Psalm 132
Sunday Night Psalms • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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There are a few views of this Psalm… it’s kind of an odd Psalm of Ascents in what it entails, how the song goes as well as it’s length.
Some say this is a celebratory hymn for the procession of the ark from the house of Obededom to the sacred tent in Jerusalem.
Others say, in which I think I agree that this is a recollection of that event.
The time in which they may have sang this song isn’t clearly known, but as we have heard, since it’s included in the Psalm of Ascents… during the annual feast in Jerusalem.
Eugene Patterson calls the Songs of Ascents a “dog eared songbook”.
This selection of songs the pilgrims would use year after year in the moments of reflection, of worship and of prayer.
There are two halves of this Psalm.
The first half having to deal with David’s oath and longings to the Lord. (His own “I will statements”.
The second half dealing with God making His own oath to the david and prophetically telling the people how He will fulfill these oaths.
We see here in Psalm 132 how God’s people get to participate in God’s promises when we set out to have a passion for God’s Glory, and when we pursue His presence.
1 Remember, O Lord, in David’s favor, all the hardships he endured, 2 how he swore to the Lord and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 3 “I will not enter my house or get into my bed, 4 I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, 5 until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
David’s Passion for God’s Glory (Vv. 1-5)
David’s Passion for God’s Glory (Vv. 1-5)
We see here in the beginning of this Psalm that the worshipers invoke the Lord to remember David and His hardships. This could be a host of things within David’s overall life.
David’s endured Hardships:
Conquest of Jerusalem (2 Sam. 5:6-9)
Relocation of the Ark (2 Sam 6) (2 Sam. 6:6-8)
“Heart Searchings (Psalm 23-150 / 2 Sam 6-9)
Or maybe even the heavy burden he had placed on himself to make sure that the Ark had a resting place. We many times denied himself as he prepared for Solomon to build the temple to honor the Lord.
We see in 1 Chr. 29:1-5 where he accumulated many material for this to take place… so much so that he in his passion for this to be done… set aside royal living.
Recounts David’s’ Motive for getting the Ark: Not for political reasons but for GOD’S GLORY!
He make an oath.
Something interesting about this is that OT oaths were not obligatory, but once they were made… then they were. (Num. 30:2-3)
This peals back the curtain a bit of what we see where David when speaking with Nathan says…
1 Now when David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.”
David had this passion for the Ark, the earthly place of God’s presence to be in a worthy place of it’s presence. (Honoring God to him was more important than any honor due to himself.)
HONOR TO THE LORD WOULD COME BEFORE
Going back home
getting into his bed
and allowing himself to rest.
NOT UNTIL HE FOUND A PLACE FOR THE LORD.
David understand… he knows that there must be urgency in finding a “place” for the Lord to dwell.
He operates with this WONDER of God dwelling with us.
The the only rightful response to this WONDER, is a response of passionately, for God’s Glory… saying I’m not going to rest until this is done.
Not literally that he won’t sleep… but that it will CONSTANTLY OCCUPY MY MIND FOR GOD’S GLORY…
Should be the same of us… in our wonder of God’s DWELLING WITH US AND IN US!
His presence should always occupy our minds. His glory should always be something we are striving for in all our daily actions.
David’s Pursuit of God’s Presence (Vv. 6-10)
David’s Pursuit of God’s Presence (Vv. 6-10)
6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of Jaar.
Psalmist summarizes the history of the installation of the ark in the tabernacle in Jerusalem. (1 Sam 5-6; 2 Sam 6-7)
The Ark had been lost to the Philistines and then returned to Israel (1 Sam. 4-6)
After a tragic occasion at Beth-shemesh when the Lord struck down the men who looked into the ark (1 Sam. 6:19-20), the men of Kiriath-jearim took the ark to the house of Abinadab (1 Sam. 7:1)
Apparently by the time of David, the location of the ark fell out of public memory, and perhaps it had been lost for years.
David and His men heard about the ark’s location in Ephratha and soon found it in Kiriath-jearim (1 Sam 6:21)… alluded to the “fields of Jaar (Thicket)”
—->> The ark was basically found in the woods.
3 Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.” 4 All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.
In the days of Saul they had totally forgot about the Ark of the Covenant. They did not seek it. It was not something on their to do list. They had rejected the THOUGHT of the presence of God.
They had lived without the ark until David led them to find it.
THE ARK.
Many knew that God was everywhere (Psalm 139, Omnipresent) But the ark symbolized God’s special presence.
Manifested God’s power and glory
The mercy seat or the atonement cover served as a lid on the ark.
It had cheribum of gold facing each other with thier faces bowed, symbolizing God’s Holy Presence (Ps.99:1; 80:1).
This was the place where sacrifices for sin was were on the day of atonement. Here, every year, the high preist would come and make a great sacfrifice for all the people on this day… and sprinkle blood on the mercy seat (Rom. 3:25, Heb. 2:17, 1 John 4:10)
BUT, in Saul’s day… nobody seemed to miss it. No one seemed to care. Until you have a God fearing man in David come around and take the Glory of God seriously.
Spiritual Neglect.
Many people don’t care about the special presence of God.
They go through the motions… they know the lingo of God, the works of Jesus… but there really is no SPIRITUAL YEARNING FOR THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN THEIR LIVES, IN THEIR HOME, AND IN THIER EVERY DAY ACTIVITIES.
