Psalm 122

Introduction

Psalm 122 is the third song of ascents, which were perhaps written for the returning exiles who were making their way back from Babylon to Jerusalem; or, as is more likely, they were written for God’s people who were making their way to Jerusalem for one of the annual religious festivals which they were required to celebrate.

In the first one, Psalm 120, the psalmist called on the Lord to save him from people with lying lips and deceitful tongues who were surrounding him and who were for war. He said that he had lived among such people for too long. But now he was on the way to Jerusalem. In the second one, Psalm 121, the psalmist looked up at the hills and he thought about the dangers he might encounter on the way up to Jerusalem. He might be attacked. He might slip and fall. He might lose his way. But he wasn’t afraid, because he knew that he could count on the Lord his God, who made the heavens and the earth, to help him. The Lord will watch over him to keep him throughout the day and throughout the night both now and for evermore. In today’s psalm, it seems that the psalmist has reached Jerusalem. And he’s thrilled to be there.

Verses 1 and 2

He tells us in verse 1 that he rejoiced with those who invited him to go up to the house of the Lord. He was glad when they invited him. Their invitation filled him with joy. He didn’t hesitate to go with them, but he went with them gladly and cheerfully.

And the commentators tell us that since everyone was going up to Jerusalem at the same time, they tended to travel together. A couple of years ago, Yvonne and I were in Copenhagen for a concert and we were able to walk to the stadium. And when we began the journey, we were alone. But the longer we walked, more and more people joined us until we were part of a great crowd of people, all heading in the same direction and going for the same purpose. In a similar way, some people from one village would set off for Jerusalem. But on the way, others joined them until they were part of a great crowd.

And in verse 2 it seems that they have finally arrived. Their feet are now standing in the gates of Jerusalem.

Verses 3 to 5

Years ago, not long after Yvonne and I were married, we got a great deal on a two-week holiday in Crete. It was one of those deals where you had to leave the next day, but it only cost £100 or so for the two weeks. And when we got to the island, I rejoiced when Yvonne said to me let’s go to the palace of Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. And I was thrilled when my feet were standing in the palace and in front of some of the exhibits in the museum, because when I was in primary school, we studied ancient Greece and all its myths and legends for a special project. And I studied ancient history in secondary school as well. And I’d read lots about the Palace of Knossos and I’d seen pictures of it and I’d seen pictured of the exhibits in the museum and finally I was seeing it all with own eyes. And then a few years later, we were able to visit Pompeii and we climbed Mount Vesuvius. Once again, I was able to see in person things I’d only ever seen in books. And I was thrilled to see these things in person.

And you get the impression in verses 3 to 5 that the psalmist is thrilled to be in Jerusalem. He looks around at it and he notices that it’s closely compacted together. He means perhaps that the buildings were all jammed together. It’s as if they were built on top of one another. Think of someone coming from a country village to the city for the first time and they’re overwhelmed by the number and size of the buildings and how crowded the city is compared to his hometown.

And then the psalmist says that this is where the tribes of the Lord go up. He’s referring to the twelve tribes of Israel. This is where they went up each year. They all made their way to Jerusalem to praise the name of the Lord and to worship him.

They came for the Passover, when they remembered the time when the Lord delivered them from their slavery in Egypt. And so, they gave thanks to him for his grace and mercy to them at that time and ever since. They also came for the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, which was a harvest thanksgiving festival at the beginning of the harvest. And they also came for the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths which was a harvest thanksgiving festival at the end of the harvest. And at this festival, they also remembered and gave thanks for how God provided for them when they were in the wilderness in the days of Moses. As the psalmist says in verse 4, this is where they went up to praise the name of the Lord ‘according to the statute given to Israel’. The Lord required them to attend these three festivals each year.

And the psalmist continues to marvel at Jerusalem in verse 5 where he mentions that this is where the thrones for judgment stand. He also refers to these thrones for judgment as the thrones of the house of David. Presumably judges sat on these thrones and the people went there to settle disputes and to seek justice. Think of the two mothers who went to Solomon to sort out their dispute about their two babies and how they expected the king to sort out their dispute. And presumably the kings also appointed judges to sit on thrones to hear and settle these matters on their behalf.

