How Lovely
Sharon W. Betters
TODAY’S TREASURE
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! (Psalm 84:1).
Now that the ark had been carried and safely delivered to Zion, David gave the Sons of Korah new assignments as singers and gatekeepers:
For David said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. And so the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service.” For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God. Their duty was also to assist with the showbread, the flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baked offering, the offering mixed with oil, and all measures of quantity or size. And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening, and whenever burnt offerings were offered to the Lord on Sabbaths, new moons, and feast days, according to the number required of them, regularly before the Lord (1 Chronicles 23:25-31).
One of the critical tasks of the singer-gatekeepers was to surround the Temple “every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening.” They stood guard and led worship whenever burnt offerings were offered and during special celebrations.
However, not all of the singer-gatekeepers attended the Temple in Zion every day. The Sons of Korah did not live in Jerusalem but rather in Ephraim, Manasseh, Galilee, and beyond the Jordan. None of them lived in Judah, where the ark rested (1 Chronicles 6). The sons of Korah carried out their God-given responsibilities in little towns among the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. But once a year, each one had the privilege of traveling with his family to the Temple in Jerusalem. There they would lead worship, serving as doorkeepers, surrounding the Temple, fulfilling their honorable assignment of leading worship in the morning and evening, during the burning of sacrifices and on the Sabbath. Though they are not priests (the job Korah and his cohorts wanted) their role takes them closer to the inner workings of the Temple and thus to the Lord than any of the other tribes. They stand close by as witnesses to the work of the priests. They live close to or possibly in the temple for two weeks, surrounded by the sounds of worship. Truly, theirs is a place of honor.
I suppose what they experienced could be considered a mountain high, maybe the way we will feel when we can worship with our church families once more. Remember attending youth retreats, being sad when it was time to leave, and coming home fired up for Jesus? Or perhaps a Bible conference or even a time in your life when the Lord felt especially near and dear, and you wished you could stay in that place forever? Two weeks out of the year, the assigned Sons of Korah experienced such an emotional and spiritual high. But like us, they couldn’t stay on the mountain high but had to go back to leading worship and participating in the most holy events at home in the hill country of Israel. The eleven Psalms attributed to the Sons of Korah reflect their hunger for more of the intimacy they experienced in Zion.
It is no wonder Psalm 84 starts with these words, either written by or for the Sons of Korah:
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
Imagine the writer reviewing his family history: the mercy of God in the birth of his great grandfather, Samuel, the deep faith of his great-great-grandmother Hannah and all the way back to the rebellion of Korah, his rebellious forefather. Joy for the mercies of God creates a hunger for corporate worship in the Temple. Oh, how he longs to go back to the dwelling place of God as a gatekeeper, a worship leader. His forefather Korah wanted prestige rather than humbly recognizing the honor of carrying the ark and other Temple accouterments. The writer of this Psalm just longs to be in the Temple of the Living God.
These worship leaders experienced amazing grace, and from grace flowed a hunger for more of their God and obedience in response to His redeeming love. I fear we have lost the fervor and hunger for the presence of our Lord, perhaps because we do not remember who we are without Him, totally lost. Do you long for the presence of the Lord, for more of Him? Rather than feel the weight of guilt because you don’t, set apart time to remember His grace and mercy in your life and to soak in the truth of Scripture.
One way the Sons of Korah kept their relationship to the Lord fresh, even when separated from the Temple, was by singing the Psalms, in particular the ones assigned to them. Likewise, one of my favorite ways to refresh my intimacy with Him is to listen to music.
The chorus of this old song, More of You, by Bill and Gloria Gaither, would resonate with the Sons of Korah!
More of you, more of you
I've had all but what I need just more of you
Of things I've had my fill and yet I hunger still
Empty and bare, Lord hear my prayer for more of you.
Bill Gaither, 20 Inspirational Favorites, Volume 2
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
For more from Daily Treasure please visit MARKINC.ORG.
Originally published Friday, 17 June 2022.
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