Andrew Forrest

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Going to God – Psalm 84

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE:

Today’s commentary is by Dr. Kevin Watson, who is coming to Tulsa to become the Director of Academic Growth and Formation at the Tulsa Extension Site for Asbury Theological Seminary, as well as joining our staff at Asbury Church as Scholar-in-Residence. I wrote a post announcing and explaining this move.-Andrew

Psalm 84

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, faints
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
    to the living God.
3 Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
    my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
    ever singing your praise! Selah
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
6 As they go through the Valley of Baca
    they make it a place of springs;
    the early 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 Behold our shield, O God;
    look on the face of your anointed!
10 For 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.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
    from those who walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you!


This marks a significant departure from many of the Psalms we have recently read. It starts right out of the gate with praise and adoration of God.

 1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, faints
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
    to the living God.


Like the cry for God to defeat his enemies in Psalm 83, this Psalm is best thought of as a communal prayer, likely even a song sung on pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

In ancient Israel, a visit to the temple in Jerusalem was a yearly occurrence at best. As a result, it was a special event, one worthy of song and celebration. Psalm 84 is a song believed to have been sung by those traveling to Jerusalem to participate in a great festival. The song is now placed next to the strident cry of Psalm 83 and provides a vision of a nation restored. The songs of Asaph have finished, and it appears that the songs of Korah mark a more positive note.-Beth Tanner


Notice the attributes that make someone blessed:

 Blessed are those who dwell in your house,

     Ever singing your praise! (v.4)

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

     In whose heart are the highways to Zion. (v.5)

Blessed is the one who trusts in you! (v.12)


Beth Tanner again: Since the beginning of Book Three at Psalm 73, the prayers have mostly expressed sorrow and pain at the strained relationship between God and the people. There has been little movement, as the people remain stuck and God seems distant. Psalm 84 declares the impasse over. The people sing and travel and celebrate God’s presence. Just as in my grandparent’s generation, this movement creates anticipation and the feeling that something special is about to happen. It reminds us that we too should seek Zion and look with anticipation to the times when we can move forward and worship the Lord.