LORD, Remember David and All His Self-Denial (Psalm 132)

Right now, my kids are obsessed with superheroes. They’ve got hero posters in their rooms, hero toys to play with, hero costumes for halloween. I’m pretty sure my 3-year old actually starting to channel the Hulk in his daily life, which is something we’re getting really concerned about.

It’s not just kids who are obsessed with heroes though. I saw this summer alone some $2 billion were spent on movies, half of which went to Disney movies, who, of course, is the whiz of mass-produced, imaginary heroes. That’s crazy.

We as a people are always on the lookout for heroes, people who can save us from our greatest perceived threats. That hero could be a man or a woman who will save you from loneliness or a politician who will save you from your fears or an employer who will save you from going broke.

This summer, we are studying the Songs of Ascent. The Songs of Ascent are a “playlist” of 15 psalms (Psalms 120-134) that ancient Israelites sang during their pilgrimage to worship God at the Temple in Jerusalem, three times a year (Deuteronomy 16:16-17). The journey was difficult and dangerous, and it became a metaphor for life in this broken world, which is difficult and dangerous. The songs of ascent put faithful language in the mouths of pilgrims for every season of life–whether good or bad. We’ve seen trust for times of fear, songs of lament for times of heartbreak, songs of praise for times of joy. Songs about wisdom, repentance, physical family, spiritual family. Today, we’ll see the one that anticipates Jesus.

The goal of the pilgrimage to the Jerusalem Temple was an encounter with the living God–where God’s love and truth breaks into our reality. The Temple (God’s house) was physical space for Israel to worship God and for God to shape Israel (aka spiritual + cultural renewal). At Calvary, our vision is to become an indispensable asset in the spiritual and cultural renewal of the Muskegon area–“a church for the community.”

We want to see people stirred up all across Muskegon to love God like He deserves and love their neighbors like themselves. But in order to be that tool in God’s hand, we need spiritual and cultural renewal ourselves. It begins with us! And what does that renewal look like? The songs of ascent give us language for that journey.

The question is…how is any of this possible? How can a holy God work in and through an unholy people? Where do we get off thinking that, at the end of our journey, when we encounter God, that He’ll want to have anything to do with us?

On our journey together, our encounter with God is totally dependent on someone else’s work.

Do we really think we can get to know God through our own abilities, our own reason, our own willpower? Do we really think God is impressed with our achievements, our goodness, our integrity? Nope. For ancient Israel, their encounter with God depended on King David, one of Israel’s greatest heroes. For Christians today, our encounter with God depends on another Hero named Jesus. That’s what Psalm 132 is about. It’s about how…

David and God’s commitment to one another created physical space for Israel to worship God and for God to shape Israel (aka spiritual + cultural renewal).

The first half of the psalm describes David’s commitment to God to establish the Temple. The second half of the psalm describes God’s commitment to David to establish the Temple.

A song of ascents.

Lord, remember David

and all his self-denial.

He swore an oath to the LORD,

he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:

“I will not enter my house

or go to my bed,

I will allow no sleep to my eyes

or slumber to my eyelids,

till I find a place for the LORD,

a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.” (Psalm 132:1-5 NIV)

Note that Israel calls God to remember, even praising David for his self-denial. Not his dashing good looks. Not his military genius. Not his winsome charisma. This psalm praises its hero for his self-denial! Self-denial is not exactly our favorite character quality. It hurts! If I want to be healthy, I have to deny myself double bacon cheeseburgers. If I want to have healthy relationships, I have to deny myself distractions and obstacles (like phones!) to the people around me. If I want to have sexual intimacy with my spouse (or a future spouse, if single), I must deny myself pornography. If I want to have financial peace, I must deny myself days off work and frivolous spending. Most of us get the payoff of self-denial, but few of us actual think it’s worth it.

David’s self-denial is evident in the fact that He desired to give God a “home” at all costs and with all haste. According to this psalm, David vowed not to go home or even sleep until he gets a house. This whole process took David years, so the vow is a metaphor. But the point remains. David exhausted himself to get God a house so that God would dwell among His people.

How did David deny himself to get God a house?

It’s essential to understand the history behind Psalm 132, which we just happened to read in our church-wide Bible reading plan earlier this month in 1 Chronicles. This is a great reason to personally engage the Bible every day. The Bible refers to other stories in the Bible, and unless you are reading it broadly, you will miss out on gold! Here are three ways David denied himself…

#1 David and his army risked their lives to capture Jerusalem (1 Chr 11:4-9).

