PSALMS LESSON 137
We will begin this lesson by giving the 132nd Psalm in metre.
THE PSALMS OF DAVID IN METRE
Chapter 132
Verse 1. "O LORD, remember David now, His troubles think upon; How
unto God he swore, and vowed To Jacob's mighty One."
Verse 2. "I will not come within my house, Nor rest in bed at all;
Nor shall my eyes take any sleep, Nor eyelids slumber
shall;"
Verse 3. "Till for the Lord a place I find, Where he may make abode;
Until I find a dwelling-place, For Jacob's mighty God."
Verse 4. "Lo, at the place of Ephratah Of it we understood; We also
found it in the fields, And city of the wood."
Verse 5. "We'll to his tabernacles go, And at his footstool bow.
Arise, O Lord, into thy rest, Thy ark of strength bring
thou."
Verse 6. "Let all thy priests be clothed, O Lord, In robes of
righteousness; And let all those that are thy saints shout
loud for joyfulness"
Verse 7. "And for thy servant David's sake, Do not deny thy grace;
Nor of thy own anointed one Turn thou away the face."
Verse 8. "The Lord in truth to David swore, He will not turn from it,
I of thy body's fruit will make Upon thy throne to sit."
Verse 9. "My cov'nant if thy sons will keep, And laws to them made
known, Their children then shall also sit Forever on thy
throne."
Verse 10. "For God of Zion hath made choice; There he desires to
dwell. this is my rest, here will I stay; For I do like it
well."
Verse 11. "Her food I'll greatly bless; her poor With bread will
satisfy. Her priests I'll clothe with health; her [saints
Shall shout forth joyfully."
Verse 12. "And there will I make David's horn To bud forth pleasantly:
For him that mine anointed is A lamp ordained have I."
Verse 13. "As with a garment I will clothe With shame his en'mies all;
But yet the crown that he doth wear Upon him flourish
shall."
We will now begin the verse by verse study of the 132nd Psalm.
Psalms 132:1 "{A Song of degrees.} LORD, remember David, [and] all his
afflictions:"
The LORD did bless David abundantly and frequently. There is no
need for David to continue to ask for blessings on his own personal
self. I believe this is asking the Lord to allow the ark to come to
Jerusalem, and a temple be built for it, so that all of David's
children and grandchildren will be blessed.
Psalms 132:2 "How he sware unto the LORD, [and] vowed unto the
mighty [God] of Jacob;"
We see the seriousness of this request, when we see that David
swore unto the LORD. He loved God and wanted to build Him a house. We
must be very careful what we swear to do. David should have checked
with God first on this. God does not take swearing lightly. In fact,
Jesus said swear not at all. That is the best policy.
Psalms 132:3 "Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my
house, nor go up into my bed;" Psalms 132:4 "I will not give sleep to
mine eyes, [or] slumber to mine eyelids," Psalms 132:5 "Until I find
out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty [God] of
Jacob."
Now, we see what the oath he took was all about. He could not
stand the thought of him having a home and the LORD not having a home.
This is a man devoted to God. David said, I want this so badly, I can
not sleep, until I have it settled where the LORD's house will be
built. The ark had not had a permanent dwelling place since the
wilderness wanderings. David had a beautiful home for himself, and he
resolved that God would have a more beautiful place for the ark to
rest.
Psalms 132:6 "Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the
fields of the wood."
The ark symbolized the presence of Almighty God. How could it be
hid? David had heard that it was at Ephratah, and he wanted to go get
it and make a permanent place for it. To David, this meant the
presence of God in close proximity. It seems David had searched it out
and found it in the field. This reminds me so much of the dark ages.
Christianity was hidden away. Thank goodness, someone sought it out
and brought it into the Light.
Psalms 132:7 "We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at
his footstool."
David wanted a quick restoration of a place to worship near unto
the ark. He is saying, here, I will bow down before the presence of
God, over the ark, and will worship my God.
Psalms 132:8 "Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of
thy strength."
It seems to me that there were times throughout history, when the
presence of God in His church has been at a very low ebb, almost as if
the presence was in hiding. Then a Moses, or a David, or someone of
this magnitude, seeks God out and brings Him to the masses. When the
children of Israel moved the ark in the wilderness, the cloud, or the
fire, would arise and lead to the next destination. This is what the
psalmist is asking here. Arise O LORD and lead the procession.
Psalms 132:9 "Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and
let thy saints shout for joy."
The priesthood had been in terrible decay, because they had no
place to function. It seems they had been fulfilling more of a civil
function than a religious. There would be priests and high priest
sought, who were righteous men, who were of the tribe of Levi. These
men would not be like the rest of the people, but would be holy men
of God, dedicated to the keeping of the temple and God's law. No man
should be chosen for the priesthood, who was not interested in living
holy separated lives. The people who loved God would shout for joy,
because they would have a place and a presence of God that they could
closely relate to. A nation that has lost their God, is in terrible
sad shape.
