The contents of Psalm 122 indicate that it was written by David after Jerusalem had become the capital city of the nation of Israel, for he mentions government buildings (v. 7). It was the place from which justice was expected from the divinely-appointed rulers of the house of David (v. 5). The city was also the place where the tribes gathered to keep the annual feasts (v. 4) that commemorated and celebrated the Lord’s goodness to them. This psalm was sung by God’s people long before it became number 122 in the Book of Psalms.
When the people of Israel sang this psalm it reminded them of the climax of God’s purposes for his people. Centuries before David, the Lord had delivered their ancestors from Egypt and brought them to the Promised Land. In that land there were many enemies and they had to be removed from their strongholds – we can read about some of these battles in the books of Joshua and Judges. For a long time, Jerusalem under the Jebusites held out against the armies of Israel. Eventually David captured it, and it became the capital city (2 Sam. 5:6-12; 6). The Lord’s dealing with his people told them that he was patient in the outworking of his plan, that he did not forget his promises even although there may have been periods when devout Israelites would have thought nothing was happening.
Connected to the historical fact that a pagan city became the capital city of Israel is the spiritual reality that God can turn cities from states of spiritual bondage into locations where God is honoured. We only have to count the number of church buildings in our larger cities to realise that at one time large numbers gathered weekly to worship God. This psalm is a reminder that the Lord can renew the spiritual state of any city, which means that we should be encouraged to pray for him to restore his cause in the cities and towns of Britain and elsewhere.
After the exile
As we noted when looking at Psalms 120 and 121, the collection of psalms running from 120–134 were grouped together after the return from the Babylonian exile. It is agreed that the purpose of the collection was for use by pilgrims travelling to the annual feasts in Jerusalem. No doubt, they would see a big difference between the beautiful city that existed before the exile and the smaller city that existed after the exile. One function of Psalm 122 would be to remind the pilgrims that it was not the size of the city that was the main issue. Instead, they were to rejoice in what existed in Jerusalem (the beneficial rule of God) and what took place there (the worship of God).
At the same time, these post-exilic pilgrims would be reminded that the God who was worshipped in Jerusalem was a God who could revive his cause. Even if the city was only a shadow of its past glory, it was still a restoration. The book of Haggai deals with this reality. In that book, the prophet tells the people not to be preoccupied with either the past glory or the present smallness of the Lord’s restored community; instead, they were to look ahead to the coming of the Messiah (Hag. 2:7-9).
By the time of Jesus, the city had grown in splendour through the building projects of Herod, but it was no longer the place where the rule of God was experienced or the worship of God truly practised. It would have saddened the heart of Jesus as he sang this psalm, to see the corruption and injustice that marked the religion and the politics of the Jewish leaders. Yet, even in his day, it was the city were the faithful gathered together to worship God, to give thanks to him, and to pray for the peace and prosperity of his cause.
For us
We know that biblical Jerusalem is no longer located in the Middle East. The Jerusalem where true worship and honest rule occurs is now a spiritual place. The writer to the Hebrews says in 12:22-24 that we have come to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem. As we gather in worship, we can say to ourselves that we are also within the gates of the heavenly Zion. We can observe by the eyes of faith the gathering of the tribes of God’s people, not merely the twelve tribes of Israel, to worship the Lord. These tribes come from all over the world and from all periods of history. By faith, we join with that vast throng and worship the God of salvation. Within this spiritual location, we sense great security because there are walls built by God over which no enemy can climb. As with many of the psalms and prophecies of the Old Testament, this psalm points forward to the greater fulfilment that was to be realised in the days of the new covenant when the limitations of the old would have been removed.
The psalm speaks to us about church structures. Our denomination has its various levels of decision-making. Obviously, we should pray for the decisions that are made, that they would contribute to the peace and prosperity of the church in the days ahead. We should also pray that the Lord would continue to give us righteous leaders who would guide the denomination according to the teachings of God’s Word.
There is another application that can be made, and that is how we worship the Lord in our congregation. Every Christian congregation should be a miniature version of the ideal church. The example shown by these Jewish pilgrims in attending their religious feasts illustrates for us the way that we are to worship, whether it is a time of weekly worship or an occasion of special services such as at communion times. We have already noted in our study of these psalms that the attendance at the three feasts of Israel (Passover, Weeks and Tabernacles) is fulfilled every time we meet in public worship. Passover celebrated deliverance from bondage from slavery, Weeks showed their dependence on God for provision of crops, and Tabernacles anticipated future rest in that the people lived for a week in temporary booths. Each Lord’s Day, we celebrate deliverance from the bondage of sin, we thank God for his provision of both physical and spiritual needs, and we anticipate the Sabbath rest to come.
