Gladness (Psalm 122)

"Songs of Ascent" = ("Degrees") steps, stages, gradations, or ascending up a mountain, climbing"

The spiritual life is one of progress.

 Another in the progress of the spiritual life is to rejoice when we go to worship the Lord.

 Charles Spurgeon wrote in The Treasury of David that Psalm 121 was 

 

“…suitable to be sung when the people had entered the gates, and their feet stood within the city. It was most natural that they should sing of Jerusalem itself, and invoke peace and prosperity upon the Holy City, for it was the centre of their worship, and the place where the Lord revealed himself above the mercy seat. Possibly the city was not all built in David's day, but he wrote under the spirit of prophecy, and spoke of it as it would be in the age of Solomon; a poet has license to speak of things, not only as they are, but as they will be when they come to their perfection. Jerusalem, or the Habitation of Peace, is used as the key word of this Psalm, wherein we have in the original many happy allusions to the salem, or peace, which they implored upon Jerusalem. When they stood within the triple walls, all things around the pilgrims helped to explain the words which they sang within her ramparts of strength. One voice led the Psalm with its personal "I, " but ten thousand brethren and companions united with the first musician and swelled the chorus of the strain.”

 

 

Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go into the house of the Lord.”
² Our feet have been standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem!

³ Jerusalem is built
As a city that is compact together,
⁴ Where the tribes go up,
The tribes of the Lord,
To the Testimony of Israel,
To give thanks to the name of the Lord.
⁵ For thrones are set there for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
⁷ Peace be within your walls,
Prosperity within your palaces.”
⁸ For the sake of my brethren and companions,
I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
⁹ Because of the house of the Lord our God
I will seek your good.” 

                                                                            (New King James)

Theme:  Glad

Key thought:  Glad to be in Jerusalem

Key verse:   (:1) “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’”

How is God revealed?  God is the source of gladness, peace, joy, good.  

The gates of Jerusalem appear on the journey!  Jerusalem – the place where god was known and worshiped.  The place of gladness, rejoicing, fellowship….city of peace!

For, the pilgrim longs for Jerusalem.  He delights in the city of God.  

I love the way that one of my friends outlined Psalm 122 in a message she shared.  Jaime Henninger Ragsdale outlined Psalm 122 like this:

Happy (verse 1)

Huddled (verse 3)

Harmonious (verses 7-9)

I like that!  Jerusalem was a happy place because, at that time, this was where God dwelt.  In Bible days the pilgrims had to go TO Jerusalem and worship at the Temple.  I can see the pilgrims huddled together as they crowded around the courts of the temple.  Note that in our progress in our spiritual walk we’re not alone.  “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”  The strength from friend –relationships—there is a special blessing in fellowship!

Also, there was a natural fellowship with everyone going through the gates together. Verse 2 “Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.”  One of the benefits of going to Jerusalem was the fellowship with others.  What a harmonious place.

There was joy and delight realized not only in fellowship with others but primarily in the worship of the Lord.  The anticipation of His house in Jerusalem brought great gladness!

Listen to how The Message paraphrases the psalm:

^1-2 When they said, "Let's go to the house of God," my heart leaped for joy.
   And now we're here, O Jerusalem,
      inside Jerusalem's walls!

 ^3-5 Jerusalem, well-built city,
      built as a place for worship!
   The city to which the tribes ascend,
      all God's tribes go up to worship,
   To give thanks to the name of God—
      this is what it means to be Israel.
   Thrones for righteous judgment
      are set there, famous David-thrones.

 ^6-9 Pray for Jerusalem's peace!
      Prosperity to all you Jerusalem-lovers!
   Friendly insiders, get along!
      Hostile outsiders, keep your distance!
   For the sake of my family and friends,
      I say it again: live in peace!
   For the sake of the house of our God, God,
      I'll do my very best for you.

Today, we don’t have to go to a specific city such as Jerusalem to worship God.  There is no one building like the Temple where God’s presence dwells.  Today our body is the “temple” (the dwelling place) of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19).  Think of this!  When we receive Jesus Christ into our lives, we have the very presence of God in our life.  This was the Presence Jewish pilgrims went to Jerusalem to worship.  You have the source of peace in you!  So, what is the answer to the cry for world peace?  It is having the “Prince of Peace” living inside of each of us. 

I trust you can join the pilgrims in declaring:  “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’”