The Joy of Going into the House of the God

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PASSAGE: Psalm 84:1-12

COMMENT: In this happy psalm, the psalmist glories in coming to and spending time in the house of the Lord. He longs for the Lord who is his sun and shield. He has full confidence in God’s blessings on those who trust in Him. Let us go with the psalmist into the glorious presence of God and enjoy our time with Him.

WHAT DOES IT SAY?

1.                   “How ___________ are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!”

2.                   The ________ has found a house and the ________ has found a nest for herself among the altars of the temple.

3.                   “Behold, O God our _________, and look upon the face of thine ___________.”

4.                   The Lord is a sun and _________; He will give grace and ________.

5.                   “O LORD of hosts, ________ is the man that trusteth in thee.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

1.                   In Psalm 84: 6, God speaks of His blessings on the man who makes the Lord His strength (v.5) in a strange way: “”Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.” Baca means “weeping” and weeping is usually associated with sorrow. Yet, when the saints pass through this valley, they make it a well—a source of water and refreshment. What would it mean to pass through the valley of Baca in a spiritual sense? How does this valley become a well? What is the meaning of this picture?

2.                   In Psalm 84:5, the psalmist declares, “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee,” and in Psalm 84:7 he further states, “They go from strength to strength.” Give an explanation of these statements. What does it mean to have our strength in the Lord? What does it mean to go from strength to strength? Can you think of any examples of going from strength to strength?

3.                   Psalm 84:11 says of the Lord, “no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Yet, in our earthly lives, there are times when this seems to be wrong. What does this statement mean? How do we apply it to our own lives?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME?

1.                   What is the long referred to in Psalm 84:2? Why is the psalmist drawn by the courts of the Lord? Why does he cry out for the living God? In what ways should we have the same longing? What are the characteristics of that longing that should be seen in our lives?

2.                   The psalmist states that he would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than to dwell in the tents of wickedness (Psalm 84:10). What is he saying about his love for the Lord? State your own preference for God by filling in the blanks with your own words: I would rather _______________ than _________________. Try to come up with two or three different statements.

SUGGESTED MEMORY VERSES: Psalm 84:2, 5, 6, 10, 12 (Note: this entire psalm is worthy of memorization)

MEDITATION: Sparrows in the House of God

Psalm 84 speaks of drawing close to God in the house of God—the Temple. Recently, a construction worker discovered an ancient book of psalms in a peat bog in Ireland. The ninth century book was stuck open at Psalm 84. “How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!” (Psalm 84:1).

The third verse of the psalm speaks of sparrows and swallows making their nests in the altars of the Lord. The psalmist evidently observed these nests and thought them worthy of mention. Two things come to mind: first, the insignificance of the inhabitants; second, the inhospitality of the dwelling place. Sparrows are small birds with dull plumage and little singing ability. It is difficult to be impressed by sparrows.

Jesus used them to illustrate creatures with little value. “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings?” (Luke 12:6). And, yet, as He continued, “not one of them is forgotten before God.” Some of these sparrows had made nests in the altars. What a terrible spot! The altar was a central place of activity and a place where a fire was continually burning. There might be some corners and crevices that allowed for the nesting of birds, but it would not be the best place for a home.

That brings us to the conclusion that even the lowly sparrows can dwell in the glorious house of the Lord if they want to badly enough. In Psalm 102:7, a psalmist compares himself to “a sparrow alone upon the house top.” We, too, are like sparrows. We may be little in this world, lacking in beauty or talent, and forgotten by all. Yet we can dwell in the presence of God. It depends on what is really important to us. Little sparrow…where are you going to build your nest?

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