Psalms 132

It is not likely that this is a postexilic psalm. The ark is mentioned (v. 8), and after the destruction of the temple, the ark disappeared from the scene. Also, the writer referred in verse 10 to a king from David’s dynasty, and there was no Davidic king after Zedekiah, until Jesus came to earth. Nobody in postexilic Jerusalem was anointed as king. Since verses 8–10 are quoted by Solomon in his prayer at the dedication of the temple (2 Chron. 6:41–42), perhaps this psalm was written for that occasion. It could well have been a litany, with the worship leader opening (vv. 1–5) and the people responding (vv. 6–10). The leader then quoted God’s words to David (vv. 10–12), and the people or a choir closed with a recital of God’s promises to Israel (vv. 13–18). Note especially the references to David in Solomon’s prayer (2 Chron. 6:3–11, 15–17). Psalm 132 also parallels Psalm 89 but is more optimistic in outlook. Note in 89 the use of anointed (v. 20; 132:10), enemy (vv. 22–23; 132:18), horn (v. 24; 132:17), and throne (v. 29). (For other “Zion psalms,” see 24, 48, 68, and 89.) The completion of the temple was no assurance of God’s blessing on Israel, for the important thing was that the people fulfill their responsibilities toward the Lord.

The ark represented God’s throne on earth (80:1; 99: nasb, niv) and its rightful place was in the Holy of Holies of God’s sanctuary. Unless God is on the throne of our lives, no enterprise we attempt can be really successful. The ark had been in several places before Solomon put it into the temple (2 Chron. 5). The ark went before the children of Israel as they followed the cloud and pillar of fire through the wilderness, and it also went before them into the water as the people crossed the Jordan River and entered Canaan. It is possible that the ark was temporarily at Bethel (Judg. 20:27) and then Mizpah (Judg. 21:5), but it finally rested at Shiloh (1 Sam. 1—3). The wicked sons of Eli used the ark as a “good luck charm” and took it into battle against the Philistines, but the Philistines captured it (1 Sam. 4—5). Frightened by the judgments God sent, the Philistines returned the ark to the Jews, and for twenty years it rested in the house of Abinadab in Kirjath Jearim (1 Sam. 6:1—7:2). When David became king, he wanted the ark in Jerusalem and prepared a tent for it, but his first attempt failed (2 Sam. 6:1–11). The ark remained in the house of ObedEdom for three months, and then David successfully brought God’s throne to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:12–19; 1 Chron. 15—16). It appears that the tabernacle of Moses and its holy furniture were in Gibeon (1 Chron. 21:29).

David had two great ambitions: to bring the ark to Jerusalem and then to build a glorious temple to house it. He even made a vow to the Lord, and the Lord permitted him to fulfill the first desire but not the second (2 Sam. 7). David had gone through much hardship with reference to the building of the temple (v. 1; 1 Chron. 22:14), for the wealth he turned over to Solomon came from the spoils of his many battles. The worship leader called on God to “remember—pay attention to” what David had done, for humanly speaking, without David there would have been no temple. Even purchasing the property on which the temple was built cost David a great deal of pain (2 Sam. 24). The words spoken in verse 4 do not mean that David forsook sleep all those years but simply expressed the passion of his heart and the desire to accomplish his goal quickly (Prov. 6:4). “The Mighty One of Jacob” (vv. 2, 5) is an ancient name for Jehovah, for Jacob used it in his last words to his family (Gen. 49:24; and see Isa. 1:24; 49:26; 60:16).

