For the music director; according to the gittith style; written by the Korahites, a psalm.
The author of this song is unknown. The song was written for the music director of the Levites. The gittith style was a popular tune of that day. The musical instrument referenced in this title is most probably a guitar-like harp associated with Gath in Philistia. The Korahites were the descendants of Levi through Kohath. They were the gatekeepers and musicians in the temple at Jerusalem.
84:1 How lovely is the place where you live, O Lord who rules over all!
The psalmist is making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. The Jewish men were required by the Mosaic Law to worship at three festivals in Jerusalem per year. These three festivals were Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. These three festivals contained rituals which pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ.
These pilgrimages usually traveled in large caravans. During the pilgrimage, the psalmist is meditating upon the loveliness of the temple. God is omnipresent. He lived in the Holy of Holies of the Temple, but He also lives everywhere all at one time. God is also omnipotent and omniscient, meaning that He has all power and knows all things. He is sovereign, meaning that He rules over everything.
84:2 I desperately want to be in the courts of the Lord’s temple. My heart and my entire being shout for joy to the living God.
The psalmist's greatest desire was to worship God at the temple in Jerusalem. Worship of God brought joy to the psalmist’s heart.
84:3 Even the birds find a home there, and the swallow builds a nest, where she can protect her young near your altars, O Lord who rules over all, my king and my God.
The psalmist envied the birds, because they were able to build their nests in God’s own home.
84:4 How blessed are those who live in your temple and praise you continually! (Selah)
The Levites were extremely blessed, because they were able to live on the temple grounds and serve God on a daily basis.
84:5 How blessed are those who find their strength in you, and long to travel the roads that lead to your temple!
Those who study and apply Bible doctrine will find strength in God. They will be blessed by God. They do not mind traveling long distances to worship in God’s temple, because this worship brings great joy to them.
84:6 As they pass through the Baca Valley, he provides a spring for them. The rain even covers it with pools of water.
Baca means “weeping.” It was also a valley of Balsam trees. The pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem would stop at the Baca Valley and drink from the spring waters. They realized that God placed that spring there for their refreshment and enjoyment. They recognized the beauty of God’s creation.
84:7 They are sustained as they travel along; each one appears before God in Zion.
The pilgrims realized that God provided all of their needs during this journey to Jerusalem. Each one of the pilgrims will appear before God in Jerusalem.
84:8 O Lord, sovereign God, hear my prayer! Listen, O God of Jacob! (Selah)
The psalmist praised God for being sovereign over all things. He asked God to hear his prayer. He asked the congregation to meditate and think about this Biblical concept. God does hear and answer prayers.
84:9 O God, take notice of our shield! Show concern for your chosen king!
The Hebrew word for “chosen king” is מְשִׁיחֶֽךָ (mashiachku), meaning your anointed king. This is usually a word for the Messiah, but it can also be used for the kings of Judah who were anointed by prophets to become kings of Israel. The psalmist asked God to protect the anointed king of Israel.
84:10 Certainly spending just one day in your temple courts is better than spending a thousand elsewhere. I would rather stand at the entrance to the temple of my God than live in the tents of the wicked.
The psalmist would rather spend one day worshiping God at the Jewish temple than 1,000 days with those of the satanic world system.
84:11 For the Lord God is our sovereign protector. The Lord bestows favor and honor; he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity.
The Hebrew word for “Lord God” is יְהוָ֪ה אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים (Jehovah Elohim), meaning the Covenant-keeping-promise-keeping-triune-creator-God. יְהוָ֪ה אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים (Jehovah Elohim) is the one who is sovereign over all of history. He is the one who protects Israel. He favors Israel, because He chose her from all of the nations of the world to bring in the Messiah as the Savior of the world. It was a great honor for Israel to receive this privilege, although many of them did not appreciate this honor. Instead of worshiping Jehovah, they worshiped demonic idols.
God does not hold any good things from those who have integrity. Those who believe in God are saved, but they are biblically ignorant and they lack integrity. Those believers who study and apply Bible doctrine at the deepest level possess integrity. Those who do not study the entire Bible at the deepest level will be fragmented in their theology. They will not have integrity in all areas. They will not have enough Bible doctrine to make divine viewpoint decisions in many areas of their lives. In their fragmented condition, their biblical ignorance will cause them to make human viewpoint decisions. Human viewpoint decisions aid the satanic world system.
84:12 O Lord who rules over all, how blessed are those who trust in you!
Jehovah rules over all of creation. Every man and woman in history receives a general call from God, but the total depravity of man causes this general call to be rejected. Only those who receive the efficacious call from God will trust in Him. Those who receive this efficacious call are blessed. They will believe and spend eternity with God in heaven. Those who do not received this efficacious call will use their free will to reject and blaspheme God. They will live for eternity, but in a different location. They will Iive in the Lake of Fire.