The Joy of Realized Wholeness
(Ps 122)

(all major Scriptures are from NASB, unless otherwise noted, Shorter quotations verses are either NASB, or paraphrased by myself.)

Ps 122 Worship

1b "Let us go to the house of the Lord."

Background - David wrote this, perhaps to help unite the northern tribes to Jerusalem as the capital and religious center of the nation. (JFB)

Invitation to wholeness: the call to worship

1 I was glad when they said to me,
"Let us go to the house of the LORD."
1
 I was glad at the thought
  It is God's will that we worship not only in the private of our houses, but together in public worship, in the house of the LORD. To this end, we are instructed not to forsake our assembling together. To this end, we ought to try and excite each other. "Those that rejoice in God will rejoice in calls and opportunities to wait upon Him." (Matthew Henry)
  Is 2:3many nations will say, 'come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us his ways, and we may walk in His paths.'
  Zec 8:21Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD, and seek the LORD; I will also go.
2 Our feet are standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem,
2
I was glad at the thought…now we're here!
  Ps 42:4I used to go with them, leading the procession to the house of God, with the voice of joy and thanksgiving, keeping festival together with the multitude.
  Ps 84:10I would rather be a gatekeeper in your house than to dwell in the tents of the wicked. A day in Your house is better than thousands elsewhere
 

To be in His house will make up for all the trials of the journey

House of the Lord

 

(Fausset's) The eastern house consisted of

 
  • The porch (or gate)
  Mt 26:71 the servant girl sees Peter in the gateway.
  Ac 10:17Cornelius' men await Peter at the gate.
  Ac 12:14Rhoda left Peter at the gate, being too excited, and running to tell the others he was there.
  Rev 21:12The holy city of God has twelve gates.
 
  • a court unseen from the outside, generally with an area covered bya an awning to protect from heat. Often, trees were planted in the court as well
  Ps 104:2God stretches out the heavens like a curtain
  Ps 92:13the righteous man is planted in the house of the LORD, flourishing in His courts.
  Ps 52:8"I am like a green olive tree in the house of God."
 
  • guest chambers opposite the porch, and open onto the court
  Lk 22:11-12you will ask for a guest room, and he will lead you to an upper room.
  1Sa 9:22Samuel took Saul into the hall, and seated him at the head of his guests
 
  • outside stairs
  2Ki 9:13they rushed to put their garments on the bare steps and announced Jehu as king.
  Mk 2:4unable to penetrate the crowd, they took the man up to the roof and broke through.
 
  • the roof - place of amusement, business, and worship. This is where the booths were made for the feast of tabernacles
  1Sa 9:25Samuel and Saul spoke on the roof.Samuel and Saul spoke on the roof.
  Ac 10:9Peter went up on the roof to pray.
  2Sa 11:2David was walking on his roof when he saw Bathsheba.
  Neh 8:15-16of olive, myrtle, and palm branches, they made booths on their roofs, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God.
 
  • The inner chambers - Rooms built up surrounding the court, often one atop the other. Of these, the upper room was traditionally for guests, and would generally be over the gateway. Note: The upper room is a place of work and rest, but the roof is the place of worship!
  Ac 1:13The apostles went into the upper room where they were staying.
  2Ki 4:10the widow makes Elisha a 'walled upper chamber.'
  1Ki 17:19where he later healed her son
  2Sa 18:33where David mourned Absalom's death.
  Ps 104:3the LORD lays the beams of His upper room on the waters,
  Ps 104:13from whence he waters the mountains, and the earth is satisfied
 
  • firepans
  Lk 22:55-56such as the firepan Peter warmed himself at, when Christ turned and saw him.
 
  • cisterns collecting rain water from the roof. "Hence the inhabitants within Jerusalem never suffered from want of water in the longest sieges, whereas the besiegers have often suffered."
  • Firm foundations, dug down to the rock, and built up
  Lk 6:48the wise man built…
  1Co 3:11Christ our foundation.
 
