The pilgrims singing on their way to Jerusalem would remember King David coming before them over that same road into the city, singing and dancing before the Lord as the ark was brought to a chosen place. They remembered the covenant the Lord had made with David and those of his family who would walk in the ways of the Lord. “Thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever.” They would remember that their Messiah would come and sit on the “throne of David.” They would remember the glory of Solomon’s reign and the building of the temple as a symbolic dwelling place for the Lord among them.
This psalm begins with a prayer and ends with the Lord’s answer. “Lord, remember David” would include many specific events in his life as the greatest king. He had a lot of “afflictions” in his life, yet in them all, he gave God his allegiance and put his trust in the Lord. When the kingdom was secured and there was peace, his heart was deeply stirred to the extent that he could not sleep because there was no permanent place for the Lord to dwell among His people. The ark was in the house of Obed-Edom, so more than the effect of his afflictions was that a private home was not a suitable place for the ark of the covenant.
Physical and emotional experiences motivate us to commit vigorously to the Lord when we realize things we have left undone that should be done. There are encouragements in this psalm for us to pray, knowing the Lord hears and answers prayer. We have experienced the promises of God being fulfilled in the past, which assures us He will do the same now and in the future. To experience the presence of God in our lives gives us joy and confidence that we are in the current of His will.
The joy of the traveling pilgrims as they sang these psalms of ascent was real because they were personally linked together in the common bond of going to the place where the ark was as the symbol of God's presence with them. Such unity is one of the ways we worship the Lord together. The covenant the Lord made had not changed as far as God’s part, nor would it. David’s Greater Son will ultimately fill David’s throne. The Lord will not forsake His people or the place of His choosing – Zion, the place of His name. The ark had been brought to Jerusalem, and then, under Solomon’s leadership, a magnificent temple was built that was suited to the importance of the ark of the covenant. This was why the vow of the psalmist and the petition were so important. It was based on the covenant with God and meeting the terms of that covenant.
The response of the Lord to the prayer was so important that “The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David.” When a person takes their oath in a matter, that is no light matter. The promise that David’s throne would continue forever and that a descendant would take His place on that throne was unconditional. The promised Messiah would fulfill that promise. David’s family line as rulers would continue as long as his descendants were faithful to the Lord. That was a conditional promise that his family did not fulfill.
Zion was the place the Lord chose to place His name in that day, and there will be a coming day of material and spiritual blessings because of that choice. At that time, the enemies of Israel will be put to shame. The assurance of the Lord’s answer was direct and dramatic. The crown of David would remain and flourish in a day to come.
The Lord answered the requests that the pilgrim sang about regarding a resting place for the ark. The sanctity of the priesthood, the joy of the godly, and the blessing on David’s royal line will happen. David's and the Lord's desire for a dwelling place with His earthly people will happen. His people will come together and sing the psalms with joy and gladness when Jerusalem shall again hear the shout of the King.
PSALM 132 “LORD, REMEMBER DAVID”
v.1-10. The Prayer of the Congregation. “Lord, remember David.” v.11-18. The Response of the Lord. “The Lord hath sworn… hath chosen.”