“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!” – Psalm 84:10-12 (ESV)
Our verses this week might cue up in your mind a certain Matt Redman song from over 20 years ago. Seems crazy to me that I was a senior in high school when that song was released. But the underlying story of these verses goes back to times more ancient, centuries even before this psalm itself was written.
If you look to the top of the psalm to see who wrote it, you’ll find it attributed to the sons of Korah. There’s a few different Korah’s mentioned in the Bible, but most believe the one referred to here is the one of Numbers 16 infamy. Korah was a Levite who served in the Tabernacle while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness. He started a rebellion against Moses, making the claim that direct access to God was the right of all Levites, not just the priesthood. God’s response to this blatant rebellion was quite severe. The earth opened up on them, their tents, and their possessions. Korah went alive into his grave. But Numbers 26:11 tells us that the sons of Korah did not die in that event. 1 Chronicles 9 tells us that Korah’s descendants did not follow in his footsteps. They were made porters and gatekeepers around the tent of the Lord and eventually the temple in Jerusalem.
That context gives a lot more weight to these words. When they talked about being doorkeepers, that’s exactly what they were. That would not have been a glamorous job, just opening a door and standing watch over it. Perhaps we can get into Korah’s headspace: “I’m doing this low servant job out here in the courts while my relatives get high praise and respect, even access to God. I’m better than this. I deserve better.”
But his descendants saw what he could not. The psalm starts out declaring how lovely this dwelling place of the Lord is. They are truly humbled that they have been given the privilege of opening the doors for the children of Israel to come and worship Yahweh. They can’t believe they get to stand in this close proximity to Yahweh’s personal presence. So, they raise their song, that this place in his courts is more incredible than anywhere else. And in direct allusion to their family history, they proclaim that they would rather be these lowly doorkeepers to God’s Tabernacle than to dwell in the tents of wicked people like their ancestor, doomed to destruction. Here in the courts of Yahweh, they felt the warmth and light of his presence, secure in the safety of his shielding defense (the LORD is a sun and shield). They saw their low-ranking position in the Tabernacle as one of high honor and favor from Yahweh himself. They had full confidence that if they walked uprightly after their God, he would give them all good things they needed. They saw how blessed they were as they trusted in the LORD of hosts.
O brothers and sisters at Refuge, how you and I need this psalm this week! We need the humble, grateful spirit of the sons of Korah. We are doorkeepers indeed to the temple of the living God. Even more, Paul proclaims to us we ARE the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16)! But far too often, I grumble about my position in this world or in my life. Look at the blessings we have been given. We have the indwelling spirit of Jesus inside of us. We are holy keepers of the flame of his presence, servants of his secret fire. We could not have been given a place of higher status, favor, grace, or power than we have been given by the LORD of hosts. Having been saved from sin and death and brought near to God through the blood of Jesus Christ, we can sing loud and free that yes, better is a day in his courts than thousands elsewhere as his coming kingdom will prove. The tents of the wicked are still placed before us, deceivingly offering more grandeur than a lowly position in God’s kingdom. May he grant us the favored place of service in his warm and shielding presence instead. May we find how blessed we truly are to trust in Yahweh, the Lord of hosts!