Amiable Tabernacles

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.—Revelation 21:3

A verse by verse study in Psalm 84

David’s psalms cover a broad variety of subjects. Some plead for victory over enemies. Some are expressions of gratitude for deliverance. Some offer praise for the beauties of creation. A few are prophetic in nature. Still others, of which the eighty-fourth is an example, are centered around the dream of David’s life, to build a temple as a permanent habitation for the God of Israel. To David it was not the grandeur of the structure, it was the intimate relationship with Jehovah he wanted to celebrate.

The House of God—Verses 1 to 4

How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. 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. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.

When this psalm was written the magnificent temple of Solomon had not yet been built. The psalm, however, anticipates that structure and was written for the worship services to be held there. It was written specifically, as its title indicates, for the sons of Korah—one of the three divisions of singers David organized for temple worship.

The reference to tabernacles in the plural suggests both the tabernacle at Gibeon and the temple David envisioned in Jerusalem. The plain coverings of the Mosaic tabernacle were hardly things of beauty, especially after traveling forty years through the dusty Sinai and having stood for hundreds of years during the period of Israel’s judges. Yet to David they are "amiable" or "lovely," not for their outward show but for their religious significance.

Similarly today, the humble home where God is worshiped in sincerity and truth is much more lovely than the most beautiful of the world’s cathedrals, where lip service is more often common than true heartfelt worship.

The intensity of David’s desire to see the house of worship fully used is expressed in the strongest terms. He not only longs to be in the condition represented by God’s courts, his very soul is consumed, so as to almost faint, with that longing. This intense longing pervades both his "heart" (or spiritual elements) and his "flesh" (or earthly needs). Not only is true worship of God satisfying to the inner man, it is necessary for even the fleshly creature’s peace of mind.

Sparrows in the Altar

Many Bible students treat verse three as a rebuke to Israel, that David is saying that the altar of God had fallen into such disuse that they had become habitations for birds of the sky. The context of this psalm, however, does not seem to permit such a thought. The New International Version addresses this question by suggesting that the birds nest "near the altar," as though finding a haven in its proximity.

We suggest a more correct thought may be expressed by translating the text thus: "as the sparrows find a house and the swallows a nest to lay her young, so I have found my nesting place in thine altars, O Lord of Hosts."

Notice that the word "altars" is in the plural, referring to either the brazen and golden altars in the tabernacle or to the brazen altars in both the tabernacle and the temple. The first of these two thoughts seems most likely. Our habitation with God is both obtained through the sacrifice on the brazen altar and maintained through an active prayer life at the golden altar. When the Christian accepts Christ as his personal Savior, he is both acknowledging the blood atonement which redeemed him and the advocacy of Christ by which he has access for continual cleansing.

Worship of God is not an occasional act. For the Israelite it was not to be only at the time of the appointed feasts. Christian worship is not just a Sunday exercise of faith. Rather, God’s tabernacles are a house to be dwelt in where he is "still," or better, "ever" worshiped. When David organized the worship of the house of the Lord, he exempted the singers from any other responsibilities because they were employed in singing "day and night" (1 Chron. 9:33).

The Blessed Men—Verses 5 to 8

Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.

Although the word "man" is in the singular in verse five it does not refer to a given man but to any who match the qualifications. Thus, the succeeding pronouns are in the plural. In these verses we have a poetic description of the journey into the courts of God’s house. Both the New American Standard and the Revised Version in verse five give the thought that God will place a road map of the highways to God in the hearts of the believer. The New International renders it, "whose hearts are set on pilgrimage."

The pathway leads through the valley of Baca. Literally, the phrase means "the valley of weeping," "the vale of tears." It is drawn from the story in Judges 2, where Israel is reprimanded for lack of diligence in driving out their enemies in the conquest of the promised land. There the name is expressly given for their tears (Judg. 2:4, 5).

Proper worship of the Lord will turn these failures into victories. The valley of weeping will become a place of springs and the lessons learned will be used eventually in helping all mankind conquer sin and self to serve the living God.

The rain referred to here is the autumn rain. This is the "latter rain" referred to in the latter part of Joel 2:23 which is to fall in the "first month" of the civil year—September to October. It perhaps refers to the time in Joel 2:28 when his spirit is "poured out upon all flesh." This work of lifiting up the human race inspires the Christian today in his worship, giving purpose to every experience of life. The fact that the filling of the "pools" by the rain is apart from the main subject of the psalm, but given as a side effect that also happens, further substantiates this meaning.

As the Christian progresses through his "Baca" (weeping) experiences he not only gains insights into mankind’s problems but new strength as well—going "from strength to strength." Speaking in similar language of Christian growth, the Apostle Paul urges us to go from "glory to glory" (2 Cor. 3:18), from one stage of heart development to another, growing more and more like Christ.

Each must walk this road individually. The growth is personal. When the long journey is finished each must appear before God to be given his rightful reward. Star may differ from star in glory (1 Cor. 15:41), but each must appear in white linen robes, "the righteousness of the saints" (Rev. 19:8).

Our Sun and Our Shield—Verses 9 to 12

Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. 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. 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. O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

In verse nine the Lord is presented as a "shield" and in verse eleven as both "a sun and shield." As a "shield" he pledges protection, but as a "sun" he is the precursor of new life. The shield looks to the preservation of life while the sun portends new life to come. God is our shield through justification: "it is God that justified, who is he that condemneth" (Rom. 8:33, 34).

But it is as the "sun" that we see the future work of the church. "Unto you shall the Sun of Righteousness arise, with healing in his wings" (Mal. 4:2). This will be after the Lord hath given "grace and glory" (Psa. 84:11). Before this can occur, however, the pilgrim must pass the tests implied in verse ten.

We must treasure a day in the courts of the Lord as being more precious than a thousand spent elsewhere. We must have the humility that will accept a responsibility as only a "doorkeeper" in the house of the Lord and esteem that better than sharing the luxury of a lifetime in the tents of wickedness.

If we pass these tests of humility and walk humbly through our Baca valley trials with honest hearts and in uprightness of soul, we shall find that truly "no good thing" will God withhold from us. "Blessed," indeed, "is the man that trusteth in Thee!"

Selah

The untranslated word Selah appears twice in this psalm, at the end of verses four and eight. It thus serves as a section divider. The word closely corresponds to our "Amen," serving as an audience response of affirmation, "Let it be so!" However the Hebrew word goes beyond this simple usage and serves as a musical notation to pause and an indication for the reader to likewise pause and reflect. Still further, it connects the passage preceding the word with that which follows.

In this particular psalm it divides the section which speaks of the Lord’s house from that which refers to the one who worships in that house. The second half separates the one doing the worshiping from the role God plays in his life to enable him to reach the inner courts of the temple and all that is therein implied.

Conclusion

The psalm is arranged poetically by Charles Taze Russell on pages 652 and 653 of his book, The Battle of Armageddon, and we quote:

"The Prophet David (Psalm 84) seems to have been given a foreview of this great ‘Valley of Blessings,’ close to Jehovah’s ‘feet,’ when he sings first of the saints of the gospel age and then of those blessed in the next age, saying: