Friday, May 2, 2014

Psalms 122--Pray for yourself and the church


First, I want to apologize I have not been maintaining this blog this week. I had an infection and was in the hospital until yesterday, but I am back to work and having fun!

I find Psalms 122 to be incredibly fascinating. However, it takes a bit of translating to really realize how powerful and prophetic this Psalm is. First, realize that prior to the cross the temple was “the place to meet God personally” and “Jerusalem” symbolized “the Church.” In this Psalm the words, "house of the Lord" are substituted for the word temple which is easier to understand because our hearts are "the house of the Lord"--that is because of the cross, the "temple" is "within us" is we have a personal relationships with Christ and “the church” has no geographic boundaries.

What does the above definitions have to do with Psalms 122? Well, the Psalm points out the importance of the temple (house of the Lord) and Jerusalem (church as whole). The real kicker when the Psalmist ask us to pray. He wrote,

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”

The above quote was prophetic. Later, Jesus advised his disciples to pray for few things, but one of the key items he stated was, “Unity.” Jesus knew the church would always struggle to make our faith about Jesus and to stand together—the Psalmist knew it as well. Now read all of Psalm 122 as a prayer, but substitute the words “Personal relationships with God’ for “temple” or "house of the Lord" and “the church and my local church” for “Jerusalem.”
Psalm 122
A song of ascents. Of David.
I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity. [1]





[1] The New International Version. 2011 (Ps 122). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

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