Expository - Songs of Degrees

Psalm 132

Longing for Full Communion

On the other hand, this is a Psalm which reveals that God also desires to enjoy full communion with His people. So it is a full and complete Psalm. What we seek is what God wants too: it is God's will. Now, on an individual level, we might well long for fellowship with God: "As the hart pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul after Thee, O God." Here, in Psalm 132, however, it becomes apparent that as we come to that full communion with the Lord, it is a fellowship with God AND with His people. It is not just "Jesus and me". We have been baptised into one body and are members of that body. "If we say we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another..."

Throughout this Psalm we find that God confirms everything by His desire for communion with us. If David says to the Lord that he will never let Him go, the Lord assures David that He will never let him go. There is a glorious unity of purpose as we desire Him with all our heart. Has He not promised? "Delight yourself also in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37 v 4).

Enduring Afflictions

When we have a desired goal in mind, we put ourselves to all sorts of trouble to achieve it. When an athlete trains for a race, at times it is agonising. Or, if you are decorating, there are all sorts of unpleasant tasks to do in preparation, if the job is to be done properly and with pleasing results. However, in your mind your thoughts are focused on the marvellous results and so you endure the unpleasant tasks. Here David endures the afflictions because he wants the Lord, and he pleads with the Lord not to forget them.

David's zeal is commendable. He will not seek his house, his bed, or his sleep until he knows the Lord. He will not rest until the Lord is where He should be in his life. Everything else has got to come last. So the Psalmist maps out for us the pathway to worship and full communion with God. In verse 6 he says, "Lo, we heard of it..." (Notice that he changes from "I" to "we") "...at Ephratah." Bethlehem was in Ephratah. That was where David used to live as a young man. That was where he used to look after the sheep. That was where the Lord began to deal with David, and where He called him when Samuel visited them.

The Prsence of God

Today, we need a people like David who are not satisfied with the dead, outward form, but want the reality of the Lord's presence.

Hearing the Word of God

There were others too that had heard the word, for David said, "We heard of it..." And we can join the number of those that say, "We have heard..." We have heard of all that Jesus said and did in the Scriptures, how he healed the sick, raised the dead and cast out demons; we have heard how he healed the brokenhearted and forgave sins. We have heard that he told the disciples that those who believe in Him would do greater things than these. We have heard how the disciples went out and did those greater works. Now we have that desire awakened in us to see the presence and the power of God in our own time.

The Lord in His Rightful Place

When the Lord was in His rightful place in their lives and everything in the right order, then could the people of God say that they would go into His tabernacles. Then they could go into His presence with joy. Then they could worship at His footstool here on earth together. There can be no constant and full communion with the Lord in isolation; there is no idea here of some secret, mystical experience. The people of God are one together in Him. That's when the people of God experience the blessing of God, when brethren dwell together in unity (Psalm 133).

At this point the Psalm moves from "we" to "Thou". The focus of our worship is the Lord. "Arise, O Lord," cries the Psalmist, "into Thy rest; Thou and the ark of Thy strength." Now this might well be why some people think the Psalm was written by Solomon. In II Chronicles 6 vv 40ff. Solomon prayed this same prayer when the temple had been built: "Now, my God, let, I beseech Thee, Thine eyes be open, and let Thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into Thy resting place, Thou, and the ark of Thy strength: let Thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let Thy saints rejoice in goodness. O Lord God, turn not away the face of Thine anointed: remember the mercies of Thy servant David." I believe that Solomon was praying the prayer that David had written but in the way that God had given reply to David later on in this Psalm. The overwhelming desire here is that God should be pleased, that God should be satisfied. Is that not the desire of our own hearts? Is that not all part and parcel of entering into full communion with the Lord? From the beginning of creation the word "rest" has been important. On the seventh day God rested from His labours. Man spoiled that rest when sin entered. Since that time the work of salvation has been in progress. When Jesus was challenged because He did things on the Sabbath day, He replied, "Hitherto, My Father works and I work." How we long that God should be satisfied in receiving us, the fruit of the work of His precious Son. And so we too desire with David that the Lord should arise and enter into His rest, a dwelling place among the people that have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, a full and sweet communion.

Mercy and Grace

To those under the old covenant, the veil is still upon the face. The Israelites of old could not look at the face of Moses because of the glory that radiated from it. Yet it was a fading glory. We, however, behold the glory of the Lord, for we see Jesus crowned with glory and honour. At the time of the Babylonian captivity, Ezekiel saw something leave Jerusalem. He saw the glory of God departing from the temple and from the city. What a sad day that was! Do you know the glory of the Lord? Do you know the ark of His strength? Do you know His abiding presence? That was what David longed for and so will you if you are moving towards full and constant communion with Him.

Pure, Holy and Joyful Worship

The Lord wants all His saints to shout for joy. When will this happen? When God is in His rightful place and when those who serve and worship Him are clothed in righteousness. Through the gospel this can be so; indeed it is our testimony. Therefore we ought to shout for joy. That is what happened in the beginning when the morning stars sang together; all the sons of God shouted for joy. You do not see a lot of joy these days, let alone shouting for joy. People have this or that trial to share or talk about, going into great detail about the suffering and deprivation being experienced. The woeful look of depression accompanies the oft repeated tale. Yet the Bible exhorts us, "Count it all JOY when you fall into various trials..." Shout for joy; live in the victory!

Have you seen the carry-on these days when a footballer scores a goal. There's jumping and acrobatics, kissing and hugging; a shout goes out to the fans and all because a goal has been scored. Big deal! Think of what Jesus has done - He has won the biggest victory of time and eternity. Look at what He has done for you - rescued you from sin and shame and made you a child of the living God. Is it right to come into His presence with a long face and in sulky silence? Is a benign, middle-class, condescending smile of silent politeness any better? No, let the saints of God shout for joy. Let's hear it!

Abundant Provision

It is truly wonderful to know, when you are following the Lord, the things that you want are exactly the things that God wants. In Philippians Paul puts it like this: "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure." If we desire to do His will, God's desire for that to be so is even stronger than our desire.

David desired with all his heart that the Lord should dwell in Zion, that His presence should be known there. The first thing David did when he became king was to capture Jerusalem and Mount Zion. Having established it as his capital, he arranged for the tabernacle to be erected there and, after initial failure, installed the ark of the covenant there, where, above the mercy seat, the Lord promised His presence would dwell. In fact, the Lord said, "I have chosen Zion; I have desired it." The Lord declared that He would dwell there forever. And when we call out to the Lord for Him to come and dwell in our heart and life, His reply assures us that, in fact, that is His heart's very desire. God's desire is that we should be saved, that we should be built together as a habitation for the Spirit and that we should enjoy full communion with Him.

Further God promises here in this Psalm that He will abundantly bless the provision of Zion. Yes, God has promised that He will supply all our need. He delights to do it. He goes on to make clear that He will satisfy her poor with bread. There will be no hunger, no want for those who are His people. "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." Now in John chapter 6 Jesus spoke about Himself as the "Bread of Life." Whoever eats of this Bread that comes down from heaven will never hunger again. It is satisfying nourishment.

David had asked for the priests to be clothed in righteousness. God replied that He would clothe them with salvation. God wants to do a complete work.. David had asked that the saints might shout with joy. God promises that they will shout ALOUD with joy. God always gives more than we ask. In fact God gives a mighty promise that He would cause the horn of David to bud. Springing forth from David's line would come the one in whom all God's promises are fulfilled - our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.