Walk In Hope To Your Eternal Home (Psalm 122)
Psalm 122 is one of the most popular advent passages and readings in the Bible. Interestingly, it is not immediately obvious to modern readers why this would be the case. But this week of Advent is about hope, specifically hope purchased for us by Christ. And here we have the beauty of this passage.
In many ways Jerusalem is like the church for us. It was the place where God’s people came together to worship the Lord. And through the finished work of Christ, we as believers enter the presence of God in worship (Hebrews 12:18-24). It is a reality that we will one day experience fully in God’s presence, but we participate in somewhat while on Earth in this body. That is why the writer to the Hebrews says that we draw near to God’s throne where Jesus intercedes for us (Hebrews 4:14-16). So, there is a sense in which we are already there even while we are in this life. That is why Paul stated that we have been raised up into the “heavenly places” (Ephesians 2:6). There is a real sense in which we are already at home with Christ even while we are down here on Earth.
And with that in mind, our text will begin to look rather hopeful. We have hope and longing that our feet will one day be planted in the new and eternal Jerusalem because of Christ’s coming and accomplishing our salvation.
This psalm was to be sung as God’s people entered Jerusalem for feasts. Though you don’t often think of it that way, the psalms are songs, and the book of psalms is a book of songs. And there were certain times that many of these hymns were sung. This is a song that was sung during a celebration as the people were looking up to Jerusalem and to the temple on the sojourn. It is an upbeat song of worship and prayer that helps us to see that we have hope and longing that our feet will one day be planted where they have in some sense been for quite some time.
We Have Hope Because We’re Headed Home (Psalm 122:1-2)
The psalmists heart rejoiced when the thought of heading to the Lord’s house was on his mind (Psalm 122:1). And the reason for his rejoicing was quite simple. His feet have been standing in Jerusalem all along (Psalm 122:2). They were there even when he was far away, in a distant land.
I can’t know for sure, but I imagine this is how people feel that are away from their families for long periods of time. I am a homebody whose feet must be pried away from home. I think a little over a week is probably the longest I’ve been away from Amanda since we got married. But I do imagine this to be how people feel when they are away for a long period of time. Whether it be some sort of business or a military deployment, I imagine there is a feeling that they are in a place, but the heart is at home.
I know that I have been this way when on short times away. I want to be home with my family. Youth Ministry trips would sometimes take me away for a week, or just a few days but I wanted to be home with my family. I was there doing everything that I needed to do, but there was a real sense in which my feet were at home.
Christians have a longing to be with the Lord forever, and in a sense, it is a place that they’ve been since they were first united to Christ. Jerusalem was the place people went to worship the Lord. And what we do here on Sundays is a “foretaste of glory divine”, a sort of taste of home. So, there is a sense in which, because we are already seated with the Lord in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), our feet are already with the Lord and have been for a while. And we will one day be with the Lord in the Heavenly Jerusalem forever. So, as we struggle with many things in this life, we have hope.
We have hope because we know for sure that we will one day be with the Lord for all eternity through the gospel. Man rebelled against God and has earned for Himself God’s wrath and justice. But God made a way for sinners to be made right with Him and it was through the perfect life, death, and resurrection of His Son: Jesus Christ. God the Son took on human flesh and dwelt among us. He lived a perfect life, and He died a sacrificial death on the cross. And three days later, He rose from the grave. Our response to this message is to turn from ruling our own lives and trust in Christ. All those who trust in Christ are united to Him by faith and given eternal life. This eternal life is fellowship with the Lord. And as we have seen, we are seated with the Lord in the Heavenly Places, even while here on Earth. And one day all those who are His will be with Him fully and forever. We will be home.
We Have Hope Because There Will Be Unity And Security (Psalm 122:3-5)
The picture we get here is of a crowded city that is living harmoniously. As the psalmist recollects the city it was “bound firmly together” (Psalm 122:3). The picture is of crowded homes, walls, stores, markets. There are people everywhere. And the people there are from the 12 tribes of Israel, as God had ordained it to be. These many people had the purpose of going to give thanks to the Lord together. This is a picture of unity as these different people packed into this city and lived in harmony, united in their effort to give thanks to the Lord.
Today we worship together with people from all over the globe. And there is coming a day when we worship with people from every tribe, nation, and tongue brought together by the blood of Christ. Our numbers will increase as numerous as the sand by the sea shore and the stars in the sky. And all of us will be united by Christ. We will all come together to give thanks.
