A Longing for the
House of God
By: Alfredo M. Inso Jr.
Introduction
Are you excited when Sunday
(the day of the Lord) is approaching? Are your hearts burning to go to the house
of God where we can praise and worship Him together with His people?
May the Lord our God bless
this sermon and it will bring conviction and encouragement for all of us at the
same time.
Our text is found in the
book of Psalms 84. Psalms means Songs. So the book of Psalms simply means the
book of songs.
The Author
“The title of this Psalm does not bear the
name of David, but as its subject matter is applicable to him, he was in all
probability its author.”
- John Calvin’s Commentary on Psalms
pp. 325.
(Read Psalms 84)
v.1
David expresses his deep longings, his
desires, his affection for the house of God or the
dwelling place of God. I don’t know exactly whether David speaks here of a
literal tabernacle or the heavenly dwelling place of God. But what matters most
to me is the content of this song was the Psalmist longing due to his affection
for the dwelling place of God.
In his deep longing and
attractiveness of God’s sanctuary, he even called it “lovely.” It is something
like a very beautiful and attractive place to go and live with.
I’m sure that David was not
looking to it’s outward appearnce or stature or its
decorations, but it is more than that, surely and definitely that David was
looking to the one who lives in it. It
is therefore not for David the dwelling place of God a
boring or an undesirable place to to be with as the others would think.
v.2
In fact his
soul, as the very core of his being, longeth for and even faints for the
courts of the Lord. Just like someone who was being prevented to come
and to draw near close to the one whom he really loved. Or like a new born
child who craved and desired pure milk from the breast of his beloved mother.
His heart and flesh cry out for the
living God. Not his soul only
longs after the courts of the LORD, the dwelling place of God, the tabernacle of
the LORD of hosts, but also his heart and flesh cry out for the living God.
Ah! this
is the very reason of his longings and its not only for the dwelling place of
the LORD but the one who lives in it. The true and living God of Israel. He is
not the God who lives in the temples made with hands, but He is the God who
fills heaven and earth and created all things and gives life to all His creatures.
v.3
Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, whrere she may lay
her young – in Your altars O LORD of hosts. My King and my
God.
Probably the Psalmist here,
while he was beholding the house of the LORD, he saw these little innocent
flying creatures who had an access to go freely in the
house of the Lord and find a resting place, a home, a nest where they may put
their young (little ones) even in the altars of the LORD.
v.4
The Psalmist called the dwellers of the house
of the LORD “Blessed”. Like the holy angels of God and all the heavenly hosts,
who don’t have rest praisng and worshiping God. What
an awesome privelege to offer and give sacrifices of praise to God in His
temple. This is the very purpose of the worshipers of God who dwell in His
temple they are to give praises to him forever and still ever praising Him, who
is worthy to receive glory and honor and power forever. Amen.
Blessed are you when you are in the house of
God, who sing praises to His name. So make it more early to come if possible to
the house of God where His people are about to sing praises to His name.
v.5
Blessed also is the man whose strength is not
in himself, but in God. The sustainer and the giver and the source of his might
that causes him to endure and persevere the journey of
his life. No matter how great the toils and hardships might come in his
pilgrimage (the journey of his life) God is the strength of his heart and it
sustained him. He is blessed because he’d better chose to trust God than to
trust himself.
v.6
As they passed through the
v.7
“They go from strength to strength” This
phrase is a parallel of what apostle Paul have said in his epistle to the
Romans, “from faith to faith”
therefore from first to last of their pilgrimage they will no doubt persevere
because of God’s stregnth to strength that rest on them. The God who began a
good work in them is able also to complete it. No any form of hardships nor difficulties can put a stop of the godly, hastening
their way until they get to the dwelling place of God and thereby beholding His
holy countenance. His infinite and awesome beauty and there they will praise
Him and worship Him all the days of their life.
v.8
“O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer” This is the cry of the Psalmist. Give ear O God of Jacob.
Asking God and pleading Him to hearken his cry, to
take heed of his prayer, of his longings, of his desires, the outpouring of
love and affection of his soul.
David here expresses his utter dependence and
humility unto God that he can do nothing apart from God’s divine favour, as
Christians can do nothing apart from Christ.
v.9
God is the shield of
David as he called it. The shield signifies as a weapon of defense and
protection from the countless bows and arrows of the adversaries.
God is his protection that defended him
against his enemies. So is true to all the people of God. The LORD of heaven
and earth is their shield. Even the evil one can’t touch can do no harm against
the people of God.
v.10
David rightly understood the value, the
preciousness and the importance of God’s dwelling place where the true and
living God lives.
The Psalmist said, “For a day in your courts is
better than a thousand.” Or “Better is the one day in Your
courts than a thousand elsewhere.” I would rather be a doorkeeper of the house
of God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.
David rather chose a day in the courts of God
and to be a doorkeeper of His house than a thousand days and spent most of the
time in waste dwelling in the tents of the wicked doing wickedness.
Psalm 1:1
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of
the ungodly.
Nor stands in the path of the sinners;
Nor sits not in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the LORD and in His law he
meditates
day and night.
Psalm 27:4 One thing I have
desired of the LORD;
That will I seek;
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life
To behold the beauty of the LORD
And to inquire in His temple;
5 For in the day of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavillion;
In the secret place of His tabenacle He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around
me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in
His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes I will sing praises to the LORD.
Psalm 73:25 Whom have I in
heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You;
26 My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
David declares that he desires nothing,
neither in heaven or in earth, except God alone, and that without God, all
other objects which usually draws the hearts of men towards them are
unattractive to him, are nothing to David compared to God.
He find his
satisfaction in God alone. His longings, his desires, his affections are set on
one thing – God alone. He is his everything and all other things are simply
nothing to him.
His desires is to
dwell in the house of God all the days of his life and not in this world with
its pleasures and its lusts. To behold the beauty of the LORD was his desire
for God is altogether lovely.
The beauty and charm of this world is passing
and deceitful and is subject to decay and destruction. But the beauty of the
LORD is eternal, infinite and unchanging. He is forever and eternally beautiful
beyond description!
His heart and his flesh may deceived and be tempted
and failed, but God is the strength of his heart. God’s grace is sufficient for
him and His strength is made complete in his weaknesses.
v.11
For the LORD God is a sun
and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing that He withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
v.12
O LORD of hosts blessed is the man who trusts
in You.
Application
Are your longings and desires are the same as
David? Do you long to live in the dwelling place of God? Is God your desire? Is
God your everything? Would you dare to say better
is one day in your courts in your house o Lord than to waste my whole time in
this world with its pleasures and lusts?
Apostle Paul said, “For me
to live is Christ and to die is gain” and “It is better to be absent in the
body and to be present with the Lord Jesus Christ.”
We need to learn to be
satisfied in God and in Christ alone. Our longings and desires and our
affections should set on Him alone. And to dwell in His temple is not a boring
place to be with for Christians. It is in fact a lovely place because God
dwells in it.
May we have a heart like David. More love to Christ and to behold His beauty for He
is our everything, to have Christ is to have all
things. We need nothing than Christ. He is the our
life our salvation our righteousness. Therefore Love Christ more than your
life.