VALLEY of BACA

Psalm 84:5,6 -
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.
Eastons Bible Dictionary
Baca, Valley of
("valley of weeping," marg., "or balsam trees"), probably a valley in some part of Palestine, or generally some or one of the valleys through which pilgrims had to pass on their way to the sanctuary of Jehovah on Zion; or it may be figuratively "a valley of weeping."
and
Mulberry
Heb. bakah, "to weep;" rendered "Baca" (R.V., "weeping") in Ps. 84:6. The plural form of the Hebrew bekaim is rendered "mulberry trees" in 2 Sam. 5:23, 24 and 1 Chr. 14:14, 15. The tree here alluded to was probably the aspen or trembling poplar. "We know with certainty that the black poplar, the aspen, and the Lombardy poplar grew in Palestine. The aspen, whose long leaf-stalks cause the leaves to tremble with every breath of wind, unites with the willow and the oak to overshadow the watercourses of the Lebanon, and with the oleander and the acacia to adorn the ravines of Southern Palestine" (Kitto). By "the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees" we are to understand a rustling among the trees like the marching of an army. This was the signal that the Lord himself would lead forth David's army to victory. (See SYCAMINE ?T0003540.)
I am getting an impression here and it begins in the first line - blessed is the man, whose strength is from God.
They set their heart on a journey. Where to? Zion, the city of God. Why leave their place of usual habitation and why cant they find sustenance in their own environment?
There is a place, not found in their usual wanderings through the courseways of this earth, so they search for a path that will take them higher and above.
Colossians 3:2 -
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Now on this journey they need to pass through this valley and it is called "Baca".
A place of weeping.
Matthew 5
The Beatitudes
1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.
2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “ Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
I believe Jesus is highlighting the way to receive the Kingdom of God and the blessed man who finds his strength in God.
In this place of weeping where the spirit of man becomes poor, this person has acknowledged that the only way up is to go down in their own estimation and independence and find strength in God who is and there is no other.
You see there is a divine transfer that takes place when we lay down our own ways and right of independence from God, by our own free choice we receive the Kingdom.
In the desert and the dry places of our limitions, we move beyond our human condition and invite springs of living water to appear in our desert, as we draw from the resources of the Spirit of God.
The wonderful thing is that, we will progress from strength to strength as we go through our own individual pilgrimage in the valley.
Like knights on a quest, devoted and single minded, they forge ahead, undaunted by the challenges of a difficult path to victory, the saints press on with unwavering vision, with their sights fixed on the prize of their upward calling.
The sufferings that they endure do not compare to the glory they will experience in an ever increasing beauty of the presence of God, as each one appears before Him on their journey to Zion, the heart and intimacy of truly knowing and experiencing the love of God.

Now King David was also in a valley and on the face of it, high odds were stacked against him, facing an enormous army of opposition.
There could have been some weeping felt in this place, but David finds strength in God as he waited on God and received the instruction of victory.
Now when he heard the rustling of leaves from the wind and the stirrings of the army of angelic hosts of the Lord, he knew this was the time to move in harmony with the moving of the Holy Spirit in victory.
The rustling of the leaves were in the mulberry trees which were baca in plural, so that is where David was camped, right where he could hear and perceive the moving of God and David progressed in partnership with God. Now the tables had turned, weeping and frustration ceased turning into celebrations of victory, as the overwhelming army of the enemies camp was routed with ease by the mighty hand of the Lord and His angelic armies.

With hearts set on a quest, we begin our journey in the barreness of a desert, we have a glimpse of a paradise in the city of the promises of God.
We simply must pass through our Valley of Baca.
As our hungry and thirsty hearts rise up from within our world, we make a connection to a place out of this world in times of refreshing and splendour, all tears are forgotten.

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