Psalm 132
David had promised the Lord that he would build a Temple, a sanctuary (v. 5) to house the Ark of the Covenant which was the symbol of God's presence among His people. He vowed that he could not sleep until he found a place to build a house for the Lord. I would say that this was on the top of his priority list, wouldn't you? I'm ashamed to say that the Lord's business is not always at the top of my own priority list, and this is a mistake.
God chose Jerusalem for His home. He would prosper this city and bless it. This psalm also reminds us that God promised David that one of his descendants would always be on the throne as king of Israel. Indeed, King Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of King David, came and ministered in the Temple at Jerusalem, and here he gave His life for the sins of the world.
Acts 13:44-52
Nearly the entire city turned out to hear Paul and Barnabas preach the word of the Lord. As a pretext, the Jewish leaders spoke lies about Paul and argued against what he said, but the real reason for their hostility was that green monster--jealousy! I'm afraid this reaction is not uncommon even in the church today. Jealousy is an ugly sin, but it is extra tragic if it leads people to stand in the way of God's work. We should ask God to help us rejoice at the success of others in the Lord's work.
In v. 48 Paul clearly declares that since the Jews rejected the Good News of Jesus, he and Barnabas would focus on offering it to the Gentiles. At this, the Gentiles rejoiced and many became believers.
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