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RETURN TO THE LIST OF LESSONS

PSALMS 84
Lesson 13/P3
A DEEP DESIRE FOR BEING IN GOD’S HOUSE

• MEMORY VERSE: PSA 84:4

• SUBTITLE: “To the chief musician upon Gittith, a Psalm for the Sons of Korah”
  • WHAT IS A GITTITH? IT IS AN INSTRUMENT LIKE THE GUITAR.
  • THE SONS OF KORAH WERE THE PRIESTS IN THE TABERNACLE AND LATER IN THE TEMPLE.
    • IN THE TIME OF MOSES, KORAH LED A REBELLION AGAINST MOSES. GOD SEVERELY JUDGED HIM FOR HIS REBELLION. HOWEVER, BY THE GRACE AND MERCY OF GOD, THEY AGAIN SERVED GOD IN THE TABERNACLE.

 

• READ PSA 84:1-12
• FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS PSALM THERE IS A DESIRE TO BE IN THE TABERNACLE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. (1-2)

 

• “…my flesh crieth out for the living God.”

(

 

2)
• A PERSON WHO REALIZES THAT HE HAS NEED OF SOMETHING SPIRITUAL IN THIS LIFE WILL CALL TO THE LIVING GOD, JESUS CHRIST WHO WAS A RAISED FROM THE DEAD.
• THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER TODAY SHOULD HAVE THIS SAME ENTHUSIASM FOR GOD AND FOR HIS CHURCH.
  • THERE ARE TOO MANY CHRISTIANS TODAY THAT DO ALL THEY CAN TO AVOID ATTENDING A CHURCH. IN FACT THEY PRIDE THEMSELVES IN BEING A LONE-RANGER CHRISTIAN. WHAT THEY DON’T REALIZE IS HOW FAR OUT OF THE WILL OF GOD THEY ARE WHEN THEY TRY TO MAINTAIN A CHRISTIAN WALK OUTSIDE OF CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP.
    • READ EPH 5:25
      • JESUS CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL’S SINS. OFTEN AS CHRISTIANS WE EMPHASIZE THE INDIVIDUALITY OF REDEMPTION.
      • HOWEVER EPH 5:25 TELLS US THAT JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR THE CHURCH AS WELL.
        • WHY IS THE CHURCH AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS SO IMPORTANT IN GOD’S PROGRAM?
          • IT IS IN THE FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS THAT GOD USES AS A TRAINING SCHOOL FOR OUR CHARACTER TO MAKE US MORE LIKE CHRIST.
            • READ HEB 10:24-25
          • IT IS IN THE FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS THAT WE RECEIVE ENCOURAGEMENT, TRAINING, AND HELP IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK.
        • THE REALITY IS THAT WE CANNOT LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN ISOLATION BECAUSE WE ARE COMMANDED TO USE OUR GIFTS AND TALENTS IN RELATIONSHIP TO THOSE IN THE CHURCH. AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS SERVICE TO GOD. YOU CANNOT SERVE GOD IN ISOLATION. THE DESCENDANTS OF KORAH LEARNED THAT JOY COMES IN SERVING GOD.

 

• “…the sparrow hath found an house…”

 

• THE SPARROW IS A SMALL BIRD THAT DID NOT HAVE MUCH WORTH IN THE DAYS OF THE BIBLE.
  • READ MAT 10:28-30
    • A POOR PERSON COULD BRING A SPARROW AS AN OFFERING.
  • EVEN THOUGH THE SPARROW WAS NOT WORTH MUCH, THE PRIEST COULD LOOK UP TO THE ROOF OF THE TEMPLE AND SEE HOW THE SPARROW COULD FIND REST, REFUGE, AND A PLACE IN GOD’S PRESENCE UNDER THE EAVES OF THE TEMPLE ROOF.
    • OF HOW MUCH MORE VALUE IS THE TRUE BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST WHO FINDS REFUGE AND FELLOWSHIP IN THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST AND IN THE PRESENCE OF OTHER BELIEVERS IN THE CHURCH!
    • NO BELIEVER IS OF SO LITTLE VALUE THAT HE HAS NOTHING TO GIVE TO A BODY OF BELIEVERS, NOR IS HE OF SO LITTLE VALUE THAT HE CANNOT RECEIVE SOMETHING IN THE FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS.
  • JESUS TELLS US THAT NOT ONE SPARROW FALLS BUT THAT IT FALLS INTO THE LAP OF GOD. HOW MUCH MORE FOR THE BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST.

 

• “…the swallow a nest for herself…”

(3)

 

• THE SWALLOW IS A MIGRANT BIRD, AND IN THIS WAY, LIKE MANY BELIEVERS WHO WANDER FROM CHURCH TO CHURCH.
• EVEN THE WANDERING SWALLOW ALWAYS FOUND A NEST IN THE EAVES OF THE TEMPLE. IN THE SAME WAY, THE BELIEVER THAT HAS FOR YEARS WANDERED AWAY FROM CHURCH FELLOWSHIP CAN FIND REST IN A CHURCH OF TRUE BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST.

