Psalm 132

From: Short Meditations on the Psalms: Chiefly in Their Prophectic Character

Psalm 132 • 3 min. read • grade level: 8

This Psalm is Solomon’s pleading with the Lord to arise and possess Himself of the house which he had builded, upon the ground of David’s zeal and affliction, and of the Lord’s own covenant and promises (Psa. 132:1-13¹<<A Song of degrees.>> Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions: ²How he sware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob; ³Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; ⁴I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, ⁵Until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. ⁶Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood. ⁷We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool. ⁸Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength. ⁹Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy. ¹⁰For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed. ¹¹The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. ¹²If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore. ¹³For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. (Psalm 132:1‑13)). The Lord seems at once to answer this with still larger promises than He had made before, and with richer blessings than His servant had desired (Psa. 132:14-18¹⁴This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. ¹⁵I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. ¹⁶I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. ¹⁷There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. ¹⁸His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish. (Psalm 132:14‑18)).

For this is His way—this is divine. Even the promise of His own lips, as well as the wish of His people’s heart, is exceeded. And the promise which was conditional (Psa. 132:12¹²If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore. (Psalm 132:12)) is now yea and amen in Christ Jesus (Psa. 132:17-18¹⁷There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. ¹⁸His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish. (Psalm 132:17‑18)).

I think I see a very right mind, if I may so speak, in Solomon here. For while he desires God’s blessing on himself, the “anointed one,” he desires it in connection with God’s presence, or with the Ark’s entrance into its rest. This is quite as it should be. We may seek happiness if we seek it in and with the Lord.

The ark had been a stranger in the days of Saul (1 Chron. 13:3³And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we inquired not at it in the days of Saul. (1 Chronicles 13:3)). David’s earliest desire was to restore it; and this Psalm shows that that desire consumed him. We can admit this, when we understand David as presented to us in First Chronicles. And this in David is pleaded here by Solomon. So, Jesus could say, “The zeal of thine house has eaten me up.” To restore to God a habitation among men, and to bring back man to God, was the spring of His energies, the secret of His many sorrows. The griefs and cross of Jesus have opened a way for the glory to return, or the long estranged presence of God to fill the earth again in its season; as the same blood has already rent the vail, and is preparing mansions in the heavenly house for us.

The “lamp,” which is here promised to shine in the kingdom of the Son of David by and by, had been espied afar off by Abraham (Gen. 15:17¹⁷And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. (Genesis 15:17)), who thus saw Christ’s “day,” and “was glad.” It has been the desire both of Christ and His people, all through the night-time of this present world (Isa. 62:1¹For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. (Isaiah 62:1)). The Lord Himself, in answer to that desire, will light it up in due season (Psa. 18:28²⁸For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. (Psalm 18:28)). And then it will shine in steady full brightness through the kingdom (Isa. 60:1¹Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. (Isaiah 60:1)).

So the “horn” shall then “bud,” as here also promised. The oak of Judah, the stem of Jesse, has long been a withered stump. But the substance has been in it, though it have cast its leaves (Isa. 6:13¹³But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof. (Isaiah 6:13)); and in the latter day brought forth, like Aaron’s rod, as from the presence of God (Num. 17), it will revive, and bud, and be fruitful. “The mercies of David” are “sure” in Jesus risen (Acts 13:34³⁴And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. (Acts 13:34)).

All this we have in this magnificent Psalm of Solomon. And being of such a character, it could very happily have been used by the captives, now drawing near to this house which Solomon had built for the Lord. And so it may be again taken up by the heart and lips of the people in the days of Israel’s revival, when expectation counts on speedy fulfillment

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