Title: The Sparrow Has Found a House
Text: Psalm 84: 1-12
Date: July 3, 2011
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Psalm 84: 1: «To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.» How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!
There were many tents—tabernacles--of the wicked throughout the land: the tabernacles of Ham, the tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes—so it is in our day. But what makes God’s tabernacle so beloved and longed for by his people—is it is God’s tabernacles--“THY tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!”
“The LORD of hosts” could have chosen any place—he is the LORD of hosts—but God commanded Moses to erect a tabernacle—a tent—in the midst of the wilderness. It is where the Lord took up his dwelling. The tabernacle was the place where God chose to make his presence known. It was where all the sacrifices were offered to him alone. And the tent was where God commanded his blessing.
FIRST, THE TABERNACLE IS A REPRESENTATION OF CHRIST JESUS HIMSELF
Christ is the dwelling place of the triune God. In Christ God make his presence known to those chosen of God and precious—Immanuel, God with us. The sacrifice of Christ Jesus was to God alone—declaring God’s glory, God’s righteousness that he might just and the Justifier of all who believe on Christ. And in Christ God commands his blessing forevermore unto the church God bought with his own blood
IN UNION WITH CHRIST, THE TABERNALCE OF THE LORD IS HIS CHURCH IN WHOM HE DWELLS, HIS BODY, OF WHICH HE IS THE HEAD.
By the Spirit of God the church IS assembled BY Christ our Head. By the Spirit of God we are made to worship God in spirit and in truth, to rejoice in Christ Jesus, and to have no confidence in the flesh.
Psalm 84: 2: My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
It is not merely the courts we long for—not a mere form—but the Living God himself. This is the fruit grace, of being born again. As newborn babes we desire the sincere milk of the word—My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth—My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God
O, Lord, as the word is preached speak into our hearts. Lift our hearts to remember Christ as we feast at his table: makes us to behold Christ our High Priest entering the holiest of holies with his own blood, make us to behold the Lamb, Christ Jesus, whose one offering perfected forever all for whom he died, make us to eat his flesh and drink his blood
What man ever was in his right mind, who refused to come to the dinner table and yet trusted his body would be nourished some other way than what God designed. Oh, we would never imagine anything but kindness to encourage a sick child to eat—so is every encouragement to continually hear the gospel of Christ proclaimed.
Psalm 84: 3: Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.
Consider this beautiful image: the happiness of a bird freed from all fears, resting quietly in her nest with her young, in some nook in the altar. Even so
Psalm 84: 4: Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
So is the believer stilled—quited—settled—chosen and drawn of God to rest in Christ Jesus our Altar through faith. Brethren, we have sweet rest abiding in Christ our living Tabernacle. This very assembling together to praise his name is what we shall be doing forever for all eternity
Oh, brethren, may God enable us to never take for granted what he has given us in the midst of this wilderness.
Illustration: Shoalhaven and the Egloffstein’s and Bro Housenlodge
Sheep will travel a great distance for green pasture. We see in these next verses the spirit of those going up to worship the Lord. It is a picture of the believer’s whole pilgrimage through this life and a great encouragement for us as we assemble together week in and week out.
Psalm 84: 5: Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
When the saints left all to go up to worship the Lord, the Lord promised “neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year.” Christ is all strength for the travel and all strength for protection from enemies. God’s word of promise is our assurance. In our hearts is Christ the Way to whom we come. And God directs our steps through all the valleys we have to travel get to him.
Psalm 84: 6: Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
On that pilgrimage to Zion, there was a valley of weeping, it presented great difficulty for the travellers. I think of the struggles against our own sinful flesh, of the obstacles of the world by which we become distracted. But God is our Strength—Christ is the Way set in our hearts by God—so that He makes wells of refreshment even from our tears. The Spirit of God also--‘The rain also’ from above “filleth the pools”—the Spirit of God reigns down into our hearts making ‘the wilderness rejoice and blossom as the rose.’
Psalm 84: 7: They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
If God has put into our hearts the desire to draw near to God then as we walk in the Light God has given us, our God shall surely add his Strength to the Strength he has already given--every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
My heart has been re-assured this past week that our God will not lose one of his dear, elect children in this wilderness of sin. He shall draw each one to his breast. And drawing us he shall make us delight in the fatness of his house.
Psalm 133: 1: Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
EVERYTHING THAT GOD PROMISES TO GIVE IS CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD, is IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD—AND CHRIST IS OUR ONLY PETITION BEFORE GOD.
Psalm 84: 8: O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah. 9: Behold, O God, our Shield, and look upon the face of thine Anointed.
Our Shield is Christ Jesus, God, Behold, Christ our ShielD, Look upon the face of thine Anointed Christ Jesus. Do all that you do for us for the sake of your well-beloved Son
Psalm 84: 10: For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11: For the LORD God is a sun and shield:
Oh, God just let me sit on the steps of your house and hear of your name. I had rather do so than have a chief seat in the tents of wickedness. The tents of wickedness do not set forth my Shield and Defender. But one day in God’s presence, in his abode, oh the blessing to have him drop down into our hearts the Sun of righteousness, to behold the Lord our Righteousness. Christ is the Food of my soul—the Light of Life!—my Shield from all wrath and the enemy that besets us. One day in his courts is better than a thousand days elsewhere.
Psalm 84: 11: For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory:
The LORD will…The LORD will give—his free, abundant, never-ending gift…The LORD will give grace—wherever the Lord gives any grace he gives all grace.
1. Regenerating Grace (Eph. 2:1-5).
2. Justifying Grace (Rom. 5:1-9).
3. Sanctifying Grace (Heb. 10:10-14).
4. Preserving Grace (Phil. 1:6).
5. Instructing Grace (John 16:13).
6. Directing Grace (Pro. 3:5-6).
7. Comforting Grace (John 16:7; Lam. 3:24-25).
8. Reviving Grace (Isa. 57:15).
9. Sufficient Grace (2 Cor. 12:9).
“He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials His multiplied peace.”
The LORD will give grace AND glory. God will not give one without the other. If we have grace, we shall never perish, we shall have glory. V11: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
Teach me Thy way, O Lord, teach me Thy way!
Thy guiding grace afford, teach me Thy way!
Help me to walk aright, more by faith, less by sight;
Lead me with heav’nly light, teach me Thy way!
Psalm 84: 12: O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
The same grace that comes through hearing his word in the beginning, which made us to cast all our care on Christ, to forsake all for him, is the same grace that comes through hearing of Christ more and more…so that we continue worshipping him, in his house, with his saints, at the feet of Christ, when so many earthly concerns are around us. O, Lord teach us how Christ the Word is glorified even in this means you have chosen.
Psalm 65: 4: Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
AMEN!