36. The Peace of Jerusalem, Psalm 122

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Hymns: RHC 30 When This Passing World Is Done, 538 In the New Jerusalem, 43 God Is Still on the Throne

Psalm 122

1 A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. 2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: 4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD. 5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. 7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. 8 For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. 9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good. Psalm 122:1-9 (KJV)

 THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM

OUTLINE

  • Our Rejoicing (v1-2)
  • Our Praise (v3-5)
  • Our Prayer (v6-9)

 

INTRODUCTION

Jerusalem means “a foundation of peace” or “city of peace”. Jerusalem is built on mountain plateau and surrounded by mountains related to three valleys – the Kidron on the east, the Hinnom on the west and north, and the Tyropoeon that cuts into lower part of city, dividing it into two unequal parts. Its main water source was Gihon Spring at foot of the hill of Zion. It was called king of “Salem” or “peace”, Melchizedek, the king of righteous, dwelled. He was also called the priest of the God Most High whom Abraham gave tithes to and was blessed (Gen. 14).

 

Jerusalem was the stronghold of the Jebusites before David took it and later named it the united capital of Israel. It was here that Abraham was commanded to offer Issac on one of mountains of Moriah. It is on Moriah on the threshing floor of Aranuah that David had purchased for the altar of God (2 Sam. 24:18). Here, God commanded Solomon to build the temple of God, where the people of God come to worship the living and true God.

 The prayer and plea are for God’s kingdom to come and prevail, and God’s rule established and men everywhere acknowledged the God of the Jews, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Saviour.

 

(1) Our Rejoicing (v1-2)

1 A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. 2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

Within Jerusalem laid the house of God where God’s people come to worship. It is a great time of rejoicing when we worship God, He gives to us His peace and joy.

 William MacDonald observed well, “David caught the scent of that pure delight when the reminder was passed to him by God-fearing Jews that it was time to go to the feast in Jerusalem. He was glad. It was no burdensome duty or dreary routine. In going to the temple to worship he found fulfilment and gladness.

And now faith’s pilgrims were actually standing inside the city. “Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!”

As if by a divine homing instinct, they had returned to the place which God had chosen. It was wonderful to be there!”

It is true when we observe the resurrection of the nation of Israel on 14 May 1948 after 2000 years of exile, scattered from all over the world, the Lord brought them home by a “divine homing instinct.”

(2) Our Praise (v3-5)

3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: 4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD. 5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

Jerusalem is built as a city that is joined or united together where the tribes come together for worship. It is where God’s people congregate to bless God for all that He is to them, their God and their all. All that they are and have comes from Him. It is most fitting, a place for thanksgiving where God’s people expressed their gratitude to their LORD.

It is in Jerusalem that God’s law is dispersed or taught. It is the symbol of justice. Thrones of judgment refer to Seats for dispensing justice (Barnes). It is where the king David also built his palace. A place where the fairness or equity is practiced that caused the people to be protected from injustices. Therefore, it is place of praise.

William MacDonald rightly agrees, “Jerusalem also was the political capital of Israel, of course. It was the seat of the royal house of David, and therefore it was the appointed place for the administration of justice.”

(3) Our Prayer

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. 7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. 8 For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. 9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.

The peace of Jerusalem will mean peace for God’s people. Therefore, it must be utmost priority in the heart of His people to pray that God preserves His own witness. For Israel, it was Jerusalem and the temple of God. It is a picture of enjoying the blessings and goodness of God. When this peace is destroyed then, God’s people will suffer. It is imperative to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

William MacDonald applied well, “This love is expressed in praying for and promoting tranquility within its walls and safety within its towers. What the godly Jew desired for Jerusalem, we should desire for the church. How we should endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3)!

Ephesians 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

It is through the peace and prosperity of the church that blessing will flow out to the world.

That is the thought in verse 8. For the sake of relatives and friends, we should long to see the internal wounds of the church healed, its strifes and divisions ended.

Barnes explains:

This expresses the true feelings of piety all over the world; this is one of the grounds of the strong love which the friends of God have for the Church—because they hope and desire that through the Church those most near to their hearts will find salvation.

As already mentioned, the greatest glory of the city is that the house of the Lord is there. Not the city’s location, nor its misshapen buildings nor its sad history—no, the central fact is that God chose this city as the site for the temple. The presence of the Lord casts an aura of glory about all that He touches in grace.

Centuries later Jesus was to remind the Pharisees and scribes of this truth. They valued the gold of the temple more than the temple itself, the gift on the altar more than the altar. Jesus pointed out that it is the temple that makes the gold sacred, and the altar that sanctifies the gift (Matt. 23:16–22). And so, it is the Lord Himself who set Jerusalem apart from all other cities in the world.”

Today, Jerusalem is a city of contention, far from being a city of peace, it is a city of war and bitter disputes for thousands of years. But the day is coming where our Lord Jesus Himself will rule from Jerusalem with His saints for a thousand years. Are you not looking forward to that day? Certainly, we are. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem that indeed Messiah will come, our Lord Jesus Christ, to set up His throne on earth to rule as Priest and King.”

CONCLUSION

Truly, it is our concern that there be peace in Jerusalem where God’s people can come to worship Him, it is our rejoicing, our praise and our prayer.