Psalms 132:10 "For thy servant David's sake turn not away the
face of thine anointed."
David knew that God loved him. He is pleading with God to do this
for him, if he would not do it for all. David even reminds God, that
it was He who anointed David to be king. Some believe this to be
Solomon pleading for David, but I believe this is David.
Psalms 132:11 "The LORD hath sworn [in] truth unto David; he will
not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy
throne."
This is not just speaking of Solomon, who will truly sit upon
David's throne for forty years, but is looking unto Jesus Christ, who
will sit on the everlasting throne. The kingdom of Jesus will never
end. In the kingdom of our Lord Jesus, we will be kings and priests.
Not priests, because we are from the Levitical tribe, but because we
are sons of God. This kingdom is not an earthly kingdom, but a
heavenly kingdom. Notice, in the very first line of the verse above
[sworn in truth}. God swore upon himself, because there was no
greater.
Psalms 132:12 "If thy children will keep my covenant and my
testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon
thy throne for evermore."
The condition of the above verse was more than the physical house
of David would do, and so, they were divided into two kingdoms. What
David's physical lineage could not do in keeping God's law; the seed
of David fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. This kingdom, of the
Lord Jesus Christ, is not only a physical kingdom, but is a spiritual
kingdom, in that He set it up in all believers. The biggest word in
the verse above is, if. You see, the sin of the physical house of
David brought their downfall.
Psalms 132:13 "For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired
[it] for his habitation."
This Scripture, as so many, has a double meaning. God truly chose
mount Zion to be His place of dwelling in the temple Solomon would
build. There is another Zion, the church of Jesus Christ. God has
chosen to dwell in His church. In the tabernacle in Jerusalem, on
mount Zion, the point of contact to God was through the ark of the
covenant. The point of contact to God for the Christian is in the
mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalms 132:14 "This [is] my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for
I have desired it."
This is a statement from God Himself. The Zion, spoken of here,
is the church. II Corinthians 6:16 "And what agreement hath the temple
of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God
hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be
their God, and they shall be my people." One of the most heart-warming
statements in the Bible, if you are a Christian, is the following.
Revelation 21:3 "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying,
Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with
them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with
them, [and be] their God."
Psalms 132:15 "I will abundantly bless her provision: I will
satisfy her poor with bread."
We read, Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you. Psalms 37:25 "I have
been young, and [now] am old; yet have I not seen the righteous
forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." The needs of God's people are
taken care of, not their greed. The provision of those who truly love
God is a bountiful provision.
Psalms 132:16 "I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and
her saints shall shout aloud for joy."
We remember that the priests are symbolic of the believers in
Christ. Jesus is the High Priest, and we are the priests. How many
times have we spoken of the robe of righteousness that Jesus provides
for us being the robe washed in the blood of the Lord? Salvation is
through His shed blood. The joy that we feel is the joy that only the
blessedness of salvation can bring.
Psalms 132:17 "There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have
ordained a lamp for mine anointed."
We have learned in these studies that the horn is symbolic of the
strength or power. The strength of David budded in the Lord Jesus. The
name of David would be lightened in the seed, who was Jesus Christ the
Light. Jesus was not only the seed of David in the flesh, but was
David's God in the Spirit.
Psalms 132:18 "His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon
himself shall his crown flourish."
The true enemy, who is just demonstrated in all of these earthly
enemies, is Satan, himself. Jesus defeated Satan on the cross. The
shame of Satan was made worse, when Jesus went into Satan's place of
dwelling and brought captivity out with Him. He took the keys of hell
and death away from him, as well. The crown and rule of Jesus is an
eternal rule. It will never diminish.
We will continue this lesson by giving the 133rd chapter of
Psalms in metre.
Chapter 133
Verse 1. "Behold, how good a thing it is, And how becoming well,
Together such as brethren are In unity to dwell!"
Verse 2. "Like precious ointment on the head, That down the beard did
flow, Ev'n Aaron's beard, and to the skirts Did of his
garments go."
Verse 3. "As Hermon's dew, the dew that doth On Zion's hills descend;
For there the blessing God commands, Life that shall never
end."
We will continue this lesson with the verse by verse study of the
133rd Psalm. Psalms 133:1 "{A Song of degrees of David.} Behold, how
good and how pleasant [it is] for brethren to dwell together in
unity!"
The word, behold, always means to stop and take notice. Notice,
who it is who are to dwell together. It is brethren. All believers in
Christ are the sons of God. We are brothers of the Lord Jesus Christ .
He is the natural, and only begotten Son of God. We are His adopted
brothers. Even women are spoken of as brothers, just as all men and
women are spoken of as the bride of Christ. With God there is no male
or female. We are children of God in our spirit body, not in our body
of flesh. In the flesh, there is a separation of men and women, for
the purpose of procreating life. In the Spirit, there is no marrying
and taking in marriage. Look at the difference in the flesh body and
the spirit body in 1 Corinthians. Why cannot all believers in Christ
not get along on this earth? It has to do with the frailty of the
flesh. Earthly sisters and brothers do not get along very well. The
flesh gets in the way.
