How blessed is the man whose strength is in you,
In whose heart are the highways to Zion!
Psalm 84:5
What does it mean to be blessed? One of the features of Psalm 84 is the repetition of the phrase “How blessed.” This phrase occurs in verses 4, 5, and 11. This phrase is an incomplete comparison. It is a way of saying that one is greatly blessed. In fact, it may mean that one could not be more greatly blessed. In this case, the one who dwells in God’s presence could not be more greatly blessed, the man whose strength is in the Lord could not be more greatly blessed, and the man who trusts in the Lord could not be more greatly blessed. The blessing of verse 5 builds upon and further explains the blessing of verse 4. In ancient Israel, it was not possible for people always to be at the temple. Some could only come for the three major festivals. This was especially true after the Babylonian exile, and in the time of the Jesus and the early church, when Jews were scattered all across the Roman Empire. While this psalm may or may not have been composed after the exile, the point is that many people had to make a great journey to the temple to experience the presence of God. However, their strength could always be in the Lord. We should not rely upon our own strength and resources but upon the Lord’s. Ephesians 6:10 may be an echo of Psalm 84:5, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” Strength from the Lord comes from spending time in his presence. Strength from the Lord comes from trusting in the Lord (cf. v. 12). The faithful Israelite always desired to be in God’s presence and draw strength from him. This is why the psalmist remarks that the highways to Zion were in his heart. While his body may not be in the temple, his heart was always yearning to go and be there. This reference to the highway to Zion could refer to a pilgrim’s journey to the temple for one of the festivals, a procession in and around Jerusalem, or praise to the Lord as a parallel expression with “they are ever praising you” in verse 4. The point is that spending time in God’s presence was the passion of the pilgrim’s heart.
Is spending time in God’s presence the passion of your heart? Do you seek to be with him every day? We can’t do this in our own strength. Our strength must come from and be in the Lord. We can only gain this strength by spending time in his presence.
Dear Lord, we want our hearts to be aflame with knowing you. Give us the strength and the discipline to spend time with you and experience your strength. We will never experience the greatness of your blessing without it. Amen.