 

• “Selah

” (4)

 

• STOP AND THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THOSE BELIEVERS THAT DWELL IN THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE CHURCH KEEP ON PRAISING GOD.
  • THOSE THAT FALL AWAY FROM THE CHURCH SOON FIND THAT THEY STOP PRAISING GOD IN WORSHIP.
• THE BLESSED PERSON:

• HE FINDS HIS STRENGTH IN GOD.
• HIS HEART LEARNS GODS WAYS WHEN HE IS IN FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS ON A PRACTICAL LEVEL, AND WHEN HE IS IN THE WORD OF GOD ON A SPIRITUAL LEVEL.
• PASSING THROUGH THE VALLEY OF BACA:

• GOING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES IN LIFE IS LIKE GOING THROUGH A DESERT. THESE DIFFICULT TIMES ARE COMMON TO MAN. HOWEVER. THE BELIEVER THAT SPENDS SOME TIME IN CHURCH AND IN FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS WILL DISCOVER THAT THERE ARE THE SPIRITUAL WELLS OF FRESH WATER THAT GOD SUPPLIES FOR HIS PEOPLE.
• NOTICE THAT VERSE 7 SAYS, (THE BELIEVER) GOES “from strength to strength”.
  • IN OTHER WORDS, GOD SUPPLIES IN EACH POOL EXACTLY THE QUANTITY OF STRENGTH THAT THE BELIEVER WILL NEED TO MAKE IT TO THE NEXT POOL.

 

• “Selah”

(8)

 

• THROUGH THE BIBLE AND ESPECIALLY IN THE PSALMS THERE IS A PLEA FOR GOD TO HEAR THE PRAYERS OF HIS PEOPLE EVEN THOUGH GOD’S PEOPLE ARE REBELLIOUS AND NOT WORTHY OF GOD’S BLESSINGS.
  • VERSE 8 USES GOD’S REBELLIOUS NAME FOR HIS PEOPLE, THE NAME JACOB. THEREFORE, GOD IS EVEN THE GOD OF THOSE WHO ARE REBELLIOUS

 

• “O God our shield…”

(9)

 

• THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PSALMS WHERE GOD IS CALLED A SHIELD. THE IDEA IS THAT OF PROTECTION IN A TIME OF BATTLE AGAINST AN ENEMY.
  • THE BELIEVER THAT MAINTAINS HIS PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD ON A DAILY BASIS, AND MAINTAINS HIS FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS IN THE CHURCH, IS ASSURED OF A DOUBLE LEVEL OF PROTECTION.

 

• “…the face of thine anointed.”

 

(9)
• THIS IS A TITLE FOR JESUS CHRIST, THE MESSIAH. HOW DO WE KNOW THIS?
  • THE WORD CHRIST AND THE WORD MESSIAH LITERALY MEAN THE ANOINTED ONE.
• IN THE SAME WAY THAT JESUS CHRIST (THE ANGEL OF THE LORD) DEFENDED HIS PEOPLE AGAINST THE EGYPTIANS IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS, CHRIST DEFENDS NEW TESATAMENT BELIEVERS AGAINST SATAN, THE ENEMY OF MAN’S SOUL.

 

• “…a doorkeeper in the house of my God…”

(10)

 

• THE DESCENDANTS OF KORAH WERE THE DOORKEEPERS OF THE TEMPLE.
  • THE IDEA IN THIS STATEMENT IS THAT ANY POSITION OF SERVICE WHETHER IT BE OF HIGH AUTHORITY OR OF A MINIAL TASK, ITS REWARD IS FAR SUPERIOR TO ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD.
    • GOD WILL REWARD THE BELIEVER WHO IS SERVING THE LORD.
    • SATAN’S REWARD IS DEATH. IT IS THE ONLY REWARD HE HAS THAT HE CAN GIVE.
• GOD’S REWARD: (11-12)

• GOD IS A SUN.
  • THE SUN IS A CONSUMING FIRE. (HEB 12:29)
    • GOD WILL EITHER BLESS OR HE WILL DESTROY.
      • THEREFORE IT PAYS TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SIDE. VERSE 12 ENCOURAGES US TO CHOOSE GOD AND TO PUT OUR TRUST IN HIM.
    • GOD WILL GIVE GRACE AND GLORY TO FAITHFUL BELIEVERS. THERE IS AN UN-NAMED AND UN-LIMITED BLESSING FOR THE FAITHFUL BELIEVERS.
• APPLICATION:

• MAKE A LIST OF THE THOUGHTS THAT ENCOURAGE THE CHRISTIAN WHO IS WORRIED OVER GOD’S UNWILLINGNESS TO SUPPLY PERSONAL NEEDS.
  • THE LOW VALUE OF A SPARROW IS CONTRASTED WITH THE VALUE OF THE BELIEVER.
  • THE REBELLION OF A WANDERING SWALLOW CONTRASTS WITH GOD’S WILLINGNESS TO FORGIVE.
  • THE POTHOLES OF WATER IN THE DESERT ENABLE THE BELIEVER TO GO SUCCESSFULLY FROM ONE SPIRITUAL STRENGTH TO THE NEXT.
  • MAINTAINING FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD AND WITH BELIEVERS IN THE CHURCH ASSURES THE BELIEVER OF PROTECTION AND PROVISION.

HOMEWORK
PSALMS 85
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• APPLICATION FOR PSA 84
  • WHICH POINTS IN THIS LESSON ARE ESPECIALLY ENCOURAGING TO YOU? WHY?

• PREPARATION FOR PSALMS 85
  • READ PSA 85:1-13
    • WHICH THINGS DOES GOD NEED TO RESTORE IN ISRAEL?

 

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 85:10