The God who is faithful to his promises

This is an interesting psalm.  It starts with a prayer to God, and it ends with his answer.  I don’t know of many psalms offhand that are like this.

Psalm 132 is one of the last songs of ascent.

And as the people went up to Jerusalem, they asked that God remember his promises to David long ago.  That God would remember his promises to keep his descendants on the throne if they would but obey his commands.

They also recalled David’s desire to build a house for God, and now as they ascended up the hill to Jerusalem, they expressed their joy in going up to worship.  They sang,

Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool.  (Psalm 132:7)

And they asked of God,

Arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.

May your priests be clothed with righteousness;
may your saints sing for joy.  (8-9)

In other words, “Come and meet us.  May your priests be holy before you, and fill us with your joy.”

That also should be our attitude as we come to worship.

Asking that God would meet us.  Asking God that would make us holy in his sight (remembering that God now calls us his priests here on earth).  And asking that God would fill us with his joy.

After the pilgrim’s prayer, God answers them basically point for point.

He promised to meet with them in Zion, making it his resting place, blessing all who dwell there.

He granted their requests promising to clothe the priests with his salvation and filling the people with joy.

And he promised to send one who would reign on David’s throne, one who would reign over his enemies, with a resplendent crown upon his head.

This of course will ultimately be fulfilled in Jesus when he returns.

The thing I get from all of this is hope.  God never changes, and neither do his promises.  What he has said, he will do.

And so I look forward to the day when Jesus comes back and all that God has promised will come to fruition.