Psalm 132:11:18 - A Throne and Temple in Zion

Psalm 132:11:18

¹¹ The Lord has sworn to David a truth from which He will not turn back: “Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne.
¹² “If your sons will keep My covenant and My testimony which I will teach them, their sons also shall sit upon your throne forever.”

¹³ For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation.
¹⁴ “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
¹⁵ “I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her needy with bread.
¹⁶ “Her priests also I will clothe with salvation, and her godly ones will sing aloud for joy.
¹⁷ “There I will cause the horn of David to spring forth; I have prepared a lamp for Mine anointed.
¹⁸ “His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon himself his crown shall shine.”

Message: A Throne and Temple in Zion

Time: Based upon authorship and subject matter, Psalms cover a range of centuries. David is mentioned 73 times, Solomon 2, Moses 1, and 50 designate no specific person. It is believed they were compiled around 537 BC. The psalms deal with such subjects as God and His creation, war, worship, wisdom, sin and evil, judgment, justice, and the coming of the Messiah.

What the Lord is Saying: I enjoyed the first 10 verses of this chapter, thinking about worship and the sacrifice of David took in his life of building a temple and taking an oath to focus on a place of worship. Now, as a move through these verses, using the Phillips books I have on the Psalms, there are 4 Promises: Regarding the Scepter, the Sanctuary, the Saints, and the Site. 

The Scepter (the Lord will govern righteously and enforce righteous behavior)
The Lord has sworn to David a truth from which He will not turn back. Hezekiah had taken care of the temple, now he mentions the promise or oath the Lord had made to David's dynasty. It was a bold statement, for Hezekiah was making it at a time he was childless. 

Of the fruit of your body (David) I will set upon your throne. If your sons will keep My covenant and My testimony which I will teach them, their sons also shall sit upon your throne forever. Hezekiah's father was not a good man (Ahaz). Ahaz reigned over Judah from 741-726. Ahaz was a man of idolatry. Hezekiah would reign for 29 years over Judah. In 2 Samuel 7:16, God's promise to David and his throne was unconditional, meaning David didn't have to do anything to get it. God made a promise to him without any work required of David, "Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever." (David was the 2nd king of Judah around 1000). After David was Solomon from about 970 to 931 BCE. Solomon's promise was conditional - And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life. - I Kings 3:14. Did Hezekiah wonder about this? David had 2 surviving sons from Bathsheba - Solomon and Nathan. Solomon's descendants included Hezekiah. Hezekiah's sons included Jeconiah (also called Jehoiachin and his name later shortened to Coniah). Jeconiah had 11 sons but none of them took on the throne and thus, the royal line to Christ though Solomon came to an end. Solomon's line is traced to Joseph. But David's other son Nathan, the legal line, is traced to Mary.

Could it be that Hezekiah, knowing what kind of father he had, wondered if the promise of God was still unconditional?

The Sanctuary
For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. Zion is the final resting place of the Ark, in Moriah. This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. God's resting place, as he states is Zion, not in a Muslim mosque. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her needy with bread. The result of this place will be abundant and complete satisfying (possibly pointing to the Messiah). 

The Saints
Her priests also I will clothe with salvation, and her godly ones will sing aloud for joy. Here is a promise to the priests and that they would be made righteous, or have salvation. Before ministering, a man must be right with God and man. Again, these are now words from the Lord. Hezekiah makes this switch in verse in verse 14 and it continues to the end of this Psalm. God will make man righteous. He clothes them with salvation. And the response of man is singing with joy. 

The Site
There I will cause the horn of David to spring forth; I have prepared a lamp for Mine anointed. These verses continue to speak of the product of the temple residing in Zion, God residing in Zion: The Horn of David (The Messiah) will spring forth. A light or a lamp will shine forth for the anointed. I wonder what Hezekiah thought. He may have thought this would come from his seed. But, his seed would actually end this. Manasseh would come from his seed and Manasseh was not good. So these are words of confidence from the Lord, the Lord has prepared a lamp for His anointed.  

His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon himself his crown shall shine. The dreadful things said of the Lord's enemies will be exposed and judged. There will be shame. Yet Jesus, the Lord, will be crowned. 

Promise:  This Psalm chronicles the Davidic covenant, as seen through Hezekiah and what Hezekiah put his hope and trust in. And it what I put my hope and trust in.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for your promises, that they never end. You fulfill them, even if at times, we think they may come about in our own way. Thank you for salvation and making us right before You, making us righteous and clean. Thank you for your promise and how it is interwoven throughout time. Thank you for the anticipation of the Messiah, to take away the sin of the world. There is hope in You.