Sunday, 18 June 2017

Psalm 132 – Take heart! We worship and serve a covenant keeping God

Psalm 132 is the thirteenth song of the Songs of Degrees. We are not told who wrote this Psalm, but there are some who believe that David had written it. As we meditate on the content of the Psalm, it seems to point to Solomon as the author. It contains a long prayer asking God to fulfil the promise He had made to His servant David.

This psalm starts off with a prayer calling on God to remember David and the sacrifices that he had made. In verses 1-5 David vowed to prepare God a dwelling place. God’s presence among His people was represented by the Ark of the Covenant. It had been moved from place to place and was even captured by the Philistines at one point. It was David who had the Ark recaptured and made plan to have it moved back permanently to Jerusalem. He did not just casually or flippantly made a promise and then thought nothing about it. He went about resolutely doing what he had pledged to do. He gave himself no sleep or rest till what he had pledged was done.

The Ark was at Ephratah around the vicinity of Kirjath-jearim, meaning the city of woods. In fact it was found in the field of Jaar, another reference to Kirjath-jearim.  David then had it moved from there to Zion. His intention was to have it housed permanently in the tent that he had built in that city. David’s desire was for the people and himself to go there and worship at the footstool of God. The Psalmist prayed, asking God to remember the promise He had made to David. This request contains three matters. Firstly that God would go up before them to the place of rest, the tent that David had built for Him in Zion. Secondly, he asked that God’s priests be clothed with righteousness. Today we are all priests of the Father, and clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Let’s do all we can to ensure that we do not soil the righteous garment that Christ has dressed us with. Thirdly he asked for the saints to experience joy so that they could shout it.     

Verses 10-18 were the basis that gave the Psalmist the boldness to pray such an audacious prayer. He first reminded God of the promises He had made to David. He recalled the covenant that God had made with David, saying the throne would always be from the line of the king. He had not only promised David that someone from his linage would always be on the throne. God also dealt with David’s dynasty, the city of David or Zion, the people of David. God also promised to deal with David’s enemies while ensuring that he and his would forever wear the crown and hold the sceptre. It’s so true, Jesus, the Messiah is the King of kings. He hailed from the line of David and the sceptre shall never depart from His hand. And God has granted us believers the privilege to worship and serve this King.  

While God’s promise is sure, we on our part must be sure to do our fair share. Remember to keep Matthew 6:33 at the forefront of our mind: To seek first the kingship of Christ and His reign over the affairs of our life. And to seek to be conformed to His righteous standards. When we make this our holy pursuit, all other things we need will be added to us. God be praised!      

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