Our God reigns.
8 Lord God All-Powerful,
the God of Jacob,
please answer my prayer!
9 You are the shield
that protects your people,
and I am your chosen one.
Won’t you smile on me?
10 One day in your temple
is better
than a thousand
anywhere else.
I would rather serve
in your house,
than live in the homes
of the wicked (Psalm 84:8-10 CEV).
Not long ago the marquee sign in front of a small country church announced the topic for the coming Sunday’s message. An over-zealous attendant was excited to proclaim the sermon for next Sunday would shout, “Our God Resigns!”
Many times we act that way, don’t we?
Nothing could be further from the truth. Our God reigns! Let it be heard in the words from our lips. May it be seen in the works of our hands. It needs to be shouted in the steps of our feet. Our God reigns!
We sing about it in our praise songs. We understand it from our lessons and our sermons. We realize that accepting the reign of God today is a voluntary surrender of our will – our desire and right to reign. But one day – at just the very name of Jesus – every knee will bow; every tongue confess that our God reigns.
When we say that He reigns, it implies that He has a kingdom – something over which He exercises authority and dominion. Of course He reigns in the hearts of His followers, a territory that spans the face of the globe. But His kingdom is much bigger than that.
God reigns over a kingdom of the world that includes more than just people. Paul tells us that all of God’s creation longs for the day when He is exalted as Lord. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. The disciples marveled that even the winds and the rain obeyed the Master.
God’s kingdom does not know the ticking of the second hand of a watch. It includes all of mankind since the creation of Adam and continues through the birth of the last one in the maternity ward before the incredible return of His Son Jesus.
The people of Israel understood a king and a kingdom. They had a history that remembered a time when the kingdom of Israel spanned the borders of the known-world. Kings like David and Solomon commanded the respect of the kingdom’s citizens and the submission and admiration of the inhabitants of the world. They understood God blessing faithfulness, but they also understood the consequences of unfaithful followers and wayward kings.
When Jesus started His earthly ministry, His ministry was heralded by the message of John the Baptist to “Repent because the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 3:1-3 HCSB)! Following His temptations in the wilderness, Jesus began teaching in Galilee.
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he went to Galilee. 13 But instead of staying in Nazareth, Jesus moved to Capernaum. This town was beside Lake Galilee in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 So God’s promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said,
15 “Listen, lands of Zebulun
and Naphtali,
lands along the road
to the sea
and east
of the Jordan!
Listen Galilee,
land of the Gentiles!
16 Although your people
live in darkness,
they will see
a bright light.
Although they live
in the shadow of death,
a light will shine
on them.”
17 Then Jesus started preaching, “Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here” (Matthew 4:12-17 CEV).
The teaching of Jesus featured a sermon on the mount that taught what Kingdom followers should be like. His parables made comparisons between familiar basic concepts and the profound truths of heaven.
This is the kingdom of God.
The God who Reigns
We do not know the circumstances under which our psalm was written. But the substance of the psalm gives us some hints about the events that may be affecting the thoughts of the writer. The longing to be in the presence of the Lord – at the Lord’s house – gives the idea that he is away from home, either spiritually or physically.
But notice the words that he uses to describe God. These words give an indication of the things that he is counting on God to provide.
He begins in verse three by addressing the “I am.” This is the personal name for God, the God who is, the God of being. It is the word that we transliterate into English, “Jehovah.” The Hebrew did not pronounce this word, but instead substituted the word “ADONAI” – “Lord.” The word is used over 6500 times in the Old Testament. Israel counted this word as God’s “proper name.” This word designates the relationship that God has with His people.
From the personal name for God, the psalmist describes God as “Almighty.” This is the Hebrew word צָבָא (tsabah) a word that is found 485 times in the Old Testament. The KJV translates it as “Lord of Hosts.” It is a military term, one used within the ranks of the military service. It is the commander in charge.
The psalmist is addressing the Winston Churchill or Dwight Eisenhower in the World War. He is addressing the Norman Schwarzkopf during the Gulf War. This is a psalm to the Napoleons, the Pattons, the Alexander the Great, and the Julius Caesar. This is the one with the power to send the troops to war.
Do you see what the psalmist is saying about God? You are the Lord of Hosts. You can send and deploy myriads of troops of angels. They are at your beckon call. They respond to your word and your thoughts. You can handle whatever problem comes in front of me. My strength is found in you.
He next describes God as his king. Israel knew the benefits of a good king, but most of the time they languished under less than faithful kings. As such, they experienced the negative consequences. No longer does the faithful have to depend upon the heroics of a man.
