Bible Commentaries

Prayer for the House of God and the House of David.

A song of degrees, showing that the mercies of God, so richly promised to David, 2Sa 7:12-29, would find their real fulfilment in the Messiah, the blessings of the Gospel thereby being dispensed to all believers.

v. 1. Lord, remember David and all his afflictions, the troubles, anxieties, and vexations which attended his efforts for the welfare of the Church;

v. 2. how he sware unto the Lord and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob, Cf Gen 49:24 :

v. 3. Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house nor go up into my bed, himself enjoying good fortune and taking his ease;

v. 4. I will not give sleep to mine eyes or slumber to mine eyelids, denying himself all rest,

v. 5. until I find out a place for the Lord, a permanent sanctuary, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob, that is, a place where God might dwell in the midst of Israel. The historical reference is the following: The Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant, 1Sa 4:17, but had been glad to get rid of it again. Since the time of Samuel it had been in the house of Abinadab at Kirjath-jearim, 1Sa 7:1. During the time of Saul it had not been missed, but David felt differently about it. He wanted to provide a permanent resting-place for the ark, a sanctuary for all Israel. He erected a tabernacle on Mount Zion and brought the Ark of the Covenant to this tabernacle, 2 Samuel 6. But when he proposed to build a Temple to Jehovah he was told that this boon would not be granted him, but that his son would be given permission to erect the Temple. The psalmist now continues in the name of the congregation:

v. 6. Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah, that is, at Bethlehem, where David had grown up; we found it in the fields of the wood, at Kirjath-jearim, for there the ark had been stored all these years, until David took it up to the capital.

v. 7. We will go into His tabernacles, to the Sanctuary, or Temple, now completed; we will worship at His footstool, that is, facing the place where the Ark of the Covenant was resting, since on its lid the Lord revealed Himself to His servants, Exo 25:22; Num 7:89. Their summons to worship is now seconded by the cry of Moses, Num 10:35 :

v. 8. Arise, O Lord. into Thy rest, to occupy the finished Temple as His Sanctuary, Thou and the ark of Thy strength, as the central object of His worship.

v. 9. Let Thy priests, who were ordinarily clothed in white linen, to typify the purity which should characterize their office, be clothed with righteousness, that imputed to them by virtue of their faith in the Messiah; and let Thy saints shout for joy, singing hymns of praise to the Lord for the blessings of grace imparted to them through the work of the priests.

v. 10. For Thy servant David's sake, who was the servant of the Lord, to whom the Lord had pledged the Messianic promise, 2Sa 7:12-16, turn not away the face of Thine anointed, by continuing the house and throne of David till the coming of the great Son of David.

v. 11. The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David, in that same great Messianic prophecy; He will not turn from it, since faithfulness and truth are His attributes: Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.

v. 12. If thy children will keep My covenant and My testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne forevermore, the culmination of his dynasty coming in Jesus, the Messiah, David's Son and David's Lord. Cf 2Sa 7:12-16; Psa 89:3-5; Act 2:30. With this Messianic promise is connected the special mercy whereby the Lord had selected Jerusalem as His Sanctuary.

v. 13. For the Lord hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation, for the prosperity of the kingdom was closely connected with that of the Church, the capital and the Sanctuary therefore being in the same city.

v. 14. This is My rest forever, Jerusalem the Lord's permanent Sanctuary, not like Shiloh, which He had rejected; here will I dwell, for I have desired it. From this Sanctuary the Lord dispenses His blessings,

v. 15. I will abundantly bless her provision, by supplying her temporal needs in rich measure; I will satisfy her poor with bread. This may refer also to spiritual blessings, as the next verse does with express words,

v. 16. I will also clothe her priests with salvation, not only imputing it to them, but also making them instruments and bearers of the message of redemption, and her saints, to whom the same message of salvation would be communicated, shall shout aloud for joy, in being assured of their redemption.

v. 17. There will I make the horn of David, symbol of aggressive power, to bud, thus enlarging his power; I have ordained a lamp for Mine anointed, David himself being the light of Israel, 2Sa 21:17.

v. 18. His enemies will I clothe with shame, heap disgrace upon them; but upon himself shall his crown flourish, for the Son of David, the Messiah, will have an eternal kingdom, Luk 1:32-33, This is truly also a New Testament psalm, and faith may now freely take the righteousness; and salvation obtained through the work of the Messiah, Rom 10:10-13, for the King of Grace is ever mindful of His own.