The Unchanging God

 

 

 

[Psalm 132]

 

 

One of the important words that appears in the Bible is "covenant." This word is a central theme throughout the entire Scripture. A covenant refers to the relationship between God and His people, where God leads and defines this relationship. The word "covenant" is used about 296 times in the Bible. In the Old Testament, the word "covenant" is pronounced as "berit," which means 'oath,' 'contract,' 'a pledge made by passing between pieces of a divided animal,' 'alliance,' or 'league' (source: Internet).

In today’s passage from Psalm 132, the word "swear" is mentioned twice in verses 2 and 11. The first "swear" refers to the vow that David made to God (verse 2), and the second "swear" refers to the vow God made to David (verse 11). What is interesting is that while the word "faithfully" is not used in connection with David's vow to God, it is used when describing God's vow to David. A clear fact here is that even if we fail to keep faithfully the vows we make with God, our God is faithful, and He will certainly keep the vows He made to us in the covenant. Therefore, we should pray with faith in the God who is faithful to His covenant.

In verse 11 of Psalm 132, Solomon, the psalmist, says: "The Lord swore to David with a faithful oath; He will not turn from it: 'I will set one of your descendants on your throne.'" Solomon held onto the promise that God had made to his father David, which was that his descendants would continue to reign on the throne. He prayed with this promise in mind, relying on the unchanging faithfulness of God. Therefore, Solomon speaks of God’s covenant ("My covenant") (verse 12). What does "covenant" mean here? It refers to the covenant that God made with David, which includes both God’s promises and David’s responsibilities. Solomon prayed holding onto this covenant because in his heart were the house of God and the house of David. In other words, Solomon, knowing the deep longing of his father David for the temple of God and the promise God made to him, prayed to God holding on to those promises.

In Psalm 132:1, Solomon prayed, saying: "O Lord, remember in David's favor all the hardships he endured." Solomon prayed that God would remember David’s sincere desire for God’s house, his longing to build a temple, and that God would honor the promises He made to David (verses 1-5) (Park Yun-seon). In this context, Solomon prayed, holding onto the promise that God made to David, a promise sworn faithfully, and appealed to the unchanging faithfulness of God (verse 11). In short, the psalmist Solomon held on to God's covenant and went up to God's temple to pray to God.

Regarding this covenant, when we look at the text from today’s passage, Psalm 132:2 and 11, we see that both David and God make vows to each other. Look at David's vow to God: "He swore to the Lord and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob" (Psalm 132:2). Solomon prayed to God, asking Him to remember all the concerns that his father David had regarding the temple of God (Psalm 132:1). In particular, Solomon prayed, holding onto the vow that his father David made to God (Psalm 132:2).

David's vow and promise were as follows: "I will not enter my house, or go to my bed, I will not allow my eyes to sleep, or my eyelids to slumber" (Psalm 132:3-4), until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob (Psalm 132:5). In other words, David’s vow and promise were about the construction of the temple of God. David, living in a cedar palace, was distressed that there was no place to house the Ark of God, and so he deeply desired to build a temple for God. Therefore, he vowed that he would not enter his house or sleep peacefully until the temple of God was built. David longed for the presence of God and desperately wanted to build a temple to house Him.

In this context, by finding the Ark of the Covenant, which symbolized God’s presence (Psalm 132:6), David found new strength in his faith and worshiped God (Psalm 132:7-8). He also called out to the priests to be righteous, and with joy, proclaimed to the saints of the Lord (Psalm 132:9) (Commentary by Park Yun-seon).

The psalmist Solomon, based on his father David’s zeal for the Lord’s house (Psalm 69:9), prayed to God, saying, "For the sake of Your servant David, do not reject the face of Your anointed" (Psalm 132:10). This is Solomon’s prayer, asking God not to turn away the face of His anointed for the sake of his father David. This prayer was not based on Solomon’s selfish desires, but rather on the covenant that God had made with David (Commentary by Park Yun-seon).

So, what did God swear to David? In today’s text, Psalm 132:11, it says: "The Lord swore to David with a faithful oath; He will not turn back from it: 'One of your own descendants I will place on your throne.'" The promise God made to David can be summarized in five points:

First, God promised to give David’s descendants an eternal throne.

Please refer to Psalm 132:12:
"If your children keep my covenant and the testimonies I teach them, their children will sit on your throne forever and ever."
This verse is based on the promise found in 2 Samuel 7:12, where God tells David, “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.” Of course, this promise comes with responsibility for David and his descendants: they must keep God’s commandments.

Secondly, God promised to choose Zion and to dwell there forever.

Refer to Psalm 132:13-14:
"For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling, saying, ‘This is my resting place forever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.’"
Here, “Zion” refers to the people chosen by God. In other words, God's promise is to be with His people forever.

Thirdly, God promised to give abundant provisions to His chosen Zion.

Refer to Psalm 132:15:
"I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor I will satisfy with food."
This is a promise from God to provide material blessings in abundance for His people.

Fourthly, God promised that His saints would rejoice because of the salvation He would provide.

Refer to Psalm 132:16:
"I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her faithful people will ever sing for joy."
This is a promise that God will give His people spiritual blessings.

Fifthly, God promised that from David’s line, a "horn" would rise, referring to the Messiah, Christ.

Refer to Psalm 132:17-18:
"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."
Here, God promises to raise up a "horn" for David, which refers to Christ, and the "lamp" refers to the revelation through Christ.

Thus, the psalmist, Solomon, held onto the promise that God made to his father, David, and went up to the temple to pray. He wanted God to answer his prayer for two reasons:

  1. The first reason was that he prayed, relying on the vow his father David made in the midst of his troubles (Psalm 132:2).

  2. The second reason was that he prayed, relying on the promise God made to David (Psalm 132:11).

Our God of covenant is a God who faithfully fulfills the promises He has made to us. Even though we may be unfaithful, our God will surely fulfill what He has sworn to us. And though we may change, our God is unchanging. Therefore, we must pray, relying on this unchanging, faithful God, and ask Him to fulfill His promises to us. We must proclaim the promises He has given us, believing in His unchanging nature.

 

 

 

With a heart of gratitude for the unchanging love of the Lord,

 

 

Pastor James Kim
(Sharing while holding onto the promises of God)