Psalm
132 reminds me of something every contractor knows, building new is
easier than remodeling a neglected structure. New construction is
clean and straight and level, while rebuilding is full of unhappy
surprises and broken parts. The psalm is about rebuilding the Temple
in Jerusalem, but I see it as an analogy of reclaiming the life of
the backslidden believer. I believe this psalm is written prior the
second Temple construction, after the 70 year captivity in Babylon.
That means there were some that had experienced the extraordinary
temple built by Solomon. Imagine their shock at seeing the rubble
where the most lavish building ever made had once stood. He begins,
“Lord,
remember
David and all the hardships he endured“.
This was going to be hard, but without God’s intervention,
impossible. David “swore
an oath to the Lord… I will allow no sleep… till I find… a
dwelling for the Mighty One“.
Remember that God allowed David to gather the resources for the
temple, but would not allow a man of war to build the place of
worship. The writer quotes Solomon, “Lord…
come to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might“.
The one thing that makes a follower of Christ special is not how he
dresses, or looks, but the presence of the Spirit of God upon his
life. “Do
you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, Who is in
you, Whom you have received from God?”
(1 Corinthians 6:19). Is your temple neglected?
How
is it possible for someone that has experienced the joy of salvation
to turn away from the Lord? Sometimes their life is invaded by
tragedy, and sometimes the distractions of family and work and play
crowd out regular maintenance. The psalmist prays for the beloved of
God, “May
Your
priests
be clothed with righteousness; may Your
saints
sing for joy“. Many
people have said they worship God in the beauty of the trails or
lakes, but Romans 1:25 warns how some have stumbled, “They
exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served
created things rather than the Creator“.
Here is the good news, David failed to consider God many times in
his life, but he did not hesitate
to ask God for forgiveness. I
believe the writer is asking that God would be merciful to you and
me, “For
the sake of David Your servant, do not reject Your anointed one“.
I know this, God has not rejected you.
The
psalm closes with words of great comfort, “The
Lord swore an oath to David… One of your own descendants I will
place on your throne… for ever and ever“.
God’s promises are unbreakable. One of the names used for Jesus
was “Son of David”
because He was the fulfillment of this promise. Jerusalem today does
not look like the “Place of Peace”. The Temple is little more
than a partial foundation, yet the writer says, “The
Lord has chosen Zion, He has desired it for His dwelling… This is
My resting place for ever“.
Perhaps your life does not outwardly resemble the holiness of God
right now. Philippians 1:6 promises, “He
who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the
day of Christ Jesus“.
The psalm continues, “I
will bless her with abundant provisions… clothe her priests with
salvation… her saints will ever sing for joy… a lamp for My
anointed“. Like
Jerusalem, you and I are under construction and God’s promises for
us are eternal. “I
will
clothe
his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head will be
resplendent.”
In the hand of God, “All
things become new” (2
Corinthians 5:17). The bill has been paid; will you allow the work
to resume?