  • latticed windows
  • soft walls - easily dug through by robbers, "So hopes of peace with God which rest on no scriptural promises are like walls built with untempered mortar."
 

(ISBE) Temple structure: Solomon's Temple

 
  • In front, the porch, with the pillars Jachin and Boaz (1Ki 6:1-10, 1Ki 7:21)
  Jachin (OT: 3199) He [God] will establish.
  Boaz (OT: 1162) fleetness
 
  • Within, a court, surrounded by 3 stories of chambers back and sides
  • Inner chamber divided into the holy place, and the most holy place.
  • All raised above the 'inner court' of the priests, with three gates, the primary being to the east.
  Jer 36:10Baruch reads the words of Jeremiah before the people in the inner court.
  Eze 10:3-53 Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the temple when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner court.
4 Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the temple, and the temple was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD.
5 Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.
 
  • The outer court, likely surrounding the temple, the inner court, and the Royal buildings, as well. The royal buildings included both the king's house, and the hall of judgement (1Ki 7:7)
 
1Chr 29:10-20
 10 So David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, "Blessed art Thou, O LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O LORD, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. 12 Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name. 14 But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from Thee, and from Thy hand we have given Thee. 15 For we are sojourners before Thee, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope. 16 O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build Thee a house for Thy holy name, it is from Thy hand, and all is Thine. 17 Since I know, O my God, that Thou triest the heart and delightest in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Thy people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to Thee. 18 O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, preserve this forever in the intentions of the heart of Thy people, and direct their heart to Thee; 19 "and give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Thy commandments, Thy testimonies, and Thy statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision." 20 Then David said to all the assembly, "Now bless the LORD your God." And all the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers, and bowed low and did homage to the LORD and to the king.

Gates (ISBE & Fausset's)

 
  • Place of meeting
  Ruth 4:1Boaz went to the gate to await the close relative.
  2Sa 15:2Absalom would rise early and stand by the gate to speak to those who sought David for judgment.
 
  • Place for legal tribunals. Thus, a seat among the elders at the gate was a seat of high honor.
  Dt 16:18Appoint judges in every town to judge the people.
  Dt 21:18-21The rebellious son who won't obey is to be taken before the elders at the gates of town, and he will be stoned.
  Pr 31:23Her husband is known in the gates, sitting among the elders.
  Ps 69:12those who sit in the gate speak against me.
 
  • Place for public audience with the king
  2Sa 19:8The king sat in the gate, and the people came before him.
  1Ki 22:10The kings of Judah and Israel sat together in the gate of Samaria, and the prophets prophesied before them
  Jer 38:7Ebed-melech sought out the king in the Gate of Benjamin to reproach those who had dumped Jeremiah in the cistern.
  Jer 39:3When Jerusalem was captured, the officials of Babylon came and sat in the Middle Gate.
 
  • Place to deliver messages
  Jer 17:19Go and stand in the gates and declare the word of the LORD.
  Pr 1:21Wisdom speaks at the gates of the city, decrying the scoffers.
  Pr 8:3She cries at the opening to the cities.
  Pr 31:31The good wife's works praise her in the gates.
 
  • object of attack, and so strengthened.
  Dt 3:5All these cities had high walls, and gates with bars.
  Josh 2:7As soon as the search party was out, the gates were shut.
  1Sa 23:7Saul thought David captured, for having entered a city with double gates and bars.)
  Dt 6:9Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. [The frame of the gate was inscribed with words of the Law]
  Ge 22:17your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies [sit in judgment on them.]
 
  • The place of going out and coming in (Ps 121:8), and as such, held to be particularly sacred. Thus, the emphasis on their protection by inscriptions of holy writ.

