Psalm 122 – The Joy of Going to the House of the Lord:
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
“I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.” 2 Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! 3 Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together, 4 Where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, to the (as a) Testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. 5 For thrones are set there for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.” 8 For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” 9 Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good.”
- When I read this passage I think back when I was a kid and went to church with my sisters back in the 70’s. We went to an Assemblies of God church in La Puente, CA. They had some good programs for kids and the church was doing a relevant job of ministry at the time. We actually looked forward to going to church, to youth group, to Royal Rangers and Missionettes. We enjoyed the camps and retreats and the community that was formed by the many folks who came out to worship the Lord.
I also think of heaven when I read this psalm and standing before the Lord in His presence, within His gates, the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem. It’s as if this psalm foretells the moment that we are raptured and enter into the heavenly holy city. Some scholars associate this passage with the Jewish pilgrims who would ascend the steps of the temple in Jerusalem and worship the Lord there. Amen to that too.
The phrase, ‘where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord’ infers the 12 tribes of Israel, but it can also infer the tribes of the world, ‘all nations, tribes, tongues, and peoples,’ as John the revelator so eloquently put it. We worship the Lord as Christians because we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior; this in of itself is a ‘Testimony to Israel,’ to give thanks to the Lord became of all that He has done. God came to the Jews first, but they rejected the Messiah, so He went to the Gentile peoples of the earth; which is where the NT Church comes in. We couldn’t be saved unless the Christ came to us. He didn’t come to us until He went to His own first. We, as the NT Church, the body of Christ, have been graphed in to the Abrahamic blessing of Genesis 12.
David is the one who wrote this psalm and he speaks of ‘thrones that are set in the heavenly throne room of God for judgment, the thrones of the house of the Lord. Some believe that David is describing what would later be referred to as the Bema Seat, the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is a place in God’s presence where He rewards His children for their obedience, however, this judgment is not about our salvation, that was already determined at the cross of Christ. In verses 6-9 the focus changes to praying for the peace of Jerusalem. This prayer, if followed systematically, will render blessing to the Jews and a blessing to the prayer warrior.
David says in verse 6 and 7, ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.’ Here in this verse David is proclaiming a prayer request for Israel and a blessing for those who love the Jews. This verse is NOT for anti-Semites; rather, this is a pro-Semitic prayer for people who love the Jews like the Lord loves them. This falls in line with God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 and how He will bless those who bless Abraham and his descendants, the Jews.
David goes on to say in verse 8 and 9, “For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” 9 Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good.” Our goal as believers is to love others with God’s love, beginning with the Jews. We should not love the Jews of the OT and hate the Jews of the NT. We are called to pray for and intercede for the Jewish people that they may come to know their Messiah, the Messiah; Jesus. Messianic Jews are Jews who have come to faith in Christ but who still embrace their Jewishness; and that’s okay. When Jesus becomes the center of your life, the blessing also comes. It doesn’t mean that you won’t have problems from time to time, but it does mean that the Christ will go with you through the fire.
This year, 2022, has been a year of fire and trials. We have seen the signs that ‘the bridge is out ahead’ and as believers, these signs should be our clarion call of the nearness of the Rapture. If the Lord does return for His Church in 2022, than we will all ‘be standing within God’s gates, the heavenly Jerusalem! A holy city that is built in heaven where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as a Testimony of Israel and God’s grace upon them and His NT Church. We will all give thanks and celebrate the name of the Lord when we arrive there. For the Church, just after the Rapture, we will stand before the thrones that are set in heaven for judgment, the Bema Seat judgment. This psalm speaks of the coming Rapture and the place the Church will be gathered to in the Father’s house; and it’s a big, big house. Wouldn’t it be something if this were the year!?
Maranatha!
Encouragemen is a blog written by Pastor Rob Lee, recently relocated to Northern Missouri. He lives with his wife of 33-years, near their three adult children, their spouses, and children (their grandchildren). Pastor Rob is an Ordained Assemblies of God minister, a former Lead Pastor (25 years), police chaplain, and community advocate. He continues to serve, consult, and disciple men of God, including those who are in the ministry.
Encourage Men 