How Lovely are God’s Dwelling Places

How Lovely are God’s Dwelling Places
Psalm 84:1-12
March 9-10, 2025

      In the introduction of this psalm, it says “For the choir director, on the Gittith, a psalm of the sons of Korah.” The Gittith was an instrument used by the Philistines in the area of Gath. David would have brought this instrument back with him after he lived amongst the Philistines in his earlier years, when he was on the run from King Saul.

      The phrase, “A psalm of the sons of Korah,” could also be translated, ‘A psalm for the sons of Korah.’ In other words, it is very likely that this psalm was written by David and then given to the sons of Korah to be put to music and sung by the choir.

      If David wrote this psalm, we then know what was happening in his life when he wrote it. It was during the time of one of David’s greatest troubles, when his own son Absalom conspired against him. So great was this conspiracy that Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel and little by little the people came over to Absalom.

      When David learned how deep the conspiracy had become and knew that Absalom planned to bring an army to march against Jerusalem, he knew that the best course of action was to flee the city quickly.

      Tragically, and sadly, David fled Jerusalem with his servants and most loyal special forces. He left Jerusalem weeping, covered with ashes. He wrote this psalm longing to return, longing for the courts of the Lord.

      In my opinion, it’s one of the most beautiful of all the Psalms. It’s one of the great ones. Every word is beautiful, every verse is filled with a depth of meaning. An entire book could be written on the great truths found in this psalm.

      David crossed the Jordan and headed east. For the moment he was safe, but his heart longed for Jerusalem. He was homesick for it. He longed and yearned for the courts of the Lord. I don’t know if you have ever been homesick, but it’s a very deep, emotional feeling. And under the circumstances of such duress and trouble, the longing would be even greater.

      I remember the first time I went on a mission’s trip to Russia. I was traveling for three weeks, the longest I had ever been away from my family. With each passing day, the longing for home grew greater. Toward the end of the 3^rd week, I was taking their pictures out of my wallet, looking at them longingly, almost every hour.

      David’s longing, however, is not just for Jerusalem. He longs for the dwelling places of the Lord. It’s beautiful in every aspect. David understood how lovely and how beautiful are the dwelling places of the Lord God of Israel.

      In Psalm 27, perhaps David’s greatest Psalm, he wrote, “One thing I have asked from the Lord and that I shall 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 meditate in His temple.”

      The Psalm is filled with a beautiful understanding of the beauty of the Lord and the blessings on those in whose heart are the highways to Zion. It’s filled with promises that are as true today as they were when David wrote this beautiful Psalm.

I. Your Soul Yearns for Lovely Dwelling Places

•  Verse 1-2 – “How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord.”
• The soul was made and longs to dwell in lovely places.

Illus – People long for those beautiful moments when they can just sit and enjoy a beautiful place to dwell. Lawn chairs at the beach at sunset with a warm crackling fire. David would say, “I know of something better.” Or perhaps hiking up a mountain and coming to that overlook where you behold purple mountain majesties high above amber waves of grain. David would say, “I know of something far better. Oh, how lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of Hosts!”

• David was far from Jerusalem and his soul longed and even yearned for those lovely dwelling places, where he could abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
• When you have tasted and seen how good and how pleasant it is to dwell in the nearness of God, to behold the beauty of the Lord, you long for it again and again. Only there can your soul be satisfied.

A. The soul that sings is dwelling near to God

• Verse 2 – “My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.”

• When David sang a song of worship, people around him could hear his voice. He was singing with his voice. He also sang with his heart, and the song of his worship resonated in the heart of God. The soul was made to sing.

Psalm 108:1, 5, My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul… Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth.

•  “I will sing praises with my soul,” David said.

• When the soul sings in the presence of the Almighty, you are abiding in lovely dwelling places. You are dwelling in the courts of the Lord; your soul is abiding in the beauty of the Lord. That is what worship was meant to be.

Illus – “I worship You, Almighty God, There is none like You. I worship You, O Prince of Peace, that is what I long to do. I give you praise, for You are my righteousness. I worship You, Almighty God, there is none like You.”

•  David saw a bird and a swallow in the courts of the Lord and thought, “Oh to be like that bird who dwells amongst the altars in the courts of the Lord.” David was envious of the swallow who had made a nest for herself where she may lay her young.
• Verse 4 – “How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You.”

B. May there be a highway to Zion in your heart

• Verse 5 – “How blessed is the man whose strength is in You; in whose heart are the highways to Zion!”
• The longing for Jerusalem was a yearning and longing for the courts of the Lord, to abide in the lovely dwelling places of the Almighty. In other words, there was in his heart a highway to Zion. It’s a beautiful, poetic expression.

