6 We heard that the Ark was in Ephrathah;
then we found it in the distant countryside of Jaar.
7 Let us go to the sanctuary of the Lord;
let us worship at the footstool of his throne.
8 Arise, O Lord, and enter your resting place,
along with the Ark, the symbol of your power.
9 May your priests be clothed in godliness;
may your loyal servants sing for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
do not reject the king you have anointed.
11 The Lord swore an oath to David
with a promise he will never take back:
“I will place one of your descendants
on your throne.
12 If your descendants obey the terms of my covenant
and the laws that I teach them,
then your royal line
will continue forever and ever.” NLT
::::: DIGGING DEEPER :::::
Look at verses 6-8. The Ark of the Covenant was a portable chest which contained the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments given to Moses. At times, the Lord chose to be physical manifest in the Ark as a sign of his presence with Israel. As a result, the Ark became the most holy object in the religious system of the Israelites. The Ark was placed in the Tabernacle, a portable tent, which designated the central gathering point for the practice of faith. You can read more about its construction in Exodus 25-40 and more about its dramatic usage in passages like 1 Samuel 3:1-7:2.
Look at verse 6. Before David was king of Israel, at a time when the Israelites were careless about their faith, the Ark had been taken by one of Israel’s enemies. This caused great worry among the Israelites until it was returned willingly by the Philistines (for the Lord had caused a plague to spread among their people). You can read more about this in 1 Samuel 5:1-7:2 and more about David’s desire to build a permanent home for the Ark in 2 Samuel 7.
With this in mind, what are verses 6-9 of Psalm 132 preparing people to do?
Look at verse 9. What happens when priests and servants don’t follow these guidelines?
Why would verses 10-12 be important to the people of Israel as they prepare to gather for worship? What significance do both the Ark and the royal lineage of David’s kingship have on the ability of Israel to worship the Lord?
::::: EQUIPPING CHALLENGE :::::
The Psalms are filled with historical background. Many of the psalms can be better understood with a deeper comnprehension of context from which they spring. Challenge yourself today to read and learn from the Old Testament (books such as Exodus or 1 & 2 Samuel) about the history of Israel and their relationship with the Lord.