And notice that this unity and harmony is found because there is complete righteousness as the king sits on his throne. Jesus came and accomplished our salvation, and we respond through repentance and faith. We are His people, the righteous who will live with Him forever. The word “judgment” hear simply means that righteousness and justice reign in this place. It is a crowded and well-ordered and righteous city.
I live here in Conway and often hear the police sirens. I know that not all of them are due to criminal activity, but I have to assume that some of them are. And I know that increased population does generally mean increased crime. Part of this perception is that I grew up about 10-15 minutes outside of Harrison, which is itself a town of only about 18,000 people. I grew up in a home with no neighbors either in front or behind us, those were both woods, and the closest neighbors beside us were about 100 yards away. As a kid I would stand at the neighbor’s driveway because we lived on a hill that was dangerous to stop on and listen to the elk bugle. It was peaceful. It was quiet. And so, I generally equate, because of my life history, peace with a spaciousness and elbow room that I don’t exactly have right now. I equate peace with being away from people. But, I also know that it is most often the case that crime increases with increased population density.
But there is coming a day in which the children of God will come together and worship the Lord together. And there will be a lot of us. There will be no sorrow, no sin, only righteousness as we worship the Lord together.
Today there are many things to consider. It is more dangerous than it will one day be. And because of that I am pro-conceal carry, not because I love violence but because I know that this world is filled with sin and there are dangerous people that walk among us. And the more crowded the area, the more likely I am near a person that might cause harm. My wife carries a bottle of pepper spray for this reason. And Lydia is in Jiu Jitsu, in part because we understand that wicked people inhabit this world, and we want her to know how to protect herself. But I do not like that I have to think that way and I rejoice in the fact that I won’t have to always think this way.
I will rejoice when I don’t have to think about that anymore. There is coming a day in which we, the people of God, will dwell together in unity and harmony with the Lord as our Righteous King. And He will ensure that we dwell in a city of righteousness and safety.
We Have Hope Because There Will Be Perfect Peace (Psalm 122:6-9)
The end of the psalm is a prayer for the peace of Jerusalem. It is a prayer for shalom over Jerusalem. He prayed for and longed for the peace of Jerusalem. Just as we pray for and long for eternal peace.
As was discussed this morning, shalom is not just an absence of war. It is a complete peace and righteousness. And in that place where God’s people gathered to worship the Lord He prayed for this perfect peace. I find it interesting that even the name “Jerusalem” can mean “teach peace”. “Jeru” is to throw, shoot, or teach. And “Salem” is likely the word shalom that has been changed because of the prefix. And so, he prays for the peace of this place and longs for perfect peace to reign there. He prays for peace within the walls, among God’s people, and from the outside as he prays for the security of the towers that would protect Jerusalem (Psalm 122:7). He prays for peace within the people of God, for those who reside there (Psalm 122:8). And he vows to seek the good of Jerusalem with his life.
They failed to do this. It is obvious when we read the New Testament.
“”O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate.” (Matthew 23:37-38 ESV)
Israel killed the prophets and rejected God’s message. And safety did not dwell within the walls of Jerusalem. They were torn down violently in AD70. But it wasn’t a failure on God’s part. It was the passing away of the old and an ushering in of the new. The old was a shadow of the new and we can learn a lot from this text about today.
We are on our way to the heavenly Jerusalem, and we pray for and seek the peace of God’s people.
When I came here two years ago, this church was coming off a tough year or so. And in a lot of ways, peace was not here. There were arguments that were hashed out over the course of my first few months that were a bit ugly. And peace was a struggle.
I believe things have gotten better, but there have been some warning sighs go off lately. Maybe I’m imagining things. But I don’t think that I am. Do you want peace or to war like the world? Do you long for peace as the psalmist does, not only with God but also with fellow believers?
A person that is striving for peace will overlook the offenses of others as much as possible. They will strive to be at peace with those around them. They will seek unity with their brothers and sisters in Christ, so they will resolve difficulties. And they also will not just allow sin and rebelliousness to take root because they walk in righteousness. We want to be a people that long for, pray for, and work for peace.
Conclusion
We are headed for the place we have in some sense been for a long time. We are united to Christ, even while on this Earth but we have been separate from the Lord at the same time. We are marching to Zion, that city of peace and unity.
Don’t just sit around and wait for that day to come. Pray for it and strive for it in the here and now.
R. Dwain Minor