QT 29 Jun 17, Ps 84:10-11, The advantages of a doorkeeper

Psalm 84:10–11 (ESV) — 10 For a day in your courts is better

than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

the Lord bestows favor and honor.

No good thing does he withhold

from those who walk uprightly.

NOTE: I think David's emphasis is on the presence of God. Technically, there was no temple yet, only the tabernacle. David, of course, went into much planning and preparation for the temple. He was gathering all the supplies, and he probably had a scale model of the temple. It may be this preparation that causes him to ruminate on the facility and what it represented. While God is everywhere, the temple is something different. It is the location of God's name on earth, and it is the location of the Shekinah glory. This glory was a tangible indicator of God's presence. So maybe what David is saying is that he wanted to always be reminded of the presence of God and of God himself. The doorkeeper would be constantly reminded of his presence in our life. And with that constant reminder, it is less likely for a man to sin. There is great blessings in staying away from sin because sin only destroys. Righteousness has the opposite effect, it builds up. A man who walks uprightly will be greatly blessed in his life.

[Editor's note: the Psalmist is not David, my mistake.]