Psalm 23:6 - To Dwell In The House Of The Lord

When you think about Christianity and the gospel,

and you think about your personal faith, we could

say your personal Christianity, in the scheme

of that, how significant is being with God to

you? you are with Him and He is with you. To

have His presence, to know His presence in greater

ways. How significant is that in your life, brothers

and sisters? To know God more. To be with God

more. To hear from God. To talk with God more.

To dwell with Him. And for Him to dwell with

you. And for you to be conscious and aware of

that reality in your own life personally more

and more. This is the essence. Of why Christ

has died on the cross. To bring men to God. And

for God to dwell in the midst of his people.

Today we will focus on the second half of verse

6. Where David says these words. I will dwell

in the house of the Lord. Forever. The first

thing we have to consider in this text is the

theology contained in them. Now, when we think

about the theology contained in this verse, we

have to consider and think about and try to wrap

our minds around this. What is the doctrine?

What is the primary truth? What are the theological

concepts and realities that David is conveying

in this statement? To dwell in the house of the

Lord forever. It's a magnificent statement that

he is making. It's a grand statement that he

is making. If we think about the story of the

Bible. And redemptive history. As we see it throughout

the scriptures. We can think about the garden

of Eden. And the fact that God dwelled with Adam

and Eve. He walked with them. This idea of walking

with them. Carries the idea that God had continual.

Unbroken. Ongoing fellowship. And communion.

With our first parents. He dwelled with Adam

and Eve. And Adam and Eve dwelled with God. In

unbroken fashion. But then we know the terrible

news of what takes place. And what separates

man from God. Sin comes into the world. Adam

and Eve are driven out of the garden. They're

separated from the presence and the person of

the living God. Brokenness comes into the world.

Well, we see that the rest of the Scriptures,

ever since God gives that promise in Genesis

3 .15, the rest of the Scriptures is God seeking

and God pursuing fellowship and communion with

His covenant people. If we think about the Exodus,

and the fact that God brings them out of Egypt,

the redemption of the old covenant, we could

say. He brings them out, and what does God do?

He dwells in their midst. How? Through the tabernacle.

Through the Ark of the Covenant. We see, if we

move forward, That God would dwell with his people

and God's people would dwell with him and his

presence would be among them. He would be in

their midst, not just through the tabernacle

and their wilderness wanderings, but think about

Solomon's great temple. God's presence and glory

came down and dwelled with his people. He was

with them. Then we go to the New Testament and

the arrival of the Messiah. The Lord Jesus Christ

taking on flesh. And what does the Bible say?

He dwelled among us. He tabernacled among us.

The Son of God took on flesh and dwelt among

us. And Christ ascends to the right hand of the

Father following His resurrection. And God continues

to dwell with His people. Through the Spirit

of God. The Holy Spirit indwells the people of

God. And we see that we are together again. We

find that one day. Perfect fellowship. And perfect

communion. Will be perfectly restored. When Christ

returns. There will be no more discontinuity.

There will be no more brokenness. There will

be no more frustrations and heartaches with regards

to the fellowship and communion that God's people

enjoy and share and experience with Him. It will

be free, uninterrupted, unhindered fellowship

and communion with God once again. This is the

purpose of redemption, brothers and sisters.

We see this clearly throughout the scripture.

If we were to look at Exodus chapter 15, we could

Exodus 15 · chapter mention

read in verse 13, In your loving kindness you

have led the people whom you have redeemed. In

your strength you have guided them to your holy

habitation. Your dwelling. Then we could look

at verse 17. You will bring them and plant them

in the mountain of your inheritance, the place,

O Lord, which you have made for your dwelling,

the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have

established. God brings his people out to be

with them, to dwell with them. We could look

at Exodus chapter 25, verse 8. Let them construct

Exodus 25:8

a sanctuary for me that I may dwell among them.