Wholeness comes in Unity and Obedience

3 Jerusalem, that is built
As a city that is compact together;

3
a city bound firmly together (RSV)
 That the city is firmly established, its walls built up, and all protected within, is to David a sign of God's favor. It is built such that houses contribute to each others' strength and support. Unity. The church that is together with a unity of purpose, a unity of vision, a unity of devotion, is a church that will worship God in spirit and truth.
4 To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the LORD--
An ordinance for Israel--
To give thanks to the name of the LORD.
4
the Testimony of Israel (NKJV) (the statute)
 In this, the tribes of Israel were obedient to the command of God's revealed will. In the temple, too, were the tables of the Testimony between God and man, Israel's special glory. They come to the Testimony to receive God's instruction. If God speaks, we have reason to answer by thanksgiving.
Why? To give thanks to His name.
  Ps 54:6I will give thanks to Thy name, o LORD, for it is good.
 In public worship, our task is to give thanks.
5
Thanks for His judgment!
 Because justice was there. Notice that the testimony and the throne of judgment; the basis of religious life and of civil life, were together as friendly neighbors in the same outer court.
  Dt 17:8-9For the difficult cases, those in dispute, go to the place the LORD chooses, and come to the Levitical priest or judge, and they will declare the verdict.
 

This provided justification for David setting Jerusalem as the center of both government and religion.

We are invited to come in worship. We are invited to come and find our wholeness in Him. Our wholeness consists of unity and obedience, and our obedience consists of giving thanks to His Name, thanks for all He is and all He does. This is our wholeness, this is our joy.

The joy of prayer

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May they prosper who love you.
6
Pray for peace in God's house, prosper in love for God's house. For unity and preservation from enemies. In seeking Jerusalem's welfare (the church's welfare) we seek our own.
  Jerusalem == teaching of peace, or pointing out peace.
7 "May peace be within your walls,
And prosperity within your palaces."
7
The prayer is for both the external and the internal state of Jerusalem, that all might know peace [spiritual and physical?] Peace is to be prayed for all its inhabitants, with special attention to its leaders, such that the peoples can prosper. The task is not left for others. I will pray. And along with prayer, we must be diligent to do all that is in our power, else we didn't truly pray.
8 For the sake of my brothers and my friends,
I will now say, "May peace be within you."
8
For the sake of all whose welfare is wrapped up in Jerusalem, the heart of the body.

Peace

 Links the Old and the New Testaments. Eze 34:25 tells us that God will make a covenant of peace with His people. Paul tells us that peace with God comes by the justification of faith in Christ (Ro 5:1), that God was reconciling us to Himself in Christ (Col 1:20). God had promised a covenant.
  The idea I've often heard associated with the covenant sacrifice was that the action taken upon the animals sacrificed was to be taken also upon the one who broke the covenant. This is a part of what God was doing in the work of the Cross. He was sealing His promised covenant of peace with His people. He declared that that act would stand sufficient for all who would believe upon His Son, and that He would so be reconciled to the believer. "And thus may you do to Me if I break with this covenant" seems to be implied in the process. If it is not so, if faith does not save, then God ceases to be God. That is the strength of the promise.
 

This strength and security is what gave the Psalmist to recognize that he could sleep in peace in the safety God causes us to dwell in (Ps 4:8), it is the very power of God protecting our hearts and minds as we walk through this life (Php 4:7). All of this because God, in His grace and mercy, leaned down and provided the way of reconciliation to us. Jesus, as the Mediator of that covenant, is Mediator also of that peace. This is why we see the idea of salvation wrapped up in the understanding of peace. He gives His peace to us (Jn 14:27), His healing brings peace (Lk 7:50).

