How
Lovely
is
Psalm 84
Your
Tabernacle
Psalm
84
Background
• To the chief musician upon
Gittith (instrument of Gath)
• The sons of Korah – temple
singers, doorkeepers of the
temple (1 Chron. 6:3132, 9:19, 31)
Psalm
84
Background
• Psalm 84 is a psalm of
cherished worship and service
to God. Descriptive of one
who would rather worship
God than engage in worldly
pursuits
Psalm
84
Longing for the
tabernacle (1-4)
• (1) “How lovely is Your
tabernacle, O Lord of hosts”
• The place where God met with
Israel (Ex. 25:22, 29:42-43)
• A place holy and cherished by
the righteous
Psalm
84
Longing for the
tabernacle (1-4)
• (1) In our text, probably the
temple of Solomon (cf. vs. 3)
• The psalmist was familiar with
the temple, and was probably
there frequently. As a son of
Korah, he possibly worked there.
• To him it was not just a building,
but THE HOUSE OF GOD!
Psalm
84
Longing for the
tabernacle (1-4)
• (2) “My soul longs…for the
courts of the Lord.”
• An intense longing to be
where God is.
• (3) “Even sparrows and
swallows nest there”
Psalm
84
Longing for the
tabernacle (1-4)
• (4) “Blessed are those who
dwell in Your house”
• How blessed are those
privileged to be there all the
time (to work there)
Application (1-4)
• The importance of assembly
– Heb. 10:24-25
• How many of us see the
opportunity to worship as a
blessing rather than a duty?
Cf. Malachi 1:12-13
Psalm
84
A heart for assembling
in His presence (5-7)
• (5) “Blessed is the man
whose strength is in You”
• The character of the psalmist.
God is his guide, i.e. the
remnant.
Psalm
84
A heart for assembling
in His presence (5-7)
• (5) “Whose heart is set on
pilgrimage”
• NASU, “In whose heart are
the highways to Zion!”
KJV, “In whose heart are the
ways of them.”
Psalm
84
A heart for assembling
in His presence (5-7)
• (5) “Whose heart is set on
pilgrimage”
• Three times a year, Israel met
at the tabernacle/temple
• The more devout would
anticipate it with excitement.
Psalm
84
A heart for assembling
in His presence (5-7)
• (5) “Whose heart is set on
pilgrimage”
• Figuratively: A heart set in the
DIRECTION of God.
Prov. 16:17, Isa. 40:2,
(cf. Matt. 3:3, Jn. 1:23)
Psalm
84
A heart for assembling
in His presence (5-7)
• (6) “As they pass through the
Valley of Baca” (weeping)
• Figuratively: It could reference
our wandering through life with
disappointments, etc.
• Rain & spring – longing for the
temple sustains them and keeps
them going
Psalm
84
A heart for assembling
in His presence (5-7)
• (7) “They go from strength to
strength, each one appears
before God in Zion”
• The assemblies are “strength”between those times they are
sustained by the strength gained
while in God’s presence.
Psalm
84
A heart for assembling
in His presence (5-7)
• (7) “They go from strength to
strength, each one appears
before God in Zion”
• Proper (frequent) worship keeps
them from straying
• The downfall of Israel and Judah
involved neglect of the feasts –
both in quality and quantity!
Application (5-7)
• Is frequency of assembly
important to us?
• Do we WANT to be here?
• Consider: Why do we meet
Wednesdays? Gospel
meetings? To give us
strength!
Application (5-7)
• If important, we will make
preparations to be here as often
as possible?
• Do we make excuses for not
assembling? (cf. Lk. 14:1523)
• Do we have the attitude of this
psalmist? Psalm 122:1, 84:4,
Matt. 6:21
Psalm
84
The value of
assembly (8-12)
• (8-9) A prayer of the
psalmist… Behold our shield,
look upon the face of Your
anointed
• An understanding of where
the psalmist stands before
God – HE protects & sustains!
Psalm
84
The value of
assembly (8-12)
• (10) A day in Your courts is
better than a thousand
• What an attitude! Do we
cherish the assembly with this
desire? NOTE: It says, “day”
and not “hour”
Psalm
84
The value of
assembly (8-12)
• (10) I would rather be a
doorkeeper in the house of
my God than dwell in the tents
of wickedness.
• Better to be a lowly servant in
God’s presence, than wealthy
out of His presence!
Psalm
84
The value of
assembly (8-12)
• (11) For the Lord is a sun and
shield – He gives grace & glory
• Realization – He is our source of
life (and light) and protection!
Rom. 8:31
NO wonder he desires to be in
God’s presence!
Psalm
84
The value of
assembly (8-12)
• (11) NO good thing will He
withhold from those who walk
uprightly
• Conditional blessing: Hope
rests in submitting to His will
and seeking Him.
Cf. Isaiah 55:6-7
Psalm
84
The value of
assembly (8-12)
• (12) Blessed is the man who
trusts in You
• Trust demonstrated by
serving Him and assembling
when He commands!
Application (8-12)
• Do we see worship as a
drudgery?
• Will we let the world keep us
from assembling?
• “WHY is the Lord not with me?”
Could it be that He is not a
priority in our lives? We are
NOT walking uprightly?
Application (Psalm 84)
• We have made application to the
importance of assembling as
often as we can!
• How we assemble to worship is
a “spiritual indicator” of our faith
and priorities.
• Do you look forward to
assembling with the saints?
Psalm
84
Final application!
• There is an even greater
“assembly” we ought to
anticipate • Heaven! How much do we
look forward to spending
eternity with Him?
Psalm 84
Do we
long for
the court
of the
Lord?