Psalm 132: Christ in the Psalms: The Hope for a King

Scripture Reading

Daniel 7:13–14 I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Intro

What do the Psalms tell us about Jesus Christ?

The book of Psalms is one of the most precious books of the entire Bible.

It contains some of the highest highs and lowest lows of human emotions juxtaposed against some of the most glorious and soaring theology of praises to God.

The Hebrew title of it is “Praises” emphasizing the glory of God and praising God in the good and the bad.

In the Psalms there are:

Hymns of Praise and Hymns of Thanksgiving.

Wisdom Psalms celebrating God’s Law and walking in obedience to Him.

There are Psalms of Faith expressing trust in God and God’s faithfulness amidst trials and great difficulties.

Psalms of Lament pouring out our heart before God.

Imprecatory Psalms calling down curses on the people of God’s enemies and praying to God for deliverance.

And Royal Psalms celebrating the glory of God and His Messiah.

Its a songbook or the Hymnal of the people of God teaching to worship God in every aspect of life.

They don’t express our emotions… our troubles… or our prayers…

They help shape them.

The Psalms help us move from “problem” to “faith in God” and living all of our lives for Him and for His glory.

As a Whole?

But what about the Book of Psalms as a whole?

We don’t normally think of the that way.

We like this Psalm or that Psalm.

Its not a normal book of the Bible like the Gospel of John or Ephesians that has a beginning, middle, and end.

Its a collection.

150 different Psalms written by several different men.

Its not one book telling one story making one, tight argument.

But when you look at the overall organization of the Psalms… and all the Royal or Kingship Psalms that are spread throughout… one of the major themes that starts to emerge is the hope and longing for a King.

The Promised Messiah!… and Son of David that God promised would reign forever in victory over His enemies to save His people and lead them into life, blessing, and peace.

A longing that anticipates Christ and the Great Hope we have in Him.

When you look at the Psalms as a whole they almost beg the question, “Where is the King?”

Jesus said in Luke 24:44 Everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.

Jesus is the Promised Messiah and long hoped for Davidic King who reigns forever to the good, blessing, and salvation of His People.

Jesus is the Hope of the Psalms.

So before we look at individual Psalms… I want to look at how the book of Psalms as a whole longs for and anticipates Christ.

And in that longing see the Great Hope we have in Him.

The Psalms long for and anticipate Christ.

Let’s go to Psalm 132.

Psalm 132

Psalm 132:1–7 Remember, O Lord, in David’s favor, all the hardships he endured, how he swore to the Lord and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, “I will not enter my house or get into my bed, I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob. Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of Jaar. “Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!”

David wanted to build God a House… to Build God a Temple.

Before verse 1 it says that Psalm 132 is a Song of Ascents.

It was a song that Pilgrims and Travelers would sing on the way up to Jerusalem to worship God at the Temple on high feast days and holy days of the Jewish year.

So as a whole, Psalm 132 is a prayer that God would remember His promise… His Covenant… to set one of David’s sons on the throne to build God’s House and reign to the good and blessing of His people.

Verse 8…

Psalm 132:8–10 Arise, O Lord, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your saints shout for joy. For the sake of your servant David, do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

Anointed One is literally the Hebrew word for Messiah.

And when the Psalm says Arise, O Lord and go to your resting place it is recalling the words of Moses from Numbers 10, where Moses would pray as God led them to the Promise Land that God would Arise… scatter His enemies… and Lead His people into their rest (Numbers 10:33-35).

This was the Hope the Anointed One… the Messiah would bring.

All the blessings and promises of the Promise Land.

A land flowing with Milk and Honey… Life and Blessing.

A Land of life… rest… blessing… and peace all coming together in the hope of the Messiah.

He would give the people rest.

He would give the people peace.

All the life… blessings… and promises the Promise Land pointed to.

As goes the King so goes the Kingdom…

Verse 11…

Psalm 132:11–12 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. If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons also forever shall sit on your throne.”

These verses are talking about the Davidic Covenant… the Hope of the Messiah that the Psalms long for.

This sure oath was swore to David in 2 Samuel 7.

In 2 Samuel 7, David had made it a plan in his heart to build the Lord a Temple… to build the Lord a House.

And then we come to verse 8…

2 Samuel 7:8–11 Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

Rest

This is the first promise of the Davidic Covenant.

I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more… And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

So the first thing God promises is rest and blessing for His people.

Temple/Presence

The second thing God promised was a Son who would build His Temple.

More specifically that God’s presence would dwell with His people.

I will be your God and you will be my people.

This great promise that I will be your Rock and your Salvation.

The All-Sufficient, Almighty God who is always by your side.

I will never leave you or forsake you.

The Temple wasn’t just about worship… it was about God being God to His people with all the blessings and promises that that means.

