In Psalm 27, David prays “to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life.” What does that mean for us? What does that look like in our lives?
Scripture:
Numbers, chapters 10-11; Psalm 27; Mark, chapter 1
Psalm 27 (CEB):
The Lord is my light and my salvation. Should I fear anyone? The Lord is a fortress protecting my life. Should I be frightened of anything? When evildoers come at me trying to eat me up – it’s they, my foes and my enemies, who stumble and fall! If an army camps against me, my heart won’t be afraid. If war comes up against me, I will continue to trust in this: I have asked one thing from the Lord – it’s all I seek – to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, seeing the Lord’s beauty and constantly adorning his temple. Because he will shelter me in his own dwelling during troubling times; he will hide me in a secret place in his own tent; he will set me up high, safe on a rock.
Now my head is higher than the enemies surrounding me, and I will offer sacrifices in God’s tent – sacrifices with shouts of joy! I will sing and praise the Lord. Lord, listen to my voice when I cry out – have mercy on me and answer me! Come, my heart says, seek God’s face. Lord, I do seek your face! Please don’t hide it from me! Don’t push your servant aside angrily – you have been my help! God who saves me, don’t neglect me! Don’t leave me all alone! Even if my father and mother left me all alone, the Lord would take me in.
Lord, teach me your way; because of my opponents, lead me on a good path. Don’t give me over to the desires of my enemies, because false witnesses and violent accusers have taken their stand against me. But I have sure faith that I will experience the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living! Hope in the Lord! Be strong! Let your heart take courage! Hope in the Lord!
Observations:
To Live in the Lord’s House
In verse 4, David says that the one thing he has asked from the Lord is to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life. I suspect that if we asked people, “Do you want to spend your entire life in church?” the answer would be “no.” So what is David saying?
As we saw yesterday in Numbers chapters 8 and 9, the Lord’s presence was on the tabernacle “all the time.” (See “At the Lord’s Command,” February 21). The visible presence of the Lord in the cloud reminded the Israelites that God was among them in his tabernacle – his “tent.” When David established his capital in Jerusalem, he had the tabernacle brought there, so that God’s “tent” would be nearby. The tabernacle was where the Ark of the Covenant rested, and where the priests offered sacrifices to God. Later, the Temple would serve the same functions – and be the place where God was said to “dwell” among his people.
We need to remember that laypeople – like David – weren’t allowed to go into the tabernacle; that was only for the priests, who ministered before the Lord. So David wasn’t talking about literally being in the tabernacle; he was talking about being in God’s presence. He wanted to experience the nearness of God, the sense of His presence. The Lord is a fortress protecting my life. Should I be frightened of anything? The answer, of course, is “no!”
“Listen to Me When I Cry Out”
The second part of Psalm 27 contains David’s prayer for God’s help. The first part, as we have just seen, is David’s declaration of faith; now, he prays that God will honor that faith. That means that David’s prayer is not disrespectful or impertinent. God has given us this language to help us express our prayers when we need God’s help. Look at the phrases David uses:
- Listen to me when I cry out
- Have mercy on me and answer me!
- Don’t hide [your face] from me…push your servant aside angrily…neglect me…leave me alone!
- Teach me your way
- Lead me on a good path
- Don’t give me over to the desires of my enemies
David obviously doesn’t think that God will hide from him, turn him over to his enemies, or abandon him. He is simply expressing the emotions that we all feel from time to time. When the world seems as though it’s crushing in around us, we cry out to God. And we cry in faith, because we believe that he is listening and he will answer!
David closes Psalm 27 with an encouragement to all of us: Hope in the Lord! Be strong! Let your heart take courage! Hope in the Lord! His life is an example of how to hope in the Lord, and of the ways that God blesses us when we do.
Application – To Live in the Lord’s House
Obviously, David was not suggesting that God would make any of us the king of our nation! As I said earlier, David was also not talking about literally, physically living in “the Lord’s house.” But his life shows us what it means to live in God’s “house” no matter where we are. Whether David was in the palace during Saul’s reign, living in the rocks and caves while he was on the run, or in a tent on the battlefield, he knew that he was in God’s presence. As he famously wrote in Psalm 23, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because you are with me” (23:4).
One other thing to keep in mind: as David prays for God’s presence and protection, he says, I have sure faith that I will experience the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. We don’t just “muddle through” life here, waiting to get to God’s kingdom. Jesus said that the kingdom is here, now! Our life in God’s kingdom begins with our spiritual birth. While its fulfillment will come in God’s eternal kingdom, we experience God’s goodness now – in the land of the living. And we experience that goodness because we live in God’s presence, always!
Prayer:
Father, thank you for reminding us that we always live in your presence – “in the Lord’s house.” Because your Spirit lives in us, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit! And because of that presence, we experience your goodness each day. Help us to walk in your way, knowing that you are our light and our salvation, and a fortress protecting us. We do not need to be “frightened of anything”! Amen.
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