Psalm 122 - May there be peace

Psalm 122 - May there be peace

Read: Psalm 122 vs 1-9

Over the last two days we’ve seen how the ‘songs of ascents’ were psalms that were written to be sung on the road, on the road as pilgrims made their way up to the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was home to the Temple, a spectacular building, a house for ‘God’s Name’. It was a place not only of worship, but a place of repentance, where God’s people could return to Him when they had sinned (1 Kings 8:33). It was a place of help, where God’s people could seek God in times of need or crisis (1 Kings 8:35-36), but also a place of welcome where ‘foreigners’, outsiders to God’s promises, could come from distant lands and call upon Israel’s God (1 Kings 8:41-42).

The Temple was a very special place, set at the heart of a very special city. Psalm 122 is a Psalm of anticipation looking forward to arriving in through the gates of the city, joinig with the other tribes and meeting with God Himself (vs 4-5). 

Psalm 122 prays for ‘peace’ and ‘security’. Those two words sum up so much of what we all hope for, what we all long for, what we all need. A sense of peace in our hearts, that we are whole and complete, a sense of security that we ok and protected amidst all the things that life throws our way. 

Interesting this psalm is ‘of David’. Yet when David wrote this there was no Temple in Jerusalem. David planned for the Temple but it was only during his son Solomon’s reign that the Temple was actually built. So how can David find so much joy in looking forward to going somewhere that wasn’t yet there? So much of the life of faith is a life of anticipation. Today God’s house is not a building, it’s a people (1 Corinthians 3:16). Being among sisters and brothers is very special and yet there is a greater place yet to come, a place where we will need no temple, because, we will meet the LORD God Almighty and the Lamb in person (Revelation 21:22). Psalm 122 whets our appetite as we look forward and as we keep on the road today.

Prayer: Father thank you for the wonderful promises of all that is yet to come. Please help me to live a life of looking forward and a life of placing my hope in You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.