Illus – Many years later, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, and many were taken captive. They stayed as exiles there in Babylon for 70 years. When those 70 years were completed, God opened the door for them to return.

Ezra 1:5-6, Then they arose, everyone whose spirit God stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the Lord in Jerusalem…All those around them encouraged them with gifts of silver and gold and other valuables.

• In other words, some were stirred, and some were not. Each could decide to respond to the stirring of the Lord and return to Jerusalem or stay in Babylon and live as they always had.
• In the hearts of many, there was a highway to Zion, a longing for the beautiful, holy city of Jerusalem. But not in all of them
• Many had grown quite comfortable there in Babylon. At first, they hated it; they were slaves in a foreign land. But after a while, they settled in quite well. They built new lives there in Babylon…
• But when it was time to go home, many of them did not want to go home; they had grown complacent and comfortable in Babylon.
• What’s not to like? There were theaters and restaurants. There was a Starbucks almost on every corner, although they served Turkish coffee. There was food in the shops; you could buy the world’s finest Persian rugs; everything a person could desire was found in Babylon.
• Or was there…
• Many Jews in Babylon were longing for the day they could return. Babylon, in all its opulence and wealth was not enough for them, they wanted more.
• There are those who know in their heart that this world is not enough. There are deeper places for the soul’s desire, there is more meaning and purpose than can be found in the pleasures of this world.
• The pleasant things of the world are certainly pleasant, but it’s not enough for those who long for the lovely dwelling places of the Lord. In whose heart is a highway to Zion.

C. Make the valley of tears a spring

• Verse 6 – “Passing through the valley of Baca, they make it a spring, the early rain covers it with blessings.”
• Verse 7 – “They go from strength to strength and every one of them appears before God in Zion.”
• The valley of Baca, can be translated, ‘the valley of tears.’
• Everyone understands what he means by a valley of tears. It’s a valley of weeping, a valley of trouble. David was weeping when he left Jerusalem that day, it was one of the most difficult days of his life.
• But notice the theme; “How blessed is the man whose strength is in You… They go from strength to strength.”
• How did they get this strength? They got such strength by dwelling in the lovely places of the Lord, by longing and yearning for the courts of the Lord, because in their heart there is a highway to Zion.
• When you abide in the nearness of God, in the shadow of the Almighty, the one who is strength itself will strengthen your soul!
• Going through the valley of Baca, they make it a spring. In other words, the strength of their soul is a spring of life and encouragement to those who walk with them through the valley of weeping. They are a source of strength to encourage those who are weary and weeping.
• Verse 6 – “The early rain also covers it with blessings!”
• God is the One who sends the early rain. It’s the rain that comes in the fall to cause the seed to sprout and flourish. It is the blessings that make for a great harvest to come.
• In other words, God adds His blessing. When you walk through the valley of weeping and strengthen and encourage others along the way, God adds His blessing as well.

II. How Blessed is the One Who Trusts in God

• Verse 8-9 – – “O Lord, God of hosts, hear our prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!”
• David is crying out to God for help. Absalom has brought out the forces of Israel against him. He cries out to the Lord, God of hosts to hear his prayer. In other words, bring out the armies of heaven, God, to my rescue.
• Verse 9 – “Look upon the face of your anointed…” In other words, David was saying, my face is turned toward you, look upon me with your favor.
• And then he adds some of the most beautiful words found in Psalms…

A. One day in Your courts are better than a thousand

• Many worship songs have been written from this one verse.
• One day in Your courts, one day abiding in Your lovely dwelling places, one day abiding in the glory of God, is better than a thousand anywhere else.
• Verse 10 – “I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” The threshold is the doorway. You would just barely be in the room if you stood at the threshold. But even there, just barely inside the room, is better than to dwell in the center of the tents of wickedness.
• Some people are torn between the things of God and that which is in the world. The writer of the book of James says that they are like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind, double minded and unstable in all their ways.
• There comes a time to choose. There comes a time to decide where you will look to find life.

Joshua 24:15, “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, then choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River or the gods in whose land you are now living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

• David had irrefutably settled this in his heart.

 B. The Lord gives grace and glory

• Verse 11 – “For the Lord is a sun and a shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; and no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
• The Lord gives grace and glory. Those who abide in the lovely dwelling places of the Lord will be filled with grace and with glory.
• Verse 11 – “No good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

Romans 8:32, 38, What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who could be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?… For I am convinced… that nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is found in Christ Jesus our Lord.