That God might dwell among His people and be

in their midst. We could look at Exodus chapter

Exodus 29 · chapter mention

29. Verses 45 and 46. I will dwell among the

sons of Israel and will be their God. They shall

know that I am the Lord their God, who brought

them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell

among them. I am the Lord their God. There's

many other texts we could look at in the Old

Covenant. But what does the New Testament say

about God dwelling among his people? And this

being the purpose and the end for which redemption

is accomplished? Well, 1 Peter tells us, And

let's go ahead and turn there. 1 Peter 3, verse

1 Peter 3:18

18 says this, For Christ also died for sins once

for all, the just for the unjust, so that he

might bring us to God. Having been put to death

in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit. Why

did Christ die? Why did Christ give himself on

the cross and accomplish redemption? To bring

his people to God. To bring them into fellowship

and communion with the living God. To restore.

Rebels. Back to the Lord they have rebelled against

to make them sons and daughters of God. This

is the very purpose of redemption, brothers and

sisters. There's nothing further beyond this

purpose in the Bible. For God to dwell with his

people and his people to dwell with them. So

when David says, I will dwell in the house of

the Lord forever. He's speaking of peace. A grand

reality that he knows. He is caught up in. He

is speaking of a glorious reality. That he knows

in his heart. He has assurance. And he is persuaded

of. That he is partaking of. That he will enjoy.

That he is enjoying. In that moment. In this

text David. Presents. to this idea of dwelling

in the house of the Lord forever in two ways.

So the second thing we have to consider this

morning is this. The fact that he presents this

idea or this concept as the end and culmination

of his earthly life. So when David says, and

I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

We have to remember that it's at the end of Psalm

23, and it's the result of the Lord being a good

shepherd king to him. God has been gracious to

him. God has been merciful to him. God has provided

for him. God is with him. God has brought him

through the valleys and the shadows. God has

abundantly bestowed blessings. God is benevolent

and kind towards him. And he knows that goodness

and loving kindness will follow him all the days

of his life. And what about the end of his life?

And I will dwell eternally with the Lord. I will

dwell in the house of the Lord forever. His life,

his journey, his earthly pilgrimage is working

toward this dwelling with God. It's progressing

towards this. Now, when we think about this for

David, to dwell in the house of the Lord is something

that he is presently enjoying, but it's also

something that he is gradually nearing in his

life and will enjoy more fully in his life. Now,

we know this, that he's already enjoying this

and experiencing this. Because of the rest of

the Bible. Because of the rest of the Psalms.

David is, we could say, dwelling in the house

of the Lord as he writes Psalm 23. How do we

know this and how is this possible? Well, we

think about this idea, this word house. He's

not speaking about a home. He's not speaking

about a household. He's talking about the house

of the Lord. The tabernacle. The temple. The

place of corporate public worship. The place

where God meets with His people and His people

meet with God. He's talking about the place where

the people of God worship and serve the living

God. We could look at Psalm 26 .8. Just a few

Psalms over. Which says this. Oh Lord. I love

the habitation of your house. And the place where

your glory dwells. He's talking about. The tabernacle.

Or the temple. That he longs to build for God.

That he might dwell among men. We can't think

of this concept without going. To Psalm 84. Psalm

84 says this. In verses 1 -4. How lovely are

your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts. My soul

longed and even yearned for the courts of the

Lord. My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the

living God. The bird also has found a house.

and to swallow a nest for herself, where she

may lay her young. Even your altars, O Lord of

hosts, my King and my God, how blessed are those

who dwell in your house. They are ever praising

you. David is enjoying, David is partaking of

the Lord's presence. He is dwelling with God

in one of the ways that he is doing this. Is

by worshiping God corporately with the people

of God. Brothers and sisters. For David to say

this. He necessarily involves a corporate aspect

to it. He could not say. Absolutely. In an absolute

sense. He could not say. I will dwell. and the

house of the Lord forever. And then disregard

the people of God. The two are antithetical to

one another. One necessarily requires the other.

Now we'll see that it's not simply corporate.

