This Psalm is a prayer and pleading of the covenant, such a prayer as might have been offered by Solomon at the opening of the Temple, or by any of the descendants of David, either in their times of joy or in their seasons of affliction. It divides itself into three parts. In the first seven verses, mention is made of David's zeal for the ark and for the house of the Lord. Then, in three more verses, there follows the prayer at the moving of the ark; and then the last verses mention the covenant which God made with his servant David, which is pleaded by David's descendants in after years. The Psalm begins thus:-
Psalms 132:1. LORD, (or, Jehovah), remember David, and all his afflictions;
We cannot come before God in our own name; so what a mercy it is that we have a good name to plead! You and I do not approach the Lord in the name of any saint or holy man; we plead the name of «great David's greater Son,» and with the utmost emphasis can we say, «Lord, remember Jesus, and all his afflictions, his griefs and sorrows on our behalf.» This was a most proper prayer, however, as it stands, from those who belonged to David's race; they pleaded the name of him with whom God had entered into covenant on the behalf of all his seed: «Lord, remember David, and all his trouble, his trouble which he took about thy house, and about thine ark.»
Psalms 132:2. How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;
Jacob was the great maker of vows; and you will remember also that Jacob, on his dying bed, made mention of «the mighty God of Jacob.» David in this Psalm imitated his forefathers; he made a solemn vow to the Lord that he would build a house for God, even as Jacob did when he said, «If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house.»
Psalms 132:3-19. Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
He used strong words to signify that his house should be no house to him, and that he would not regard his bed as a place of rest until he had discovered where God would dwell. It means that he would give himself wholly up to this project; it should be his life-work to find a suitable place for the worship of the Most High. I wish that this same zeal would take firm hold of all Christians. How many there are who dwell in their ceiled houses while the house of God lies waste! They can provide abundantly for themselves; but for God's cause, for God's gospel, for a place wherein the poor may meet for the preaching of the Word, they do not seem to care. May the Lord give us to feel something of this self-denial and devotion to God that moved the heart of David!
Psalms 132:6-19. Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood, We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.
This is what David did, and you see what trouble he took in the matter; but you know that he was not permitted to build a house for God. Yet he had the same reward as if he had done so, for God built up his house, and established his dynasty for many generations. God often takes the will for the deed with his servants; and when they wish to do a good work, and there is some reason why they may not carry out their plans, the Lord looks upon them, and gives them the same reward as if they had accomplished their design. After all, dear friends, David's wish to build a house for God, although it was very right and proper in itself, yet, in the sight of God, was but a small matter. He took little account of Solomon's Temple, though it was «exceeding magnifical» You remember how Stephen said, just as a sort of passing remark of no great importance, «Solomon built him an house. Howbeit, the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands.» And it is a very curious fact in history that, from the very day in which the great Temple was dedicated, spiritual religion began to decline in the land. God's worship was never more pure than when it was rendered in a tent in a humble way, but, as soon as the great gilded Temple was erected, and priestly pomp began to display itself, it seemed as if men began to depart from the spiritual worship of Jehovah. How often it is that, the more gorgeous the ceremonial, the less hearty and the less spiritual the worship becomes! Our great and glorious God, who fills heaven and earth, takes small account of noble architecture and earthly pomp and splendor, or of the sweetness of tousle, or the fumes of incense. He is far above all that is merely sensual; but he delights to dwell where there are broken hearts that he can bind up, and where genuine believers worship him in spirit and in truth.
Psalms 132:8-10. Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy. For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed.
Turn back for a minute to the eighth verse: «Arise, O Jehovah, into thy rest.» This exclamation was very similar to the language which Moses used whenever the ark set forward: «Rise up, Jehovah, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.» And when it rested, he said, «Return, O Jehovah, unto the many thousands of Israel.» So David did well to use similar words, when the ark was at length brought to its resting-place. He calls it the ark of God's strength, for such it really was. It had done great wonders. It was when the ark was borne by the priests into the midst of Jordan that the river was divided so that the people could pass over dryshod. Even when the ark was taken captive, it brought disaster to the Philistines; and when the men of Bethshemesh irreverently looked into it, great numbers of them were slain. It was truly the ark of God's strength, the great type of the power of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. In the ninth verse we read, «Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness.» That is the best robe that he can wear who serves God; and you know that all of us who believe in Jesus have been made kings and priests unto God.
Righteousness, therefore, should be the garment which we wear from head to foot. «And let thy saints shout for joy.» God's holy ones should be happy ones. No man has so much right to be happy as he that is holy. We serve the happy God, we may well be happy ourselves; and we are not to keep our happiness hidden within our own hearts: «Let thy saints shout for joy.» Let them exult, let them triumph, let them express their delight. The tenth verse is a prayer for the king, and for the whole line of kings; and the psalmist pleads with the Lord to continue to look upon them for the sake of David with whom he had made his covenant. Now the Psalm finishes with the covenant made with David.
Psalms 132:11. The 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.
That was literally fulfilled in a long line of kings, but it is more gloriously fulfilled in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. David the prophet-king is dead; but he, seeing before that God would raise up Christ, laid hold upon this precious promise, «Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.» Our Lord Jesus Christ is the King of the Jews, but he is also King of kings and Lord of lords; and as God has set him on the throne, neither devils nor men can ever pull him from it.
Psalms 132:12. If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.
And so it would have been; the kingdom of Israel would never have been broken up, either by internal rebellion or external attack, if it had not been that the kings flagrantly turned aside from God. He bore with them very long, but they waxed worse and worse, and at last God's covenant had to be kept, through their default, by a deed of vengeance against them. Yet today, in spirit, this covenant stands fast, for the Lord Jesus has kept it on his people's behalf, and now he shall sit upon the throne of David for evermore, blessed be his holy name!
