THE RADIANT SON OF DAVID
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Opening Prayer
I come to your Word, Lord, ready to receive what you have for me today. Help me to grasp more of your truth; use it to change me and apply it in ways that show others who you are and that I belong to you.
Read PSALM 132
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
A song of ascents.
1 Lord, remember David
and all his self-denial.
2 He swore an oath to the Lord,
he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 “I will not enter my house
or go to my bed,
4 I will allow no sleep to my eyes
or slumber to my eyelids,
5 till I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 We heard it in Ephrathah,
we came upon it in the fields of Jaar:[a]
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place,
let us worship at his footstool, saying,
8 ‘Arise, Lord, and come to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.
9 May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;
may your faithful people sing for joy.’”
10 For the sake of your servant David,
do not reject your anointed one.
11 The Lord swore an oath to David,
a sure oath he will not revoke:
“One of your own descendants
I will place on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
and the statutes I teach them,
then their sons will sit
on your throne for ever and ever.”
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion,
he has desired it for his dwelling, saying,
14 “This is my resting place for ever and ever;
here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.
15 I will bless her with abundant provisions;
her poor I will satisfy with food.
16 I will clothe her priests with salvation,
and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.
17 “Here I will make a horn[b] grow for David
and set up a lamp for my anointed one.
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,
but his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 132:6 Or heard of it in Ephrathah, / we found it in the fields of Jearim. (See 1 Chron. 13:5,6) (And no quotation marks around verses 7-9)
- Psalm 132:17 Horn here symbolizes strong one, that is, king.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
For what promises of the Lord are you still awaiting fulfillment?
This psalm is a meditation on 2 Samuel 6 and 7; if you have time, read Psalms 24 and 68 as well. Reading this psalm carefully, notice how the quotation marks focus on who is speaking. The same Hebrew phrase ‘to/for David’ in verses 1 and 17 brackets the psalm. Verses 2–9 record David’s oath to the Lord and what happened next; verses 10–16 record the Lord’s irrevocable oath to David and what that would involve. Finally, the pledge of verses 17 and 18 abundantly fulfills the plea of verse 1. Pause to renew your trust and hope that God will fulfill his promises to you beyond your expectations and imaginings.
The Ark of the Covenant, symbol of his might and resting place, had been neglected and almost lost in the fields of Jaar (v. 6),1 but David’s plan, persisted in through disappointments and delays, was to find it a worthy home and worthy worshippers. Verse 10 suggests that David’s successor, Solomon perhaps, was leading the joyful procession to Zion.
God’s promise outstrips David’s dedication. One can count up to ten things that the Lord says he will do to/for David. King, princes, priests, peasants, and saints are all blessed. How wonderful that God’s worshippers are what he desires. There is a ‘horn’ (v. 17; symbolizing a strong one, a king) and a lamp and a splendid crown—bringing to an end David’s ‘self-denial’ (v. 1) forever. The next two psalms, Psalms 133 (the glorious unity of the saints) and 134 (their constant worship) bring this mini collection of pilgrimage psalms, the ‘Songs of Ascent’, to a sumptuous close—but there are greater glories to follow for Christian worshippers as they hail ‘great David’s greater Son.’2
Apply
‘… your kingdom come … for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.’3 Rejoice that there is a King and one day his majesty will be unveiled.
Closing prayer
Almighty God, not one of your promises has failed. Thank you for the assurance that you will be faithful to all of your promises into eternity.
1 See also 1 Chr 13:3 2 ‘Hail to the Lord’s Anointed’, James Montgomery, 1771–1854, 3 Matt 6:10, 13
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