“Oaths and the Ark”, Psalm 132 Pastor Bob Leroe, Cliftondale Congregational Church, Saugus, Massachusetts
Outline: A. David’s resolve (vss 1-9); B. God’s response (vss 11-18)
Today marks the first Sunday in Advent, an anticipation of the coming of Christ. The wise men were led to the manger by a star, which may have been the Shekinah glory of God, not seen in Israel since the time of Solomon’s Temple. Our psalm celebrates the coming of the Ark to Jerusalem. The Ark represented the presence of God, and Jesus is God in human form: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). We have in Psalm 132 a promise of a coming, eternal Kingdom, which began when the Son of David, our Messiah, was born in Bethlehem.
This is the longest of the Psalms of Ascent. It was sung by pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem, tracing the Ark’s journey. The first half of the psalm (vss 1-9) is David’s oath in which he promised to return the Ark to Jerusalem. The second half (vss 11-18) records God’s corresponding oath, promising David an everlasting dynasty.
David is not the author of this psalm, but it is about him. It was likely written by Solomon for the dedication of the Temple. David’s son describes his father’s resolve and God’s response. Those singing along the road to Jerusalem recalled the course of events leading to the construction of the Temple. David brought the Ark to Jerusalem, but Solomon built the Temple in which it rested, in 955 B.C.
The Temple was the spiritual focal point of pilgrimages to Jerusalem, and the Ark resided in the Holy of Holies, the most sacred area within the Temple. Since this psalm deals with the object of the pilgrimages, it’s appropriately placed near the end of the collection.
Each of these pilgrim psalms highlights character qualities, stages of personal growth. The theme of today’s is obedience. Warren Wiersbe writes, “Sin always robs us; obedience always enriches us.” David determined to obey and honor God; nothing would sway him from his objective, in spite of many “hardships”, vs 1. All sorts of opposition conspired to keep David off the throne, and to dethrone him once he was anointed king. The word ‘hardships” could be translated “anxieties” or “afflictions”. We may be troubled, but nothing should deter us from trusting and serving God. When we think of David’s resolve compared to ours, we may see our determination as half-hearted.
We could compare the Ark to the manger in Bethlehem—both housed the presence and glory of God. The Ark was a wooden box about a yard long and 18 inches high, covered with gold plating. Poles were attached, so it could be transported without being touched. It contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments, a pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod. On the Day of Atonement the High Priest would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice upon the mercy seat, the lid of the Ark, atop which sat two statues of cherubim, angels with outstretched wings, facing each other on both ends.
This sacred object was revered but it could not be controlled by people. God was not “in the box”. It merely represented His presence among His people. It was constructed and kept in the Tabernacle during the wilderness wanderings following the captivity in Egypt. When the Jews reached the Jordan River, the priests walked into the river with the Ark, and the waters parted. The people followed, entering the Promised Land on dry ground. Because of this miraculous event, the Israelites regarded the Ark with superstition. They later took it into battle as a secret weapon, hoping it would bring them good luck. Instead, they were defeated, and the Ark was captured by the enemy Philistines. They later returned it to the Jews after God afflicted them for keeping the Ark as a war trophy. The Ark was kept in a rural town, vs 6, “the fields of Jaar”, otherwise known as the town of Keriath-jearim. It had been all but forgotten. David resided in a palace, while the Ark was neglected. Verses 7-8 recall his urgency to rectify the situation and honor God properly.
It is unclear when the Ark disappeared, although the Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims to have the Ark (it wasn’t found by Indiana Jones). It was entrusted by Solomon to the Queen of Sheba and their son Menelik for safekeeping, according to Ethiopian royal chronicles. The Ark allegedly resides in a sanctuary, the Ark Temple, in Axum (the original capital of the Biblical land of Cush), where priests guard it, and no one is allowed to see it.
Hashim Ahmed, an Ethiopian Christian and journalist, writes: “I do believe the Ark is in Axum. It is not tradition; it is factual. It was moved several times during the Italian invasion. One or two miraculous manifestations are associated with it, but I don’t believe there could be any more miracles with the Ark because we are the temples of God now. The Spirit of God resides in us. We are the Ark of God.” (Christianity Today, 14 June 99). In vs 13 God states that He has chosen Zion (i.e. Jerusalem) as His dwelling. We who trust the Lord are His Zion, His holy city, where He dwells through His Spirit.
When David realized that it was wrong to keep such a sacred object in an obscure place, he vowed to bring it to its rightful place, the city of Jerusalem. He “swore an oath”, vs 1, and would not rest till this was accomplished. David was ecstatic over its arrival, and danced before the Ark in the presence of his people.
The psalm reflects how committed we ought to be to obey God’s will. When we are convinced that God is leading us, calling us, we are compelled to follow. The only part of the Bible we truly believe is the part we obey. We study the past to learn how God operated, and to know that He continues to work through the circumstances of our lives. We see David’s obedience, and we’re encouraged to exert similar determination to obey God. Eugene Peterson writes, “A Christian who has David in his bones, Jeremiah in his bloodstream, Paul in his fingertips and Christ in his heart will know how much and how little value to put on his own momentary feelings and the experiences of the past week.” When we study Scripture we know Who to trust and follow.
God gives more than is asked; His response is larger than David’s prayer. In vs 8 David asks God to come to His people…in vs 12 God declares that He will reside with His people forever. David asks that God’s “priests be clothed in righteousness”, vs 9, and God promises in vs 15 that He will clothe them “with salvation.”
God’s oath includes a promise that He will “make a horn grow for David”, vs 17. This doesn’t mean David will grow a horn like a rhinoceros. Horns were seen as symbols of strength; the horn also refers to David’s son Solomon, and to Jesus, our King of kings. Also promised here is a “lamp”. God will enlighten His anointed servants, and will through the lineage of David provide us the “light of the world”. In addition, the enemies of God’s people will be clothed “with shame”, vs 18. Evil will be defeated, and righteousness will flourish in victory.
The fulfillment of God’s pledge to His people points ultimately to the Messianic age, far beyond mere earthly kingdoms. God’s oath is a prophecy of the eternal throne of the Messiah. At least this is how rabbis understood the psalm prior to the Christian era. Kingdoms rise and fall, but the reign of God is forever.
Many believers are thrilled to have an evangelical Christian President in office. George W. Bush was led to saving faith in Christ by none other than Billy Graham, and has been clear about his commitment to Christ. We’ve been encouraged by his response to the attack on our country, but one thing we must keep in mind: The Kingdom of God does not arrive on Air Force One. It is in God that we trust, not in any other ruler.
The idea of creating an ideal, utopian society is unrealistic. A “perfect society” cannot exist because it consists of us! We’re imperfect, sinful people. Locally, Henry David Thoreau recognized the imperfections of structured society and promoted a independent, simple lifestyle, apart from governmental constraints. Thoreau is a hero to anti-establishment, free-thinkers. He spent some time on his own in a modest cabin by Walden Pond to experience the simple life, to commune with nature, and to gather his thoughts. It only lasted a year. The Kingdom of God is a kind of underground movement, a society running parallel to human governments. This Kingdom is within us, and it consists of all who swear allegiance to Christ. The Kingdom of God will be fully realized when Christ returns.
Psalm 132 closes with a crown (vs 18). There are apt to be some errors in church bulletins. One church had a doozy: Instead of listing the hymn “Our God Reigns”, they put “Our God Resigns.” We can be thankful that our King is on the throne, where He intends to stay. He’s not about to quit or give up on this sin-stained world. He chooses to reside with us and in us as our King of kings and Lord of lords. No wonder we give Him our allegiance.
