Reflections on Psalm 132

Psalms 132 (Contemporary English Version)


1. (A song for worship.) Our LORD, don't forget David and how he suffered.
   
2. Mighty God of Jacob, remember how he promised:
   
3. "I won't go home or crawl into bed
   
4. or close my eyelids,
   
5. until I find a home for you, the mighty LORD God of Jacob."
   
6. When we were in Ephrath, we heard that the sacred chest was somewhere near Jaar.
   
7. Then we said, "Let's go to the throne of the LORD and worship at his feet."
   
8. Come to your new home, LORD, you and the sacred chest with all of its power.
   
9. Let victory be like robes for the priests; let your faithful people celebrate and shout.
   
10. David is your chosen one, so don't reject him.
    
11. You made a solemn promise to David, when you said, "I, the LORD, promise that someone in your family will always be king.
    
12. If they keep our agreement and follow my teachings, then someone in your family will rule forever."
    
13. You have gladly chosen Zion as your home, our LORD.
    
14. You said, "This is my home! I will live here forever.
    
15. I will bless Zion with food, and even the poor will eat until they are full.
    
16. Victory will be like robes for the priests, and its faithful people will celebrate and shout.
    
17. I will give mighty power to the kingdom of David. Each one of my chosen kings will shine like a lamp
    
18. and wear a sparkling crown. But I will disgrace their enemies."
    

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There is considerable disagreement among commentaries as to the author and occasion of this Psalm. One viewpoint, that seems most probable to me, is that it was written by Solomon upon the dedication of the newly-constructed temple in Jerusalem. Besides the seeming appropriateness of this psalm to that occasion, the fact that 2 Chronicles chapter 2 has Solomon quoting from this psalm when he spoke at the dedication of the new temple lends further credibility to the psalm being for this occasion. The psalm is in two primary parts. The first part speaks of David's zeal to have a permanent house for the ark, and the second part reaffirms God's covenant with David and states specific promises from God. These promises in the second part of the psalm correspond to specific requests made in the first part.

David vowed not to rest "until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob." However, we recall that God told him he was not the one to build the temple, that his son Solomon would have that task. At the dedication of the temple Solomon relies on God's covenant to his father to ask that God not reject him, Solomon, as God's anointed (verse 10). He goes on to point out God's promises to make Zion (Jerusalem) His home, to abundantly bless the people with food, to clothe the priests with salvation, to make a horn grow for David, to prepare a lamp for His anointed one, and to clothe Israel's enemies with shame. Although not all of this language speaks to us today, we understand it to mean God's blessing on Israel and David's descendants. We also understand that God's promises to David are of a perpetual dynasty that is fulfilled in Christ.

What does all this say to me? It reminds me of my own spiritual heritage. It is a heritage that has persistently, over centuries, pointed to and accomplished God's plan of salvation for mankind. Despite man's unfaithfulness over the ages, God has faithfully worked out His plan. It is a plan that has used people - all kinds of people - to accomplish God's purpose to redeem humanity, and yet none of those He used guided or changed the plan. They merely responded to God's leading in their lives.

When we examine God's plan throughout the ages, it consistently reminds us that the accomplishment of His plan for redemption is not dependent on man's righteousness, but on God's. Man has no righteousness to bring to the table. Only unrighteousness and unfaithfulness. All man can do is to accept, by faith, what God has done on his behalf and then worship God with his life. If I should reject God's salvation feeling that it doesn't make sense and that I cannot in faith accept it, I need to consider what I am, in faith, accepting in its place. There is no neutrality on this subject.