We were remarking last week that on the day of Atonement the High Priest carried the blood of the sin offering into the most holy place to the mercy seat above the ark. But David as a young man knew that this could no longer be because the ark, during the past 75 or 80 years, was no longer connected with the tabernacle. It had never been returned there after being sent back by the Philistines. In the overruling hand of God it could no longer be returned to Shiloh on account of wickedness that was allowed to go on there (Psalm 78:6060So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men; (Psalm 78:60)). So David in his youth was exercised to find out the place where it should be. Just as soon as he was anointed king over all Israel, he brought the ark to Jerusalem, the place of God’s choice (Psa. 76:68). In this psalm we are also told that the Lord had chosen Zion, and would have it for His habitation. But David was not allowed to build the temple; that was to be left for Solomon his son to build.
Hosea prophesied that Israel must abide for many days without a king, without a prince and without a sacrifice, without an image and without an ephod, and without a teraphim (Hos. 3:44For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: (Hosea 3:4)). This is their condition now, and will be until the Lord allows them to have the site of the temple. Jerusalem must be trodden under foot until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (Luke 21:2424And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)).
The Lord Jesus spoke of the coming of the Holy Spirit, who would guide those who had put their faith in Christ into all truth. This truth has been ministered to us in the New Testament by the apostles and prophets. The Lord said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6). So we can see how that truth is inseparably connected with our worship. “Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” John 1:1717For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17).
Psalm 133. This little psalm has often been quoted as though brethren dwelling together in unity was a goal to be reached by man’s efforts. But unity is that which is produced by the Spirit of God, when the Lord has been given His true place, as is brought out in Psalm 132. There is a fragrance that ascends when there is this unity, and the precious ointment by which the high priest was anointed was a beautiful type of this.
Then we have the answer of the Lord to this state, when He pours out His blessings from above, as expressed in “the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion.” There have been marvelous blessings in ministry from the Word of God from those who have sought to honor the Lord in the path of faith here in this world.
Psalm 134. This is the last of this series of psalms designated as Songs of Degrees. Here Israel is viewed as having retraced their steps from being dispersed out of their land on account of their unbelief. They have confessed that they had allowed the word of God to slip out of their lives. They have been passed through the great tribulation and have judged themselves, and owned that they have rejected their Messiah, and that He must have first place. Finally in this psalm they are seen in Zion, standing in the house of the Lord, and He is ready to bless His people from Zion as a center.
ML 06/04/1961