Let Us Go to the House of the Lord
I hope you start looking forward to the next Lord’s Day at the close of the prior one. For the Christian the best day of the week should be Sunday, the day we get to go to the house of the Lord! To think of going to corporate worship should fill us with gladness, and for many of us it does. Yet sadly, in this broken world, there are many who find going to church difficult. They may have been hurt, disappointed, or let down by the leaders or the members. While this pain can take time to heal, it shouldn’t keep the Christian from going to church. The Lord binds up the wounds of the brokenhearted, even when their hearts were broken in His house. By God’s grace, over time a place of sadness can become a place of gladness again. Psalm 122 reminds us of the importance of worshiping with God’s people and praying for peace among them. But before we turn our attention to this psalm we need to understand its broader context.
The Lord had commanded Israel to keep three festivals a year in the city of Jerusalem (see Deut. 16:16). It’s likely that the fifteen Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134) were sung by the Israelites on their way to Jerusalem to keep the annual feasts, both before and after the exile. Therefore, it’s appropriate that the collection begins with the pilgrims far away from the temple in Jerusalem. They face temptations both from without (the devil and the world) and from within (their own flesh). These psalms present a picture of every believer’s journey to the new Jerusalem. They teach us about our journey as elect exiles on this earth and more importantly, about the Elect Exile who left His home in glory to fulfill His Father’s plan. They are arranged in a significant order—seven psalms on either side of the climactic one, Psalm 127, which highlights two of God’s promises to David (a place and progeny). Since the Songs of Ascents aid us in our worship of God we should study them often. In this brief article we will consider what the third one (Psalm 122) has to teach us.
Procession
If you’ve ever been on a long journey, you know how good it feels to finally reach your destination. In Psalm 122 the weary pilgrim finally arrives in Jerusalem, the city of God, in which stood the house of the Lord (vv. 1-2). Joy filled his heart as he saw the city and the temple. But even greater joy filled his heart when he realized Jerusalem was characterized by unity, praise, and justice (vv. 3-5).
Today we gather together each Lord’s Day with gladness in our hearts, giving thanks to the God who has saved us. It is Christ who builds His church and prays for its unity. United to Christ believers are members of one another. Each one has been given spiritual gifts to build up the body and serve one another. We are to strive for unity in all our interactions, both inside and outside the church. However, on this side of glory our striving will be imperfect and results will be less than ideal. It’s important, then, to live with the hope of the New Jerusalem where Christ Himself will be the temple and there will be perfect unity and praise.
Peace
Not only is there gladness in the pilgrim’s heart, there is a prayer for peace and security on his lips: “Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!” (Ps. 122:7). This desire for peace reflects the priestly blessing, “the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Num. 6:26). Aware of his communion with God and his communion with his brothers, the pilgrim desires peace within Jerusalem: “For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, ‘Peace be within you!’ (Ps. 122:8).
Ultimately peace and unity came through Jesus Christ, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace” (Eph. 2:13-14). Our union and communion with Christ establishes our unity with one another. Since we are members of one body we are to seek peace for the glory of God and the good of each other.
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When do you start looking forward to the Lord’s Day? I hope your entire week, from Monday through Saturday, is spent in joyful anticipation of Sunday. On that day we get to go to the house of the Lord! If this brings sadness instead of gladness because of hurt you’ve experienced in the church, don’t stop going. Ask God to heal your broken heart as you continue to engage in corporate worship, gladly giving thanks for all that He has done.
