To the chief musician on Gittith, a psalm for the sons of Korah
84:Title Note on the sons of Korah at Psalm 42. Here, as there, we do not know whether this psalm was written by one of the sons of Korah or for them as a group to put to music and sing. It sounds like a psalm of David but we cannot be sure that it is his. Gittith was probably a musical term.⚜
84
📚How lovely 📖 are your tabernacles,
O LORD of hosts 📖!
2 📚My soul longs, yes, even faints
for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
84:2 See Ps 42:1-2; 63:1-2. From this we judge that the writer is at a distance from Jerusalem and unable to get there. But just the thought of being there to worship God brings joy to his heart. The worship of God in the congregation of other believers was a delight to him. No one had to force him to go to such meetings. The compulsion was inward and constant. How is it with us in regard to attending places where Christ is worshiped?⚜
3 📚Even the sparrow has found
a house,
and the swallow a nest for herself
where she may put her young,
even your altars, O LORD
of hosts,
my King, and my God.
4 📚Blessed are those
who dwell in your house;
they will always be praising you. Selah
84:3-4 He could even envy the birds who find some place in the tabernacle compound to live. And he thinks of the priests who dwell there and so have daily opportunities to join in worship. Observe how he addresses God with assurance and joy “my King, my God”. Verse 4 gives us the first of three “blesseds” in this psalm. We might call this psalm “the blessed life”.
The blessed are those who are near God (v 4),
who are strong in God (v 5),
who are pilgrims in heart (v 5),
and who trust in God (v 12).
For other references to “blessed” see note at Ps 1:1.⚜
5 📚Blessed is the man whose
strength 📖 is in you,
in whose heart are the ways
of pilgrimage,
6 📚who when passing through
the valley of Baca make it a spring.
The rain also fills the pools.
84:6 Baca probably means “weeping”. We do not know where this valley was or why it was called the valley of weeping. We do not need to know. It is enough to know that even through the vale of tears, the sad experiences of the pilgrim life, and the desolations of the rocky desert, faith can make it all a well of comfort, joy, and refreshing (Acts 16:22-25; 2 Cor 1:5; Phil 2:17; Col 1:24).⚜
7 📚They go from strength
to strength,
every one of them appears
in Zion in the presence of God.
84:7 In the long journey, instead of finding themselves growing weaker and weaker, they find more and more strength (Ps 103:5; Isa 40:30-31; 2 Cor 4:7-10, 16; 12:9-10). Every pilgrim arrived at last in God’s presence – Ex 23:17; 34:23; Deut 16:16. Every real pilgrim, every true believer, will at last appear with joy before God’s presence in the heavenly Zion (John 14:3; 17:24; 2 Cor 5:1; Eph 1:4; Col 3:4; Jude 24,25).⚜
8 📖O LORD God of hosts,
hear my prayer.
Give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah
9 📚See, O God our shield,
and 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 live in the tents of wickedness.
84:10 Words could hardly express more clearly the attitude we should have toward the worship and service of God. One day spent before God is more valuable than three years spent somewhere else. Doing the most menial task God gives us to do is more satisfying and important than all the activities of the sinful world. God’s least is far better than the devil’s best. Humble service for God is so far above all the luxuries, riches, and pleasures of wicked people that there is really no comparison.
The Korahites, by whom or for whom this psalm was written, were actual doorkeepers at the house of God (1 Chron 9:19). We will not be the kind of people God wants us to be until we have right views about the service of God. It should be our delight to do something, to do anything, for our Saviour Who has done everything for us.⚜
11 📚For the LORD God is
a sun and shield.
The LORD will give grace
and glory.
No good 📖 thing will he
withhold from those who walk
in integrity.
84:11 God is the one who gives light on the pilgrims path and protection from their enemies. And He gives all we need for the journey now and honor hereafter (John 1:16; Rom 5:2; 1 Cor 1:4; 15:10; 2 Cor 12:9; John 12:26; 17:22; Rom 2:10; 8:17-18; 2 Cor 4:17; Col 1:27; 2 Tim 2:10; Heb 2:10; 1 Pet 1:7).⚜
12 📚O LORD of hosts, blessed
is the man who
trusts in you.