Maturing through Obedience Songs of Ascent: Practices of the Lifelong Journey Series [13] Psalm 132

Psalm 132[ESV] A Song of Ascents. 1 Remember, O LORD, in David’s favor, all the hardships he endured, 2how he swore to the LORD and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 3"I will not enter my house or get into my bed, 4I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, 5until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob." 6Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of Jaar. 7"Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!"

Psalm 132[ESV] A Song of Ascents. 8 Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. 9Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your saints shout for joy. 10For the sake of your servant David, do not turn away the face of your anointed one. 11 The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: "One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne. 12If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons also forever shall sit on your throne.”

Psalm 132[ESV] A Song of Ascents. 13For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place: 14"This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. 15I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy. 17There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. 18His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine."

Mature faith does NOT result from instant spirituality.  “Foxhole” prayers/spiritual highs.  Head knowledge about God/Scripture.  Religious activities/service-projects/church-involvement. Mature faith results from a lifelong obedience to God.  Without obedience, our faith loses the touch of reality.  Without obedience, our faith loses its vitality and adventure.  Without obedience, our faith loses the experiential knowledge of God. True knowledge of God is born out of obedience. John Calvin OBEDIENCE: KEY TO MATURING FAITH

Background of Psalm 132:  It is the longest among the fifteen psalms—most likely written by Solomon.  It is a psalm about David and his relentless obedience to God concerning the ark of the covenant (cf. Stories in 2 Samuel 6 & 7).  It is consisted with two main parts: (1) David’s Desire/Prayer (vs.1-10) – an “accurate memory of God’s way” and (2) God’s Response/Promises (vs.11-18) – “an lively hope in his promises” [Eugene Peterson]. OBEDIENCE: KEY TO MATURING FAITH

WHAT DOES FAITH-MATURING OBEDIENCE LOOK LIKE? 1)Faith-maturing obedience is rooted in a relentless pursuit of God (vs.1-5). 1Remember, O LORD, in David’s favor, all the hardships he endured, 2how he swore to the LORD and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 3"I will not enter my house or get into my bed, 4I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, 5until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob." (vs.1-5)

WHAT DOES FAITH-MATURING OBEDIENCE LOOK LIKE? 1)Faith-maturing obedience is rooted in a relentless pursuit of God (vs.1-5).  David’s concern for Israel was to pursue GOD FIRST as the people of God.  David desired to do two things: (1) Find the ark of the covenant and bring it back to Jerusalem and (2) to build a temple for God.  Our obedience needs to grow out of a relentless pursuit of God—knowing God and the way He works.

WHAT DOES FAITH-MATURING OBEDIENCE LOOK LIKE? 2)Faith-maturing obedience is centered on the presence of God (vs. 6-10). 6Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of Jaar. 7"Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!" 8 Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. 9Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your saints shout for joy. 10For the sake of your servant David, do not turn away the face of your anointed one. (vs.6-10)

WHAT DOES FAITH-MATURING OBEDIENCE LOOK LIKE? 2)Faith-maturing obedience is centered on the presence of God (vs. 6-10).  The ark of the covenant represented the very presence of God to the people of Israel.  It was not only place where God came down and met his people but also showed his great mercy for atoning sins of his people (the mercy seat).  David’s spiritual leadership in this longing for God’s presence became a contagious joy among the people of God.  We now have an access anytime to this very presence of God that the ark symbolized.

14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:14,16

WHAT DOES FAITH-MATURING OBEDIENCE LOOK LIKE? 3)Faith-maturing obedience is directed by the sovereign will of God (vs.11-14). 11 The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: "One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne. 12If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons also forever shall sit on your throne." 13For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place: 14"This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. (vs.11-14)

WHAT DOES FAITH-MATURING OBEDIENCE LOOK LIKE? 3)Faith-maturing obedience is directed by the sovereign will of God (vs.11-14).  In spite of David’s desire to build the temple, God’s sovereign will was not to choose him but his son, Solomon.

8 But this word of the LORD came to me: “'You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. 9 But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. 10 He is the one who will build a house for my Name. 1 Chronicles 22:8-10

WHAT DOES FAITH-MATURING OBEDIENCE LOOK LIKE? 3)Faith-maturing obedience is directed by the sovereign will of God (vs.11-14).  In spite of David’s desire to build the temple, God’s sovereign will was not to choose him but his son, Solomon.  Zion was God’s sovereign choice of dwelling place.  This lesson of God’s sovereignty must direct us in our present and future obedience—God’s way is not like our ways.