It's not simply public. There is a private, personal

aspect to this as well. But brothers and sisters,

David knows that if he is to enjoy the presence

of God in this world, in his life, as he progresses

and gradually nears his death and the glory of

God, he has to give himself to the people of

God and the temple of God. That's the only way

he'll enjoy the Lord's presence in this life

in that manner. You can't disregard it and still

be able to say this as... David is saying this.

But it is important that we recognize there is

a private and personal aspect to this as well.

So oftentimes, and I'm sure that many of you

have recognized this as you read the Psalms,

it's as though the author of the Psalm or the

Psalms is using this word of habitation, tabernacle.

Temple. In a metaphorical sense. To express the

reality of dwelling with God in his presence

being with you. We see this throughout the scriptures

as well. We could look at Psalm 27 for this.

Psalm 27. This beautiful text. We'll look at

verses 4 and 5. One thing I have asked from the

Lord. that I shall seek. So even in this psalm,

David is saying, I've asked God for it now, and

I'm seeking it now in my life. One thing I've

asked from the Lord, that I shall seek, that

I may dwell in the house of the Lord all my life.

Now he's not saying forever in that sense, but

all my life, all my days. To behold the beauty

of the Lord. To meditate in his temple. For in

the day of trouble, he will conceal me in his

tabernacle. In the secret place of his tent,

he will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock.

Now, brothers and sisters, David was often on

the move. He was often traveling. He was often

at war. He was often in the midst of battle.

He was often part of a convoy and they were going

somewhere. He was not always in an accessible

place to the tabernacle of David. So what does

he mean? What does he mean when he says in the

secret place of his tent? Well, he means the

presence of God. He means the presence of God

as he enjoys and experiences the presence of

God in prayer. In the law of God as he seeks

the face of God through prayer. And through the

law of God as David had it. I believe that he's

using it in a metaphorical sense in this way.

Though it's often very hard to separate the two.

Because sometimes he is referring to the... temple

or the tabernacle and other times he seems to

be using it in a metaphorical sense. So there

is this corporate public aspect of it but brothers

and sisters there is a private and personal aspect

of dwelling in the house of the Lord. To enjoy

the presence of God in this life no matter the

capacity in which you are enjoying it. Whether

it be the fact that the Spirit of God dwells

within you as the people of God in this gospel

age, whether it be the fact that you're studying

the Scriptures or you're seeking to pray and

seeking the face of God, or whether it be that

you're worshipping the living God in corporate

worship. The presence of God and enjoying and

experiencing that in this life. is going to be

fraught with hardship, difficulties, and struggles.

It's just going to be, brothers and sisters,

because we have sin within us. We have a wayward

heart within ourselves. We have a remnant of

sin within us that causes doubt, that causes

frustration, that pulls us this way when we want

to go this way. The trouble comes from within

us, but it also comes from the reality and the

fact that we live in a fallen world that is still

under the judgment and the curse of God, that

we're not the only troubled sinner that exists

and lives in this fallen world. So, our enjoyment

of God and His presence to dwell in the house

of the Lord in this life, in our earthly days,

as we progress, Toward glory. Will always be

fraught. With hardships. Frustrations. Difficulties.

And trials. Normally and typically. Because of

our own hearts. Brothers and sisters. Because

of our own struggles. And our own issues. And

the consequence of our own sin. In our life.

Yet, that does not mean that these things are

insignificant. That does not mean that these

are not real ways that we experience the real

presence of God in this world. What we do, or

what the saints do in this life, whether it be

corporate and public or private and personal,

They are real means, and David knew this, by

which they experience and enjoy the presence

of God and they have a purpose in the life of

the believer. It's the experience and the enjoyment

of the Lord's presence in this life leading up

to glory that prepares the heart. for the presence

of God as we will enjoy it in the life to come,

brothers and sisters. So for those who are reconciled

to God through Christ Jesus and His death, for

those who know Him by faith and those who have

turned from their sins and those who have been

transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit,

know that the Spirit of God dwells within you

today. God is dwelling with you. If you know

Christ. He is with you. He will never leave you.

