A theme that runs through the Old Testament is the connection between the Temple erected in Jerusalem and the Lord's commitment to David that one of his sons would always be on the throne. We see both of these promises reflected in Psalm 132 with David and the Lord making vows to one another.
In verses 1-4, the psalmist urges God to recall David's oath: "O Lord, remember...how [David] swore to the Lord and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 'I will not enter my house or get into my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.'" David had the original dream or vision to build a house for the Lord. At first Nathan the prophet approved of the project, only to tell David later that it was a job intended for his son.
The psalmist then describes the other part of the covenant, the vow that the Lord made in response to David: "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 decrees that I shall teach them, their sons also, forevermore, shall sit on your throne'" (vs. 11-12). There is a mutuality of love and favor that David and God express for one another in this exchange of promises.
As a result, the profile of Zion is lifted up. It serves as both the physical location of God's temple and the site of the king's throne. "For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation" (vs. 13). Psalm 132 concludes with a list of promised blessings for Jerusalem as it serves as the seat of both royal and divine power.
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