PSALM 84
I love the imagery in verse 3 of the lowly sparrow being welcome to build her nest near the altar of Yahweh.
My favorite bird is the white-throated sparrow. I loved it before I knew which bird it was because I fell in love with its song.
I’m no expert on birds or bird calls but this is the only one I’m aware of that sings in intervals built on major and minor scales. I usually hear them sing the intervals of:
- The Perfect 4th [ascending] like “Here comes the bride”
- The Major 3rd [descending] like “Swing low, sweet chariot”
- The Major 3rd [ascending] like “O when the saints go marching in”
- The Major 6th [ascending] like “My Bonnie lies over the ocean”
I’ve heard several combinations and the song of a white-throated sparrow has never failed to make me involuntarily smile. 😊
I’ve already requested from the Lord to have some of these little birds in my heavenly back yard. 🥰
Anyhoo….
The best take on this psalm in recent history has to be Matt Redman’s Better Is One Day.
If you have about 7 minutes, click the link and worship along. Enjoy!
PSALM 85
This one seems to be a prayer for revival and I would encourage you to pray it over your own land.
It’s a very balanced prayer though. It looks back at the good things God did in the past but also acknowledges His righteous judgement and anger over sin. It expresses trust in His mercy and forgiveness, yet asks for help to not fall back into sin.
Mercy is the forgiveness part. Truth is the part that points out sin.
Righteousness is the attribute that demands perfection. Peace is the attribute that pardons and reconciles.
These opposites come together.
“Mercy and truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”
Psalm 85:10 KJV
In the heart of our Savior, they come together and kiss in friendly greeting.
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14 KJV
Jesus brought both the unyielding truth and the forgiving grace of God together in Himself on the cross. BOTH the justice of God and His heart of mercy were satisfied.
The quandary of salvation ultimately came from the heart of God.
God is JUST, therefore He MUST punish sin.
God is LOVE, therefore He MUST forgive the sinner.
What to do? It seems to be two opposing positions locked in conflict; an eternal impasse.
But if God would become a man and take upon Himself the punishment and freely share His own perfect record with those who join themselves to Him in faith, both His Justice and His Love are satisfied and there is no more conflict between Mercy and Truth, Righteousness and Peace. Those aspects of God’s nature are NOT at war within Him. The LORD is not segmented off into separate attributes. Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is One.
PSALM 87
You have to be a natural born citizen of Zion. You can’t be an immigrant.
You have to be born there.
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born from above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God.’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born of water and spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘It is necessary for you to be born from above.’”
John 3:3, 5-7 LEB
“Because you have been born again, not from perishable seed but imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” 1 Peter 1:23 LEB
Zion is the Heavenly City, the New Jerusalem. And only the Divine Family gets to live there.
“But with respect to Zion it shall be said, ‘Each one was born in her,’ for the Most High himself will establish her. Yahweh will record in writing the people, ‘This one was born there.’ Selah.”
Psalms 87:5-6 LEB
Apparently, when you are born of the Spirit, the LORD Himself records your birth in His “Family Bible.” It’s your heavenly birth certificate. “Each one” who is a resident of Zion is born there.
To The Reader 