I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

This Psalm has no particular association with any recorded event in David’s history. It may represent David’s experience over many years of God’s faithfulness to him during all his troubles throughout life. It may represent David’s psalm of appreciation to God for the provision of refreshment as he fled from Absalom, when they were all “hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness”, 2 Sam. 17. 27-29. In all this, David preserved a balance; after rehearsing all of God’s goodness to him, the man after God’s own heart had something for Him, namely the sweet psalmist would “dwell in the house of the Lord for ever”. Not only would David appreciate the goodness of the Lord in the field and by the river, but as dwelling in the house he would “be satisfied with the goodness of thy house”, Psa. 65. 4.

Not everyone can dwell in God’s house. Joab sought refuge in the tabernacle courts, but there was no safety to be found there, 1 Kings 2. 29; Tobiah the Ammonite lodged in a room “in the courts of the house of God”, but was quickly turned out, Neh. 13. 4-9. Similarly in the N.T., the “false prophets” that Peter warned against had no place in the local church, 2 Pet. 2. 1, neither had any spirit of antichrist that John warned against, 1 John 4. 1-3, nor any “false brethren unawares brought in”, Gal. 2. 4. Only believers have a permanent place in God’s spiritual house, for they are living stones built into this spiritual house; such stones cannot be dislodged by_ the wiles of men and of Satan.

In Exodus 33. 7-11 there was another tabernacle in use for a short period; there the Lord spoke with Moses, but “Joshua …a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle”. This initial faithfulness led, after 40 years, to his selection by God as Moses’ successor. Elsewhere, David expressed the same deep exercise, “That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my fife, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple”, Psa. 27. 4. An interesting example of this in the N.T. is found in Anna who, with no distraction, “departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day”, Luke 2. 37.

“There shall be one flock, and one shepherd”, John 10. 16.