We made the point in yesterday's study that many Old Testament prophetic passages were understood to be about the Messiah until the claims of Christians that they had been fulfilled by Jesus caused the rabbis to view them differently. This greater future fulfillment involves three things. Yesterday, we looked at the first item, which is the establishment of God's throne in Jerusalem. Today we look at the other two.
Having appealed to God on the basis of God's covenant with David, it is natural that the next verses of the psalm rehearse the terms of that covenant in abbreviated form. This restatement marks the psalm's second half and is a conscious parallel to David's oath, which began part one. It is why verse 11 uses the word “oath” instead of “covenant” (v. 12). First, we have David's oath and its fulfillment (vv. 2-9). Here we have the oath of God and its fulfillment (vv. 11-18).
The next section of this psalm (vv. 6-9) recounts how the Ark was found in the fields of Jaar” in David's time and how it was brought to Jerusalem. It is an accurate piece of historical remembrance. Knowing what the Ark was and what had happened to it is helpful at this point.
In yesterday's study I wrote that the psalm focuses on David and his desire to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. We see that from the beginning, for the psalm starts: “O LORD, remember David and all the hardships he endured” (v. 1). The next verses tell of David's vow and its result. Then verse 10 brings David in again in a prayer.
This is a beautifully constructed psalm. The first half (vv. 1-9) is about David's oath in which he promised to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. The second half (vv. 11-18) records God's corresponding oath in regard to David, promising him an everlasting dynasty. In this second half the ideas of the first half are repeated, but they are heightened as God characteristically promises to do more than his people either ask or expect.
