When we love someone, naturally we want to be with them as much as possible. Depending on how romantic we are, we could say that our hearts are crying out to be with them! When we love a certain place, we want to go there, too. It may be to the mountains, to the seashore, or to the family farm. In our psalm for this week, the psalmist describes how much he desires to be where God is, to be in His presence, and to be where He made His earthly dwelling in the Tabernacle. Let’s look into our psalm.
Psalm 84 was written by the Sons of Korah. As we have discussed before, these were Levites involved in Temple worship, who were descended from Korah, a man who rebelled against Moses, and thus against God’s prescribed order. God’s judgment on Korah and others involved in his rebellion was the earth opening and swallowing them up alive (Numbers 16:1-35). Korah’s descendants were not involved in the rebellion, but rather genuinely worshiped and served God in worship within the Tabernacle with a grateful heart.
Our psalmist loved God so much that he wished to always be where God was (vs. 1-4). The tabernacle represented God’s dwelling place among His people on earth. Though we know that God is everywhere, the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, was where the Jewish people in the Old Testament came to specifically worship Him. This was where the psalmist wanted to be. His love for God’s tabernacle reflected a heart that treasured communion with God. He noted that even the birds desired to be close to God, where worship of Him was done. As Christians, we should not only have a desire to attend church and worship services on a regular basis, but also desire and acknowledge the presence of God Himself in our lives.
The Temple, as we know, was located in Jerusalem. Prior to the building of the Temple, the Tabernacle was located in Shiloh since the days of Joshua, which was about twenty miles north of Jerusalem. On feast days and holy days, pilgrims would come there to worship. Depending on how far they had to travel, this pilgrimage needed some degree of strength to accomplish, as they had to traverse some rough and wilderness terrain (vs. 5-7).
The “Valley of Baca” was a valley near Jerusalem that was dry and barren (vs. 6). Its name means “valley of weeping”, and since it was a difficult place to travel through, the name was appropriate. If one got their strength from the Lord, the dry valley would be like a spring of fresh, cool water. Our trials become places of blessing when they are endured in faith. God will transform our sorrows into springs of joy when we trust and have faith in Him.
The psalmist brings his prayers to the Lord (vs. 8-9). Jesus is our Shield. We are protected by Him, just as we would be behind a shield. We can deflect the fiery darts of Satan, standing and declaring the powerful promises of God’s Word. He shields us when the enemy plots his onslaughts against us.
Where would you rather spend your time, in a grand mansion, but it belongs to a wicked person, or in a small, humble church? The psalmist said that he would rather be the doorman in God’s Temple rather than the tents (homes) of the wicked (vs. 10). He preferred humble service in God’s house rather than worldly prestige.
God is both our sun (provider) and shield (protector) (vs. 11-12). True joy and security are found in walking uprightly before God. He withholds no good thing from those who live in obedience. God’s promise to provide has a condition - it is given to those who walk uprightly. If our needs aren’t being answered as we think they should, either God has a different plan, or something in our life may be a hindrance. We could have unrepentant sin in our life. God doesn’t reward sin. Or there could be a discrepancy between our needs versus our wants. God’s answer to prayer must fit with His goal of conforming us to the image of Jesus.
How about you? Would you rather stay home, maybe get some extra sleep, or get up and go to church? How much do you desire spending time with the Lord, reading His Word and in prayer, or would you rather be watching something on TV? How deep is your love for Him? Let your heart yearn for His presence more than earthly comforts. Trust the Lord to carry you through the Valley of Baca, turning your hardships into spiritual springs. Trust Him to be your sun and shield, your source and your defense.
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