This Psalm was a suited utterance of David when separated from God’s house (2 Sam. 15). It may be the desire of any saint who through the Spirit thirsts for heaven. And it will be the utterance of the patient, waiting Remnant.
In the esteem of this soul there are three orders of blessing. First, where there is constant abiding in God’s house; for then unbroken praise is the occupation. Secondly, where there is traveling up to that house, with occasional refreshment of spirit. Thirdly, where there is trust in God, though in distance from that house, and no present prospect of it (Psa. 84:4-5,124Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah. 5Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. (Psalm 84:4‑5)
12O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. (Psalm 84:12)).
Observe, the whole earth was to Jesus distance from God’s tabernacles—a dry and thirsty land (Psa. 63). His soul was parched everywhere, save when He met the faith of a poor sinner. Then He had meat to eat and water to drink even here. But God’s presence was everything to Him. And to restore that presence to this apostate earth was in a sense the purpose of His visitation to it. The opening and close of His ministry expressed that. For He then cleansed the temple (John 2; Matt. 21)—an action that told of His ridding this earth of defilement, that it might be God’s habitation and praise again.
The saint seems to muse with divine pleasure on the thought of the sparrow and the swallow (representing as it were all His creatures) finding their rest in God’s sanctuary. For so it will be in the coming kingdom. The creation, which now groans, will be delivered into liberty and glory then.
The spirit of this precious Psalm is very comprehensive. All the saints, with Jesus as their leader, may breathe the language of it. It takes in the hearts of all the people of God. Well may it be, as it has been, the enjoyed companion of the meditations of our souls at all times. Happy, when we together reach that house where praise will still or forever be heard!