2 Samuel 7:11–13 Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

Forever Kingdom/Forever Throne

So through the Davidic Covenant in the Messiah… … God promised:

Rest… Blessing… Peace.

A Temple… the Presence of the Lord and His Grace.

And to establish the throne His Kingdom forever.

A Forever Kingdom and a Forever Throne.

Now here’s why that’s so important… That Forever Throne means a Forever Peace.

A Forever Rest.

A Forever Life.

A Forever Blessing.

A Forever Temple and Forever Grace… Favor… and the Presence of the LORD.

As goes the King so goes the Kingdom.

This was what the people were longing for… hoping for!

And you can see that longing in the organization of the book of Psalms.

Organization

Psalm 132 is just one of many Royal Psalms… Messianic Psalms.

Psalms praising… blessing… anticipating… looking forward to the King.

In fact, if I had to nail down the Psalms to one overarching theme I would say that would be the hope for a King!

Not in every Psalm individually.

But the Psalms as a whole.

Look at how the book itself is organized.

You might notice that its divided into 5 Books.

If you go to Psalm 1 it says Book 1.

If you go to Psalm 42 its says Book 2 and it goes on to Books 3, 4, and 5.

And like I said… its not a tight story beginning, middle, and end… but when you trace the overall flow of the book following the theme of the Royal Psalms, I think the organization of the Psalms says something.

The Psalms as we have them today were probably collected and put together by Post Exile Israel.

Israel had broken the Covenant with the Lord.

God had dethroned David’s line and driven them out of the Land just as He said He would in the Assyrian and Babylonian Captivity.

And now that the people are coming back they’re asking, “Where is the King?”

Where is the One God promised that would save us… deliver us… rule forever to give us life… blessing… and peace?

Where is the Messiah who will defend and restore us?

Lead us?

Purify the Temple, keep the Law, and usher in the Forever Promises of the New Covenant?

And so when they organized the book together that theme comes up again and again because that was the question on the forefront of their mind.

Book 1

Book 1 opens with Psalm 1 which is a Psalm about the fundamental truth of life… living for God and obeying Him.

Then Psalm 2 gives us the great hope of the Son sitting on the throne in victory over His enemies reigning and ruling over all.

As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. (Psalm 2:6–8).

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him (Psalm 2:12).

This Psalm according to Acts 13 was fulfilled in Christ at His resurrection (Acts 13:33).

Book 2

Book 2 ends with Psalm 72… a Psalm written by David’s son, Solomon… the prototypical first Son of David who was a type or shadow of the True Solomon… Jesus… who was to come.

And the Psalm is a prayer that God would bless the King to the blessing of the people.

May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound… (Psalm 72:6-7)

May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed (Psalm 72:17).

Book 3

So you have the Promise in Psalm 2… the Hope of that Promise in Psalm 72… then the Lament with Psalm 8 in Book 3.

Book 3 of the Psalms ends on an ominous note.

Psalm 89:3–4 You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’ ”

So that’s the Davidic Covenant… and the promise of the Messiah that we’ve been talking about.

But… Psalm 89:38–39 But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed. You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust.

The context here is exile.

The People of God under judgment.

The Temple destroyed.

The Throne of David empty.

Where was God and His promises?

A Perfect King

Now you might be thinking what happened?

I thought God promised David’s Throne forever.

Go back to 2 Samuel 7.

Right after God said 2 Samuel 7:13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever, He said…

2 Samuel 7:14–16 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.

So the blessings of the Davidic Covenant weren’t just going to come through any son, a faithful Son.

A perfectly faithful Son.

The promise to David and his line as a whole was sure.

But individuals in that line could be cut off for their sin and disobedience.

And that mattered for the people because as goes the King so goes the Kingdom.

The only way to experience the blessings God had promised in the Davidic Covenant was a faithful King.

This is why when you read 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles, Kings are always evaluated as good or bad by whether they worshiped God and kept God’s Law or fell away into idolatry.

And Israel’s history mostly had wicked kings leading eventually to exile and judgment.

Why?

Because in the Davidic Covenant the King himself became a Federal Head or Representative of the People.

He wasn’t just meant to lead the people in keeping God’s Law.

He was meant to represent the people in keeping God’s Law.

If the King obeyed… life and blessing in the Land.

If the King disobeyed… exile and judgment.

So as the people are coming back they’re asking, “Where is the King?”

And that’s why Psalm 89 ends with How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire?… Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David? (Psalm 89:46, 49).

Book 4

Then Book 4 opens with a beam of Hope with Psalm 90.

Its a prayer of Moses affirming God’s righteous judgment and pleading for Him to show mercy.

Psalm 90:13–16 Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.

Then in Book 4 there are what are called the Enthronement Psalms which celebrate God’s reign and God’s Kingdom over the earth (Psalm 93-99).

