(REFLECTIONS ON Psalm 132:1-18)

As the pilgrims walk up towards the Lord’s sanctuary to worship, they are reminded that in the House of the Lord, on top of the Ark of the Covenant, between the two cherubim, is the mercy seat where the glory of the Lord dwells with His people. And they remember David:

1 Remember, O Lord, on David’s behalf,
All his affliction;
2 How he swore to the Lord
And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “Surely I will not enter my house,
Nor lie on 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.”

David swore a vow to the Lord, that he would not enter his house, lie on his bed, or close his eyes to sleep, until he found a place for the Lord. David would not rest until the dwelling of the Lord, the Ark of the Covenant, had a resting place.

This was David’s devotion to God, the God who promised that his throne would be established forever, and this promise was fulfilled through His Son, Jesus Christ. And now, we too are brought into this promise through Christ, drawn into His dwelling place, not just as observers, but as those in whom He now dwells.

This should cause us to pause and consider the significance of our lives in the Lord. We are the dwelling place for the Lord, the place He has chosen through Jesus Christ to place His name.

David’s heart, I will not rest, showed through his devotion, and it nudges at us to consider what we do with the time that we have been given as well. I will not rest was David’s act of obedience and submission to the Lord his God. This is not a rejection of rest itself, but a refusal to let comfort take priority over devotion to God.

I will not rest then becomes our posture, not of striving, but of alignment with the will of God. Now that we are the dwelling place for the Lord through the Holy Spirit, how will respond to God’s faithfulness?

As I am writing this, I remember those spiritual leaders who would not rest, because they had a similar attitude and posture toward the Lord. I will not rest because I will not waste today, because nothing is promised or guaranteed.

I will not rest is the servant of the Lord who presses on, not in the strength of the flesh, but with a heart set on serving and worshiping the Lord. It is the awareness that there will be a day when our lives will be over and we will finally enter His rest. And so while we still have today, still have breath and the ability to move, we dedicate and devote our lives to the Lord.

I will not rest is not about controlling tomorrow, but about being faithful today. All we truly have is this moment, this time, this place, and the rest is in the hands of our God. And so, while we have today, let us not waste it, but live it fully for Him.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Psalm 132