The Valley of Baca: Psalm 84 by Dr. Rod Mattoon

Описание: The 84th Psalm is one filled with great truth and blessing. It was Charles Spurgeon who referred to this particular psalm as “The Pearl of the Psalms”. When you dig through it, there are some beautiful pearls nestled within it.
The chapter speaks of people who yearned for God and were on a pilgrimage that led them to Jerusalem to worship the Lord at the Tabernacle and later the Jewish Temple. Such journeys took place several times a year as those men who were able, were to go to Jerusalem and worship the Lord during three required feasts.

It is interesting to note that this was a psalm of the sons of Korah. Korah was the cousin of Moses. This psalm shows what God can do in the hearts of people or a family that has gone through a great tragedy.

Here in Psalm 84, we find there is no bitterness or resentment in Korah’s descendants over the past judgment of Korah who rebelled against Moses and God. Instead, they demonstrate joy and a hunger for God. The failures in their family’s past were behind them. They moved forward with God, expressing their joy, longing, and yearning for God’s presence and worshiping Him. These folks found contentment in doing the will of God for their lives. We are to do the same.

Understand beloved, that if you have defeat, failure, or sin in your past that has weighed you down or robbed you of your joy, God can restore your joy. He can enable you to move forward spiritually when your sin is repented and confessed to the Lord, when forgiveness is sought from Jesus, and you make the decision to live your life for the Lord and please Him.

Just like the Jews who made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship in the presence of the Lord at the Temple, Christians are pilgrims on a journey through this life. We are heading one day to our home in glory. Peter said in 1 Peter 2:11, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.”

This message is about the wonderful lessons that are taught by traveling through the Valley of Baca. I hope it will be a source of encouragement and blessing to you. This message was preached on Wednesday night, May 10, 2023, at Lincoln Land Baptist Church.