1. How Lovely is Your Tabernacle!
(Psalm 84:1-12) READ
A wonderful Psalm of praise to God
The Tabernacle
God’s dwelling place among the Jews until such time as the Temple was built
Serves as a type of the Lord’s church
(John 4:19-24), “The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Also serves as a type of Heaven, where God and His Son dwell
(Hebrews 9:24-26), “For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”
Let’s examine the Psalm, and see what we can learn from it!
Psalm 84

2. How Lovely is Your Tabernacle!
A longed for house (1-4)
(Psalm 84:1-4), “How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts! 2 My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young—even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You.”
We long to be present with God in our assemblies as we with one voice praise Him
(Matthew 18:20), “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
We long for a relationship with God, knowing the reward that will be ours!
(Revelation 21:22-27), [John’s vision of the New Jerusalem], “But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.”
How glorious it will be to spend eternity in the presence of God. Truly, “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You.” (4)

3. How Lovely is Your Tabernacle!
A longed for house (1-4)
An opportunity to praise (4,11-12)
(Psalm 84:4), “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You.”
(Psalm 84:11-12), [Actual words of Praise], “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!”
The Lord gives protection
(Ephesians 6:10-11), “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
The Lord blesses those who walk uprightly
(John 14:1-3), “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
God is worthy of our Trust. He delivers on His promises!
(Hebrews 10:35-38a), “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 37 “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith”

4. How Lovely is Your Tabernacle!
A longed for house (1-4)
An opportunity to praise (4,11-12)
A pilgrim’s heart (5-8)
(Psalm 84:5-8), “Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring; the rain also covers it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. 8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!”
A pilgrim is vulnerable, and in need of help. He must trust in benefactors. The Christians’ benefactor is God Himself!
(Philippians 4:13), [Paul knew he was dependent upon Christ for the victory], “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
The valley of Baca (weeping), sorrow turned to joy, (a spring and pools!)
“The tree is called “weeper” from some habit of the trickling of its gum or of the moisture on it; the valley of weeping is not a geographical locality, but a picturesque expression for the experiences of those whose strength is in Yahweh, and who through His grace find their sorrows changed into blessings. (ISBE)
I.E. – The pilgrim’s steps are ordered and protected by God. We praise God because of all the blessings He grants us, both here and in eternity!
(2 Thessalonians 1:6-7), “Since it is a righteous thing with God … to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.”

5. How Lovely is Your Tabernacle!
A longed for house (1-4)
An opportunity to praise (4,11-12)
A pilgrim’s heart (5-8)
A valuable position (10-11)
(Psalm 84:10-11), “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
How many desire the pleasures and standing of wickedness. Fame, fortune, standing…
They have no idea of the relative value of just being in the vicinity of God!
How valuable is a period of worship to you? 1 day to 1,000?
What is the relative value of what the world supplies, VS what you can have as a result of serving Him?
(Matthew 16:24-27), “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”

6. “O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!”
(Psalm 84:12), “O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!”
(Revelation 5:11-12), “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
Our Lord is Worthy of our Praise! (Revelation 5:12)