Psalms 132:13. For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.
Here are some of the sweetest words that ever were written; there are fathomless depths of sweetness in them, for here we have the truth concerning the election of the Church of God: «The Lord hath chosen Zion.» Some men cannot endure to hear the doctrine of election I suppose they like to choose their own wives; but they are not willing that Christ should select his bride, the Church. Everybody is to have a free will except God. But let them know that God still exercises a sovereign choice among the sons of men. Jesus said to his disciples, «Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.» Blessed be his name, the truth still stands. «The Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.» We delight to dwell with those whom we love; and God so loves his Church that he desires ever to dwell in it, and he does dwell in it by his Spirit; and a day shall come when the perfected Church, the new Jerusalem, shall come down out of heaven from God, having the glory of the Lord, and the Lamb shall be the light thereof. You know how the last Chapter s of the Book of Revelation describe the glorified Church, and God dwelling in the midst of it. «The Lord hath chosen Zion:» that is the first thing, election. «He hath desired it for his habitation: that is the next thing, the indwelling of the Spirit of God in the Church, and this is one of the greatest marvels of which we have ever heard.
Psalms 132:14. This is my rest for ever:
Is it not wonderful that God, Jehovah, should say of his people, «This is my rest for ever»? Now, if he rests, I am sure that we may. It is very remarkable that, when God was making the world, he never rested till he had fitted it up for his child, and everything was ready for Adam. God never stopped his work till there was everything that Adam could desire; and when it was all complete, then he rested the seventh day. So, when he has done everything for his Church, when his work for her is all completed, then Christ rests, but not till then. He says, by the mouth of Isaiah, «For 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;» but that being once accomplished, he says, «This is my rest for ever.» God does not rest in the work of his hands as a Creator, he rests in the work of Christ as the Redeemer.
Psalms 132:14. Here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
God dwells in his Church, and will dwell in it. He has desired to do so, and his desire will certainly be realized; who can cause him to be disappointed?
Psalms 132:15. I will abundantly bless her provision:
By which I understand that there will be provision, that there will be abundant provision, and that there will be abundant blessing on that provision. God grant that we may always find it so! Let us plead this precious «I will:» «I will abundantly bless her provision?
Psalms 132:15. I will satisfy her poor with bread.
Poor, and yet satisfied; satisfied with bread! Ay, but what kind of bread? The Bread that came down from heaven, the Bread of God, which is Christ Jesus, whose flesh is meat indeed, and whose blood is drink indeed. «I will satisfy her poor with bread.» The Lord does not say anything about her rich. No, but we read in another place, «The rich he hath sent empty away.» I wish ever to remain among the poor of the Lord's flock; not to put my name down among those perfect people who are so rich in grace that they are obliged to tell everybody about it. No, I would be poor in spirit, emptied more and more, lying lowly and humbly at my Lord's feet. I am the more ready to do this because I perceive that the Lord has prepared all his goodness for the poor in spirit: «I will satisfy her poor with bread.»
Psalms 132:16. I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
The prayer in the 8 th verse was, «Arise, O Lord, into thy rest.» In the 14 th verse, we read the answer, «This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell.» Then in the 9 th verse was the petition, «Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness.» Now the Lord gives the response, «I will also clothe her priests with salvation.» Righteousness is only a part of salvation; but oh, what glorious raiment it is when a man once wears the silken dress of salvation! Talk of «cloth of gold» there is nothing among royal array that can be compared to the vestments of the saints. I go in for vestments when they are those of which the Lord says, «I will also clothe her priests with salvation.» They shall be covered over with it, from head to foot, so that there shall be nothing of his people to be seen but his own salvation. Notice the prayer in the 9 th verse, «Let thy saints shout for joy.» And the answer is here, «Her saints shall shout aloud for joy.» God always gives more than we ask. Silver prayers get golden answers. «Open thy mouth wide,» says he, «and I will fill it.» Ay, and then open it again, and he will fill it yet again, for he «is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.»
Psalms 132:17. There will I make the horn of David to bud:
As a stag's horn grows, putting out fresh buds and branches, so shall the power of David be increased and enlarged. We see that promise fulfilled spiritually in the growing Kingdom of Christ.
Psalms 132:17. I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
His name shall never go out like an extinguished lamp. If it be blown out once, as it were, in the death of Solomon or any other, king, yet from that lamp shall another be lighted. The Lord says, I have ordained a lamp,» and Christ will always be a source of brightness in the world; he will ever be «a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel.» As the holy lamp in the sanctuary was never to go out, so has God ordained that Christ shall ever shine to the joy and delight of his people.
Psalms 132:18. His enemies will I clothe with shame:
In this Psalm two sets of clothing are mentioned; and you can have which you like. Here is one, «I will clothe her priests with salvation;» and there is the other, «His enemies will I clothe with shame? Shame is a terrible thing, many a man has thrown away his life to try to escape from the shame of a guilty conscience; but the ungodly will be for ever clothed with shame, and they will be eternally condemned. «His enemies,» that is the description of the ungodly. It is of small account what your outward character appears to be; if you are an enemy of Christ, these are the garments in which you will die, and these are the garments in which you will continue to suffer for ever: «His enemies will I clothe with shame.»
Psalms 132:18. But upon himself shall his crown flourish.
Upon Christ the laurel wreath, or rather, the crown of glory, shall never wither. «He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.»