So, the psalmist is amazed. He’s thrilled to be standing in Jerusalem: this place where all the tribes gather annually. He’s amazed by the buildings all jammed together. He’s amazed by the judgment thrones, where justice is sought and found.

Verses 6 to 9

And in verses 6 to 9 he calls on people to pray for the peace of this city. The word translated peace is the Hebrew word shalom which means well-being and health and prosperity as well as peace. So, the psalmist is asking his fellow Israelites to pray for the well-being of all who are in Jerusalem. Pray that they’ll enjoy peace and prosperity and health. Think of the time when Solomon was king and it says in 2 Kings that everyone sat under his own vine. It’s a picture of peace and contentment. The psalmist is praying for that.

And he pronounces a blessing on those who love Jerusalem: may they be secure. And he pronounces a blessing on the city: may there be peace within your walls and security without your citadels. And he wants there to be peace in Jerusalem for the sake of his brother and friends who are in Jerusalem with him. And in the final verse he says that he will seek ‘your prosperity’. He means he will seek the prosperity of the city. And he seeks it for the sake of the house of the Lord their God.

Conclusion

And, of course, that’s why Jerusalem was special. It was special — and all these people travelled to it and they prayed for its peace — because it was where the house of the Lord was located. Jerusalem was special because of the temple, which was God’s dwelling-place among his people in those days. If the temple was not there, then there was nothing to distinguish Jerusalem from any other city. What made Jerusalem so special was the fact that God’s temple was there. He had chosen it as his dwelling-place.

And that helps us when we think of Jerusalem today. The temple is no longer there. The Lord’s dwelling-place is not there. Jerusalem is now like every other city in the world. And so, it’s no longer special. We want it to be peaceful, of course. But we want every city and town and village and home to be peaceful. But Jerusalem is no longer special. And it’s no longer special, because God’s dwelling-place is no longer there.

God’s dwelling-place is now the church: the people of God throughout the world who meet together in local congregations. We learn that from Paul in Ephesians 3 where he says about the church that in Christ we too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. God lives in the church, his people, by his Spirit. And when we gather together on Sundays, God is in the midst of us. We can’t see him, but he’s with us by his Spirit. And he uses the ordinary means of grace — the reading and preaching of his word; the sacraments; and prayer — to renew us more and more into his likeness. He dwells among us and he works in us to restore us into the kind of people were were always meant to be.

And since this is true, then we can say with the psalmist: ‘I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”‘ And we should be amazed and grateful every Sunday for the privilege of being able to gather together and to know the presence of God in our midst and to know that he’s working in us.

And we should pray for the peace of the church: for local congregations and for God’s people throughout the world, asking God to keep us from danger. And, of course, there’s the danger of division, isn’t there? God’s people can become divided from one another and our fellowship in the Lord is wrecked. And there’s the danger of persecution. So, we should pray for the Lord to protect his people: to protect our unity and to protect our lives.

But when God’s people gather in local congregations for worship on Sundays, we’re anticipating what will happen when Christ comes again and we’ll gather in the new heavens and earth, where God will dwell in our midst for ever; and we’ll gaze on the glory of God in the face of Christ; and where we’ll worship and serve him for ever and for ever. When that day comes, we’ll rejoice with all who are gathered with us. We’ll stand amazed in the gates of the new Jerusalem to come. We’ll look around at that glorious city and we’ll see the throne of God and the Lamb. And we too will reign with him there. And we will enjoy perfect peace and rest, perfect shalom, for ever and for ever. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for everything that makes us weep will be gone.

And we’ll be there, because of Christ our Saviour who gave up his life on the cross to bring us to God in the new heavens and earth. And so, we’ll rejoice with all who are gathered with us and we’ll rejoice in Christ our Saviour who loved us and who gave up his life for us so that we can have everlasting life with God.