whose blueprint is it anyway?

December 7, 2009

whose blueprint is it anyway?

Psalm 132

Tiffany Schmidth

Central Truth

Honor God, and He will honor you. The Old Testament covenant was based on performance: "If you do this, you will get . . . ." Thankfully, we live under the New Testament covenant, which is based on faith in Jesus Christ and faith alone. (Galatians 3:24-26)

The Lord made a reliable promise to David;
he will not go back on his word.
He said, "I will place one of your descendants on your throne.
If your sons keep my covenant
and the rules I teach them,
their sons will also sit on your throne forever."
(Psalm 132:11-12)

The LORD Has Chosen Zion

A Song of Ascents.

1 Remember, O LORD, in David's favor,
    all the hardships he endured,
2 how he swore to the LORD
    and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “I will not enter my house
    or get into my bed,
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
    or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the LORD,
    a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool!”

8 Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
    and let your saints shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
    do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

11 The LORD swore to David a sure oath
    from which he will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body^{1

132:11
Hebrew of your fruit of the womb}
    I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
    and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
their sons also forever
    shall sit on your throne.”

13 For the LORD has chosen Zion;
    he has desired it for his dwelling place:
14 “This is my resting place forever;
    here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions;
    I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation,
    and her saints will shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David;
    I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
    but on him his crown will shine.”

Footnotes

[1] 132:11 Hebrew of your fruit of the womb

This passage refers to David and his desire to build a resting place for the ark of the covenant (the symbol of God's presence among His people). Because of David's love for God, the Lord swears an oath to David that He will place David's descendants on his throne. Verse 11 contains an unconditional promise, the promise that Jesus Christ will reign forever on David's throne. (Psalm 132:11; Acts 2:29-36) Verse 12 reflects God's conditional promise that if David's sons keep God's covenant and the rules He teaches them, then their sons would also sit on David's throne forever. Ultimately, this did not happen because of the disobedience of David's sons.

Our plans are not always God's plans. Through David we learn that a life that seeks after God is a life rewarded and remembered. David wanted to please God. He had the desire and the will to build the temple, but God had other plans. So David gathered the materials for the temple. When his son Solomon became king, Solomon built it just as God intended. David knew that God had a greater plan and purpose and that David's descendants, the people of Israel, and the whole world would benefit. He trusted that God knew best.

I have seen this truth played out many times in my life. When I obey God's will in my life, things fall into place as God intends them. But when I follow my own wants and desires, thinking I know what's best for me, it becomes very evident that I have made a wrong decision. Things don't fall in place as I thought they would. I feel a little tapping on my shoulder, a psst in my ear telling me that maybe I was trying to take control. I must realize that God has a bigger plan and purpose for my life. He knows what my blueprint looks like, and I don't need to get out my red pen and mark it up.

1. Do you trust that God has a plan and a purpose for your life?

2. How do you avoid getting in the way of God's plan for your life?

3. How is God using your life to make Himself more famous?