Psalm 122/Commentary

Psalm 122

“The Delight Of Worship” “The pilgrim-psalmist, designated in the superscription as David, recalled his delight in going up to Jerusalem, which the nation’s spiritual and civic center. He then called for everyone to pray for the peace and security of Jerusalem for the sake of the godly and for the sake of God Himself” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p.

883).

Joy Of Arrival

122:1 “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’”: “We can imagine the writer standing inside the gates of the city after his long journey, looking around at the stately government buildings, the homes of the wealthy Jerusalem residents, and the city’s massive walls, and marveling” (Boice p. 1083). Verse 1 may well be translated as “I rejoice whenever they say to me”. “At this point he is standing in Jerusalem and rejoicing---with the thousands of other pilgrims—that he has arrived at the goal of his pilgrimage.

His feet are standing in Jerusalem!” (Gaebelein p. 775).

Point to Note: In this verse and the verses that follow, David tell us why he was so glad when it was time to head toward Jerusalem. It wasn’t so much the wonder of the “big city”, or the chance to go shopping, rather, the temple (in the time of David it was the tabernacle), God’s house, was located in Jerusalem. In addition, God had commanded a journey to Jerusalem three times every year, during the great feasts of Passover, Firstfruits, and Booths. Do we rejoice when it is time to worship with Christians? Do we look forward to the first day of the week (Acts 20:7)? We should note that David rejoiced in the opportunity to worship with other believers, he didn’t view “organized religion” as some unspiritual concept.

Rather, he loved to go to Jerusalem, and worship with other believers at the temple for the simple reason that this is the structure or order which God Himself had commanded. Let us rejoice in the opportunity to attend, for the simple reason that God commands such (Hebrews 10:25), let us rejoice in the chance to partake of the Lord’s Supper, give, sing, pray and listen to the Word of God, for this is the order or organized structure which the Creator Himself as planned.

David went to the same city, saw the same temple, offered the same sacrifices, 1

went through the same routine three times a year, and yet never lost his delight in God’s worship practices. David never complained, “Can’t we do something different”, or, “can’t we spice up the worship a bit”?

122:2 “At last Jerusalem and the House of the Lord come into sight, and we have arrived….The trials of an expatriate (exile) (Psalm 120) and the hazards of travel (121) are eclipsed now by the joy which had first drawn the pilgrim on his journey” (Kidner p. 433).

Point to Note: We need to stop and consider the staggering truth that of all the people on the face of the planet, very few worship God (Matthew 7:13-14), and yet we part of this privileged minority. Wow! Do we realize how blessed we are? When we assemble, do we ever stop and think, “Of all the people in this community, why was I given the chance to hear the gospel?” Millions of people are lost in this state alone, and yet I am worshipping God acceptably! Do we ever think, “I actually made it out the world, I really am serving God, I am truly one of the faithful, I am following what the Bible says, and I, of all people am engaged in worshipping God in the way that God desires”? (John 4:23-24)

The Bond Of Unity 122:3 “As a city compacted together”: In the time of David, Jerusalem was a small city located on the crest of Mount Zion and Mount Moriah, bounded on two sides by steep descents to the Kidron and Tryropaean valleys, and thus no more than half a mile in breadth. It had a dramatic setting for one approaching it from a distance, and its tight structure would have impressed anyone observing it.

“In praise of Jerusalem the psalmist looks at the throngs of worshipers who are contained within the city. The city is ‘closely compacted together’ in comparison with the multitudes of pilgrims. Above the heads of the throngs, the walls and buildings of the city rise, giving the sense of buildings and walls being joined together” (Gaebelein pp. 775-776). In addition, Jerusalem was a walled city, well defended and protected, see Psalm 48:12-13. This could also suggest a city of power and strength, and it is a joy to know it.

122:4 “To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord”: Jerusalem also unified the nation, because this was the city to which God commanded His people to come at various yearly festivals and worship Him. Hence, Jerusalem brought the nation together, this city served to bring all the various tribes to God. Here they were to meet Him and not merely each other. In fact, king Jeroboam would fear this unifying factor (1 Kings 12:26ff). It was an act of loyalty to God to come here at the yearly feasts which were commanded in the Law (Exodus 23:14-17; Deut. 16:16-17; 12:5-6; Psalm 81:3-5).

