Introduction:
This psalm is clearly a Song of Zion which expresses the joy and trust of saints as they made their way up to Yerushalayim. We likewise are on a pilgrimage of walking the walk, onward and upward in Yeshua.
Psalm 84 is also known as the Pearl of the Psalms as it is so eloquent in expressing the love of God’s servants. Calvin and Spurgeon see David as the author although it is attributed to the Sons of Korah as they walk up to God’s Sanctuary on Mount Moriah (Yehovah Provides) also referred to as Zion where Solomon built the Temple.
Proposition:
We are going to look at ‘3 sections’ within this wonderful Psalm that speak to us as His people.
Firstly, there are two Selah’s (meaning to pause, to meditate upon) at the end of verses 4 & 8 giving us our 3 sections of thoughts/insights.
Next, we can note there are ‘3 Blesseds’ for the saint to understand.
1) The Blessedness of Dwelling in God’s House – verse 4.
2) The Blessedness of Drawing upon God’s Strength – verse 5 and
3) The Blessedness of Depending on God’s Provision – verse 12.
The 3 Sections:
1) The Sanctuary for a Praising People – verses 1 to 4.
These 4 verses show us our Love v1, our Longing v2, our Looks v3 (The Sparrow, the Swallow, the Sovereign) our Life in our Lord.
We will Dwell in His Sanctuary for all eternity. Heaven awaits.
These 4 verses also reveal the heart’s desire of the Jew to be in Eretz Yisrael (The Land of Israel) and going up to Yahweh’s Temple after being exiled. We can apply this heart’s desire to ourselves as we have been prevented for a season by the Virus! It also speaks to us as pilgrims wanting the Lord to come for us and take us to Glory, Amen!
Heaven is our real eternal home. We shall truly tabernacle with our Lord in His House and verse 2 speaks of how our soul, heart and flesh cry out to be with Him. To dwell with Him, to be in His Presence.
Next, we can be compared to the sparrow and the swift. In Psalm 102:7 the sparrow is used as a picture of loneliness, there are many widows and single saints but the swift soars on the air currents and so we shall be like the eagle soaring on the warm thermals of His love.
We will be well satisfied with the goodness of His Heavenly House.
We can note that there were 2 Altars in The Tabernacle and The Temple. Firstly, the Brazen Altar depicts Messiah’s sacrificial death and the Golden Altar speaks of His Resurrection, and so taken together they show us the Finished Work of our Lord and Saviour.
And finally, in verse 4 we pause to meditate on the truth that we shall still be praising Him, throughout all eternity with those who went ahead of us. The loss of loved ones, but their gain of no more sighing!
2) The Valley for a Pilgrim People – verses 5 to 8. It is Fourfold.
It’s also about ‘Get thee behind me Satan, the Lord rebuke you!’ We are to use the keys of the Kingdom, His Holy Name, His Blood and His Word. Hallelujah. We are on the victory trail. Amen.
‘Springs of refreshing water’. Water speaks of His Word and the Holy Spirit; both truly refresh us. We by Faith bring down refreshing showers of blessing. The anointing breaketh the yoke. The unsaved get depressed, downtrodden, defeated by the Devil and those with him! The answer is in the Book, the answer is Jesus, there is power in the Name of Jesus, we believe in His Holy Name and so we have …..
It is about Drawing on the strength of our God because our hearts are right and our hope is real. It is Written. Amen.
3) The Sanctuary for a Prosperous People – verses 9 to 12.
The last 4 vs speak to us of Peace through the Prince of Peace verse 9.
Here we see Yeshua, the Anointed Messiah, the Commissioned One to rescue us from our iniquities, our sins of omission and commission, our trespasses, our secret sins.
It is about Delighting in the service of God.
Verse 10 – Now we see that Time takes on a New Dimension and the Task of being a doorkeeper takes on a New Distinction before God. The Lord will repay each worker that serves Him and His people. We are to have nothing to do with the tents of the wicked and their unholy ways
Verse11 – We look to the Lord for help, His face shines like the sun, the name of the Lord is a strong tower, He is our defence, He is our shield of protection, again it is written and He will bless our lives.
Obedience truly brings blessing, no good thing will He withhold from us as we walk in holiness of life.
Verse 12 – And so we trust and obey for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, to trust and obey. His talmidim (disciples) showed the truth of the matter, ‘where else can we go Lord, for you have the Words of Life.’
Time will take on a New Dimension.
Eternity is going to be great; the best is yet to be, it will come and it will not tarry for much longer. The ‘Days of Sorrow’ will become the Days of Glory, Hallelujah. We draw ever nearer!
So, look up Saints our redemption draweth nigh. Amen, Amen.