Ⅴ
The Songs of Ascents (Psa. 120—134) speak of the preciousness of Zion and Jerusalem in the experiences and praises of the saints:
A
Psalm 132 mentions seven precious items related to the overcomers in their going up to Zion; these items are at the top of the church life, and they portray the situation of the overcomers in Zion, the highest peak of God’s mountain—vv. 13-18:
１
Resting with God—“This is My resting place forever”—v. 14a.
２
Dwelling with God—“Here will I dwell, for I have desired it”—v. 14b.
３
Food for satisfaction—“I will abundantly bless its provision; ⁄ I will satisfy its poor with bread”—v. 15.
４
Glorious clothing—“Its priests I will clothe with salvation, ⁄ And its faithful ones will shout with a ringing shout”—v. 16; cf. Exo. 28:2.
５
The horn of victory—“There I will cause a horn of David to shoot forth”—Psa. 132:17a.
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The enlightening lamp—“I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one”—v. 17b.
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The shining crown—“I will clothe his enemies with shame, ⁄ But on him his crown will shine”—v. 18; cf. Isa. 62:3.
B
When Zion is built up as depicted in Psalm 132, we have a place where we can gather and where we can dwell together in oneness; how good and how pleasant this is!—133:1-3.
C
“May Jehovah, who made heaven and earth, ⁄ Bless you from Zion” (134:3); wherever there are some overcomers, there will be God’s blessing; God always blesses His people from Zion, from the highest peak, from the ones who have attained to the top, to the position of the overcomers; from this position God blesses all His people.
Ⅵ
Today in the church age, the God-men who are perfected and matured are Zion, the overcomers, the vital groups within the churches, but in the new heaven and new earth, the entire New Jerusalem will become Zion (Rev. 21:16), with all the believers as overcomers—v. 7 and footnote 1.
Morning Nourishment
Psa. 132:14-16 This is My resting place forever; here will I dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless its provision; I will satisfy its poor with bread. And its priests I will clothe with salvation, and its faithful ones will shout with a ringing shout.134:3 May Jehovah, who made heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.
[In Psalm 132:15-18] Jehovah [speaks about Zion] by saying that He will abundantly bless Zion’s provision and satisfy its poor with bread, that He will clothe its priests with salvation, that its faithful ones will shout with a ringing shout, that there He will cause the horn of David to shoot forth, that He has prepared a lamp for His Anointed One, and that He will clothe with shame the enemies of His Anointed One but that on Him His crown will shine. (Life-study of the Psalms, p. 483)
Today’s Reading
In Psalm 132 we have seven items related to the overcomer—resting, dwelling, food, clothing, the victorious horn, the enlightening lamp, and the shining crown. These items are at the top of the church life... However, when God is homeless, we also are homeless. When He does not have satisfaction, we also do not have satisfaction. But when God is resting and dwelling in Zion, we have plenty of food. Furthermore, we have the proper clothing, a horn, a lamp, and a crown... This is the situation of the overcomers in Zion, the highest peak of God’s mountain.Psalm 133 is the praise of the saint in his going up to Zion concerning Jehovah’s commanded blessing for brothers to dwell in unity. Before we can have Psalm 133, we must reach Psalm 132... When Zion is built up and when God is resting there and dwelling in Jerusalem, then we have a place where we can gather and where we can dwell together in unity. If this is our situation in the meetings of the church, we will enjoy God’s commanded blessing.
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is / For brothers to dwell in unity!” (133:1). I believe that “how good” refers to the oil in verse 2 and that “how pleasant” refers to the dew in verse 3. “It is like the fine oil upon the head / That ran down upon the beard, / Upon Aaron’s beard, / That ran down upon the hem of his garments” (v. 2). For the oil to run down from the head to the hem of the garments signifies that both the Head and the Body, both Christ and the church, are under the anointing of God’s fine oil. Verse 3a goes on to say that it is also like “the dew of Hermon / That came down upon the mountains of Zion.”... This dew signifies the fresh and refreshing grace of God... [that] waters us. “For there Jehovah commanded the blessing: / Life forever” (v. 3b)... As we dwell together in the church life, we enjoy God’s eternal life commanded by Him as a blessing to us. This is the living of the church.
In Psalm 132 we have the church life, and in Psalm 133 we have the church living. The church living is the highest living—a living with brothers dwelling in unity. Such a living causes God to come in to bless us with fine oil and fresh dew.
As the last of the Songs of Ascents, Psalm 134 is the praise of the saint in his going up to Zion... This psalm indicates that the highest people, those who are in Zion, can bless everyone and teach everyone... [In verse 3] we see that the blessing comes from Zion, that is, from the highest people. If you read the history of the church, you will see that in every age and century God’s blessing has come to the church because of the overcomers. Whenever there are some overcomers, there will be God’s blessing. God always blesses His people from Zion, from the highest peak, from the ones who have attained to the top, to the position of the overcomers. From this position God blesses all His people. (Life-study of the Psalms, pp. 483-486)
Further Reading: Life-study of the Psalms, msgs. 41-42; CWWL, 1969, vol. 3, “Christ and the Church Revealed and Typified in the Psalms,” chs. 20-21