Psalm 84 | Desires that God Blesses

SCRIPTURE READING:

Psalm 84 KJV

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. 1 How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! 2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. 3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God. 4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: They will be still praising thee. Selah. 5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; In whose heart are the ways of them. 6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; The rain also filleth the pools. 7 They go from strength to strength, Every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. 8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: Give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah. 9 Behold, O God our shield, And look upon the face of thine anointed. 10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, Than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: The Lord will give grace and glory: No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

INTRO:

Have you ever struggled with your heart?

Wrong desires

Covetousness

Envy

Entitlement

Lust

One preacher said:

10,000 Sermon Illustrations Lust

sin (lust for example) “gets its power by persuading me to believe that I will be more happy if I follow it. The power of all temptation is the prospect that it will make me happier.”

One of the greatest challenges we face is to keep a right heart.

Proverbs 4:23 KJV

23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.

This psalm reveals the heart’s desire of the writer.

We are not sure who is the writer God used to give us this psalm.

It could have been David while out of Jerusalem due to Absalom’s rebellion and since it seemed to be written before the Babylonian captivity and prior to the temple being built. Another reason is because verses 8-9 almost strangely insert a prayer for the king, when the rest of the psalm is largely personal between the writer and God.

It could have been a Levite priest away from the tabernacles.

It could have been a Jew reflecting on his journeys to the tabernacles and his worship.

Whoever it was, the writer had righteous desires that God blesses, and he described them here in this psalm.

The desires remind me of Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Mark:

Mark 12:28–33 KJV

28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: 33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Jesus was quoting the OT:

Deuteronomy 6:4–5 KJV

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

PROPOSITION:

It is vital that you and I, by God’s grace, keep a healthy heart with righteous desires.

God blesses righteous desires.

TRANSITION:

Psalm 84 reveals three righteous desires God blesses.

#1 Desire to Dwell in God’s Presence (vs. 1-4)

vs. 1 God’s tabernacles are both loved and lovely

vs. 2 His soul, heart, and flesh long for and cry out to God

vs. 3 He observes how blessed are the birds that nest in God’s tabernacles

vs. 4 Happy and blessed are they (maybe priests) who dwell in God’s house. They praise God.

#2 Desire to Travel the Way to God (vs. 5-9)

vs. 5 Find your strength in God; desire the way to God’s presence (Zion)

vs. 6 Because of the desire and God’s grace (rain), even dry, sorrowful roads are made joyous

vs. 6 Possibly he makes a well for himself and for travels coming next

vs. 7 Continues from strength to strength even when they are dry times between

vs. 7 Possibly travels from well to well

vs. 8-9 Asks God to look upon the king (possibly the writer, David)

#3 Desire to Choose God First (vs. 10-12)

vs. 10a One day in God’s presence is better than a 1000 anywhere else

vs. 10b Rather be a doorkeeper (like some of the sons of Korah) or even just be positioned in the very back by the door in God’s presence than dwell in the finest of places with the wicked.

vs. 11s God is a sun and shield to us

vs. 11b God gives grace (favor) and glory (honor)

vs. 11c God does not withhold good from those who walk uprightly with Him

vs. 12 Happy and blessed are those who trust God (sums it up)

CONCLUSION:

Be blessed by God as you desire first God’s way and presence.