Psalms 133:2 "[It is] like the precious ointment upon the head,
that ran down upon the beard, [even] Aaron's beard: that went down to
the skirts of his garments;"
This oil, is the oil of the Holy Spirit. It was poured in
abundance on the high priest in the temple. The fact that it covered
his entire body, showed a total dedication to the Lord. This very same
oil was used to dedicate the priests, as well. Remember, the priest
symbolize all believers in Christ. It is the Spirit of God that draws
us closer together in the unity of Christ. Ephesians 4:13 "Till we all
come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ:"
Psalms 133:3 "As the dew of Hermon, [and as the dew] that
descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the
blessing, [even] life for evermore."
People do not have anything at all to do with the dew falling.
God sends it wherever He will. The dew that falls from God is symbolic
of the Spirit. Notice, the word mountains is plural in the verse
above. Mountains are symbolic of nations. Zion symbolizes the church.
We see, in this, the fact that God will pour His Spirit out unto the
Christians {who are the church} in all nations. There is no greater
blessing to be bestowed upon man than the blessing of everlasting
life. The believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are blessed with this
greatest of all blessings. Look, with me, at the pouring out of God's
Spirit. Joel 2:28 "And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will
pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall
see visions:" Joel 2:29 "And also upon the servants and upon the
handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit."
We will continue this lesson by giving the 134th Psalm in metre.
Chapter 134
Verse 1. "BEHOLD, O bless the Lord, all ye that his attendants are,
Ev'n you who in God's temple stand, And praise Him nightly
there."
Verse 2. "Your hands within God's holy place, Lift up, and praise his
name. From Zion hill the Lord thee bless, That heav'n and
earth did frame."
Psalms 134:1 "{A Song of degrees.} Behold, bless ye the LORD, all
[ye] servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the
LORD."
The eyes cannot behold the glorious things of the Lord. Stop,
look and take notice. What blessings belong to the LORD who created
all? These servants of the LORD are believers of all ages with
faithful Abraham. It is even more directed to the Christians. Notice,
standing indicates a steadfastness. We are not sitting in laziness,
but standing.
Psalms 134:2 "Lift up your hands [in] the sanctuary, and bless
the LORD."
When you lift up your hands to the Lord, you are recognizing Him
as the object of your worship. It shows our humbleness of heart to the
Deity who is above all. When you do this, open your hands with palms
upward for the LORD to fill your hands. The angels in heaven cry Holy,
Holy, Holy. The saints in the church here can do no less. He is my
God, and I will praise Him. God inhabits the praises of His people.
Psalms 134:3 "The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out
of Zion."
This is like a benediction being poured out on the people from
the church {Zion}. The true source of the blessing is from God. The
minister in charge is acting as God's agent here on the earth, as they
speak this blessing on all people.
Questions 137
1. What blessing is David really asking for in verse 1 of the 132nd
chapter of Psalms?
2. What shows us the seriousness of this request?
3. Jesus said, ______ not at all.
4. What did David say, he would not do, until he found a place for
the habitation of God?
5. The ark had not had a dwelling place since when?
6. Where had he heard of the ark as being?
7. What did the ark symbolize?
8. Where had David found it?
9. What does this remind the author of?
10. What is David saying in verse 7?
11. What happens when the Presence of God diminishes in the church?
12. When the ark moved to a new destination, what led it?
13. What were the priests to be clothed in?
14. The priests for the new temple must be from what tribe?
15. Why would the saints shout?
16. A nation, who has lost their God, is in __________ ______.
17. What two fruit is verse 11 speaking of?
18. Why will the Christians be priests?
19. Who had God sworn by?
20. What the physical lineage of David could not do in keeping Gods
law; the seed of David did in the person of _____ _______.
21. Where has God chosen to dwell?
22. In the tabernacle in Jerusalem, what was their point of contact?
22. What is the point of contact with the Christians?
23. Quote 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 16.
24. What does the author think to be one of the most heartwarming
Scriptures in the Bible.
25. Quote Psalms chapter 37 verse 25.
26. The ______ of God's people are taken care of, not their ______.
27. Verse 16 says, He will clothe her priests with __________.
28. Who are these priests?
29. What is the horn symbolic of?
30. Jesus was not only the seed of David, but was David's ___.
31. Who is the true enemy?
32. How good and pleasant it is for the brethren to ______ together in
________.
33. Where can we read about the spirit body and the flesh body?
34. What is the oil, in verse 2 of chapter 133?
35. Quote Ephesians chapter 4 verse 13.
36. What is the dew of Hermon symbolic of?
37. What do mountains symbolize?
38. There is no greater blessing than what?
39. Quote Joel chapter 2 verse 28.
40. Quote Psalms chapter 134 verse 1.
41. What are we told to do in verse 2 in the sanctuary?
42. How does the author suggest that you do this, and why?
43. What is verse 3 of chapter 134?
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