Psalm 27:4

Psalm 27:4

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire (or meditate) in his temple.”

One thing David asks? Only one? He has a relationship with the almighty God and he only asks one thing of Him? This one thing has to be incredibly important. When I go to God I seem to have a whole list of things that I want to ask the Lord for, but David has only one. That he may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life, so that he may gaze at the beauty of the Lord and inquire, or meditate in His temple.

This is not the only time David uses this kind of language. In Psalm 26:8 he tells the Lord that he loves the habitation of His house, and the place where His glory dwells. In Psalm 65:4 he says, “Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple.” The sons of Korah say, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing to the living God.”

What would make David and the sons of Korah use this kind of language?

There was obviously something wonderful about being in the house of the Lord. Something that made the Sons of Korah yearn for it, something that made David ask only that one thing of God.

What was so special about the house of the Lord wasn’t the House itself. It was the Lord! The house or temple was the place where David got to meet with God. It was the place where he got to worship Him corporately; it was the place where he got to gaze upon the many facets of Gods beauty, it was where he got to meditate on God and his precepts, it is the place where Gods glory dwells. In a word, it was where David got to commune with God.

Do I desire to commune with God like this? Do I understand the deep satisfaction that is found in communion with God? Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

When Jesus took my sins on Himself and justified me, He gave me peace with God. Enemies don’t commune with one another. My sins separated me from God, the only being in the entire universe that could fill this longing for satisfaction in my heart. But Jesus willingly and joyfully laid down His life and took the punishment for the sins I had done. The sin-wall that had been between God and me was broken never to be seen again! Because of the atoning work of Jesus, I now have a relationship with God. Because of Jesus I can now commune with God.

Jesus also destroyed the temple. God now dwells in the hearts of men through the Holy Spirit. I can now commune with God whenever because of the blood of Jesus Christ. What a priceless gift!

David longed for communion with God. That is what satisfied Him. Communion with God is what satisfies you, its what satisfies me, and it can only happen through Jesus Christ. He is our only hope.

For the glory of God

Seth