Penetrating the Darkness with the Eyes of Faith: Psalm 132

Penetrating the Darkness with the Eyes of Faith

Psalm 132

When the eyes of flesh can see no evidence of the promise coming true, the eyes of faith penetrate the darkness and see the light of hope on the horizon.

Mark Futato

We serve a God who does not turn back on His promises. Psalm 132 calls on God to remember His promise which he made to David, the promise that, if his sons would follow the Lord, there would always be a son of David on the throne. “The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back” (132:11). “To post-exilic Israel, the temptation would be to think that God would not fulfill His promise to David. The nation, its chief city, its Temple, had all been destroyed and there was no King. Though things looked bleak, the faithful held on to their God. The God whose promises never fail and He would not fail now” (Futato). 

The psalm is filled with language referencing the Temple, which was built to be the dwelling place of God Most High. Interestingly, at the dedication of the Temple, Solomon repeatedly states that when God makes an oath, He fulfills it. 

• “And he said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth’” (‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭15‬).
• “Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised,”‭‭ (1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭20‬).
• “you have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day” (1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭24‬). And finally,
• “Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promises” (1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭56‬).

But what of the failure of David’s sons to keep God’s covenant and His testimonies? Many of David’s descendants were wicked, and the reason Israel and Judah were taken into exile was because of their idolatry and disobedience to the Lord. Yet near the end of Psalm 132, tucked in with the promises of blessing, salvation, and joy, is the promise that God, from Zion, would “make a horn to sprout for David” (132:17). Many years would pass, but God did fulfill this greatest of promises. In Luke, Zacharias prophesies, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,” (Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭68‬-‭69‬). This horn of salvation, Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, descendant of David, would perfectly keep God’s law. He would bring salvation and the promised mercy and deliverance from their enemies. He would enable His people to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness. He would give light to those sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, leading their feet in the way of peace (Luke 1:68-79). So, in Christ, God not only fulfills the promise He made to His people, He also supplies in Christ’s perfect obedience the requirement His people could not fulfill in their weakness and sinfulness.

But many had to wait in faith. Many believed the promises though their eyes did not see how or when God would fulfill His promises. The returned exiles reading Psalm 132 likewise did not see a fulfillment of all God’s promises, yet they held on to the promises and the Promise Keeper. They, through faith and patience, inherited the promises, and we must be imitators of both their faith and their patience (Hebrews 6:12). We also see men like Abraham, “having patiently waited, obtained the promise” (Hebrews 6:15). We see the prophets of old who we count blessed as they are examples of endurance, suffering, and patience (James 5:10). We see the steadfastness of Job and the kind purposes of the Lord, which showed Him to be full of compassion and merciful (James5:11). But these all with faith and patience obtained the promises. We, too, must with faith and patience hold on to our promise keeping God. His promises have never failed.

Patient, persevering, enduring faith. This is the faith that will penetrate the darkness and wait for the Lord. It is this kind of faith that will not give up or let go. It is this faith that sees the outcome of the Lord’s dealings with eyes of faith before we see it with the eyes of flesh, believing that God will show Himself full of compassion and merciful in our times of need. It could be one massive act that brings a resolution to our trouble, or a million small acts of mercy that sustain us through our trouble. But He will be faithful. He will not turn His back on His promises to us. 

Pray through Psalm 132 for faith and patience. 

132:1-10 Remember, O Lord, in David’s favor, all the hardships he endured, how he swore to the Lord and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, “I will not enter my house or get into my bed, I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of Jaar. “Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!” Arise, O Lord, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your saints shout for joy. For the sake of your servant David, do not turn away the face of your anointed one. 

Lord, we pray:

▫️ “Give me the power to wait for hope itself…give me the power, when the very joy that was set before me is gone, to stand unconquered amid the night, and say, ‘To the eye of my Father it is perhaps shining still’” (Matheson). 

▫️The Lord would remember and act on our behalf as we patiently look to Him in faith.

▫️We would rejoice in our present circumstances, even in trouble, because tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance produces character, and character produces hope (Romans 5:4). 

▫️We would remember that we are a temple of the Holy Spirit, whom we have from God and we are not our own. In light of this, we would seek to glorify God in everything by seeking Him with faith and patience, holding to His promises (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

▫️The Lord would arise for our help. We would watch for Him, for He is our strength and fortress (Psalm 59:9-10). 

▫️As we look to the Lord in faith and patience we would find Him to be our refuge in whom we can rejoice and sing for joy (Psalm 5:11). 

▫️The Lord would not turn His face away from our troubles and our longings, and He would sustain us with a steady and tranquil mind as we exercise faith. 

132:11-18 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. If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons also forever shall sit on your throne.” For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place: “This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread. Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy. There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine.”

‭‭Let’s pray:

▫️And thank the Lord that His sure promises never fail and He never turns back on His Word. Not one word has failed of all His good promises (1 Kings 8:56).

▫️The Lord would bring to our remembrance that what He has said, He will accomplish, and what He has spoken, He will fulfill. Is there a promise that it seems God is slow to keep? Let’s ask Him to give us the strength to patiently wait for His perfect timing.

▫️The Lord would abundantly bless us with faith and steadfast endurance. He would bless us in the day to day activities as well as the unexpected events. His blessing would extend even to our adversities. What adversity are you currently facing? Ask God to specifically bless that trouble in your life according to His good will and pleasure.

▫️He would satisfy us in the morning with His unfailing love, that we would sing for joy and be glad all our days (Psalm 90:14).

▫️Thank God that in Christ we have been clothed with salvation and thus we always have reasons to sing for joy. 

▫️The Lord would bring ________ to salvation, even though we may have waited a very long time to see their salvation. 

May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All right reserved.

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