We get the impression that the ark was almost forgotten during the years it was in the house of Abinadab in Kirjath Jearim (“city of woods”). The city was only eight miles northwest of Jerusalem, so distance was no problem. Did some of the people in David’s hometown of Bethlehem (Ephrathah—“fruitful land”) “start the ball rolling” and encourage the king to act? At any rate, once the ark was back in Jerusalem, the people felt drawn to go on pilgrimage to the city. When Solomon put the ark into the Holy of Holies, the glory of God moved in, just as when Moses dedicated the tabernacle (1 Kings 8:1–11; Ex. 40). (On “footstool” see notes on 99:4–5.) The statement in verse 8 is taken from Numbers 10:33–36 and reminded the worshippers of God’s guidance and power exhibited in the days of Moses. The prayer for the priests in verse 9 is answered in verse 16. A holy priesthood was important to the prosperity of Israel, but so was a nation dedicated to the Lord. The Lord could now “rest” in His house after many years of wandering from place to place (2 Sam. 7:6; 1 Chron. 28:2).

God’s covenant with David (2 Sam. 7) assured Israel that one of David’s descendants would sit on the throne, and now Solomon was king, “God’s anointed.” So it was for David’s sake, not Solomon’s, that God blessed the king and the people. The prophet Isaiah called this “the sure mercies of David” (Isa. 55:3). The psalmist reminded the Lord of His covenant, because he wanted someone from the Davidic dynasty to sit on the throne of Israel. Ultimately, this promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Son of David, whose throne and kingdom are forever (2 Sam. 7:11–17; Acts 13:26–39; Luke 1:30–33). If David’s successors wanted the blessing of God, they needed to obey the law of God, and many of them did not. Believers today are united with the Lord in a new covenant that Jesus made in His own blood (Matt. 26:26–30; Heb. 12:24), and He will never break that covenant. The psalmist used David’s name when he prayed to the Lord, but we pray in the name of Jesus (John 14:13–14; 15:16; 16:23–26). The Father is faithful to His Son, and the Son is faithful to the covenant He made in His own blood.

God not only chose Israel to be His people and David and his descendants to be His kings, but He chose Zion to be the site of His temple and His throne (the ark). David had desperately wanted to build God a house, but was forbidden to do so, but he gathered the wealth needed, received the plans from the Lord, and bought the property on which the temple would stand. This purchase grew out of the sin David committed when he took a census of the people (2 Sam. 24). When the fire from heaven consumed his sacrifice, David knew that this was the place God had chosen. Other nations had temples, but none of those temples had the glory of the true and living God dwelling in them.

God spoke to the people in verses 14–18 and reaffirmed His covenant with Israel (Lev. 26; Deut. 27—30), for the people as well as the kings were obligated to obey the Lord if they expected to experience His blessing (v. 12). God promised to dwell with Israel, provide their food, bless their worship, and defeat their enemies. Two special images are seen here—the lamp and the sprouting horn (v. 17)—and both refer to David and to the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. The burning lamp symbolized the king (2 Sam. 21:17), the preservation of life (18:28–30), and the perpetuation of the royal dynasty (1 Kings 11:36; 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19; 2 Chron. 21:7). The sins of some of David’s successors deserved radical punishment, but for David’s sake, the Lord allowed them to reign from David’s throne. A horn is a symbol of power and strength, and the sprouting of the horn of David is a picture of the coming of the promised Messiah. The Hebrew word for “sprout” is translated “branch” in Isaiah 4:2, Jeremiah 23: and 33:15, and Zechariah 3: and 6:12, and refers to the Messiah, “the Branch.” The word translated “flourish” or “shine” in verse 18 can also mean “to blossom,” and is used that way in Numbers 17:8, the blossoming of Aaron’s rod. This, too, is a messianic image. So, the psalm ends by pointing to Jesus Christ.

The psalm concerns itself with David and God’s covenant with him, but it points to David’s greater Son, Jesus Christ, and His covenant with His church. The psalmist was concerned about the ark of the covenant, but the ark points to Jesus Christ who today is enthroned in the Holy of Holies in heaven. We see, not the earthly Zion, but the heavenly Zion (Heb. 12:22–24), and we rejoice that we are “a kingdom of priests” because of the grace of God (Rev. 1:5–6). Let us give God His rightful place, worship Him joyfully, rest on His faithful covenant, and trust Him for the promised blessings for those who willingly obey His will.