Book 5

And finally Book 5 opens with Psalm 107 celebrating the Lord’s Salvation.

Psalms 138-145 are all Psalms of David expressing his faith and his trust and his worship of the Lord looking for that True Son of David God had promised… a man after God’s own heart.

It has Psalm 110 which is the most quoted verse in the New Testament proclaiming and celebrating Christ’s reign.

Psalm 110:1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

And ends with the Hallelujah Psalms praising God for His grace, glory, and salvation.

Longing

When you look at the Psalms as a whole through the lens of the Messianic, Royal Psalms what you see is this longing for the King.

Remember the Promises of the Davidic Covenant.

Life… Rest… Blessing… and Peace in the Promise Land.

God’s Temple where God would dwell with and be with His people.

And a Forever Throne that would secure those blessings forever.

Without this King… there was only exile and judgment.

Separation from God… life outside the Promise Land.

But with Him were all the Promises of the Davidic Covenant.

Where is the King?

Where is the Promised Son of David?

The Psalms are longing for and anticipating Christ with all the Messianic Psalms are looking forward to the Hope we have in Him.

Christ is the Fulfillment of all the Promises.

He is the Promised Messiah and long hoped for Davidic King who reigns forever to the good, salvation, and blessing of His People.

Fulfillment

The people had come back from exile.

The temple had been rebuilt.

But there was still no King on the Throne.

All the blessings and promises were still out of reach.

Until one day in Luke 1:26-33.

Luke 1:26–33 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.

NEW SLIDE

And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Jesus is the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant and the longing and the Hope of the Messiah in the Psalms.

He is the Son of David and Promised King.

Kingdom

Jesus began His ministry saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

Matthew said that His Gospel was the Gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 4:23, 24:14).

And Jesus said that the reason that He came was to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God (Luke 4:43).

Now what is the Kingdom?

It is Christ’s Sovereign and Redemptive reign over all things to save His elect and make all things new in fulfillment of all of God’s covenant promises.

Its the forgiveness of sins… redemption from the Fall… and the restoration of all things by, in, and under Christ.

Son of David

That’s why in the Gospels when Jesus is going around healing people and casting out demons… people start asking, “Can this be the Son of David?” and crying out, “Son of David have mercy on me!” (Matthew 12:22-23; 20:30-34; Matthew 21:14-15).

In His miracles… in His healings the Kingdom of God was breaking in and reversing the curse and everything broken by the Fall.

Resurrection

And after His resurrection the Apostles took the Davidic and Messianic Psalms and applied them directly to Jesus to say He is the King.

Acts 2 at Pentecost, Peter said…

Acts 2:30–36 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, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ… This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses… For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

Jesus is the Messiah and long-hoped for Davidic King.

How Did They Miss It?

Now this begs the question… how did they miss it?

How did the Jews have this hope… have this expectation… but ultimately when the Messiah showed up, they crucified Him?

Jesus Himself gives us the answer in John 8:15.

Speaking to the Jews He said, “You judge according to the flesh.”

They only saw Jesus with their physical eyes.

They did not have the spiritual eyes to see the spiritual promises in Him.

Unless one is born again he cannot even see the Kingdom of God! (John 3:3).

Physical Promises

Now we don’t have time to get into all of it, but this might help you see how some of the physical promises of the Old Testament connect to Christ and the New.

This is usually where people get confused.

Well, it sure seems like God is promising physical earth and dirt.

Does that just all go away with Christ in the New Testament?

Types/Shadows

No God did promise them physical blessings… physical land… and a physical Kingdom… but those promises always pointed to a Truer, Spiritual reality.

Hebrews calls them a copy and shadow of the true heavenly things (Hebrews 8:5, 9:23, Col 2:17).

The physical things of the Old Covenant are types and shadows that find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ.

In Galatians 3:8 Pauls says God preached the gospel to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed” speaking obviously of Christ (Galatians 3:16).

But then… God gave the physical promises of the land… the rest…the blessing to show what that blessing and salvation would be like.

To give Abraham and to give us a picture of the Gospel and salvation that God promised.

We do the same thing with our kids in teaching them to count.

We don’t just say 1 + 1 = 2.

We say 1 M&M plus 1 M&M = 2 M&Ms.

The physical promises was God condescending to our weakness and giving us a picture… a glimpse… a shadow of their ultimate fulfillment in Christ.

Fulfilled Under Solomon

The physical promises themselves of the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic Covenants were all fulfilled under the reign of Solomon.

When Solomon dedicated the Temple he said all of the promises were fulfilled in 1 Kings 8:56.

“Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.”

So the physical promises of the Old Covenant were fulfilled… but they always pointed to something greater.

The True Spiritual Realities behind those promises were still to be fulfilled in Christ.

