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Psalm 132 | King James Audio Bible
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Psalm 132, of the Songs of Ascents, is significant especially in Christian tradition. For Christians, this psalm not only recounts a devotional history of King David but also serves as a prophetic foretelling of Jesus Christ, seen as fulfilment of the Davidic covenant.
The psalm opens with an invocation of David’s past, ‘Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions.’ This plea is more than historical recollection; for Christians, it symbolizes the lineage from which Jesus, the Messiah, would emerge. David’s vow to find a resting place for the Ark encapsulates a deeper spiritual quest, interpreted in Christianity as a foreshadowing of the coming of Christ. The vow, ‘Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed,’ is seen as an embodiment of sacrifice and dedication, qualities that find their ultimate expression in Jesus’ life and ministry.
In the Christian reading, verse 6’s reference to Ephratah, believed to be Bethlehem, further expresses the psalm’s messianic connection, as Bethlehem is the prophesied birthplace of Jesus. The communal voice, ‘We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool,’ reflects collective anticipation of the Messiah, a central theme in Christian eschatology.
The plea for the Lord to enter His rest, alongside the Ark, in verse 8, ‘Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength,’ is interpreted as symbolic of the Incarnation, where Jesus, regarded as God become human, dwells among people. The call for righteousness in the priests and joy among the saints in verse 9 is seen as a precursor to a Christian understanding of a new covenant, one brought forth by Jesus.
Verse 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,’ takes on a prophetic significance, seen as God’s promise to establish Jesus, a descendant of David, as the eternal king. This promise is foundational to Christian belief in Jesus as the Messiah, fulfilling the Davidic covenant.
Latter verses, from 13 to 18, evoke the Christian understanding of Jesus’ role in God’s plan. The choice of Zion as God’s dwelling place is viewed as a metaphor for Jesus’ mission, establishing a spiritual kingdom that fulfils the divine promise. The blessings upon Zion, including abundant provision and salvation, are interpreted as the spiritual and redemptive blessings brought by Christ.
In Christian theology, the final verses, ‘There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed,’ are often linked to the concept of Jesus as the light of the world, a guiding presence for believers. The flourishing crown upon the anointed king is seen as metaphor for the eternal reign of Christ, victorious over sin and death.
Psalm 132 | King James Audio Bible
Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions:
How he sware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;
Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;
I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids,
Until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.
We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.
Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.
Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.
For thy servant David’s sake turn not away the face of thine anointed.
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.
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.
For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.
This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.
I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.
Psalm 132 | King James Audio Bible
- Divine Remembrance And David’s Devotion: The psalm opens with a plea for God to remember David’s afflictions and his devout commitment, emphasizing the theme of divine remembrance and the depth of David’s dedication to God’s service.
- Sacred Obligation And Worship: David’s vow to find a dwelling for the Ark symbolizes the utmost priority given to sacred obligations and worship, illustrating a profound commitment to establishing a place for divine presence.
- Communal Worship And Pilgrimage: The transition to the communal voice reflects the collective journey and worship of the Israelites, connecting individual devotion with communal faith and pilgrimage.
- Divine Presence And Temple: The plea for God to inhabit the temple intertwines the physical presence of the Ark with the spiritual presence of God, highlighting the importance of a sacred space for divine-human interaction.
- Righteousness And Joy Of The Faithful: The psalmist’s prayer for the righteousness of the priests and the joy of the saints underscores the themes of spiritual leadership and the communal expression of worship and joy.
- Davidic Covenant And Messianic Expectation: The prophetic aspect of the psalm, focusing on the divine promise to David and his lineage, connects historical covenant with future messianic expectations, emphasizing the continuity and significance of David’s dynasty.
- Zion As God’s Chosen Dwelling: The Lord’s choice of Zion as His permanent dwelling place highlights Zion’s central role in the spiritual life of the Israelites, symbolizing God’s enduring presence and covenant.
- Blessings Of Provision And Salvation: The promises of material provision and spiritual salvation for Zion reflect a holistic view of divine blessing, encompassing both physical sustenance and spiritual well-being.
