Here I will increase the power of David;
my anointed one will be a light for my people.
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””
Jesus is the Son of David. At least 14 times the New Testament uses the phrase “Son of David” to refer to Jesus. And Matthew tells us that Jesus fulfilled a prophecy of Isaiah of being a light to the people, which is also here in Psalm 132. So Jesus is, according to the New Testament writers, both the son of David and the light for the people (John 1:4-9, 3:19, 9:5, 12:36, Luke 2:32, Acts 26:23, Matthew 17:2). And as I already wrote about in Psalm 122, I suggest we can even see the city of Jerusalem as pointing to Jesus. And it seems obvious to anyone who has read about Jesus, that we see Him as the king of Israel; He was even crucified with that title (Revelation 19:13-16, John 18:36, Isaiah 9:6–7, Ephesians 1:20–21, Daniel 7:13–14, Acts 2:30–32, and more).
I wonder, are you excited about Jesus? He is a glorious King, as God says to David in this Psalm. David’s children and descendants have a poor track record in keeping the covenant with God, until Jesus. He is in line for the throne and He keeps the covenant perfectly, thus securing for Himself the eternal promise. And since He is God and eternally existent for all time, He is King before David was, and through eternity future He remains King.
So what do we learn about Jesus our king from this great Psalm?
In Jesus, we have a suffering King (1 Peter 2:20-25). Like David, our Lord and Saviour the great King suffered, and His followers will too. I have written much about that in previous Psalms so I’ll not belabour the point here (Psalm 22, 39, 88, 102, and more).
In Jesus, we have a present King. David in this Psalm is looking for and inviting God to live among His people, and God responds by choosing to make His home in the Ark, in Jerusalem. I am writing this reflection on Psalm 132 on the 11 of December next to a greeting card on the shelf with a quote from Luke 2:14 on the cover. Around the Christmas season it is customary for people to send greeting cards, and this one joins the Angels of Heaven declaring the greatness of God in sending Jesus the Saviour of the world: “Glory to God in the Highest Heaven,” and this is the message given to Joseph,
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”
In Jesus, we have a glorious King. It is always hard for me not to just quote the Bible to you in these studies. To me the Bible says it better, clearer and with far more authority than my weak attempts to explain things. And if you want to understand the glory of our King Jesus, you would do well to read the book of Revelation. It will put the healthy fear of God into you and will cause you to fall in love all over again with your King Jesus.
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:
“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”
Conclusion: Jesus is a glorious King. Look at the things Jesus does for you that give Him glory: He suffers for your sin, He rules for your good, He rests from the conflict, He lives near you and makes God accessible to you, He clothes you in godliness, making you like Himself, He gives you a song to sing, He fills you with food and makes you prosperous, He is a light and He is victorious over the enemy. So we see the glory of God. He has kept his promise and given us a king that meets all our needs. He is truly the light of the world and a light for His people.
Handwritten Psalm 132
Psalm 132
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
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,[a]
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[b];
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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