WHAT DOES FAITH-MATURING OBEDIENCE LOOK LIKE? 4)Faith-maturing obedience is rewarded with the blessings of God (vs.15-18). 15I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy. 17There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. 18His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine." (vs.15-18)

WHAT DOES FAITH-MATURING OBEDIENCE LOOK LIKE? 4)Faith-maturing obedience is rewarded with the blessings of God (vs.15-18).  God’s blessings were his promise (1) to remember David, (2) to rest in Zion, (3) to restore joy and salvation of his people, (4) to reign forever as the victor (Christ, the son of David)!  We are to boldly act on these promises as obedience with a lively hope.  The outcome of this radical obedience rooted in reality is God’s abundant blessings unfolding in front of our eyes!

The Strength to Stand, the Willingness to Leap [Psalm 132] develops a strong sense of continuity with the past and a surging sense of exploration into the future. It is the kind of thing we sing to stay normal without becoming dull, to walk upright in the middle of the road without getting stuck in a long rut of mediocrity. Its words prod us to reach into the future without losing touch with the daily reality. Its rhythms stimulate us to new adventures in the Spirit without making us lunatics. For Christian living demands that we keep our feet on the ground; it also asks us to make a leap of faith. A Christian who stays put is no better than a statue. A person who leaps about constantly is under suspicion of being not a man but a jumping jack. What we require is obedience—the strength to stand and the willingness to leap, and the sense to know when to do which. Which is exactly what we get when an accurate memory of God’s ways is combined with a lively hope in his promises. - Eugene Peterson

RECAP & PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE 1.Develop A VISION FOR SPIRITUAL MATURITY in your spiritual pilgrimage.  Give up your attempts of shortcuts to mature faith.  Desire for mature faith as one who knows God intimately.  Walk closely with those who have a vision for their own spiritual maturity. 2.Make a commitment to A LIFE OF OBEDIENCE as you follow Christ.  Develop your strength to stand through an accurate memory of God’s ways from the past.  Be willing to leap by faith through a lively hope in God’s promises.  Make a lifelong goal to lead an obedient life!

Praying the Songs of Ascent #13 — Psalm 132 [MSG] A Pilgrim Song 1-5 O God, remember David, remember all his troubles! And remember how he promised God, made a vow to the Strong God of Jacob, "I'm not going home, and I'm not going to bed, I'm not going to sleep, not even take time to rest, Until I find a home for God, a house for the Strong God of Jacob.”

Praying the Songs of Ascent #13 — Psalm 132 [MSG] A Pilgrim Song 6-7 Remember how we got the news in Ephrathah, learned all about it at Jaar Meadows? We shouted, "Let's go to the shrine dedication! Let's worship at God's own footstool!" 8-10 Up, God, enjoy your new place of quiet repose, you and your mighty covenant ark; Get your priests all dressed up in justice; prompt your worshipers to sing this prayer: "Honor your servant David; don't disdain your anointed one."

Praying the Songs of Ascent #13 — Psalm 132 [MSG] A Pilgrim Song God gave David his word, he won't back out on this promise: "One of your sons I will set on your throne; If your sons stay true to my Covenant and learn to live the way I teach them, Their sons will continue the line— always a son to sit on your throne. Yes—I, God, chose Zion, the place I wanted for my shrine; This will always be my home; this is what I want, and I'm here for good. I'll shower blessings on the pilgrims who come here, and give supper to those who arrive hungry; I'll dress my priests in salvation clothes; the holy people will sing their hearts out! Oh, I'll make the place radiant for David! I'll fill it with light for my anointed! I'll dress his enemies in dirty rags, but I'll make his crown sparkle with splendor."

Praying the Songs of Ascent #13 — Psalm 132 [MSG] A Pilgrim Song I'll shower blessings on the pilgrims who come here, and give supper to those who arrive hungry; I'll dress my priests in salvation clothes; the holy people will sing their hearts out! Oh, I'll make the place radiant for David! I'll fill it with light for my anointed! I'll dress his enemies in dirty rags, but I'll make his crown sparkle with splendor."