Bloodlines

Psalm 30

When thinking of a church quite often we picture a church building rather than those who make up the congregation, that being what the original Greek word means, assembly.

A Psalm or song of the dedication of the house of David.

I will magnify thee, O Lord: for thou hast exalted me, and hast not made my foe to rejoice over me.

Psalms 30:1 GNV

A dedication to the house of David. We might recognize this dedication may be that of a building, a dwelling for king David. Or it might also be a reference to the lineage of his family. Looking to Matthew 1 we see what that lineage is, it leads directly to Jesus Christ. But one thing about that lineage is with the kings between David and Jesus were of different life directions. Of the various kings in that line two familiar sentences appear that may be characterized from these two of many verses.

Twenty years old was Ahaz, when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not uprightly in the sight of the Lord his God, like David his father:

2 Kings 16:2 GNV

And then the other...

And he did uprightly in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of David his father, and bowed neither to the right hand, nor to the left.

2 Kings 22:2 GNV

Some didn't do life uprightly and some did. As someone said, You can't choose your parents, nor by extension your ancestors. Whether the bloodline that went to Christ from David's household or dedication to David's physical house this psalm takes an interesting tone. When Solomon dedicated the temple his great prayer all reflected back to the physical location, but emphasized God's name, and God's presence being there. This psalm doesn't reflect a location nor what might be considered a direct family bloodline. In fact asking the Lord to help me see even what I need in my life from it (yes, there are familiar verses I have used for encouragement) let alone my question as I read the Psalms, would Jesus pray this psalm, it became more intriguing. I have friends I pray for who have much greater struggles than I am facing daily, but each struggle actually represents a time and place. You don't have to read many if the Psalms to get that feeling that they reflect each psalmist's thought in what they wrote. But here in Psalm 30 I could picture Jesus praying this on His resurrection day. Being called a dedication it would seem that it is more of a dedication to what has happened rather than what is coming for his house.

For he endureth but a while in his anger: but in his favour is life: weeping may abide at evening, but joy commeth in the morning.

Thou hast turned my mourning into joy: thou hast loosed my sack and girded me with gladness. Therefore shall my tongue praise thee and not cease: O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

Psalms 30:5, 11 - 12 GNV