Psalm 132:11
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.” (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Psalm 132
Psalms 120 through 132 are called the Psalms of Ascent. Four were written by King David, one by Solomon and the other ten have unknown authors. Jews are required to travel to Jerusalem for the three annual festivals and these psalms are traditionally sung on the uphill road to the city. Psalm 132 is the longest of these psalms and seems to stand out as having a unique theme unlike the others.
Psalm 132 can be divided into two sections:
- Verses 1-10 are a prayer for the Lord to remember David and his desire to build the Temple and place the Ark of the Covenant there.
- Verses 11-18 recall the promise of God to deliver the anointed one (Messiah) as a descendant of David to rule on his throne forever.
David makes a vow to God in verses 3-5 to build the Temple. David was known as the man after God’s own heart and it was his deep desire to build the Temple. However, God refused to allow David to build it because David was the warrior king with blood on his hands. It would be his son Solomon who would build the Temple. However, David made good on his vow to not rest until he found a place for the Lord. He would provide the land, funds and even had the plans drawn up so Solomon could build God’s temple.
God’s response to David is found in verses 11-12. God swore an oath to David that He would preserve his throne through his descendants for ever and ever. God would then declare five promises in verses 14-18.
The first, God “has chosen Zion” to be his “resting place for ever and ever” (vs. 13-14). We will find the fulfillment of this promise in Revelation 21 when God will create a “new heaven and new earth” (Rev 21:1). It will be called the New Jerusalem where God will dwell with his people for all of eternity. There is no temple there “because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Rev 21:22).
The second promise in Psalm 132 is to “bless her with abundant provisions” (vs 15). Jesus said that he is the “bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry” (John 6:35). But this is also fulfilled in Revelation where in the New Jerusalem there is “the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month” (Rev 22:2).
The third promise is that God will “clothe her priests with salvation, and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.” (vs. 16). Jesus fulfilled this promise on the cross and now those who accept the saving grace of Jesus are literally clothed in righteousness. His people will sing for joy because of it:
“Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)” (Rev 19:6-8).
Fourth, “I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one” (vs. 17). The horn is a symbol of power and the lamp is a symbol for light. Jesus came to earth as the creator of all things and the light of the world (John 1:1-9). In his first sermon, Peter preached the fulfillment of this verse:
“Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it” (Acts 2:29-32).
Lastly, God promised to “clothe his enemies with shame, but his head will be adorned with a radiant crown” (vs. 18). Jesus is the “ruler of the kings of earth” (Rev 1:5). His enemies already stand defeated by the cross and they will ultimately be “thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:15).
The takeaway for me is that God ultimately wanted to dwell with his people – with us! He swore an oath to David that no matter what happens and no matter how much we don’t deserve it, God will accomplish his will and live with us for ever and ever. And thanks be to God that He is faithful!
Christ in the Old Testament 
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