2

Point to Note: The unity of the nation of Israel was never merely political. The real unifying factor was spiritual, every Jew was to come to Jerusalem and worship the one true and the same God. 122:4 “To give thanks”: “Here they are refreshed in worship. Here the law of God is taught. Here they celebrate His mighty acts. Here they are reminded once again that they are God’s people. No wonder there is such joy” (Williams p. 409). Note that the motive for such worship was to give thanks. Is this our motivation when we meet with other believers? How often is gratitude on our minds when we meet together? Are we wanting to express our appreciation for God, or, are we like the pagans who worship from the motive of trying to get something from the gods?

122:5 “For there thrones were set for judgment”: “Judgment may seem an anticlimax among the glories of Jerusalem, but it means justice, which is a ruler’s first duty and best gift: cf. Isaiah 2:4; 42:3” (Kidner p. 434). Jerusalem was not only the religious center, but also the political center of the nation. The kings of Judah ruled by divine appointment, they upheld God’s kingship to the extend that they were faithful in dispensing justice. Hence, Jerusalem became the center for dispensing justice among God’s people. “Thrones” may be a reference to the king’s courts, located in the palace of the monarch or in other governmental buildings. The pilgrims may have actually seen such “thrones” in the form of justice being dispensed at the city gates as they entered (Ruth 4:112). “Dispensing justice is one of the two God-given functions of right judgment.

The other is defending its citizens against violence either from within or without (Romans 13:1-7). When the kings of Israel took this responsibility seriously and gave just judgments, the city and nation were blessed by God and prospered.

When they neglected this duty, the nation was troubled, and the result was often civil war” (Boice p. 1085).

Point to Note: David doesn’t fear justice, rather he finds comfort in the fact that there is a place where justice can be found. Rather than resenting law and order, rules, restrictions, and so on, let us be thankful that such laws, especially those in the Bible exist, and they do protect us. The same appreciation should be felt when we are in a congregation overseen by elders, who watch for our souls (Hebrews 13:17). Here we can find safety and security and here we can be protected and find justice when we need it.

The Vision Of Peace

3

122:6 “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem”: The proper fruit of faithful worship to God and justice is peace. “Our Lord’s lament for the Jerusalem of His day throws new light on such a prayer. To the authorities of the time, ‘the things which make for peace’ had looked at first sight divisive and dangerous (John 11:48), and had eventually become unthinkable (Luke 19:41ff). In playing for safety Jerusalem had achieved disaster” (Kidner p. 434).

“It may be a sober realization of how difficult it is to provide genuine justice in this world….There can be no true or lasting peace without justice. Justice is hard to achieve. ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!’ And well we might. No city has ever been a center of such fierce military battles, destruction, and loss of life as Jerusalem has been” (Boice p. 1085). Sadly, human unfaithfulness and disobedience is the reason that in the years following David the city of Jerusalem had very little peace.

Point to Note: Do we earnestly pray for the peace of the Church? And like David, do we realize that our spiritual safety and security, and the spiritual health of our children and loved ones is wrapped up in right attitudes towards the commands of God, seeing that justice prevails, which will contribute to peace among God’s people?

122:6 “May they prosper who love you”: David asks for God’s blessings to come upon men and women who are of the same mindset as himself. Do we love the Church? Do we love the things of God? Do we love God’s goals, His desires, and what He wants preached and accomplished? One real test of where our heart is, is whether God’s people, the Church, commands our concern and interest more than any other thing in this life (Matthew 6:33).

122:7-8 Notice the emphasis on the word “within”. David couldn’t do much about the injustices and wickedness outside of Jerusalem, such as in other cultures. But he wanted God’s city to enjoy peace. In like manner, we can’t do much about the problems in our culture (John 16:33), but we do have a lot of say whether or not the local congregation we attend is right with God and at peace with each other (Ephesians 4:1-6).

Point to Note: The world is very cynical. It says that mankind cannot change, that prejudices are impossible to remove, and that people can never see eye to eye. But Christians have been given the wonderful opportunity to prove the world wrong.

We can demonstrate that there is an absolute standard to which everyone can understand alike and to which all can agree (1 Corinthians 1:10; John 17:17).

And we can prove that even the most selfish can become unselfish, and that

4

people filled with hate and wickedness, can completely change (Isaiah 2:2-4; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

122:8 David loves many people, and is concerned about their welfare as much as his own. He realizes that unfaithfulness and injustice will only hurt the people he loves. One great reason why we should serve God, is that such service benefits the people we love. The greatest gift that any parent could give to their children is the example of being a faithful Christian.

122:9 “I will seek your good�: Is this our attitude towards the Church?

5