I Will Find a Dwelling Place – Psalm 132

God’s “temple” had been a tent, the Tabernacle, for many years since the exodus.  But when David became king he desired a permanent place for God’s glory (the ark of the covenant) to dwell.  God told him he would not build it but his son Solomon would.  He nevertheless found the place, Jerusalem, and prepared all the materials for when the time came to build.

A Song of Ascents.

Remember, O LORD, in David’s favor, all the hardships he endured, how he swore to the LORD and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, “I will not enter my house or get into my bed, I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of Jaar.  “Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!”

Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might.  Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your saints shout for joy.  For the sake of your servant David, do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

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.  If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons also forever shall sit on your throne.”

For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place:  “This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.  I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread.  Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy.  There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.  His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine.”  (Psalm 132 ESV)

Yahweh promised David that his family would rule on the throne of Israel forever if they kept covenant with Him.  David, for his part, searched for a place for the ark of the covenant and the temple of Yahweh to be at home and Jerusalem was the place God led him to. 

So Jerusalem will be Yahweh’s resting place forever and He will bless her abundantly.  The evidence of that will be priests who are righteous and saints (believers) who are joyful.  Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of this promise and will one day return to Jerusalem as her king and as the king of kings for all the earth where his crown will shine.  We will rule with him over all the earth before he turns the kingdom over to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:23-38) and the eternal form of the kingdom comes down to a new earth (Revelation 21,22).