- Triumph Of The Anointed King: The concluding verses of the psalm focus on the future triumph and prosperity of David’s lineage, symbolizing the strength and enduring nature of the kingdom established under God’s anointed king.
Saint Columban’s reflection is structured as a prayer that unites watchfulness, inner purification, and illumination. His imagery of light and the burning lamp develops the biblical theme of readiness for the coming of Christ. The text opens with an allusion to Luke 12:37: ‘Blessed are those servants whom the Lord finds awake when he comes.’ The call to remain watchful is interpreted as a lifelong spiritual vigilance — an alertness to divine presence that stands in contrast to the ‘sleep of slothfulness’ [ … ]
Saint Augustine reflects on the contrast between the hidden riches of Christ and the visible poverty of his humanity. What appears small and limited in Christ’s earthly life conceals the fullness of divine wisdom and knowledge. Augustine draws on the language of scripture to show that Christ’s poverty is not a loss but a means: through it, humanity is brought to a greater inheritance [ … ]
Christian Art | George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | The Sinner George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | The Sinner Lord, how I am all ague, when I seek What I have treasur’d in my memorie! Since, if my soul make even with the week, Each seventh note by right is due to thee. I finde there quarries of pil’d vanities, But shreds of holinesse, that dare not venture To shew their face, since crosse to thy decrees. There the circumference earth is, heav’n the centre. In so much dregs the quintessence is small: The spirit and good extract of my heart Comes to about the many hundredth part. Yet Lord restore thine image, heare my call: And though my hard heart scarce to thee can grone, Remember that thou once didst write in stone. George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | The Sinner The poet reflects on his spiritual state, describing a struggle with weakness, sin, and the desire for divine alignment. The poem opens with the poet addressing God, expressing discomfort, likened to an ‘ague’ (fever or chill), when he searches his memory for spiritual treasures. This ‘ague’ suggests both a physical and spiritual unease, revealing the tension the poet feels in self-examination. The second line conveys a sense of regret as the poet searches for ‘treasur’d’ holiness in his memory. He recognizes that, although he might strive to keep his soul ‘even with the week’, dedicating every seventh day to God, he falls short. This phrase reflects the expectation to honour the Sabbath, but the poet’s efforts are met with disappointment in their perceived spiritual emptiness. The poet goes on to examine his inner self, describing ‘quarries of pil’d vanities’ that dominate his mind. Here, ‘quarries’ implies an overwhelming quantity of earthly or superficial concerns, while ‘vanities’ suggests that these concerns are meaningless in the context of divine expectation. In contrast, he finds only ‘shreds of holinesse’, fragmented attempts at righteousness, which he hesitates to bring forward as these elements are ‘crosse to thy decrees’, or in opposition to God’s laws. This imagery underscores the poet’s internal conflict and recognition of shortcomings. Further, the poet contrasts earth and heaven, saying that ‘the circumference earth is, heav’n the centre.’ This phrase symbolizes the poet’s focus on worldly concerns (the circumference) that orbit around a neglected spiritual core (the heavenly center). The poet reflects that his life is filled with ‘dregs’, the lesser, unrefined aspects of his being, while ‘quintessence’, or the purest part of himself, is scarce. This ‘quintessence’ is described as the ‘spirit and good extract’ of the poet’s heart, amounting to a ‘many hundredth part’ — a small fraction of life’s essence. The poet realizes that, despite attempts to cultivate holiness, his internal state largely lacks spiritual substance. The final lines shift to a plea for restoration. The poet calls on God to ‘restore thine image’, asking for renewal and transformation. This restoration request implies a yearning to reflect God’s nature more fully, as humanity is believed to be made in God’s image. The poet acknowledges that his heart ‘scarce… can grone’ to God, reflecting the difficulty he feels in truly connecting with or petitioning the divine. The poem ends with reference to the biblical account of the Ten Commandments, when God ‘didst write in stone’. This allusion serves as both a reminder of God’s past willingness to communicate directly and a plea for a similar intervention to etch divine law into the poet’s heart. The poem examines themes of introspection, human fallibility, and a longing for divine transformation. The poet’s self-examination reveals struggle to balance earthly concerns with spiritual commitments, culminating in a plea for God’s direct action to restore spiritual integrity.
