Corresponding Blessing

Psalm 132, the 3rd last of the Songs of Ascents, celebrates the establishment of God’s dwelling place among His people in fulfillment of His covenant with David. The psalm reveals a wonderful correspondence between the people’s desire for God’s blessings and His intention so to bless them. The people are resolved to worship God at His dwelling place and plead, “Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your saints shout for joy.” Following a rehearsal of God’s promises to David we hear God’s intention to bless His people, “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.” Is that not why we too make our ascent to the heavenly Zion. Beloved, you are the resting place that God has chosen, the “dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” And He desires you; He takes delight in you. Do you doubt that? He sent His only begotten Son to make a way for you to be incorporated into this dwelling place by bearing your sins in His body on the cross. How then “shall He not with Him freely give [you] all things?” He will most assuredly abundantly bless your provision, “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” And this day as you have been called to gather as His royal priesthood, to perform “your reasonable service,” He will yet again clothe you, His priests, with righteousness and salvation. And thus clothed in the very righteousness of Jesus Christ He has determined to satisfy you, His poor, with bread at His Table. And what will be your response to these abundant provisions? You, His saints, will shout aloud for joy! That is where you are headed. But to get there you must humbly seek these blessings by the confession of your sins. For in this way we make our ascent to Zion.