Delight in God's worship and service.
"A day in thy courts," etc. Of all the hundred and fifty holy songs composing the Psalter, none breathes a more intense spirit of exalted devotion than this, or in language and imagery more poetical and musical. It shares this character with other psalms ascribed to "the sons of Korah." Their ancestor Korah perished miserably in his rebellion against Moses and Aaron, at the very door of the tabernacle (Numbers 16:1-50.). Yet his descendants had the charge of guarding the temple gates, no mean office (1 Chronicles 9:17-19; 1 Chronicles 23:5; 1 Chronicles 26:1, 1 Chronicles 26:12); and were likewise leaders of the temple music, Heman being one of them (1 Chronicles 6:33-37; 1 Chronicles 25:1, 1 Chronicles 25:5). Although it often happens that the father's sins are visited on the children, yet there is no unchangeable doom, no bar sinister on their escutcheon, no barrier against their renewed consecration and acceptance. The sentiment of the text is—Delight in God's worship and service. "A day," etc. Secondly, a single day so spent—in worship, such as every devout Israelite partook, and service, the privilege of a Levite—outweighs in true joy and solid worth all the time spent in mere worldly business or pleasure.
I. THIS IS THE LANGUAGE OF A HEART WHICH DELIGHTS IN GOD. Not every one can say this. For a worldling it would be rank hypocrisy. In Malachi's day there were those who said, "What a weariness!" (Malachi 1:13). Are there not even real Christians for whom such a sentiment is an exaggeration; whose sense of duty exceeds their sense of privilege; to whom the sabbath brings the shadows of constraint rather than the lamp of joy? Their worship has a slightly penitential flavour rather than a rich fragrance of joy. They have not learned the secret of the son of Korah (Psalms 63:4), or of David (Psalms 63:1-3). Joyless service is neither profitable nor acceptable. These are heart-searching considerations. If we can venture to think of anything as bringing sadness to our heavenly Father's heart, would it not be this—that his children take small delight in drawing near to him? We live at too low a level, among the clouds, when we might be in the sunshine and pure air of the mountain top.
II. THE SOURCES OF THIS DELIGHT ARE MANIFOLD.
1. The joy of praise, worship, adoration. Notice how inseparably praise and rejoicing are united in the Bible, especially in this Book of Psalms. "That God is what he is" (says John Howe) is the source of infinite joy to his children.
2. The joy of personal communion with God. He is "our God" (Psalms 48:14); "my God" (Psalms 42:1, Psalms 42:2, Psalms 42:6; Philippians 4:19).
3. The joy of fellowship with God's people. (1 John 1:3.) Common prayer, harmonious praise, public worship, have blessings and promises distinctively their own. It was when all the hundred and twenty "continued with one accord in prayer and supplication," the blessing of Pentecost came. When "many were gathered praying," Peter was set free (comp. Acts 4:24, Acts 4:31).
4. The joy of service. A Christian, whether a minister or private Church-member, can be more than "a doorkeeper"—a door opener; setting wide the gate of the city of refuge to the refugee from sin; opening the door of the kingdom to the young, and leading them through the gate Beautiful into the temple; helping fellow believers to enter with boldness "into the holiest" (Hebrews 10:19, Hebrews 10:20). All that the ancient psalmist found in the temple, we have, not in shadow, but reality—the one sacrifice (Hebrews 10:2, Hebrews 10:4,Hebrews 10:10,Hebrews 10:12); the Divine Priest (Hebrews 8:1, Hebrews 8:2); the true holy of holies (Hebrews 9:8-12, Hebrews 9:24); and in place of the ceremonial service of the Levites, to maintain which the free will offerings of the people were dedicated, the ministry of truth, the relief of need and suffering the wide world over, and the spread throughout the world of the gospel and kingdom of Christ (1 Peter 2:5). Which way does the balance incline? which has really our heart's devotion and yields supreme delight—God's service or the world's?