When Israel first conquered the Promised Land, Jerusalem was one of the cities left unconquered. So, when David became king, one of the first things he did was to capture Jerusalem. Jerusalem was significant to the Israelites because it was the mountain where God had commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac yet provided a substitute–a ram–to die in Isaac’s place (Gen 22:2; 2 Chr 3:1). David and his army had a hard time taking Jerusalem because it was well-fortified but one of David’s commanders found a secret way in and took the city.

#2 David prioritized bringing the ark to Jerusalem (1 Chr 13; 15-16).

The ark of the covenant was a golden box approx 4½’ x 2½’ x 2½’ that was used to symbolize God’s presence. Many ancients carried their “idols” and “gods” around on a litter or “ark.” God wanted His people to be reassured by His presence but not to worship anything of their making, so God had them build this ark and carry it around without an idol/image. Israel carried the ark with them wherever they went, even into battle. Sadly, it had been abandoned by the previous king Saul and Israel for 20 years (1 Samuel 7:1-2). This dishonored the LORD by removing a key symbol of His leadership from Israel’s midst. It was King David who stepped up and called Israel to search for the ark, which you could call the ORIGINAL Raiders of the Lost Ark. Psalm 132 recalls the search…

We heard it in Ephrathah,

we came upon it in the fields of Jaar:

“Let us go to his dwelling place,

let us worship at his footstool, saying,

‘Arise, LORD, and come to your resting place,

you and the ark of your might.

May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;

may your faithful people sing for joy.’

For the sake of your servant David,

do not reject your anointed one.’” (132:6-10)

The “it” of verse 6 is the ark of the covenant. The search began in Ephrathah (another name for Bethlehem, David’s hometown, about 6 miles south of Jerusalem), and the ark itself was discovered in the fields of Jaar (also Kiriath-jearim), about 12 miles west of Jerusalem. When they found the ark, they carried it to an honored place in Jerusalem. This psalm, then, recounts a pilgrim scene. In the middle of the pilgrim psalms. This is the first-ever pilgrimage to worship the LORD in Jerusalem and is part of the inspiration for these regular pilgrimages to Jerusalem.

#3 David financed the construction of the Temple (1 Chr 21:18-22:19).

David bought the site of the future temple. He took “great pains” (1 Chr 22:14; same Hebrew root word as self-denial in Ps 132:1) to gather tons of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. More than that, he hired contractors and construction workers and artists and commanded all Israel to get behind this project. Eventually, David’s son Solomon would build the Temple, and Israel would have a majestic place to worship God and hear His law.

David and God’s commitment to one another created physical space for Israel to worship God and for God to shape Israel (aka spiritual + cultural renewal).

Verses 1-10 demonstrate David’s commitment to God, but verse 11-18 demonstrate God’s commitment to David to build this space…

The LORD swore an oath to David,

a sure oath he will not revoke:

“One of your own descendants

I will place on your throne.

If your sons keep my covenant

and the statutes I teach them,

then their sons will sit

on your throne for ever and ever.” (132:11-12)

In 1 Chronicles 17, right after bringing the ark to Jerusalem, David asked God if he could build a “house” (that is, temple). God refused and instead promised to build David a “house” (that is, a dynasty). The heart of this promise or covenant is here in verses 11-12. God promised to always put one of David’s descendants on the throne and that that descendant would stay their as long as they obeyed God.

God’s promise to David and David’s descendants was irrevocable…it would never go away…but it was conditional for each generation. This month in our church-wide Bible reading plan, we’ve been reading about these descendants in 1-2 Chronicles: Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah. Some were better than others, but, because they all ultimately disobey God, God takes the throne away. Israel’s heroes were failures. They needed, longed for a better King.

For the LORD has chosen Zion,

he has desired it for his dwelling, saying,

“This is my resting place for ever and ever;

here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.

I will bless her with abundant provisions;

her poor I will satisfy with food.

I will clothe her priests with salvation,

and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.

Here I will make a horn grow for David

and set up a lamp for my anointed one.

I will clothe his enemies with shame,

but his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.” (132:13-18)

The psalm closes by celebrating God’s promise to David and longing for a King who would once and for all establish space for spiritual and cultural renewal. This hero would be the anointed one (English), the messiah (Hebrew), the Christ (Greek), specially chosen by God and specially qualified to finish what God had started in David. Remember how…

David and God’s commitment to one another created physical space for Israel to worship God and for God to shape Israel (aka spiritual + cultural renewal).

David’s line failed until Jesus came, and in the New Testament, Jesus becomes the new David, the new hero!