The psalm is a reminder that these celebrations were to be corporate ones. I am sure that every devout Israelite thanked God daily for the events depicted in the annual feasts. But it was not enough to worship God in private; he commanded them to come together to acknowledge his goodness to them. It is the same with us. We, too, can and should thank God daily for our blessings. But our personal devotions can never be a substitute for public worship (of course, neither can public worship be a substitute for private devotions). We can see at least seven emphases of corporate worship in the psalm.
Features of corporate worship
First, there is in verse 1 mutual exhortation to worship. As far as the pilgrims were concerned, they arrived at the city as strangers, which means that it was important for them to receive a welcome. It is important for us to encourage one another to come to the house of the Lord. In his presence, we regain a proper perspective on life and are released from the competing pressures that influence us adversely on a daily basis. We should discover gathering with God’s people to be a spiritual oasis, where our souls are refreshed by heavenly provision. Therefore, we should encourage one another and attempt to create a sense of excitement and anticipation in one another regarding public worship.
Second, verses 1 and 2 also highlight the wonderful reality of sharing public worship with those whom God has rescued from spiritual danger. When the pilgrims stepped within the city gates they found themselves within a secure environment. The city was surrounded with walls, which gave protection to the inhabitants. Similarly, public worship is a reminder of the security of God’s people, that they have been delivered from their sins and are no longer under the judgement of God. We should look round the gathered congregation and note those whom God has set free – they are visible signs of his delivering power.
Third, entering Jerusalem gave to the pilgrims the opportunity of observing the various buildings of the city (v. 3). The psalm indicates that it was a well-designed city. The same is true of the spiritual Jerusalem, whether we think of it in its heavenly location or its earthly expression in the visible church. In another psalm (48:12-13), people are exhorted to walk round Jerusalem and note its various features such as its high towers and bulwarks. When we gather in public worship, we enter a city full of interesting sites. I once heard a sermon in which the preacher imagined a tour of this city and he took us to the museum (where our history can be observed), to the town hall (where our names are written on the city register), to the hospital (where our spiritual wounds are cured), to the council chamber (where we have access to the Ruler of the city), etc. We should take a tour of the city every time we gather in public worship.
An obvious feature of the literal city was its ability to cater for the vast numbers that gathered for the annual feasts. Similarly, the church of Christ has enough room for all who wish to join it. If everybody wished to come, there would be plenty room. Of course, the room is for those who want to worship God, to think about his salvation.
Fourthly, in verse 4, the psalm mentions the unity of the people. Whatever their background, social level, intellectual abilities, age, they were together. When we apply this to the visible church in New Testament times, we can see the importance of unity in the professing people of God. For example, the ordinance of baptism indicates this as it gives access to participation in the privileges of the visible church. Baptism makes a person a member of the visible church and not merely a member of a denomination. So it points to unity. But the place where unity is shown on a weekly basis is the local congregation.
Fifthly, again in verse 4, the psalmist draws attention to the twofold purpose of gathering in Jerusalem. One was to listen at Israel’s testimony (the place where the priests instructed the people about God and his purposes) and the other was to give thanks to God. This is a reminder that public worship is a two-way event, an interaction between God and those who worship. There has to be instruction by those whom God has gifted for this role (in the Old Testament time, the priests had this function; today it is the role of teaching elders); there has to be a response from the congregation, that of thanksgiving to God for his faithfulness. Sometimes, people ask the question as to what is the most important aspect of our response to God. Is it meditation, is it dedication? I suspect it is thankfulness. Paul reminds us to give thanks in every situation. Gratitude is the essence of the Christian life and it is impossible to do any Christian activity without it.
Sixthly, the psalmist mentions the importance of prayer in verses 6 and 7. Prayer is to be made for two details: peace and prosperity. It is easy to see that without peace there can be no prosperity. This is true in the natural world and it is true in the spiritual world. It is impossible for spiritual prosperity to be known if there is no desire for peace. It has been observed that the psalmist prays for peace within the walls, not for the erection of more walls. He also connects the state of peace and prosperity to the actions of the rulers (within the palaces). They are to rule biblically, and if they don’t, there will not be peace or prosperity. But he stresses that the people are to pray for the rulers as well as for the benefits of peace and prosperity.
Seventhly, the psalmist highlights the need of personal dedication (vv. 8-9). He devotes himself to saying and doing only the things that make for peace. As far as his fellow-worshippers are concerned, his speech will focus on peaceful words, with the aim of giving to them a spirit of contentment and concord. Similarly, his actions would always have the aim of the prosperity of God’s kingdom.
Why this emphasis on peace? Because Jerusalem (Salem) is ‘the city of peace’ where the Prince of peace reigns, where the peace of God rules in the hearts of the inhabitants because they are reconciled to him.
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