And he will never forsake you. And you are dwelling

with him. But don't forget. Ever. That the spirit

of God that dwells within us. Intimates. And

gives us a more. Personal. And conscious. Understanding

and knowledge. of the reality of His presence

in our life through means in this world. Hence,

public and corporate worship and the private

and personal use of means that God has given

to us. Meaning, believer, if you want to be with

God, If you want to know His presence personally

more, then you have to be where He has promised

to be found in this world. Where has God promised

to be found? Corporate worship, brothers and

sisters. God has promised to give His unique,

precious presence to us as we gather as the saints.

If you want to know the presence and the power

of God and enjoy it, then you must give yourself

corporately to the people of God. But it also

means, brothers and sisters, that we must give

ourselves to the Word of God. He has promised

to speak to us through His Word. If we want to

be with Him, we must be where He has promised

to be found. And where has He promised to be

found? His holy, inerrant, inspired word that

He has spoken. If you want to be close to God,

be close to your Bibles, brothers and sisters.

If you want to have the Lord near to your heart,

if you want to hear His voice loud and clear,

then have His word ever present on your heart.

Have Him close to you through the Word of God.

Where else is He promised to be found, brothers

and sisters? He is promised to be found in prayer.

Do you want to know and enjoy and experience

God more in your life and know the depths of

His grace? Then give yourself to pursuing His

presence in prayer, brothers and sisters. He

is promised. To be with his people in this life.

And he has promised to be in his word in this

world. And he has promised to be found in prayer.

In this life and in this world for his saints.

As we give ourselves to these things. What is

happening to us? Our hearts are being prepared.

For what is to come. So what we are doing today.

Is practice. And preparation. For our future

in glory. Do you understand the significance.

Of what is happening right now brothers and sisters.

You are getting a trial run. Of the enjoyment.

Of God's glorious presence in your own soul.

So that you will long and desire for it in greater

measures and greater degrees. In the glory that

is to come. It's practice. And it's preparation.

For further enjoyment. Following our death. When

we fellowship. And we have communion with God

in a sweeter. Greater. better way than we even

do now. Our hearts are being prepared. Do you

enjoy the worship of God? Do you desire the Word

of God? Do you long to know God in prayer more?

Do you have a yearning for the courts of the

Lord as David did? Is there a distinct longing

in your heart to hear from God in His Word and

to take part in corporate prayer? Because if

you do, you are going to love glory. You are

going to love eternity. Because that is what

we will give ourselves to. Worshipping the living

God through Jesus Christ. and serving Him for

all eternity, and learning about the greatness

and the glory of who He is, and our great Teacher

will be our Savior, Jesus Christ. Do you love

it here? Because you will then love it there.

But if you don't love it here, if you don't long

for it here, what does that say? enjoyment of

what is to come. Will you enjoy the new heavens

and the new earth? Do you love the Word of God

because you hear Christ's voice in it? Brothers

and sisters, it's preparation and readiness for

the glory and the presence that is to come following

our death and to be fully enjoyed at the return

of Christ, at the consummation of all things.

David presents this idea of dwelling in the house

of the Lord forever as the end and culmination

of our earthly life. But there's also another

aspect that he presents it as. He presents it

as the beginning. Of eternal glory. He says I

will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

So it's not something he's just progressing towards.

But it's something. That is the beginning. Something

that he enters into. And something that begins.

Following. His death. For David. To dwell in

the house of the Lord forever. Was something.

To enter into. Following the completion. Of his

earthly life. It's a greater. Experience. It's

a better. More sweet. Enjoyment. Of the presence.