Jesus and God’s commitment to one another creates SPIRITUAL space for the church to worship God and for God to shape the church (aka spiritual + cultural renewal).

Jesus accomplishes all David did and so much more through His own self-denial!!! How did Jesus deny Himself? He became a human being. He lived and ministered among the poor and vulnerable people of the world. He poured Himself out, even to the point of death on a cross for the glory of God and the forgiveness of sin. Therefore, God raised Him from the dead and exalted Him to be King of kings who rules over His spiritual temple, the Church. The Church is the spiritual space where God comes to earth, and we owe all this to Jesus.

So what?

Trust Jesus.

We rely totally on Jesus. We never forget Him. Neither does God. Jesus is our Hero forever. We have no hope or comfort or joy in life or death without Jesus and all He has done for us in His life, death, and resurrection.

Be happy.

In verses 9 and 16, the psalm describes how the people in the temple “sing for joy.” Having Jesus as our hero, knowing the One full of infinite grace, truth, and hope, gives us an inexhaustible source of joy for even the worst seasons of heartbreak and fear.

Do good.

In verse 9 and 16, the psalm also describes how the priests will be clothed with righteousness and salvation. The people of God who live and serve in the spiritual space Jesus creates have a calling to do what is right for the glory of God and the good of others. We lay our lives down as neighbors, as co-workers, as students, as spouses, as parents, as grandparents, as church members, as citizens, in cross-shaped service to our cross-shaped hero. In Mark 8:34, Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

LORD, remember Jesus and all His self-denial…

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

Big Idea: On our journey together, our encounter with God is totally dependent on someone else’s work. David’s and God’s commitment to one another created physical space for Israel to worship God and for God to shape Israel (aka spiritual + cultural renewal). Jesus’ and God’s commitment to one another creates SPIRITUAL space for the church to worship God and for God to shape the church (aka spiritual + cultural renewal).

Read Psalm 132:1-10. In what ways did David deny himself in order to get God a house (see 1 Chronicles 11, 13, 15-16, 21-22 for the background)? In verses 8-9, what is the hopeful effect of the Temple? In verse 10, what is the heart of the psalmist’s request to God?
Read Psalm 132:11-18. What does God do for David in response to David’s passion to build a house for God?
How does David foreshadow Jesus in this psalm? How does Jesus show His commitment to God and how does God show His commitment to Jesus? What effect does this have on us? What is one practical thing you need to do as a result of this study?

They Have Greatly Oppressed Me from My Youth (Psalm 129)

I had a chance to be at Supper House last month. Supper House is a local missional partner who provides dinner every weeknight to anyone looking for a meal in Muskegon Heights. I ate dinner with a woman named Renae who graciously shared part of her story with me. Renae raised her kids as a single mom in the Muskegon Heights projects. It was really hard, she said. Resources were tight. Temptations lurked around every corner. Her kids were close to dropping out a few times. But they made it. They survived. And she gave God all the credit for getting them through. She took her kids to church every Sunday and built her house on the LORD. Now she owns her own home and both of her adult children are working jobs, making a living for themselves and their families. To this day, her twenty-something son, whenever they are facing a crisis, says to her, “Oh Mama, let’s pray!” How awesome is this. Renae had some painful memories of living in the “hood” but she uses those scars to preach about how “God is good even in the hood.”

Psalm 129 acts as a fight song for victims who don’t want to stay victims. I don’t know that Renae knows Psalm 129, but I couldn’t help but think of her as I’ve meditated on this psalm.

This summer, we are studying the Songs of Ascent. The Songs of Ascent are a “playlist” of 15 psalms (Psalms 120-134) that that ancient Israelites sang during their pilgrimage to worship God at the Temple in Jerusalem, three times a year (Deuteronomy 16:16-17). The journey was difficult and dangerous, and it became a metaphor for life in this broken world, which is difficult and dangerous. The songs of ascent put faithful language in the mouths of pilgrims for every season of life–whether good or bad. There are songs of trust for times of fear, songs of lament for times of heartbreak, songs of praise for times of joy. Songs about wisdom, repentance, physical family, spiritual family, and even one that anticipates Jesus. The goal of the pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem was an encounter with the living God–where God’s love and truth breaks into our reality. At Calvary, Our vision is to become an indispensable asset in the spiritual and cultural renewal of the Muskegon area–“a church for the community.”

Here’s Psalm 129…

A song of ascents.

“They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,”

let Israel say;

“they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,

but they have not gained the victory over me.

Plowmen have plowed my back

and made their furrows long.

