Sunday: A Day in Your Courts Is Better Than a Thousand

Daily Lesson for Sunday 10th of March 2024

Read Psalms 84:1-4. Why does the psalmist long to dwell in the sanctuary?

The psalmist “longs” and “faints” to make the sanctuary his permanent abode so that he can be near God forever (Psalms 84:1-2). God’s living presence (Psalms 84:2) makes the sanctuary a unique place. In the sanctuary, worshipers can “behold the beauty of the Lord” (Psalms 27:4, NKJV; also, see Psalms 63:2) and be “satisfied with the goodness of [His] house” (Psalms 65:4, NKJV).

Image © Lars Justinen at Goodsalt.com

In Psalms 84:1-12, unparalleled happiness is achieved in relationship with God, which consists of praising Him (Psalms 84:4), finding strength in Him (Psalms 84:5), and trusting Him (Psalms 84:12). The sanctuary is the place where such a relationship is nourished through worship and fellowship with fellow believers. The living presence of God in the sanctuary gives the worshipers a glimpse of God’s glorious kingdom and a taste of eternal life.

Read Psalms 84:1-12:5–12. Who else can be blessed by the sanctuary?

God’s blessings are described as radiating from the sanctuary, bestowed first on those who serve in the sanctuary (Psalms 84:4), then on the pilgrims on their way to the sanctuary (Psalms 84:5–10), and finally reaching as far as the ends of the earth. The expectation of meeting God in the sanctuary strengthens the faith of the pilgrims (Psalms 84:7). Whereas the strength of the ordinary traveler weakens under the burden of the tiresome journey, with the pilgrims to the sanctuary, their strength increases the nearer they come to the sanctuary.

Even when physically removed from the sanctuary, God’s children continue to bear a stamp of God’s sanctuary by living a worthy life (Psalms 84:11), which characterizes the righteous who enter the Lord’s sanctuary (Psalms 15:1-2). The Lord is called “a sun,” showing that the blessings from the sanctuary, like the sunrays, extend to the ends of the earth (Psalms 84:11). Thus, those who abide with God through faith receive His grace, regardless of the place where they are.

Read Revelation 21:3. What hope reflected in the earthly sanctuary is revealed here to us? How do we now even begin to imagine what this experience will be like?