And the person. Of the living God. Scripture

teaches. That when a believer dies. Their soul

goes to be with God. Their body goes into the

ground and their soul immediately enters into

the presence of God. Historically, this teaching

has been called the doctrine of the intermediate

state of the believer. Meaning they're between

the time of Christ's return and the culmination

of all things. And their life they lived when

they came to know Christ in this world. So in

this intermediate state that the believer enters

into following their death, we have to recognize

that it is a better, more grand reality. To such

a degree that Paul could say, In Philippians

1, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Meaning,

if I'm going to live, it's going to be Christ

and it's going to be for Christ and I'm going

to be serving Christ. But if I die, it's all

gain for me. It's better for me to die and go

and be with the Lord even if I'm separated from

my body. It's better for me to go and be with

the Lord. This is why Paul says in 2 Corinthians

5, For we know that if the earthly tent, which

is our house, is torn down, we have a building

from God, a house not made with hands eternal

in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan,

longing to be clothed with our dwelling from

heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will

not be found naked. For indeed, while we are

in this tent, we groan, being burdened because

we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed,

so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by

life. Now he who prepared us for this very purpose

is the God who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.

Therefore, being always of good courage, And

knowing that while we are at home in the body,

we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith,

not by sight. And then here it is in verse 8.

For we are of good courage, I say, and prefer

rather to be absent from the body and to be at

home with the Lord. What is Paul's preference?

Where is Paul's home? He prefers to be separated

from his body. And to be in the presence of his

glorious God. To enter in to eternal life. And

to be with his great God. We also read in Hebrews.

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

Chapter 12. Starting in verse 22. This speaking

preeminently of the intermediate state, I believe.

For you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city

of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and

to myriads of angels, and to the general assembly

in the church of the firstborn, who are enrolled

in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and

to the spirits of the righteous, Made perfect.

And to Jesus. The mediator of a new covenant.

And to the sprinkled blood. Which speaks better

than the blood of Abel. Yes. The intermediate

state. Is still incomplete. Because there is

separation. From the soul and the body. Yes,

in the intermediate state, believers to some

degree, in some way, I believe, will still be

living by faith because they'll be longing for

the redemption of their bodies and the union

of their bodies with their souls. But listen,

according to the Word of God, when the believer

dies, the glory and the ability they have to

enjoy the presence of God is heightened and strengthened

all the more. It is a greater, grander, stronger,

bigger experience and reality of God's presence

and God's person. It will be a time of sweet

fellowship with all the saints of old. Sweet

fellowship with God Himself. Sweet fellowship

with angels and men. As we worship and serve

the living God. In our new found capacity. In

that place. One might think. Well that's it.

There's nothing further. There's nothing beyond

that. That is greater for the believer. Than

to go and be with the Lord. To be at home. With

him. And to enter into this intermediate state.

But for the believer. That is not it. Brothers

and sisters. There is still more. To come. What

is the ultimate. Reality. And the ultimate fulfillment.

Of David's words. When he says. And I will dwell

in the house of the Lord. Forever. The ultimate

sense in which these words are fulfilled is in

the eschatological sense, meaning when Christ

returns and the consummation of all things is

brought about, the saints are given resurrected

and glorified bodies, and the curse is lifted

from this groaning world. All things are made

new and the saints are given their inheritance

as Israel was given their inheritance like Joshua

divvied it up. God will give His people their

inheritance and their possession. The new heavens

and the new earth. The tabernacle of God. We

read in Revelation 21 of this glorious reality.

It says this in Revelation 21, 3. And I heard

a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold,

the tabernacle, the house, the tabernacle of

God is among men. And He will dwell among them.

And they shall be His people. And God Himself

will be among them. The day is coming when Christ

returns that the people of God will fully enjoy

the presence of God as they ought to have in

the garden if Adam had obeyed. They will enjoy

the new heavens and the new earth, the garden

on steroids, brothers and sisters. because of

the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The day of

unhindered, uninterrupted fellowship and communion

with the living God. Notice, as we consider everything

we've walked through today, that David is presented

to us. Notice that the believer is always in

fellowship and communion with the Lord. Always.

It's just that changes and transitions as they

progress and near the culmination of all things.

We go from one phase or one stage of fellowship

and communion with the Lord to the next until

ultimately we enjoy it in its fullest and eternal

sense. No matter how you look at the believer's

life. The one in Christ that Christ died for.

