2 Kgs 11:1-4,9-18,20; Ps 132:11-18; Mt 6:19-23??
“In her will I dwell, for I prefer her.”

The LORD has chosen, and his choice last forever. David, the man after God’s own heart has been given a promise from which the LORD will not withdraw. The LORD promised David that his own offspring will be placed upon his throne. This promise is fulfilled in Jesus, the Son of David. The Lord Jesus is faithful to the Father’s will and he teaches us how to be faithful sons and daughters. Today’s psalm celebrates the revelation of God’s promise to his servant David and to all his descendents. In this psalm we learn of the Lord’s favorite. He has made Zion his resting place; in her does the LORD dwell; the LORD prefers her. Such tender love and faithful kindness is a complete mystery. He did not choose a people mighty in worldly power, or even a virtuous people. Our ancestors, like us, were faithless and weak; again and again they failed to keep the LORD’s covenant. Yet, the Almighty seems powerless to overcome his passion for his people. He further promises David that his Anointed One, the Messiah, will arise among his sons. Such a blessing for David will become a blessing for every nation and all people. All the enemies of the Son of David will be clothed with shame, but upon him the crown of the LORD will shine. No evil one can overcome the promise of the LORD to his beloved son, David. Indeed the brightness of God’s own face will perfectly shine out from the face of David’s true son, Jesus the Messiah. Even the future evil queen, Athaliah, will not thwart the promise to David. Joash the rightful descendant of David will be king, in the Lord’s service. The treasure of God’s Kingdom is lasting and safe; no moth can destroy it. If the Kingdom of God is within our hearts then we have an eternal treasure and we are like David; we seek after God’s own heart.

Athaliah is an image of the terrifying mother, killing off the sons of David because her own son has died. He grief turns into poison and she begins the reign of false gods in Israel. The LORD rescues one of the sons of David. His faithful priest, Jehoiada keeps him safe in the temple for six years. In the seventh year he summons the faithful temple guard and anoints Joash King. The faithful priest has stored up King David’s weapons that are now used to rescue his throne from captivity. The people of God rejoice in his faithful love for David and his descendant. The wicked Athaliah and all who follow her in the worship of Baal are put to death. Again the temple is cleansed and the people are renewed in faith. The faithfulness of the LORD’s priest and his people reveal his saving power in the midst of false gods that had held his people captive. Such is the constant care of our LORD for his people all through history, even to our own day. No false god, no materialism, no secularism, no evil, can long hold our hearts captive. We have been made for God; He alone can make us whole and holy. In God, the One True God is our safety and our glory, now and unto the ages of ages.

The Lord Jesus prayed the psalms of King David. He undoubtedly prayed the psalm that compares God to a moth that devours all we treasure. Indeed, the Lord Our Great High Priest prayed this psalm for us; He never desired anything that a moth would have to devour. We, however, have many deadly desires and false gods that need to be devoured by the moth-like LORD. Indeed, we still need to be purified in our heart of hearts. For therein dwell many so-called treasures. It is just such a collection of dead and deadly desires that clutter our vision of glory. The lamp of our body is not sound; we do seek that which fills us with darkness. If in our darkness, in our sojourn with evil, we are the light of the world how could our light be anything but darkness? Indeed, we need to sing each day the chant that begins our Easter Vigil, “Christ our Light! Thanks be to God!” Only Christ our Light can transform our darkness into his light; only the Lord Jesus can make us what we are not of our own nature and by our own choices—a light in the darkness of our world of lies and self-deception.