Psalm 132 - We'll be spending Advent 2024 considering the traditional themes of hope, peace, joy, and love through the Psalms. In this sermon, Cameron introduced the Psalms as a book of poems, songs, and prayers that have led the people of God in how to bring their whole selves to God in worship and prayer. Psalm 132, specifically, is one of the "songs of ascents," sung by pilgrims on their way to the temple mount for key festivals. The psalm expresses a hopeful longing to encounter the presence of God based on His promises to King David--promises that were ultimately fulfilled in the advent of Jesus Christ. It is a refreshing picture in a world often embarrassed by earnest hope. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of our 2024 Advent series "Poems of Longing, Songs of Joy"]
Questions for reflection: 1) How do you perceive our culture's relationship to "hope?" 2) Psalm 132 emphasizes a longing for communion with God. Why is God's presence a consistent source of hope in the Bible? 3) Discuss the relationship between David's promises and God's promises in this psalm? 4) What promises in this Psalm found their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus? 5) Why does biblical hope contain both a backward-looking element and a forward-looking element? Why are things so difficult in the in-between? 6) In what sense can we say "In Jesus, everything is going to be ok"?
