Bible ReadingPsalm 84 “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord of Armies. I long and yearn for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God. Even a sparrow finds a home, and a swallow, a nest for herself where she places her young— near your altars, Lord of Armies, my King and my God. How happy are those who reside in your house, who praise you continually. Selah Happy are the people whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a source of springwater; even the autumn rain will cover it with blessings. They go from strength to strength; each appears before God in Zion. Lord God of Armies, hear my prayer; listen, God of Jacob. Selah Consider our shield, God; look on the face of your anointed one. For better a day in your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than live in the tents of wicked people. For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord grants favor and honor; he does not withhold the good from those who live with integrity. Happy is the person who trusts in you, Lord of Armies!”
[05:27]Numbers 16:1-35 “Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took 250 prominent Israelite men who were leaders of the community and representatives in the assembly, and they rebelled against Moses. They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, ‘You have gone too far! Everyone in the entire community is holy, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?’ When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. Then he said to Korah and all his followers, ‘Tomorrow morning the Lord will reveal who belongs to him, who is set apart, and the one he will let come near him. He will let the one he chooses come near him. Korah, you and all your followers are to do this: take firepans, and tomorrow place fire in them and put incense on them before the Lord. Then the man the Lord chooses will be the one who is set apart. It is you Levites who have gone too far!’ Moses then told Korah, ‘Listen, you Levites! Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the Israelite community to bring you near to himself, to perform the work at the Lord’s tabernacle, and to stand before the community to minister to them? He has brought you near, and all your fellow Levites who are with you, but you are pursuing the priesthood as well. Therefore, it is you and all your followers who have conspired against the Lord! As for Aaron, who is he that you should complain about him?’ Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, ‘We will not come! Is it not enough that you brought us up from a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Do you also have to appoint yourself as ruler over us? Furthermore, you didn’t bring us to a land flowing with milk and honey or give us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not come!’ Then Moses became angry and said to the Lord, ‘Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated any of them.’ Moses told Korah, ‘You and all your followers are to appear before the Lord tomorrow—you, they, and Aaron. Each of you is to take his firepan, place incense on it, and present his firepan before the Lord—250 firepans. You and Aaron are each to present your firepan also.’ So each man took his firepan, placed fire in it, put incense on it, and stood at the entrance to the tent of meeting along with Moses and Aaron. After Korah assembled the whole community against them at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, ‘Separate yourselves from this community so I may consume them instantly.’ But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, ‘God, God who gives breath to all living things, when one man sins, will you vent your wrath on the whole community?’ The Lord replied to Moses, ‘Tell the community: Get away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’ Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. He warned the community, ‘Get away now from the tents of these wicked men. Don’t touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.’ So they got away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance of their tents with their wives, children, and infants. Moses said, ‘This is how you will know that the Lord sent me to do all these things and that it was not of my own will: If these men die naturally as all people would, and suffer the fate of all, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord brings about something unprecedented, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them along with all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have despised the Lord.’ Just as he finished speaking all these words, the ground beneath them split open. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, all Korah’s people, and all their possessions. They went down alive into Sheol with all that belonged to them. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly. At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled because they thought, ‘The earth may swallow us too!’ Fire also came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were presenting the incense.”
John 2:19-21 “Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.’ So the Jews said, ‘This temple took forty-six years to build, and will you raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking about the temple of his body.”
Observation questions- In Psalm 84, what words and images show that the writers felt more than casual interest in God’s house? [12:06]
- What details from Numbers 16 help explain why it is so striking that Psalm 84 was written by the sons of Korah? [08:09]
- In Psalm 84, what happens in the Valley of Baca, and what does the passage say the pilgrims do there? [20:06]
- In Psalm 84, what comparisons are made near the end of the psalm between God’s courts and “anywhere else” or “the tents of wicked people”? [32:34]
Interpretation questions- The sons of Korah came from a family story marked by rebellion and judgment, yet they became worshipers and leaders. What does that suggest about how God deals with family history, shame, and calling? [10:28]
- Psalm 84 connects love for God’s presence with a heart set on pilgrimage. How does love shape a person’s willingness to endure inconvenience, resistance, and dry seasons? [17:26]
- The Valley of Baca becomes a place of springs instead of only a place of sorrow. How might perseverance with God turn a painful season into something that strengthens other people too? [21:48]
- Jesus says that he is the true temple. How does that change the way a believer thinks about access to God’s presence during ordinary daily life, not just during gathered worship? [25:54]
Application questions- Origin does not set destiny. Is there any part of family history, past sin, or personal failure that still feels like a ceiling in life with God? What would it look like to stop agreeing with that limitation? [10:28]
- Love changes the calendar. If the past two weeks were reviewed honestly, what would they reveal about what has been called lovely? Where has time been protected well, and where has busyness been allowed to lead? [17:26]
- God’s presence is not something to borrow once a week. What helps most in hearing God personally, and what habits or distractions tend to keep that from happening? [03:52]
- Valleys can become wells. What is one dry place or hard place right now where there is a temptation to pull back from God? What might it look like to keep moving toward him there instead of waiting for the valley to disappear? [21:48]
- Faithfulness in hard seasons leaves water for people coming behind. Who may be helped if endurance is chosen in the current season: children, friends, coworkers, a spouse, or someone younger in the faith? How might that shape the way this season is handled? [22:07]
- Through Jesus, the temple has come near. What would it look like in a very practical sense to live this week as someone who has access to God’s presence at home, at work, in the car, and in ordinary moments? [27:17]
- Better is one day in God’s courts than a thousand elsewhere. Where does “somewhere else” look especially attractive right now, and why? What helps the heart remember that life with Christ is better than the world’s best offer? [34:12]