The one that believes in the Lord Jesus. The

one who is the recipient of God's covenant blessings.

No matter how you look at the believer's life,

better things are to come. Do you understand

that, brothers and sisters? Things only get better

from here on out for you as a believer. Things

only get more glorious in your future. Things

only get grander when you pass through the grave.

You get more of God. You experience Him and enjoy

Him in ways that you could not hear because sin

is so present in your life. Every which way you

look at it, the believer's life gets better following

their death. as they come into the experience

and enjoyment of God's presence and person in

greater measure and greater degree, all because

we have a faithful shepherd king who has been

gracious to us. He's the one that carries us

to glory, brothers and sisters. He's the one

that brings us along in this life and brings

us through the grave. He's the one that brings

us into the intermediate state and to his throne

following our death. He's the one that will redeem

our bodies by the power of God. And he's the

one that will sustain us through all eternity

by his divine power and because of his divine

grace and divine mercy. This is the glorious

hope and reality and future of the believer.

This is where we're headed. This is what we're

caught up in as children of God. This is your

fate and your future. All glory be to God. But

what about the man? the woman, or the young person

who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ? Who

is not the recipient of God's covenant blessings?

What does your future and your fate look like?

What is the hope of your life? What is to come

for you? Does it progressively and increasingly

get better? Do you come into further and greater

enjoyment and experience of God himself and his

presence? No. This is why there's urgency about

the gospel, brothers and sisters. Because this

is not everybody's future. This is not where

everybody is headed. Yes, the unbeliever has

a future ahead of them. But listen, this is the

best it will ever be for you as a believer. Because

God's common grace is upon you in this life.

The gospel is being proclaimed. There are saints

and elect sinners to be called in still. So God

still fulfills His common grace, blessings, and

promises to the world. But it will not get better

for you following your death. You enter into

an intermediate state, yes, but it is Hades,

a place of suffering, separation, and torment

that is conscious. Unending expectation and suspense

that judgment is coming when Christ returns.

You're in jail waiting to go to eternal prison.

And you are conscious and aware of this reality

and this fact. And then one day, yes, you will

be raised. You will be given a body. But it is

so that you can answer for the deeds done in

the body, in this life. As you have rejected

the Son of God. And then sentence will be passed.

And you will be condemned by men and angels and

Jesus Christ. And he will send you to hell. Because

you have transgressed an eternal and infinite

and a holy God. This is just as much a reality.

and truth as the grand redemption that Christ

has accomplished for His people. We can't say,

yes, this is glorious and this is great and this

is real and this is true, but this is insignificant

over here. This is just as true as the glorious

redemption that Christ has accomplished in the

future dwelling of God in man in the new heavens

and the new earth. I think sometimes when we

think about these concepts and these ideas in

the Bible, I think sometimes we think about them

as though they are kind of bedtime stories and

fairy tales. These grandiose ideas and thoughts

and concepts, and we even talk about them like

that sometimes, but these are not. bedtime stories,

and these are not fairy tales, brothers and sisters.

This is real, true life. You are either going

to take part in the glorious redemption, and

you will dwell with God forever in the new heavens

and the new earth, or you will spend eternity

in hell under the judgment of God, separated

from His good and kind presence. That is the

fate of every single human being on this planet.

What do these realities that we have examined

today do to your heart? Believer, why are we

not melted before the living God by His grace

and His mercy? Unbeliever, why are you not shaking

in your chair right now knowing the reality that

is ahead of you? God will be faithful to bring

about every single promise He has made to His

people. But hear me well, God will be faithful

to bring about every righteous and just judgment

upon your head if you do not know Jesus Christ.

He is a holy, a righteous, and a just God. Put

your faith in Jesus Christ today. And if you

have put your faith in Jesus Christ today, rejoice

and give Him praise and adoration and glory for

what He has done and live a life unto God for

His glory. Looking forward to the future with

great hope and great confidence and great boldness

knowing what is ahead of you as God's covenant

people in this world.