Our God Is Near
“How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts.”
Psalm 84:1
I am in awe that the God of creation, who rules the armies of angels, is near and even in His people.
The plural dwelling places raises some discussion among commentators. Those who address it explain it as a plural of amplification or a majestic plural. Thus Alec Motyer translates the phrase supreme dwelling place.1 I don’t mind this idea; Motyer certainly has more expertise in Hebrew than I, but I wonder if God is communicating something else. Perhaps this is more along the lines of the word we translate God in the Old Testament. That word is also plural, and while it doesn’t prove the Trinity, I believe it hints in that direction. So dwelling places might also be a hint at the truth that God dwells in His people. We are His dwelling places. This means we are lovely, but not because we are particularly good looking. We are lovely because He is in us. God’s presence made the temple beautiful and lovely, more than all the beautiful stones, lovely carvings, and shining gold. God also makes His people beautiful as they dwell with Him. His work in His people moves us from one degree of loveliness to another.
With this in mind, we should consider the title Lord of hosts. This title refers to Yahweh as the God of the armies of heaven, the angel armies. We can conclude that as their God He is master of all of heaven and earth, including earthly kings. Now consider how complicated it is to get the attention of a human ruler or cultural influencer. The more popular and important these people become the less time they have for others, especially because of the tight, exhausting schedules that they keep. Their responsibilities make a relationship with them impossible. But contrast the Lord of armies in Psalm 84. Even if dwelling places refers only to the temple, we see God dwelling with and making time for His people. The psalmist reminisced of the loveliness of God’s dwelling places because he had seen them. He had experienced the presence of the God of armies. This nearness of God to humanity, His immanence, distinguishes Him from other so-called gods and even human kings and cultural influences. Rather than having little time for His people or standing aloof from us, God is near and invites us into the loveliness of His dwelling places. He even makes us His dwelling places.