Many have Bible’s on their book shelves but don’t even take into consideration the the Sacrificial lamb of God who has taken away the sins of those who abide in Him.
If God’s special presence was removed from our gatherings and no one exalted the work of Jesus, how many people would care?
David Cared.
2 Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building.
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!” 8 Arise, O Lord, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. 9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your saints shout for joy.
As we see here in Psalm 132… the return of the Ark is a reminder to us of our need to stay committed to what matters most in the SPECIAL PRESENCE OF GOD.
This is a great reminder for me and I hope it’s a reminder to you. That the activities of this life MEANS NOTHING APART FROM THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
How wonderful of a reality is this?
And so… this should be for us that we should never allow ourselves to neglect the opportunity to be with and know Jesus, and to ABIDE IN HIM.
Don’t neglect His Word
Don’t neglect His presence.
Don’t neglect the fellowship with His Bride.
Don’t neglect the caring for His bride and participating in this family He has given us.
Don’t neglect the the PRESENCE OF GOD.
LET US BE A PEOPLE WHO ARE DILIGENT IN SEEKING THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN OUR LIVES AND IN OUR CHURCH FAMILY.
Vv. 7-8
We see the worshipers set their sites on Jerusalem to WORSHIP and pursue the presence of God
“Let us worship at His footstool…” Let us go to the place of His earthly dwelling and rule.
AND SO… people join in this precession as the ark travels to the dwelling place in Jerusalem - the resting place referred to in verse 8.
THE PEOPLE PRAY: SUCH WOULD BE THE REACTION TO FINDING THE ARK… FOLLOWING IT TO IT”S RESTING PLACE>>> AND WORSHIPING ALONG THE WAY.
They pray for the Lord to bless them
They pray for the Lord to go to battle on their behalf.
They pray for the priest. That they do their work faithfully. That they would do things to God’s Standards. as in Job. 29:14.
AND IN RESPONSE TO THIS… THIS SPRINGS THE SAINTS TO SHOUT FOR JOY!
THEIR SHOUT FOR JOY RUNS RIGHT INTO REITERATING THEIR PRAYER FROM VERSE 1.
10 For the sake of your servant David, do not turn away the face of your anointed one.
Here we see the writer return to the plea that we see in verse 1.
These people were well aware of their nations history.
Especially in which their first king in Saul had been rejected by the Lord.
And if the Lord did not favor the King, the Nation would suffer as well.
Lord don’t turn away from your anointed one. AND HIS LINEAGE. HIS PEOPLE.
Let us share this passion for God’s Glory and HIs presence.
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God’s Oath to David (Vv. 11-12)
God’s Oath to David (Vv. 11-12)
Now, in verse two Davide makes an oath to God.
Here, now we see that God making a oath to His faithful king.
11 The Lord swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: “One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne. 12 If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons also forever shall sit on your throne.”
This is a condensed and restated version poetically of God’s promises made to David in 2 Sam. 7:12-16.
This is a “sure oath”
Much like the one that was made in Gen. 17 to Abram.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.
God assures the people that David’s sons would rule forever, with the understanding that this was a conditional promise.
The condition being that the king and his heirs must keep the covenant. They must keep their end of the promise as well.
We see here this interesting unconditional / conditional promise in which the tension is resolved IN THE NAME OF JESUS.
We know from David’s family and their history on down the monarchy that there needed to be a better king.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST… THIS BETTER KING CAME! This unconditional / conditional covenant was fulfilled in HIM—-> He kept the full law perfectly.
Peter speaks to this on the day of pentecost.
29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’ 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Peter himself speaks of this fulfillment that we see through the line of David. In God’s faithfulness… He keeps his oath to David… even in the midst of Solomon and the people of Israel being unfaithful and unlike their good King in David.
Glory be to God that this Jesus now reigns at the right hand of God and is exalted as Messiah.
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord, who repents, who confessed with their mouths Jesus is Lord and believes in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead… Paul says… you are saved. BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH.
God’s Presence in Zion (Vv. 13-18)
God’s Presence in Zion (Vv. 13-18)
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place: 14 “This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. 15 I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy. 17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. 18 His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine.”
GOD’S PROMISE REGARDING ZION OF HIS PRESENCE
RESPONSE PREVIOUS LONGINGS EXPRESSED IN verses 1-10.
The Lord has chosen Zion.
I will statements
I will dwell here, (Devine selection)
I will abundantly bless her with provisions.
I will satisfy her
I will clothe her priest with salvation which will result in her saints shouting for joy.
I will make a horn to Sprout for David and prepared a lamp for my anointed. (Preservation of the dynasty)
17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”
35 But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and will give it to you, ten tribes.
I will clothe his enemies with shame, But on the anointed, His crown will shine. (A glorious rule)
This can be confusing when only reading this from the perspective of David and his line, especially in a relatively close proximity within his line.
But we must remember to read into this in a prophetically and messianic kind of way.
God will dwell in Zion forever.
12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
JESUS is the perfect kind, the horn that was raised as a sprout form the line of David. In which perfect justice and provision will reign.
We are confirmed this in the very first book of the NT from the lineage shown in Matthew.
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
It is through this horn, through this sprout that the promises, the oaths made by God are forever made complete in the name of Jesus. And in the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
He is the Light of the World! He is the ETERNAL LAMP… Glory be to God for promises made and promises kept in the name of Jesus Christ.
The new creation will be filled with joyous worship.
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
