THE HOLY PLACE OF THE TABERNACLES

This is a psalm of great triumph: the “present help” had triumphed over the roaring waters, over the raging of the heathen, making “wars to cease”. In contemplating the reigns of the kings in Jerusalem, we feel that there was only one faithful king who experienced such a divinely-given triumph over surrounding enemy armies—that was Hezekiah with Jerusalem surrounded by the Assyrian armies, 2 Kings 18, 19. Such enemies answer to the wicked who are “like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt”, Isa. 57. 20, for “The waters … are peoples, and multitudes, and nations”, Rev. 17. 15.

In contrast to these Assyrian roaring waters, there is a river with streams of peace in Jerusalem, provided only by the Lord for His people. The Assyrians had no chance of partaking of it. In fact, Hezekiah prevented the enemy from obtaining any water from the fountains outside the city, 2 Chron. 32. 3, 4, though he brought water into the city through a conduit, 2 Kings 20. 20; 2 Chron. 32. 30. These purely engineering constructions led the psalmist to view God’s spiritual river provided for His people. This was intimately connected with the house of God, “the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High”. And this is not surprising, since Ezekiel saw that the waters “issued out of the sanctuary”, Ezek. 47. 12. And again, the king associated God’s deliverance with the fact that He dwelt between the cherubim in the house of God, 2 Kings 19. 14-16. (The use of “tabernacles” in the plural is explained in Hebrews 9. 2, 3, where the holy place and the Holiest of all are viewed as two tabernacles.)

There is a parallel in the N.T. The Lord Jesus referred to His body as “the temple”, John 2. 19-21. Then He promised “living water”, 4. 10, 13, 14, so that those who believe shall never thirst, 6. 35. This water really implied the Holy Spirit that believers should receive, 7. 37-39. And there would be abundance, since from believers themselves, filled with the Spirit, would flow these “rivers of living water” to thirsty men desiring to receive the gospel of eternal peace.

“A pure river … out of the throne”, Rev. 22. 1.