Psalm 132

“on him his crown will shine”

Psalm 132 weaves together cultic and royal imagery. From the cultic angle, there’s a focus upon the ark of the covenant in the history and life of Israel. From the royal angle, the psalm declares the Lord’s promises to David and his descendants:

The Lord swore to David a sure oath
from which he will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body
I will set on your throne.
If your sons keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
their sons also forever
shall sit on your throne.”

During this Advent season, my mind goes to Zechariah’s song in Luke 2:

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David.”

Three covenants weave through the story of Israel. The covenant of Abraham. The covenant of Sinai. And the promises God makes to David and his descendants concerning the throne of Israel. This last covenant, as you know, becomes the source of Israel’s Messianic expectations. This is the hope we witness in Zechariah’s song.

Ever since the rise of the historical-critical method within biblical studies, it has been a bit gauche within scholarly circles, hermeneutically speaking, to read the Old Testament in Christological terms. But the church fathers did this with great abandon. And I shall follow their lead. I trust Augustine and Maximus the Confessor more than Bart Ehrman and his ilk

What strikes me today is the final line of Psalm 132:

“On him his crown will shine.”

Obviously, we are put in mind of the crown Jesus will come to wear. From John 19:

And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands.

This crown shines, but with the strangest light.

Musically and artistically, I’m not a huge fan of the song “Mary Did You Know?” But I will defend its sentiment. It flows straight from Simeon’s remarks to Mary about her child:

“Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

The Christ child is a sign that will be opposed.

A sword will pierce Mary’s soul.

Right at the start, the crown of thorns intrudes.

Christmas is shadowed by Calvary.