Psalm 84 is one of those psalms which is full of oft-quoted phrases, not least the opening exclamation:
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!
and verse 10 which has been used as worship song lyrics by many of us:
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.
Other verses about our soul yearning and fainting for the courts of the Lord (v2), being a doorkeeper in the house of my God (v11), and the Lord being a sun and a shield (v11) have also inspired worship across the centuries. In the light of such familiarity it is would be easy to miss other riches in this beautiful psalm. So, let me encourage you to consider the three blessings the sons of Korah describe in this psalm for us.
Blessing 1: The blessing of dwelling
Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. (v4)
This first statement of blessing comes after the opening descriptions of the loveliness of the place where God dwells. The psalmists are almost overwhelmed by their desire to be in the courts of the Lord. All they want to do is sing for joy to the living God using their heart and their bodies. They draw a comparison between true worshippers of God and a sparrow who needs to find a safe place to nest and rear her young, claiming that the sparrow will find her dwelling at the altar of God. Surely, if a sparrow finds that they want to live in the house of God – in fact, in His very presence – how much more His people whom He loves?
This first group of blessed people, then, are those who decide to live and dwell in the house of God. That is the place of safety and security and they will be able to sing His praise there forever.
Blessing 2: The blessing of pilgrimage
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. (v5)
Pilgrimage was a feature of God’s people. Each year thousands of people would make their way to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple. For many this would be a long and challenging trek but the promise of blessing is given here by the psalmists for those who set their hearts on pilgrimage and embark on that journey. God will give them strength and sustain them on their journey. He will turn the dry, desert places into luscious, well-watered paths. Their strength will increase and increase until they reach God in Zion (vv6-7).
The destination of the pilgrimage is the dwelling place of God (v1). The hope of the pilgrims is that they would experience a day in the courts of God (v10) and be counted amongst those who dwell in the house of God (v4). And so these pilgrims will get a double blessing: a blessing during their pilgrimage on the way to the house of God, and then the second blessing of experiencing the place where God dwells.
In case those two blessings weren’t already enough, the sons of Korah conclude with a third.
Blessing 3: The blessing of trusting
Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you. (v12)
It is an act of faith to set off on pilgrimage to the house of God. It is an act of faith to face the challenges and perils of journeying in a strange and unknown land simply with the aim of arriving in the presence of God. It is an act of faith to place such high value on being in God’s presence and believe that a single day there outweighs one thousand anywhere else. It takes faith to say that to be a doorkeeper on the boundaries of God’s house is a far better option than living away from His presence amongst the pleasures of the world.
But God loves faith, and He blesses those who trust in Him (v12). For those who trust in Him will know Him as their sun and shield, and know His favour, honour and goodness (v11). Those who trust in Him will be anchored securely; in the midst of turbulence, they remain unmoved.
So Psalm 84, alongside inspiring some well-known worship songs, is about blessings. Three blessings from God which flow from three practices of His people: dwelling in His presence, pilgrimage to His house, and trust in His goodness. The people of God are truly blessed!
The Sharpened Sword 