This brings an interesting side thought. More a question, really. The modern church, at least amongst the charismatic end, is deeply concerned with physical healing, and certainly the history of Christ's ministry on the earth indicates that He did such things, and that His disciples were empowered to do likewise in His name. But it strikes me that Christ's healing ministry always had a higher purpose in mind than simple delay of inevitable death. Look at the record. Where He healed, the healed went in peace (Lk 7:50, and others). Why the peace? Because the power of His act on their lives broke through the clouds before their eyes and brought them to belief, to salvation! Consider the point of view Jesus had to address, the idea common in the Jewish mind of that time that physical illness was a sign of God's disfavor. Imagine the impact, then, of a healing so obviously by an act of the very God you had been told was so angry at you! This was the power of Christ's healing ministry, a power unto salvation! Can any of today's healing ministries declare the same? I'm not so sure. They seem to be focused almost exclusively on the believers, and how then can they save the saved? Does healing still occur by God's intervention? You bet. Does it always happen to serve His purposes? You'd better believe it! Does it always happen just because we ask real good? Nope. And my suspicion is that it would happen a whole lot more often if we had the same purpose in mind for it that our Savior does.

Christ Jesus is declared to us as the Prince of Peace, who will rule over God's eternal kingdom (Isa 9:6-7). It is right and fitting that this kingdom be ruled by One whose name is Peace, for we know that kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy (Ro 14:17). This is the kingdom we have been made citizens of, and as citizens, we are to be involved in the work of that kingdom. If the kingdom be of righteousness, peace, and joy, so our works should be too, and in Isa 32:17, we are told that the work of righteousness is peace. But what is this work we are to do?

How do we work peace?
God is faithful not to leave us without answer. A love of God's Law brings peace (Ps 119:165), and the ways of wisdom are the paths of peace (Pr 3:17).
What is wisdom?
It begins with the fear of God (Pr 9:10), it grows in obedience to God.
What does God require?
That we walk humbly before Him (Mic 6:8), and follow in His ways.
How are we to know His ways?
By the Law He gave us to guide us.
Even in this covenant of grace and faith by which we stand (Ro 5:2)?
Even so.

For Jesus came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Mt 5:17-18), and if we love Him, we will obey His commands (Jn 14:15). The bonds of that peace work to promote unity in God's people (Eph 4:3), that unity acting as a further witness to the truth of God. Unity is important to our Lord, and it's impossible where pride and rebellion continue. 2Ki 9:22 tells us that Jehu could not be at peace so long as Jezebel remained. Jezebel is the very spirit of prideful rebellion, the same spirit in which Satan rose up in attempt to replace God on His throne, the same spirit he brought to Adam and Eve, telling them they could be like God. It is the spirit that desires to overthrow authority, and be its own boss. Peace cannot reside with such a spirit, for it is hostile to all.

Zeal for Thy house will consume me (Ps 69:9)

9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God
I will seek your good.

9
For the sake of Your house…
  Ps 27:4One thing I ask, that I may dwell in the House of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold His beauty, and meditate on His temple.
 "Our concern for the public welfare is right when it is the effect of a sincere love to God's institutions and His faithful worshippers." (Matthew Henry)
 

Finally, a verse that struck a chord with me, because I'm in the worship ministry inherited from the sons of Levi. Mal 2:5-6 declares God's covenant with Levi - a covenant of life and peace. Why? Because Levi held God in highest reverence and awe. His teaching was true, his walk - his example as lived in his life - was one of peace and uprightness, free of hypocrisy. The witness of his life lived out caused many to turn from their sins, and return to their God. What a testimony to have from our God!

Lord, I pray that one day I, too, might hear that testimony from Your lips. As I put out these lessons on the web, may my words be only of Your truth. As I move into this new role of teaching in home groups, I pray that You would inhabit my lessons as You have ever inhabited my praises. As I continue in service of worship, Father, help me to more faithfully keep Your glory before my eyes, help me to remain focused on coming before Your throne, that those I serve might follow me into Your very presence. Oh, God, forgive me for those ways in which I've failed to hold You in proper reverence, teach me Your ways, oh God, and empower me, Holy Spirit, to walk in them, that I might stand as a beacon to the lost, turning the wayward back to Your merciful arms.

  

©2001 - Jeffrey A. Wilcox