He’s the True Sacrificial Lamb.

Our Great High Priest.

The True Temple where we draw near to worship God and our sins are atoned for (John 2:20).

He’s the True Promise Land of life, blessing, and rest in Eternal Life.

The physical things of the Old Covenant always pointed to Truer… Greater… Spiritual Realities.

Hebrews 11:10 even says that Abraham wasn’t just looking for physical land but for the city that has [eternal] foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

The heavenly Promise Land!

So when the Jews saw the physical promises of the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic Covenant and they only saw physical, earthly fulfillments.

Not the True Spiritual Reality behind those things.

They had no concept of Jesus saying My kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36).

They wanted a New David who would conquer their enemies and oust the Romans.

And a New Solomon who would restore Israel to its former glory and reign in wisdom over the Nations.

They had their eyes set on earthly things.

True and Better David/Solomon

What they needed was a True and Better David and True and Better Solomon.

A True and Better man after God’s own heart who would obey God, fulfill all righteousness according to the Law as a representative of the people, conquer all enemies, and secure all life and blessings and peace forever on His forever Throne.

Jesus is the True and Better David who conquered the True and Greater Goliath when He crushed the head of the Serpent on the Cross (Genesis 3:15, John 12:31).

He is the True and Better Solomon who by His death, builds Gods house and is faithful over God’s house as a son (Hebrews 3:5-6).

Its in Him and by His faithfulness that we enjoy the life, rest, and blessing only foreshadowed in Solomon.

And Jesus is the True Shepherd King David who laid down His life for the sheep (John 10:11).

Jesus is the King long-hoped for in the Psalms and the fulfillment of all the Covenant promises typified in the Old Covenant.

And now… the Forever Rest… the Forever Temple… and the Forever Life, Blessings, and Peace are given to us under Christ’s Forever Throne.

The great promises and blessings long-hoped for are now eternally ours!

And that takes us back to Psalm 132… Verse 13…

Remember… verse 11 had said The Lord swore a sure oath to David from which he will not turn back.

And now here are the great blessings and promises of that oath.

Psalm 132:13–18 For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place: “This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

Zion was the Mountain of Jerusalem and the Mountain of the Temple (Psalm 2:6).

It came to represent God’s special presence amidst His people and God’s Kingdom and reign

And spiritually today Mount Zion is is fulfilled in Christ in the Church.

The Author of Hebrews says Hebrews 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…

And Paul says to non-Jewish, Gentile Christians in Galatians 4:26 But the Jerusalem above [so Mount Zion or the Heavenly Jerusalem] is free, and she is our mother.

So Zion in this Psalm is fulfilled Christ and the Church.

The Church now is the Temple of the Living God…

As Peter says You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5).

So here you have the Promise of the Temple and the Presence of God in the Davidic Covenant.

He has desired it for His dwelling place: “This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.”

The Psalm continues…

I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread. Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy.

God will supply all that we need.

He will clothe us with salvation… You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9).

And in Christ and the Church God will give us life and life abundant (John 10:10).

Her saints will shout for joy.

This is the promise of and Blessing.

There I will make a horn to sprout for David;

A symbol for power.

I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine.

In other words, Christ would be victorious.

Christ would conquer Sin, Satan, the World and Death and give us rest on every side… another promise from the Davidic Covenant.

But on Him His crown will shine.

The forever Throne where Christ will reign forever in glory to the good, blessing, and salvation of His people.

You can see how this Psalm longs for and hope for Christ.

How they look forward to and anticipate Him.

Jesus is the Messiah and long-hoped for Davidic King and the fulfillment of all the promises God made in the Davidic Covenant.

Conclusion

All the promises of God are yes and amen in Him (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Well how do you apply it?

That’s a lot of Great Theology but what do you actually do with it?

Born Again

First… you need to ask yourself are you part of the Kingdom?

Jesus said unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God, and unless you are born of water and the Spirit you cannot enter the Kingdom (John 3:3, 7).

The only way to enter the Kingdom and enjoy the blessings of the King… the Life… Rest… Peace… Presence and Favor of God!… is to believe in Jesus and be born again.

That He lived a perfect and righteous life as your representative and died the death you deserved to die on the cross.

He suffered the curses of the Law so that you would never have to by laying down His life for you.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11).

Whose the King?

And the second application is, “Is Christ the King of your life?”

As King, we submit to Him and obey Him.

We give all of our lives to Him for His glory.

We die to ourselves and lay down our life to stop living for our little Kingdoms and start living for Him.

Who are you really living for? Who ultimately is the King of your life?

The only life… the only rest… the only blessing is in Him.

Christ is the Promised Messiah and long hoped for Davidic King who reigns forever to the good, blessing, and salvation of His People.

Let’s Pray