But the LORD is righteous;

he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.” (129:1-4 NIV)

One theologian notes, “While most nations look back on what they have achieved, Israel here reflects on what they have survived.” (Derek Kidner) Since Israel’s “youth,” their earliest days as a nation, Israel experienced oppression and persecution. They had been brutally exploited as slaves in Egypt for hundreds of years. Even after God brought them into the Promised Land, they still faced regular invasions and occupations from the surrounding nations. Israel had often been the victim, but this psalm celebrates how they had become survivors.

This is an etching of a Civil War soldier named Gordon. His full name is lost to history. Gordon ran away from slavery in 1863 and joined the Union army.

When he first showed up at a Union camp, he was wearing rags because he had been on the run for quite some time. During his medical examination, Union doctors discovered horrific scarring on his back from a severe flogging he had endured at the hands of one of his overseers.

You may have seen this heart-breaking photograph before. The picture was reprinted in newspapers across the North during the Civil War as evidence of barbaric cruelty toward slaves in South.

I wanted to show you this horrific picture for two reasons. First of all, do you see how the plowman plowed his back and made their furrows long. The deep gashes from his flogging have scarred over, but this is an actual picture of what verse 3 is describing. What happened to this man as an individual happened to Israel as a community. This man and ancient Israel suffered trauma so terrible that very few if any of us could relate to. We should thank God that we have never had to suffer like this! But we should also be heartbroken that so many people have AND resolved to look out for those who experience severe trauma like this!

But the second reason I wanted to show you this is that this man is a survivor. His scars became a testimony in the North against brutality in the South. These scars helped to rally people to the Northern cause and to the abolition of slavery. These scars made a difference. Instead of growing bitter or ashamed, Gordon allowed his scars to change the world.

Israel had scars too, and they weren’t bitter or ashamed either. Rather, they celebrated what God had done. This psalm was about Israel’s refusal to stay the victim. This psalm is about was about how Israel had become a survivor..by the grace of God. Egypt? At the bottom of the Red Sea. The wilderness? Behind them. The Canaanites? Defeated. Invading nations? Repelled. Exile in Babylon? Ended. This psalm reflects on our scars and moves us to worship God!

On our journey together, scars aren’t just reminders of pain; they are monuments to the Savior.

Remember Renae from Supper House, who raised her family in the projects. She had scars, but she let those scars preach. They were an opportunity to tell others about Jesus. Remember also the Apostle Paul’s testimony in 2 Corinthians 4:7-12, who was victimized but not destroyed all so that he can share Christ all the more with others!

What, by God’s grace, have you survived? Oppression and injustice? Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse? Addiction? The consequences of a sinful decision? Sin? Death of a loved one? Are your scars reminding you AND OTHERS of your Savior?

In verse 5, the song turns from a celebration of what God had done to a curse on their enemies…

May all who hate Zion

be turned back in shame.

May they be like grass on the roof,

which withers before it can grow;

a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,

nor one who gathers fill his arms.

May those who pass by not say to them,

“The blessing of the LORD be on you;

we bless you in the name of the LORD.” (129:4-8)

The kind of language here is what theologians call an imprecatory psalm or a “curse” psalm. An imprecatory psalm is a prayer where the psalmist cries out to God to destroy his oppressors. The language here can be quite brutal sometimes. The end of Psalm 137, for example, contains some shocking and harsh language. The language of Psalm 129 is not so bad, but it is still a curse.

The curse is that the enemies of God’s people (aka Zion) would be like withered grass not even worth harvesting. Israelite rooftops consisted of a few wooden beams covered with thatching and mud. Seeds would inevitably find their way to the rooftops and plants would grow. The little grass that would grow would wither and die during the hot and dry season (much like my lawn). A few sprouts of dead grass were nothing worth harvesting, not even a handful to cut with a sickle, let alone enough to bundle up and carry off. The greeting exchanged in verse 8 is the customary end-of-harvest greeting. Boaz offered a similar greeting with harvesters after a fruitful crop (Ruth 2:4). The psalmist is praying that this end-of-harvest blessing be withheld from the enemies of God’s people.

The difficulty with these imprecatory psalms is that Jesus taught us to pray for those who persecute us, to bless those who curse us–not to curse those who curse us. Jesus’ Himself prayed that God would forgive those who crucified Him. This is the heights of enemy-love. But praying imprecatory psalms doesn’t exactly fit with loving your enemies. This psalmist literally says about his enemies, “May no one, not even God, bless them.”