This is the only place in the Bible where God is explicitly called “a sun.” He shines upon us, giving light to our days, brightness to our paths. It foreshadows the day when our God will send the Light of the world into a darkness. The last phrase “no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless” is very similar to Paul’s words to the Romans, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”
Isaiah echoes the sentiments of our psalm in the 52nd chapter of his book.
What a beautiful sight!
On the mountains a messenger
announces to Jerusalem,
“Good news! You’re saved.
There will be peace.
Your God is now King” (Isaiah 52:7 CEV).
The Lord says:
My servant will succeed!
He will be given great praise
and the highest honors.
14 Many were horrified
at what happened to him.
But everyone who saw him
was even more horrified
because he suffered until
he no longer looked human.
15 My servant will make
nations worthy to worship me;
kings will be silent
as they bow in wonder.
They will see and think about
things
they have never seen
or thought about before (Isaiah 52:13-15 CEV).
God is now the King. Notice what Isaiah says about the coming Messiah. In His presence kings of the world will be silent and will bow. Two incredible images come to mind. The wise men – the magi and kings from the East bowed in the presence of the baby Jesus.
But the day is coming when every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. King of kings. Lord of Lords. Forever.
One Day in Your Temple
There is an obscure passage of Scripture in the book of 1 Chronicles that relates to the eighty-fourth psalm. The verses contain a word that lends itself to difficult translation. But the context of the verse is vital for understanding how the Temple was to be maintained. It also gives us a hidden insight into our psalm. The chapter in 1 Chronicles is a record of the assigning of the sons of Levi to various places of service in the Lord’s house.
Aaron was a member of this tribe. His sons were divided into twenty-four groups, each being given specific tasks to perform. Some were in charge of the altar and maintaining order for the sacrifices (1 Chronicles 24). The descendants of Aaron’s cousins – Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun – were gathered in similar groups in charge of the music. They were to lead and conduct the singing and the music “accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals” (1 Chronicles 25:1).
A third branch of the family of Levi included the sons of Kore (Korah) who were called Korahites. Does that name sound familiar from the opening introduction to our psalm? The Scripture describes these particular men. The Bible calls them “mighty men of valour” (1 Chronicles 26:6 KJV) and “able men of strength for the service” (1 Chronicles 26:8 KJV). The chapter then goes on to tell where each would serve. Their task must be significant and of great value.
It is at this point where the difficulty in translation occurs.
The word “parbar” is a Hebrew word. It is uncommon. This is the only place in all of the Old Testament where the word appears. When the translators of the King James Bible came to this word they had no way of figuring out what English word could be used for an explanation. Parbar was a Hebrew word that at the time had never been found in any other literature. So the translators, not wanting to mislead, simply transliterated the word, putting it straight into the English language.
At Parbar westward, four at the causeway, and two at Parbar (1 Chronicles 26:18 KJV).
Over the years, with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, we have found other usages of the word. It turns out that Parbar was the name for the temple’s western colonnade. Newer versions of the Bible, like the New International Version, offer a rendering that reflects the knowledge of the word. “As for the court to the west, there were four at the road and two at the court itself.”
The chapter shows us that God picked talented, strong men to be the gatekeepers at the temple. The gatekeeper did more than just stand at the door. They were soldiers meant to protect the temple from being desecrated by unclean individuals. They were to maintain the area, making repairs when needed, not only of the gates but of anywhere in the temple.
God chose the bravest and most talented men to be janitors. He cares about the simplest of jobs. He gives incredibly detailed attention to the most basic of tasks. If God cares this much about who is keeping the gates, doesn’t it make sense that He knows you and has a plan and purpose for your service to Him?
Understand what these sons of Korah are saying. Better is one day in Your house – better is one day in Your presence – even if all I do is change the lightbulbs and scrub the floors.
Better than a Thousand Elsewhere
The contrast is stunning. It would be better to serve as a janitor in the house of the Lord than to be the lord over the parties of the wicked.
It is better to be in the lowest position in the house of the Lord than to be in charge of anything that the world has to offer.
My studies for this lesson crossed my path with the website of the ministry of evangelist Billy Graham. The name of a famed singer passed by my eyes.
George Beverly Shea (1909 – 2013) has been described as “America’s beloved gospel singer. His solos in the Billy Graham Crusades and his exposure on the Graham radio broadcasts have made many believe that Shea sang in front of more people than anyone else in history. His most famous songs were “The Wonder of It All” and “How Great Thou Art.”
Shea composed another tune in 1932 that became a signature song for him as well. He wrote the music and helped with the words as he auditioned for a recording contract with RCA Victor recording studio. The title of his song was “I’d Rather Have Jesus.” The words to the first verse and chorus speak to our hearts today.
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold
I’d rather be His than have riches untold
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or land
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand
Than to be the king of a vast domain or be held in sins dread sway
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today
Better than thousands elsewhere.