Psalm 132 Recall how David swore
This is my favorite Psalm. It gives me hope and enthusiasm for the church.
I was to speak on Lord's Day on 2 Samuel 7:1-17 on David's desire to build a house for the Lord, and God's response. I usually sing a related Psalm at the end of the message. I wanted to sing Psalm 132, but could not get it to be inspiring with the tunes I was trying, so instead I decided to sing Hannah's Song, which sets the theme for all of 1-2 Samuel. Saturday night while I was sleeping, it came to me to use the "Recall how David swore" tune for Psalm 132. That Lord's Day morning was the fall back from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time, so I naturally woke one hour earlier at 5 am. In one hour I put the psalm to that tune and sung it after my message.
v1 - Some of David's afflictions were because he followed the Lord, such as his being persecuted by Saul, some because of his own errors such as when he pretended to join with the Philistines, and some were due to his sins. The Lord remembers all our afflictions for us. (2Sam 4:9).
The Psalmist does not say recall all the good that David did for You, Lord, but recall all David's sufferings.
v2 - Lord, remember David's vow unto You, and fulfill Your side of it.
v3 - lit. if I enter in the tent of my house, if I go up to the couch of my bed.
The word "if" without a "then" clause is an OT way of vowing not to allow such to happen (Heb 3:11).
David vowed that as God did not have a home, a place of rest, neither would David.
v4 - lit. If I give sleep to my eyes, to my eyelids slumber.
v5 - When did David make this vow?
1) Was it after he told Nathan that he wanted to build a house for the Lord (2Sam 7:2-3)?
2) Or was it regarding his choosing Jerusalem for the city where God would set His name (2Sam 5:5-9)?
3) Or was it regarding David's first attempt to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (2Sam 6:2-10)?
4) Or was it concerning David's 2nd attempt, which was successful, to bring the ark to Jerusalem (2Sam 6:11-19)?
I think the next verse tells us that this was #3 above, at David's first attempt to bring up the ark.
But this attempt failed, and was not successful until 3 months later. Did David not sleep for 3 months? I think David did not sleep until he found the ark and a place for it.
"The fields of wood" - wood is the Hebrew word yaar, the same word in the name of the city Kiryath (city of) Jearim (woods), where the ark had been left during the time of Eli's judgeship.
The ark had been staying in the house of Abinadab in Kiryath Jearim for at least 67.5 years (20 years until Eben-ezer [1Sam 7:2], 40 years of Saul's reign [Acts 13:21] and 7.5 years of David's reign in Hebron [2Sam 5:5]. That is not counting the time from Eben-ezer until Saul is anointed King, or the time from when David moved to Jerusalem until when he fetched the ark. It was probably more than 80 years.)
Meanwhile, where was the habitation of God among men? He was wont to shine forth from between the cherubim, but where was the ark? It was like a hidden thing, a stranger in its own land. Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah. Rumors came that it was somewhere in the land of Ephraim, in a temporary lodging; rather an object of dread than of delight. Is it not wonderful that so renowned a symbol of the presence of the Lord should be lingering in neglect—a neglect so great that it was remarkable that we should have heard of its whereabouts at all? ...
David instituted a search for the ark. It had to be hunted for high and low; and at last at Kirjathjearim, the forest city, he came upon it. How often do souls find Christ and his salvation in out of the way places! What matters where we meet with him so long as we do behold him, and find life in him? That is a blessed Eureka which is embedded in our text—"we found it." The matter began with hearing, led on to a search, and concluded in a joyful find. "We found it in the fields of the wood." Alas that there should be no room for the Lord in the palaces of kings, so that he must needs take to the woods. If Christ be in a wood he will yet be found of those who seek for him. He is as near in the rustic home, embowered among the trees, as in the open streets of the city; yea, he will answer prayer offered from the heart of the black forest where the lone traveler seems out of all hope of hearing. The text presents us with an instance of one whose heart was set upon finding the place where God would meet with him; this made him quick of hearing, and so the cheering news soon reached him. The tidings renewed his ardor, and led him to stick at no difficulties in his search; and so it came to pass that, where he could hardly have expected it, he lighted upon the treasure which he so much prized. - C. H. Spurgeon
As Spurgeon says, it is amazing that the ark of the covenant had been lost after about 80 years. And no one cared enough to find it. I think David read the Word daily, so he knew that the ark was the testimony of God and was essential to Israel being the testimony of God. He was so appalled that the ark had been lost, that he made the solemn vow in verses 3-4. Finding the ark was not something under his control, but he committed it to the Lord, and the Lord led him to find it through the word in Bethlehem.
