Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy strength.
Blessings on the sanctuary
I. The temple is here called the place of rest, or the abiding place of God.
II. The temple, gorgeous as it was, was incomplete and valueless without the ark. In all ages the ark in the Temple is its life. Still the quick heart within the man, and you will have the stately skeleton soon. Withdraw the magic vapour, and the wheels whirr no longer, and the most exquisite contrivances are mute and motionless machinery. Take the breath from the great organ’s heart, and in vain you bid it discourse its harmonies.
III. Look at the other blessings which are asked for, either obviously or by direct implication in the psalm.
1. The ark of God’s strength in the Temple implies that God’s power is in the Temple, and He waits to exert it in the Word, in the minister’s appeals, in the people’s prayers.
2. The prayer proceeds to ask that the priests may be “clothed with righteousness,” which is, in fact, a petition for universal purity. It is a prayer not only for us who minister, but for you who hearken, that we may, all of us, be robed always, robed already, in the new linen, clean and white, in which the saints were seen in heaven.
3. The third blessing that is asked for is holy joy in God, which has its foundation in oneness with God, both in favour and feeling, and which has its outlet in the appropriate expressions of praise. (W. M. Punshon, LL. D.)
The gracious presence of God in His own ordinances, an object of earnest desire to every acceptable worshipper
I. The glorious Object to whom the people of God present their supplication, in the view of a solemn appearance before God in the ordinances of His worship--Jehovah Himself.
1. He, to whom this great name belongs, is the independent, self-existent God, whose being is in and of Himself; and who gives being to all His words and works.
2. He is the eternal, and, consequently, the unchangeable God.
3. He is the fountain of all blessedness, as well as of all being. Indeed, if He is the one, he must needs be the other. If He is independent, He cannot but be all-sufficient.
4. He is Israel’s own God. In our applications to Him, therefore, on this and on every other occasion, we ought still to view Him as Jehovah, our God: our God by His own gracious grant and promise; our God by virtue of that everlasting covenant, which is sealed to every worthy communicant at the sacramental table. This will encourage us both to be fervent in our supplications for His presence, and confident in our expectations of it.
II. The place into which God is here invited, or where His presence is desired; called, in the text, His rest. The Church of Christ may be called God’s rest on a twofold account.
1. On account of His Divine pleasure and satisfaction in her, much beyond the pleasure that a weary or burdened person has in a place or state of rest.
2. On account of His constant and perpetual residence in her.
III. The invitation which they humbly, yet confidently, address to Him. “Arise.” The manner of expression here used, especially when applied to the Church, intimates the following things.
1. That, in taking possession of His rest, it is necessary that God should make signal displays of His power.
2. That there may be times when God seems, in human reckoning, inactive and negligent about the affairs of His Church.
3. That though Zion is God’s rest, there is, and always will be, much work for Him to accomplish in her.
IV. The manner in which He was desired and expected to accept the invitation. They did not ask Him to be present, unless in a manner adapted to the dispensation under which they lived, and under those symbols by which His presence among them was always exhibited and secured. They only wished Him to be present, along with the ark of His strength. This imports--
1. That the people of God had an earnest desire after the symbol itself, and expected not to enjoy the presence of God, in the same comfortable manner, without it.
2. That they could not be satisfied with the symbol, without the thing signified and represented by it.
3. But the principal thing to be attended to about this ark of God’s strength was its being the most lively type of Christ. This intimates--
(1) That they desired the presence of Christ as Mediator, and the benefit of His mediation, as well as the presence of God Himself. Indeed, these two can never be separated.
(2) That they neither expected the presence of God, nor desired it, otherwise than through Christ. Out of Christ God is a consuming fire.
V. Improvement of the subject. It affords us--
1. Matter of wonder, gratitude, and praise; in that we enjoy the symbols of God’s presence, and have access to worship Him according to His own appointment.
2. Matter of reproof to all who satisfy themselves with outward privileges, and matter of warning to all who enjoy them, against such a fatal mistake.
3. Matter of encouragement to all in this company who have business with God to-day.
4. Matter of consolation to all those who mourn for the low state of the Church in our day, and for the very low state of the work of God in her.
5. Matter of trial to all present; particularly to those who intend to eat the sacramental bread and drink the sacramental cup. (John Young, D. D.)