Psalms 132–134 (August 29, 2025)
- Brian Lee
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
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[a]
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.”
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
133 Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity![a]
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.
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!
Summary
Psalm 132 recalls God’s covenant with David and His choice of Zion as His dwelling place:
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.
Psalm 133 celebrates unity among God’s people and locates its blessing in Zion:
“It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore” (133:3).
Psalm 134 concludes the Songs of Ascents with a call to bless the LORD in His house and a benediction that flows from Zion:
3 May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth!
Together, these psalms bring the Songs of Ascents to their climax. God’s covenant presence in Zion, the blessing of unity in Zion, and the outflow of blessing from Zion to His people and to the world.
Who is God?
God is the covenant-keeping King who has chosen Zion as His dwelling place. He is not a distant deity but one who rests among His people. He says, “This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell” (132:14). Zion becomes the earthly symbol of God's faithfulness to David and the covenant people, Israel.
God is also the Creator who blesses His people. Psalm 134 closes with worship that begins in the temple by night but ends with a benediction that reaches the ends of the earth.
“May the LORD bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth!” (134:3).
He is both enthroned in heaven and present in Zion. He is the source of all blessings.
What is our Guilt?
Our guilt is that we neglect Zion. We are not grateful for God’s presence and the fact that God dwells with His people. Just like Israel, we are more eager to focus on our own houses and comforts (132:3–5), while forgetting that God has called us to seek His dwelling place above all else.
We also disrupt the unity God commands from Zion. Instead of treasuring the gift of unity, we often sow division for self-centered reasons. We are frequently bitter and angry. We harbor grudges and elevate self over community. In so doing, we resist the very blessing that God pours out in Zion (133:3).
Finally, we take for granted the call to bless the LORD in His sanctuary. Psalm 134 calls the servants of the Lord to lift their hands in worship, yet we often neglect to do so. Withholding our hearts and voices, we forget that our God is the Maker of heaven and earth, deserving of our gratitude and worship.
How does Grace shine?
Grace shines in Christ, who fulfills the promises of Zion. He is the true Son of David, to whom the LORD swore an everlasting oath (132:11). What is amazing is that in Christ, God’s dwelling place is no longer confined to a temple in Jerusalem.
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
Christ Himself is the true and eternal Zion, God with us.
Grace shines in Christ, who is both the giver of unity and the source of all blessings. Like oil poured on Aaron’s head, the Spirit poured out at Pentecost consecrated a new priesthood of believers, uniting Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free, into one body in Him. The "dew" of Hermon now refreshes all who are gathered to Zion. This is not an earthly mountain, but rather, the heavenly "Jerusalem"-the City of God! And from this true Zion, blessings overflow outward. Psalm 134 ends with the Creator’s blessing from "Zion," fulfilled in Christ. Through Him we receive “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3).
Prayer
Father, You dwell with Your people. You also command blessings for us. And yet, we are so forgetful.
Forgive us for neglecting Your presence, disrupting the unity You give, and withholding the worship You deserve.
Thank You for Christ, the true Son of David, the true Zion, and the fountain of blessing for the nations.
Unite us in Him, refresh us with His Spirit, and teach us to bless You day and night until we join the heavenly Zion in glory. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
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