A Psalm of Memory
Reading for Thursday 3.30–Saturday 4.1
The Old Testament scriptures aid modern-day faith by offering glimpses of how faith and hope work in practice. These mysterious non-tangible expressions of our soul are always rooted in something concrete. As practitioners of faith and hope, this concreteness tethers our spiritual yearnings to the present.
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Psalm 132 (NLT)
A Song of Hope
1 Lord, remember David
and all that he suffered.
2 He made a solemn promise to the Lord.
He vowed to the Mighty One of Israel,
3 “I will not go home;
I will not let myself rest.
4 I will not let my eyes sleep
nor close my eyelids in slumber
5 until I find a place to build a house for the Lord,
a sanctuary for the Mighty One of Israel.”
6 We heard that the Ark was in Ephrathah;
then we found it in the distant countryside of Jaar.
7 Let us go to the sanctuary of the Lord;
let us worship at the footstool of his throne.
8 Arise, O Lord, and enter your resting place,
along with the Ark, the symbol of your power.
9 May your priests be clothed in godliness;
may your loyal servants sing for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
do not reject the king you have anointed.
11 The Lord swore an oath to David
with a promise he will never take back:
“I will place one of your descendants
on your throne.
12 If your descendants obey the terms of my covenant
and the laws that I teach them,
then your royal line
will continue forever and ever.”
13 For the Lord has chosen Jerusalem;
he has desired it for his home.
14 “This is my resting place forever,” he said.
“I will live here, for this is the home I desired.
15 I will bless this city and make it prosperous;
I will satisfy its poor with food.
16 I will clothe its priests with godliness;
its faithful servants will sing for joy.
17 Here I will increase the power of David;
my anointed one will be a light for my people.
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,
but he will be a glorious king.”
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A Psalm of Memory
Psalm 132 may at first seem foreign and unhelpful to the modern reader. The collection of psalms known as the Psalms of Ascent we have journeyed through this season were used by pilgrims making their way towards Jerusalem for worship. The Zionistic tone of these psalms continually centers on Jerusalem, particularly the temple mount, as the focal point of worship (for more see Psalm 122). This Zionistic theology equates flourishing with the presence of God and thus the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Thus, the 132nd psalm celebrates God's resting place among the people of Israel (vv. 6-8).
Yet the psalm was likely written well after David's reign and likely after Israel's conquest and subsequent captivity. The "good old days" of a Jerusalem reigned over by David and endowed with the Ark of God's presence are far removed from the real world of the psalmist. But this is more than merely a reminder of Israel's history (2 Samuel 6). The psalmist clings to these memories as visible, tangible reminders of God's promise and care for His people. This rich theology of memory led to the psalm's liturgical use in these later pilgrimages. For us, it offers a profound picture of both faith and hope amid the seemingly Godless in-between places.
The structure of the psalm is quite poetic and beautiful. There are two major sections. In the first, David expresses fidelity to Yahweh via a vow (vv. 1-10). The second parallels the first as Yahweh expresses fidelity to David via a vow (vv. 11-18).
It was unlikely that the ancient pilgrims of Judea understood that the vow to David and the Zionistic theology of Israel were pointing to Jesus of Nazareth. All the expectations and hopes of the divine presence bringing life embedded in the Zionistic theology were realized in the poor carpenter from Galilea.
We, too, can look back and anchor our hope in the concrete actions of God on our behalf. The entire Lenten season is meant to stir that memory within us. But Psalm 132's boldness calls us also to look forward to the surety of God's deliverance. We too, look forward to the day when the poor are satisfied, the priests (2 Pet 2:9) are clothed in godliness, and we all burst forth in songs of joy.
This type of deep-rooted hope, the kind that speaks so confidently of future things, won't come unless we root it in remembrance. We remember who Jesus is, what He has done, and we allow that reality to fill our hearts with hope.
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Reflect with a friend
How much do you “remember” as a spiritual practice? Are there any modes or methods you use to help you remember?
What does the Godless in between place evoke in you? In what ways do you resonate with this idea? In what ways is it dissonant?
How does this season of remembering and reflecting on the death and resurrection of Jesus bring hope to you? Are there any regular practices you partake in that help with this?
