It’s tradition among observant Jews to recite Psalm 30 each morning upon rising. I find the choice of Psalm 30 a bit odd, but in a wonderful way. Let me explain.
The title (superscription) of Psalm 30 notes that this is a song (Heb. mizmor) designated for the dedication (chanukah) of the house. The “house” in this context implies “Temple”. This means that it is possible (and some would argue probable) that this psalm was written for use during the celebration of Hanukkah.
The history behind the compilation of the various psalms that make up the psalter is largely unknown. This is why it would be speculative to say definitively that Psalm 30 was written and used for the celebration of the Jewish festival Hanukkah (which means “dedication”). Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the end of the Maccabean revolt in the 2nd century B.C.E. The natural interpretation, then, is that the “house” is the Holy Temple (specifically the Second Temple).
Doesn’t it seem odd, then, that each morning a observant Jew would recite a psalm/prayer that was intended for the dedication of the temple? Perhaps, but perhaps not. Perhaps the daily ritual of reciting this psalm adds another dimension to the concept of “Temple”. I believe it’s possible that the worshipper is not dedicating a building as a temple, but rather themselves as the temple. The worshipper who recites Psalm 30 is consecrating him or herself for the presence of God to come and dwell within each morning. What a wonderful image—the presence of God deliberately renewed in us each day.
Some argue that the concept that the people of God function as the temple for his dwelling is a New Testament concept. This isn’t true. Psalm 114:1—2, to the contrary, reads, “When Israel went forth from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange speech, Judah became his holy one [sanctuary], Israel His dominion (JPS, emphasis added).
Ever since the Old Testament, the concept that God takes up residence in and through his people is alive. This means that Jesus referring to his own body as the temple of God (John 2:21) is not altogether foreign.
There is another dynamic at work here that cannot be missed. While the worshipper considers him or herself as the Holy Temple of Adonai in whom He takes up residence, there is also a sense of expectation for the reestablishment of the physical building that is God’s temple. Psalm 30, then, reminds worshippers each morning of the great hope of the full restoration of God’s Kingdom through his chosen people on earth.
As Christians, we share this same hope. We understand that that Kingdom of God is both now and not yet. We get to experience the precious and powerful presence of God in every dimension of our lives as we live in faith today, however, we still await the day of Christ’s return when he will establish his reign on earth. This is the covenant promise.
This day we live in the light of God’s eternal presence as well as in the hope for the restored Kingdom of God.