Read Psalm 84
This Psalm can be divided into three main sections: verses 1-4, verses 5-8, and verses 9-12. The metaphor of journey is apparent throughout this Psalm with the picture of the destination providing motivation and longing that encourages God’s people to persevere along their path.
The first section of the Psalm reminisces about the ideal situation of dwelling with the LORD. The use of the phrase Lord of Hosts to describe God here is a reference to the power of the LORD controlling all of the heavenly armies to secure God’s people and protect them from the enemy. Based on the context of the Psalm we are to imagine the author as someone who is exiled from this reality and is looking back on it with intense longing.
The second section gives us more information regarding the setting of the Psalm as the author points out the fact that this is addressed to a people in exile. They are in need of strength, and they are instructed to take courage from the fact that they are on the “highways” of Zion. After reflecting on the “distant home” that was described with longing in the first section, this section of the Psalm gives the audience courage to journey with haste towards Zion.
In the third section, the singular voice of the Psalmist is interrupted with one verse (verse 9) with the chorus of a plurality. It is as if God’s people are responding with a plea for God to restore them and bring them back into his kingdom after being led to remembrance by the author of the Psalm. They are longing for God TOGETHER. The Psalm ends with the fourth repetition of the word “blessing” and it comes after the repetition of the LORD of hosts title. The happiness of the Psalmist finds its permanent and contented dwelling place under the protection of the LORD of hosts.
Questions
How does reading this Psalm in the context of exile impact how you read the first 4 verses?
What does it mean to have the highways to Zion in your heart?
What is significant about verse 9? How does verse 9 impact the ending of the Psalm?
What are some experiences that exiled Israelites had that would remind them that “a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere”?
How does this Psalm speak to our situation today?