What gives? Why are imprecatory psalms in the Bible? The psalms are the words God’s people are to pray and sing in order to encounter God’s reality. Does God really want you and I to pray these imprecatory psalms? I want you to be ready to encounter these psalms and even to talk to people about them who have questions. I don’t want you to be caught off guard when you’re doing our church-wide Bible reading plan and stumble upon, “God, break the teeth of the wicked!” I don’t want you to be caught off guard when a friend asks you why the Bible contains such violent language. I don’t have all the answers, but here are four considerations…

4 Purposes for Imprecatory Psalms

#1 Imprecatory psalms ease the desire for revenge by trusting God’s justice (Romans 12:19).

Paul says, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath.” The imprecatory psalms call on God to do justice, and throw water on the fire of our desire for revenge. I am asking God to take care of it so that I don’t and won’t have to. This is true of all imprecatory psalms. They are not commitments to get revenge ourselves but lean heavily on God’s character, on His justice toward evil and His mercy on the humble. Praying imprecatory psalms is perhaps one key step toward learning to refrain from vengeance by trusting in God.

#2 Imprecatory psalms acknowledge the horror of evil (Romans 12:15).

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and mourn with those who mourn.” The Scriptures command each of us to feel each other’s pain so deeply that we grieve too! The Scriptures then must also grieve with us! The Bible is not all sunshine and rainbows. Imprecatory psalms and lament psalms are one way God weeps with us as we walk through this broken, gritty, messy, sinful world. This should not only be an encouragement to us but should drive us toward empathy and care for those who are oppressed.

#3 Imprecatory psalms are for true enemies: Satan, sin, death (Ephesians 6:10-12).

Ephesians 6:10-12 emphasizes that our true enemies are not human. They are supernatural, evil powers. Can those powers use human agents? Yes! The evil powers influence people and societies toward idolatry and injustice. Though we are complicit in some way, we are victims too of the lure of these evil powers. Imprecatory psalms are not for the driver who cuts you off in traffic. They’re not for the cashier who says “Happy holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” They’re not even for the person who votes differently from you or comes from another country. These psalms should really be reserved for Satan and his agents, the addictive and destructive power of Sin, and the “last enemy” Death.

#4 Imprecatory psalms expose evil in our own hearts (Romans 3:9-20).

What terrifies me most about about the imprecatory psalms is that, according to Paul in Romans 3:9-20, we are not on the good side of those psalms. When I read the psalms, I tend to picture myself the good person, the righteous person, whose singing the psalm. Not Paul. Paul had a profoundly humbling encounter with Jesus one day, while he was on his way to persecute Jesus’ followers. Jesus rebuked him and called him to turn his life around and follow Him. Paul had to come to grips with the fact that, even though he thought he was right, he wasn’t right. Even though he thought he was a good guy, he was one of the bad guys. So do we.

In Romans 3, Paul quotes a series of Old Testament Scriptures, mainly imprecatory psalms and applies them to you and me and every single human being that’s ever existed. That means that before we start praying imprecatory psalms about our enemies, perhaps we need to stop and consider that someone somewhere could very well be praying imprecatory psalms about us. We have all been complicit in Satan’s schemes, whether we know it or not, and we all deserve the wrath of God that the imprecatory psalms pray for. Wow. This is why we need Jesus die in our place, suffering God’s wrath for our sin, and granting those who believe the gift of rightness with God, which brings us back to our big idea…

On our journey together, scars aren’t just reminders of pain; they are monuments to the Savior.

Our Savior himself has scars to mark how He saved us. He willingly gave himself over to oppression, to flogging and crucifixion. Psalm 129 is about how Israel as a nation unwillingly experienced injustice from others yet ultimately experienced victory from God. But the story of Jesus is a about a man who not only shared in humanity’s suffering but willingly endured it and not only experienced victory from God but shared it with us.

This is why Romans 8:37-39 says, “In all these things we are…” What? Victims? No. Survivors? No, not just survivors. Conquerors? No, not even just conquerors. We are “more-than-conquerors” through Christ who loved us!

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

Big Idea: On our journey together, scars aren’t just reminders of pain; they are monuments to the Savior.

Read Psalm 129:1-4. Based on what you know about Israel’s story in the Bible, what kind of suffering had Israel faced, especially in their “youth” (early years as a nation)? Which aspect of God’s character does Israel credit for their victory? Why would that aspect of God’s character be important to highlight in this psalm?
Read Psalm 129:5-8. What purpose might a “curse” psalm like this serve in the Bible? How should Christians use this?
What kinds of oppression have you experienced (think personally, socially, and spiritually)? How can God deliver you from it through Christ (perhaps He already has)? How can you use those scars as a testimony to tell others about God?