Reflections on Psalm 122

Psalms 122 (Contemporary English Version)

1. (A song by David for worship.) It made me glad to hear them say, "Let's go to the house of the LORD!"
   
2. Jerusalem, we are standing inside your gates.
   
3. Jerusalem, what a strong and beautiful city you are!
   
4. Every tribe of the LORD obeys him and comes to you to praise his name.
   
5. David's royal throne is here where justice rules.
   
6. Jerusalem, we pray that you will have peace, and that all will go well for those who love you.
   
7. May there be peace inside your city walls and in your palaces.
   
8. Because of my friends and my relatives, I will pray for peace.
   
9. And because of the house of the LORD our God, I will work for your good.
   

---

This psalm is attributed to David for use in worship when the people went to Jerusalem for the three solemn feasts. Enthusiasm is expressed toward Jerusalem which was not only Israel's capital but also the center of its worship. It was to them the city of God. It was where He resided at the temple which was located there. Jerusalem is highlighted in this psalm as:

• A city built as a city should be built.
  
• The place where the tribes of Israel went to give thanks to the Lord.
  
• The seat of justice.
  

The people are encouraged to pray for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem. Why? "Because of my brothers and friends," and "Because of the house of the Lord."

As I reflect on this psalm I am not drawn particularly by the nationalism and pride for Jerusalem expressed in it, but I am drawn in the first verse by the words, "I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." Since the advent of Christ this takes on a different meaning than it did for the Jew of David's day. For them, the house of the Lord was the temple at Jerusalem. For those who are followers of Christ, we are told in 1 Corinthians 6:19 that we are "a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you."

It could be argued that for the follower of Christ who is "a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit," they are continually at the house of the Lord. But when I think of going to the house of the Lord, I think of meeting Him in worship and I envision two meeting places. The first is my meeting place with the Lord each day for personal worship and the second is the place of worship I go to each week to join others in worship. Both are special and I meet God in different ways in each of these places. My personal worship time and location is where I commune best and most closely with the Lord. I am not drawn away by anyone else or any other distraction. It is just the Lord and myself and I am not only drawn to Him in those times but also confronted by Him as needed. My weekly worship time with others at the place of worship is special because of the fellowship with other believers and followers of Christ and because of the other elements of worship that come into play. I am challenged in different ways in this setting. Challenged by others, challenged by the music, and challenged by the sermons. I could repeat that last sentence and replace "challenged" with other words such as "drawn to the Lord." Drawn to the Lord by others, drawn to the Lord by the music, drawn to the Lord by the sermons.

Therefore, I will rejoice with those who say to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD."