Psalm 84:1

Psalm 84:1

A longing for the House of the Lord

This Psalm was written by one of the sons of Korah, the musical division of the Levites if you like, a man who had served faithfully at the Tabernacle or the Temple. It’s obvious that he was no longer able to serve God in this way and we can only assume that this was because access had been barred by enemy forces or maybe by deportation. This son of Korah longs for the times long past when the daily rituals were at their height and the annual festivals were fulfilled, when vast crowds visited the Temple and when the worship of the Lord God was at the centre of the life of the nation. May this beautiful Psalm inspire us to long for such occasions and to make the most of the freedom and the fellowship we enjoy. Let us not have to suffer the loss of these things before we realise how valuable they are!

V1        The opening verse of the Psalm uses the word “lovely”, the Hebrew word is better translated “loved” or “beloved”. And what was it that the writer loved so much? The dwelling place of God.

We need to understand that the Jews did not have the Holy Spirit living within them, some had moments when the Spirit came upon them but that intimate relationship, that knowing that we are in God’s presence and that He is near, was not part of their daily experience. The faith of many was unshakeable but it was placed in the rituals and ceremonies of their religion which was why they sought to go to Jerusalem on regular occasions, especially at the times of the Feasts. Because of the sacredness of the Holy of Holies and the evidential presence of God in that place, it was a high honour to visit the Temple and to “draw near” to the Lord Almighty. What we now know of course, is that God does not dwell in buildings made with hands and that whilst He chose to endow the Holy Place with His presence there is no way that a small chamber in a man-made structure could contain Him! However, for most, especially those who had a lifetime of service at the Temple, there was no holier or more special place on earth than the courts of the Lord God. Years of devotion had trained our writer to love this place with a deep passion and he revelled in every aspect of its daily life and the meaning of its rituals and its adornments. 

It is so easy to forget that we are Temples of God’s Holy Spirit and that His presence is with us every living moment of our lives. Let’s learn to adore moments of intimacy with Him both alone and those shared with others. Let us make time daily, to dwell in the Courts of the Lord and to share in intimacy with Him. Have you a place or a time where you can meet with Him and enter His Courts?

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