The theme of this royal psalm is God’s covenant with the house of David to establish that dynasty for the good of the people and, eventually, of the world (2 Sam. 7:4–16). Most of Psalm 132 expresses confidence in these promises; the requests are for God to carry out his purpose (vv. 1, 8–9). The psalm does not seem suited to a case in which some threat is pressing on the people of Israel, so the psalm is not really a lament (even though the opening request, “remember,” might lead someone to expect a crisis).744

As a Song of Ascents, this psalm recalls how God appointed the dynasty of David to ensure the stability of the realm, especially of Jerusalem (cf. the Davidic Psalm 122) as the designated place of worship for God’s people. The wording of the psalm reflects the era before the Babylonian exile, in which a king in David’s line reigned in Jerusalem (the psalm specifies no author). After the exile, however, the inclusion of Psalm 132 in the collection cultivates the faith that in due course God will renew the Davidic line (vv. 11–12), ultimately leading to the Messiah. It also enhances the worshipers’ sense of privilege for the liturgy of the temple.

The psalm’s movement shifts from one scene to the next, leaving it to the singing congregation to discern the movement. The first section begins with a prayer, followed by a recounting of David’s commitment to build the sanctuary (vv. 1–5). The second has the people (“we”) recollecting their own determination to go to worship (vv. 6–7). The third returns to prayer (vv. 8–10). Finally, the longest section has the congregation reflect on the Lord’s enduring commitment to David as an expression of his commitment to those who worship in Zion (vv. 11–18).

  I.  Remember David’s Service to the Ark (132:1–5)

  II.  We Are Going There to Worship (132:6–7)

  III.  Continue Blessing the People and Its Leaders (132:8–10)

  IV.  The Lord’s Promise to David and Zion (132:11–18)

The psalm uses several terms for the Jerusalem sanctuary, enabling the singing congregation to value it properly. It is the Lord’s “place” (v. 5) and “dwelling place” (vv. 5, 7, 13), as well as his “resting place” (v. 14);745 these terms stress the way in which the divine glory resides in the sanctuary, and thus the worshiper is going to visit it. It is the Lord’s “resting place” (vv. 8, 14); Israel has “rest” in the Promised Land (Deut. 12:9), and the sanctuary is there to make all the land a place of sacred rest. (When Isaiah says of the “shoot from the stump of Jesse” that “his resting place shall be glorious,” he is combining these two aspects and attributing them to the Messiah; cf. Isa. 11:1–10.) Further, the sanctuary is the Lord’s “footstool” (132:7; cf. 99:5; Isa. 66:1), giving a picture of the sanctuary as a royal residence.

Psalm 132 alternates between prayer and assurance. The role of the Davidic king is to ensure that the ordinances of the sanctuary can be carried out in freedom and peace, and the psalm certainly provides a way for the people to pray that the king would fulfill his calling. At the same time, it keeps the focus on the place of the sanctuary in the life of God’s people: they are to be his holy people, and they need the priests and the liturgy to shape them in their corporate calling. Singing these words would have enabled preexilic worshipers to delight in and not take lightly the privileges they had as a result of both the Davidic kingship and the sanctuary. This orients them toward the task of going to worship; it might require them to take trouble and risk, but the worshipers need to feel that the benefits far outweigh the costs.

After the exile the people had no Davidic king. Although Zerubbabel was descended from David (1 Chron. 3:17–19), he was never allowed to style himself a king in the Persian Empire but was simply a “governor” (Hag. 1:1). At the same time, the Lord reaffirmed his promises to the house of David (Hag. 2:20–23). Under Zerubbabel’s leadership the returned exiles did rebuild the temple and restore the worship rites there; through Zerubbabel they also retained the hope that God would again fulfill his promises and raise up an ultimate heir of David (the Messiah)—this lies behind Zechariah’s Song (Luke 1:69).

Sung in exilic times, when the Psalter was compiled, Psalm 132 nurtures the faith that God would indeed carry out his purposes for Israel and for the world. Christians see the resurrection of Jesus as God’s keeping of the promise, and they too are called to be sacred and worshiping communities who need the orientation of thankfulness toward their privileges as they come to worship.Psalm 132

Psalm 133