.........

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning". Ps 30:5.

Soon it will be "Morning".....We will look upon the face of Jesus our Saviour.

Dear American and Canadian cousins I send love to you, this night 11th September.

Jenny.

What a wonderful Psalm tonight! 

This, too, is one of my favourite ones.  How lovely your devotional and thoughts you've shared.

Thanks Pat.  I do so desire to be used of the Lord to bless His people.