Longing for Communion with God!

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith.

A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

INTRODUCTION

This is the second collection of Korah psalms (Pss. 84–85; 87–88). Psalms 42–49 compose the first collection. The sons of Korah, a Levitical family (representing the priestly line), to long for restoration to their temple and profession.. Gittith is also contained in the titles of Psalms 8 and 81 (may have been a musical instrument.).

The phrase “appears before God in Zion” (v. 7, nasb) suggests that this psalm, written or collected by the Sons of Korah, was penned by one who could not make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the three annual feasts (Ex. 23:17; 34:23). These three major feasts include the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Pesach/Passover), the Feast of Weeks, (Shavout/Pentecost), and the Feast of Booths (Sukkoth).

Pesach - Feast of Unleavened Bread/Passover 2020 Apr 9-10 Th‑F to Apr 15-16 W‑Th

Shavuot - Festival of Weeks/Pentecost 2020 May 29-30 F‑Sa

Sukkot - Feast of Booths/Tabernacles 2020 Oct 3-4 Sa‑Su through Oct 5-9 M‑F

For forty years after their exodus from Egypt, the Jews were a wandering people, but even after they had moved into the Promised Land, the three feasts reminded them that they were still not at home on this earth (1 Chron. 29:15). By the way, that is true for us as are God’s people today. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11 ESV

Think about this, a vagabond has no home; a fugitive is running from home; a stranger is away from home; a pilgrim is heading home…that’s them and us! The psalmist’s inability to attend the feast did not rob him of the blessings of fellowship with the Lord. All who are true pilgrims can make the same three affirmations that he made.

My Delight Is in the Lord (vv. 1–4)

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

In his opening statement, the psalmist said two things: “The temple is beautiful” and “The temple is beloved by all who love the Lord.” It was the dwelling place of the Lord, His house (vv. 4, 10), the place where His glory dwelt (26:8).

Although God doesn’t live today in man-made buildings (Acts 7:47–50), we still show special reverence toward edifices dedicated to Him. We can worship God anytime and anywhere, but special places and stated rituals are important in structuring our worship experience. But, the most important thing is that we have a heart devoted to the Lord, a spiritual “appetite” that cries out for nourishing fellowship with the Lord (42:1–4; Matt. 5:6).

The psalmist cried out for God with his entire being. He envied the birds that were permitted to nest in the temple courts, near the altar, as well as the priests and Levites who lived and worked in the sacred precincts (v. 4). How easy it is for us to take for granted the privilege of worshiping “the living God” (see 115:1–8), a privilege purchased for us on the cross.

My Strength Is in the Lord (vv. 5–8)

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

Though he had to remain at home, the psalmist’s heart was set on pilgrimage, and the very map to Jerusalem was written on that heart. His love for God and His house helped him make right decisions in life so that he did not go astray.

A geographic site named “the Valley of Baca” is nowhere identified in Scripture. “Baca” is a Hebrew word meaning “balsam tree,” and the sap of this tree oozes like tears. This could be a valley that pilgrims pass through on their way to the temple. Some propose the Valley of Rephaim, where mulberry trees grow (beka’im = mulberry trees). The point is that these pilgrims, transformed by their love for the temple, in turn transform this valley of despair into a spring of refreshment.

The “Valley of Baca” is a name for any difficult and painful place in life, where everything seems hopeless and you feel helpless, like “the pit of despair.” The people who love God expect to pass through this valley and not remain there. They get a blessing from the experience, and they leave a blessing behind. Like Abraham and Isaac, they “dig a well” (Gen. 21:22–34; 26:17–33), and like Samuel and Elijah, they pray down the rain (1 Sam. 12:16–25; 1 Kings 18).

It’s wonderful to receive a blessing, but it’s even greater to be a blessing and transform a desert into a garden. True pilgrims “go from strength to strength” (Deut. 33:25; Isa. 40:28–31; Phil. 4:13) and trust God to enable them to walk a step at a time and work a day at a time. They are people of prayer who keep in communion with the Lord, no matter what their circumstances may be. “Blessed are those whose strength is in you” (v. 5, niv).

My Trust Is in the Lord (vv. 9–12)

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!

From pleading “Hear my prayer” (v. 8), the psalmist then lifted his petitions to the Lord, beginning with a prayer for the king (v. 9). A “shield” is a symbol of both the Lord (3:3; 7:10; 18:2, 30; Gen. 15:1) and Israel’s anointed king (89:18; see 2 Sam. 1:21). But why pray for the king? Because the future of the Messianic promise rested with the line of King David (2 Sam. 7), and the psalmist wanted the Messiah to come. Believers today should pray faithfully for those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1–4).

When you walk by faith, you put the Lord and His will first, and you keep your priorities straight (v. 10). This is the Old Testament version of Matthew 6:33 and Philippians 1:21. According to the inscription, this psalm is associated with “the Sons of Korah,” who were Levites assigned to guard the threshold of the sanctuary (1 Chron. 9:19), an important and honorable office. Their ancestor rebelled against God and Moses and was slain by the Lord (Num. 16; note “tents of wickedness” in 84:10 and Num. 16:26). Korah’s children were not killed because of their father’s sins (Num. 26:11) but continued to serve at the sanctuary. The psalmist didn’t aspire to a high office (“gatekeeper” in 1 Chron. 9:19 is not the same word as “doorkeeper” in 84:10) but was willing to “sit at the threshold” of the temple, just to be close to the Lord.

To men and women of faith, the Lord is all they need. He is to them what the sun is to our universe—the source of life and light (27:1; Isa. 10:17; 60:19–20; Mal. 4:2). Without the sun, life would vanish from the earth, and without God, we would have neither physical life (Acts 17:24–28) nor spiritual life (John 1:1–14). God is our provision and our protection (“shield”; see references at vv. 8–9). He is the giving God, and He gives grace and glory—grace for the journey and glory at the end of the journey (see Rom. 5:1–2; 1 Peter 5:10). If we walk by faith, then whatever begins with grace will ultimately end with glory. God does not give us everything we want, but He bestows upon us all that is good for us, all that we need. (See 1:1–3.)

We may be removed from our usual place of worship, but today we have constant open access into the presence of God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV

We do not have to go to the temple; we ARE the temple!