Psalm 84:1-4; antiphon, Psalm 84:5—In the Introit for Sunday, we pray, My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He
will pluck my feet out of the net. Those who have come to know the Lord as
their deliverer and the sustainer of their lives place their confidence in Him.
This is the definition of faith. In this Lenten season, the cross looms closer.
Place your confidence in Christ alone.
Psalm 84 –
The Pilgrim’s love and longing for the LORD’s House
The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the sons of
Korah. These sons of Korah were Levites, from the family of Kohath. By
David’s time it seems they served in the musical aspect of the temple worship
(2 Chronicles 20:19).
Korah led a rebellion of 250 community leaders against
Moses during the wilderness days of the Exodus (Numbers 16). God judged Korah
and his leaders and they all died, but the sons of Korah remained (Numbers
26:9-11). Perhaps they were so grateful for this mercy that they became notable
in Israel for praising God.
Psalm 84 was entitled “to be called The Pearl of
Psalms.” If the twenty-third be the most popular, the one-hundred-and-third the
most joyful, the one-hundred-and-nineteenth the most deeply experiential, the
fifty-first the most plaintive, this is one of the most sweet of the Psalms of
Peace. [2]
Light to See
The Fourth Sunday In Lent was formerly known
as Laetare Sunday, taken from the
first Latin word of the Introit, Laetare, meaning to “rejoice.” It was also known as
“Refreshment Sunday” because of the Gospel lesson of the feeding of the 5,000.
The second half of Lent begins in a lighter mood in preparation for the depth
of sorrow coming in the Passion. Today’s three Lessons harmonize on the theme
of light, vision, and insight. Samuel is given the insight to see that of all
the sons of Jesse, David was the one to be king. Jesus brought spiritual vision
to the man healed by blindness. Paul exhorts Christians as children of light to
walk in the light of goodness. Since David was called to be the shepherd of
Israel, Psalm 23 is appropriate. We pray in the Prayer that we may be cleansed
from the darkness of sin that we may be children of the light, which is Christ.
From the light of spiritual vision, for the cure of our spiritual blindness, we
can rejoice — Laetare!
Collect for
Psalm 84: Almighty God, you heard the prayer of Christ, your chosen one, and
raised him to the lasting joy of your presence. Help us in our pilgrimage
toward you to love your Church and to offer the sacrifice of praise at your
altar, that we may hasten to your home and joyfully look upon your glorious
splendor, which we have seen in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. [3]
Collect for
Monday of the week of Lent3: God of mercy, free your church from in and protect it
from evil. Guide us, for we cannot be saved without you. We ask this through
our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen [4]
-13
March 2023
[2] https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-84
[3] Collect for Psalm 84, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. I © 1994 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
[4] Ibid, Collect for Monday of the week of Lent 3
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