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Psalm 134 English Standard Version (ESV)
Come, Bless the Lord
A Song of Ascents.
134 Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the Lord!
3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth!
Reflection
This last pilgrim psalm called on the priests who served God at the temple to praise Him, and it called on God to bless them.
Priests were on duty 24 hours a day at the temple. They served as guards, and they also offered sacrifices and carried out other sacerdotal functions during the daylight hours. The psalmist called on them to praise God even at night. Lifting up the hands in prayer was a common posture that symbolized the petitioners offering praise up to God and receiving blessings from Him. The pilgrim then asked God to bless these special servants of His.
Pray for pastors and leaders of the church that they will “lift up their hands and bless the Lord”. And also be blessed by the great God who made heaven and earth!
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Psalm 133 English Standard Version (ESV)
When Brothers Dwell in Unity
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
133 Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.
Reflection
The psalmist called the Israelites to consider the beauty of the unity of brethren. He said it is essentially good and it is a pleasant condition. This was an appropriate thought for pilgrims to entertain as they anticipated meeting other worshippers in Jerusalem shortly.
If the oil of anointing that saturated Aaron’s beard and priestly robes was so precious and sanctifying (v. 2; Ex 29:7; Lev 21:10), what does that say about harmony running its course through the fellowship of God’s people?
Have you experienced the good, pleasant and sacred “brothers dwell in unity”? How can you help to bring it into existence in your cell group, your church and other places?
Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+132
Psalm 132 English Standard Version (ESV)
The Lord Has Chosen Zion
A Song of Ascents.
132 Remember, O Lord, in David’s favor,
all the hardships he endured,
2 how 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,
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, 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.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and let your saints shout for joy.
10 For 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.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
their sons also forever
shall sit on your throne.”
13 For 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.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation,
and her saints will shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David;
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but on him his crown will shine.”
Reflection
David wanted to build a magnificent temple for God to glorify Him. And he made great personal sacrifices to prepare for its construction, even though the Lord did not permit him to build the building himself. David’s desire to build God a house resulted in God promising to build David a house or dynasty. The psalmist prayed that God would remember and fulfill His promises to David.
The Israelite pilgrims who sang this psalm resolved to meet God on Mt. Zion where the ark – God’s footstool rested (v. 7). They asked God to remember His promises to David, His anointed king, “The Lord swore to David a sure oath” (v11).
Jerusalem, the city of David, was ruled by an unbroken line of his descendants. And one of his descendants would yet be placed on the throne, there to rule “forever”. In addition, God had chosen Zion as the location for his temple. So Israel’s future was secure.
This psalm should encourage God’s people to believe that He will fulfill His promises. Therefore, we too face a future that is totally secure. We can celebrate, for in Christ God’s oath to David was fulfilled, and a new promise of eternal life made to every person who puts his or her trust in the Lord.
Have you received this new promise? Do you believe God will fulfill His promise to you?
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Psalm 131 English Standard Version (ESV)
I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
131 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.
Reflection
David pictured faith as a young child, nestling against its mother, and contrasted this attitude with an arrogance which challenged God’s word.
Pride is essentially a belief that one does not need God but is self-sufficient. He looks down on other people and overestimates his own abilities as well as his own importance. The humble person, however, has a realistic understanding of his or her capabilities and limitations.
The ability to rest and be quiet, rather than struggling for what we want, is a sign of maturity as well as humility.
David called on the nation to follow his example and rest in confidence that the Lord would provide what His people needed. This dependent trust is a need God’s people never outgrow.
This psalm reminds us what it means to have faith as a child. We can trust God because he is who he is. We must trust him because we are who we are.
Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+130
Psalm 130 English Standard Version (ESV)
My Soul Waits for the Lord
A Song of Ascents.
130 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2 O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
Reflection
Donald Grey Barnhouse used to picture a believer, burdened with a sense of guilt, appealing to God for forgiveness. The believer was ashamed, for he knew that he had committed the same sin many times before. “O Lord,” he begged, “Please forgive me again, I know I don’t deserve it, as this is the nineteenth time I’ve committed this sin this month. But please, Lord, forgive me this nineteenth time.” And Dr. Barnhouse would say, the Lord looked up in surprise. “What do you mean, nineteenth?”
The point this great old expositor of God’s Word was making is stated clearly in Psalm 130:3-4. “If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness.”
God keeps no record of our sins! When we confess, He forgives, and then our sins are gone.
What a blessing! Our past no longer is a weight we must carry with us always. Our past is gone, and we can look ahead with renewed hope. Through forgiveness we have been cleansed! Tomorrow will be different, and through Christ we will win victory over sins that in the past meant defeat.
Don’t let a sense of shame keep you from enjoying God’s forgiveness. Confess your sin (sorry), Receive God’s forgiveness (thank), Ask for protection and strength to resist any future temptations (please).