Jesus, the incarnated Word, was born in Bethlehem and the shepherds found Him in a manger of wood. As it was here, the shepherds reaction was to worship God. (Luke 2:20)
v7 - lit. "Let us enter His tabernacles
Upon finding the lost ark, David realizes that the Lord honored David's vow, and David responds with worship as he did at a later similar time in 2Sam. 7:18-21.
v8 - This verse through v10 and also v16 are quoted or paraphrased from the conclusion of Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple (2Chr 6:41-42).
v9 - lit. clothed with righteousness
This situation in the church satisfies God so that He is at rest. Oh to have the heart of David to make this the real situation in our church.
In the New Testament, all believers are to be priests (1Pet 2:5,9) clothed with righteousness. Righteousness protects our breast, which contains our heart and conscience (Eph 6:14) for spiritual warfare.
v10 - God's Anointed One is His Messiah. The Messiah's face is His presence and also His coming. This is a prayer for the Lord's presence in the church and also in the OT time for the Messiah to come and in the NT time for the Messiah's 2nd coming (2Thes 1:9).
v11 - This promise of the Messiah to be from David is repeated at least 14 times in the Old and New Testaments:
1&2. 2Samuel 7 & 1Chron 17 - God made the promise after David wanted to build God a house
3. 1Chron 22:6-12 - David retells it to Solomon
4. 1Chron 28:2-10 - David recounts it to the people at Solomon's coronation
5. 1Kings 5:3-5 - Solomon recounts it to Hiram king of Tyre
6&7. 1Kings 8:15-27 & 2Chron 6:15-17 - Solomon recounts it to the people and prays it to the Lord at the dedication of the temple
7. 2Chron 13:5 - King Abijah rebukes Jeroboam with it
8&9. Isa 55:3 & Acts 13:34 - the new covenant is the sure mercies of David
10. Jer 33:14-17, 20-21 - never failing mercies of David
11. Psalm 132
12. Psalm 89:19-39 - Prays it to the Lord asking Where is the fulfillment?
13. Luke 1:32 The Angel Gabriel's word to Mary that she will give birth to the Messiah
14. Acts 2:30 Peter preaching on Pentecost
13. Amos 9:11-12 - God will raise up the fallen tabernacle of David so that all nations may seek the Lord
14. Acts 15:16-18 - James applies the above to the church bringing in the gentile believers
v12 - We as His church need to keep the Lord's New Covenant and His testimonies, which are His commandments (Exo 23:21; etc). Then the Lord shall rule through us through our prayer and preaching of the gospel (Ps 110:1-3a) .
The Lord will teach us His covenant and testimonies (1Joh 2:27)
v13 - The Lord desires a healthy church life.
v14 - Rest is due to satisfaction.
v15 - The Lord will feed us with His living Word.
v16 - In v 9 it was God's priests" and God's saints. Here it is her (the church's) priests and saints. God's New Testament priests, which should be all Christians, need to live righteously and share the gospel.
v17 - This is my favorite verse in the Psalm. David's horn, which is Christ's ruling and power, is sprouting in the church (Amos 9:11). The Lord walks in the midst of the churches trimming the wicks of their lampstands so that they shine the light of Christ to the dark world, so that all mankind may seek the Lord (Rev. 1:12-13,20).
v18 - lit. but His crown shall blossom upon Him
The Lord has many enemies today who are opposing the gospel, persecuting His people, and calling good evil and evil good. They will be clothed with shame when they could have been clothed with righteousness (v9) and salvation (v16) (Dan 12:2-3).
11/5/2023 copyright Steve Miller voiceInWilderness.info