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Pope Benedict XVI met with 26,000 pilgrims in St. Peter's Square during his general audience on Sept. 21. He offered his reflections on the second half of Psalm 132, which speaks about the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, and God's promise to David that the Messiah would be one of his descendents. The Holy Father had already offered his reflections on the first part of the psalm during last week's general audience.

Whereas David “had sworn an oath that he would not take up residence in the royal palace until he had found a resting place for God's ark,” Pope Benedict noted, God now promises David that he will never go back on his word, and that he will establish David's kingdom forever. However, there is one condition: His descendents must observe the covenant that the Lord has made with them.

“Man has to respond to God's promise and gift, in which there is nothing magical, with a faithful and active commitment to a dialogue that integrates both human freedom and divine freedom,” the Pope pointed out.

Once again, Pope Benedict said, the figure of the Messiah emerges in Psalm 132. Christians later saw the fulfillment of this figure in the person of Christ. The Fathers of the Church used this psalm, the Holy Father pointed out, to describe the incarnation of the Word in the Virgin Mary's womb.

As Saint Irenaeus explains, “The Holy Spirit indicates to those who want to hear that, when the Virgin Mary gives birth, God's promise to David to bring forth a king from the fruit of his womb is fulfilled.”

We have just heard the second part of Psalm 132, a song recalling a crucial event in Israel's history — the transfer of the Lord's ark to the city of Jerusalem.

David was the architect of this transfer, as confirmed in the first part of the psalm on which we have already reflected. In fact, the king had sworn an oath that he would not take up residence in the royal palace until he had found a resting place for God's ark, which was the sign of the Lord's presence among his people (see verses 3-5).

Now, God himself responds to the vow that the king has made: “The Lord swore an oath to David, a pledge never to be broken” (see verse 11). This solemn promise is essentially the same one that the prophet Nathan had made in God's name regarding David's future descendants, who were meant to reign forever (see 2 Samuel 7:8-16).

God's promise, however, implies a commitment on the part of man, since it is qualified by an “if”: “If your sons observe my covenant” (see verse 12). Man has to respond to God's promise and gift, in which there is nothing magical, with a faithful and active commitment to a dialogue that integrates both human freedom and divine freedom.

At this point, the psalm is transformed into a hymn that exalts the wonderful effects of both the Lord's gift and Israel's faithfulness. Indeed, God's presence will be felt among his people (see verses 13-14). He will be just like one other inhabitant among Jerusalem's inhabitants, just like one other citizen who experiences the events of history along with the other citizens, yet offering the power of his blessing.

God will bless the harvests, taking care to see that the hunger of the poor is satisfied (see verse 15); he will cover the priests with his protective cloak, offering them his salvation; he will make sure that all the faithful live in joy and in faith (see v. 16).

From The House of David

The most meaningful blessing is reserved once again for David and his descendants: “There I will make a horn sprout for David's line; I will set a lamp for my anointed. His foes I will clothe with shame, but on him my crown shall gleam” (see verses 17-18).

Once again, as in the first part of the psalm (see verse 10), the figure of the “Anointed One” (the “Messiah” in Hebrew) appears, linking descent from David to the expectation of the Messiah, which, according to our Christian understanding, is fully realized in the person of Christ. Vivid images are used here: David is depicted as a sprout that grows vigorously; God illuminates David's lineage with a shining lamp, which is the symbol of vitality and glory; a splendid crown will be the mark of his triumph over his enemies and, therefore, of his victory over evil.

The Lord's presence, both in a place and in history, is fulfilled in Jerusalem through the Temple where the ark is kept and through David's descendants. Therefore, Psalm 132 becomes a celebration of God-Emmanuel, who is with his creatures, living among them and working for their well-being, provided they remain united to him in justice and truth. The central spiritual principle of this hymn is a prelude to the proclamation that John made: “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14).

The Incarnation

Let us conclude by remembering that the Fathers of the Church have usually used the beginning of the second part of Psalm 132 to describe the Incarnation of the Word in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In fact, when referring to Isaiah's prophecy concerning the virgin giving birth, St. Irenaeus gave the following explanation: “The words, ‘Listen, O house of David!’ (Isaiah 7:13), indicate that the eternal king, which God had promised David that he would bring forth from ‘the fruit of his womb’ (see Psalm 132:11), is the very one who was born of the Virgin, who came from David's line. It is for this reason that he promised a king that would be born from the ‘fruit of his womb,’ an expression that denotes a virgin who is pregnant. Therefore Scripture … proposes and affirms ‘the fruit of the womb’ in order to proclaim that the one who was to come would be born of the Virgin. This is exactly what Elizabeth, full of the Holy Spirit, confirmed when she said to Mary, ‘Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb’ (Luke 1:42). Thus, the Holy Spirit indicates to those who want to hear that, when the Virgin Mary gives birth, God's promise to David to bring forth a king from the fruit of his womb is fulfilled” (Contro le eresie, 3,21,5: Già e Non Ancora, CCCXX, Milan 1997, p. 285).

Thus, we see God's faithfulness in this great span of time that begins with an ancient psalm and goes up to the Lord's incarnation. The mystery of God, who lives among us and becomes one with us through the Incarnation, appears and shines forth in this psalm. Both God's faithfulness and our trust amid the changes of our unfolding history become a source of joy for us.

(Register translation)