Psalm 123
Denny Spitters
Summer Under the Psalms • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 50:07
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Psalm 122 Preaching Notes
Psalm 120 – Far away from Jerusalem.
Psalm 121 – On the journey to Jerusalem
Psalm 122 – Arrived in Jerusalem.
A Psalm of David. That’s not without it’s questions:
· Description is of magnificent Temple in a grand city of Jerusalem
· Jerusalem was the city of David. Center of his rule.
· Temple wasn’t built. Only Tabernacle.
How do we deal with these problems? Possibilities:
Assume there is no reason David couldn’tbe talking of the grandeur of the Tabernacle or that David’s feelings towards Jerusalem wouldn’t be as this Psalm described similar to my attitude when I walk in this room and think of all God has done and marvel.
That said, I sense David somewhat prophetically – writing just as the Holy Spirit wanted Him to write – which seems to be from the perspective of a pilgrim who would be entering into Jerusalem from a long journey.
So, it’s written for those on pilgrimage to the city of God (Jerusalem) and to us, on our pilgrimage in this life, as well. We’ll see how.
I. (Psalm 122: 1-2 ) Joy upon entering the city.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let’s go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet were standing
within your gates, Jerusalem—
Immediately a sense of overwhelming joy; giddiness almost – just being in the city!
· Seems almost overwhelmed by the city, itself, as he reflects on it in this psalm.
· There has been anticipation in the previous psalms in the journey, now there is both anticipation of all that will happen, but there is something special about being here.
o This is one of 3 pilgrimages a year where all the tribes of Israel would gather together as one big family and worship.
§ That would be special being together, but there’s something more than that.
ILLUS: My Journal:
Tried to come up with how to communicate why this is such a big deal. Then it hit me as I was thinking about my journal from early 90s I read just this week. A little background and a couple of observations:
When I became smitten with Karen Kellogg, it was lights out on everybody else. There were no other girls in the world for me.
We’re reading the words of a person who is deeply committed to the Lord. There were no other gods and he was rejoicing when they said, “Let’s go to the house of the Lord.”
Are you that committed to Christ? Is your focus all about Him so that there are no other gods before Him? Are you sure??
The New Covenant version of the “House of God” is the Church – the Holy Spirit dwells within us and it is the Body of Christ that makes us feel complete; living out our part within the ekklessia is where we find the most joy; experiencing deep koinonia.
The psalmist was passionate about the Lord and that drove him to worship. That leads me to my second takeaway:
2. I couldn’t wait to get to San Antonio because I knew San Antonio was, to use biblical language, the “city of Karen”.
Because Karen lived there, it made me love everything about the city.
· The city gave me joy because Karen gave me joy and the more I was with her in San Antonio, the more I identified San Antonio with her.
· They became inseparable so that anytime I thought about or someone mentioned San Antonio, I smiled because it made me think about Karen.
Jerusalem was the City of God. It’s where the Tabernacle (later the Temple) was. It was THE place where atonement for sin was made, where the Law of God was read, and where the people of God all came together.
Jerusalem was the place that God chose to dwell among His people during the time of the Old Covenant.
Because of the psalmist’s love for God, everything about Jerusalem made him smile. He didn’t take it for granted. He took it all in!
It all reflected God’s amazing provision.
II. (3-5), he makes 3 observations about Jerusalem that we can identify with in the Church:
(Psalm 122: 3-4 ) Jerusalem, built as a city should be, solidly united where the tribes, the Lord’s tribes, go up to give thanks to the name of the Lord. (This is an ordinance for Israel.)
3 Jerusalem, built as a city should be,
solidly united,
4 where the tribes, the Lord’s tribes, go up
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
(This is an ordinance for Israel.)
First, the city was physically compact. No sprawling suburbs outside the city, but everyone in the city, close together, safe within the walls.
Commentator:
The material “compactness” was perhaps taken to symbolize the close internal union of the inhabitants one with another, whereby they were all knit together into one people.
That is certainly our point of identification. The Old Testament system of worship involved going to Jerusalem 3 times a year. The New Testament system of worship is done within the context of the Church, and all of this provides help and encouragement for the church today.
So, the city was built compact and solid. They were secure within a wall of protection, bound close together.
Sense of security.
Sense of community.
Sense of strength.
All of those are characteristic of the church of Jesus Christ.
Three things the church is called to and provided for by Christ.
· Security but not isolation: The wall is God Himself, who sovereignly watches over everything that happens to His kids.
· The community is the ekklesia in which is found koinonia.
· The strength is the fact that as we stand against the enemy in both our unity and our mission, we know two things:
4 You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world. Therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.”
United in diversity
The 12 tribes were not all the same – different priorities, different sizes, etc., but they were all the people of God, united by the same purpose, worshiping the same God, and celebrating His mercy as one.
Kidner: “The unity was never meant to be uniform; Israel was a family of tribes, each with its well-marked character (cf. Gen. 49; Deut. 33). But the ties were more than those of blood or convenience: these were the tribes of the Lord, and Jerusalem was where they were to meet him, not simply one another.
The church is made up of diverse individuals, but we are united in Christ and we are united because of Christ.
This is why we are a covenant community. We are bound by covenant to one another, committed to loving each other, walking through life together, and working through issues together.
We have to be people who understand life is hard and we are committed to working it out in the proper way – Matthew 18
This is how we show the world a love that surpasses life circumstances, class, socio-economic background, .
12 For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink. 14 Indeed, the body is not one part but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted. 19 And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable.
Every covenant member is an indispensable part of the Body of Christ. If you are not involved and contributing to the mission and ministry of The Gathering, we’re not all we’re supposed to be or all that we could be.
And you won’t be unless your relationship to Jesus and His Bride are top priority.
Is the Bride of Christ the top priority within your family? Is it optional?
We are only divided if our eyes are on ourselves, our priority is our own needs, and our worship is misdirected or superficial.
Unity in Thanksgiving.
· It would have been amazing for all the tribes to be together, but they weren’t primarily there for the fellowship – they were there to offer thanksgiving together.
· Demonstrates their relationship as an eternal family, though they are scattered when not together on these occasions.
o We are a family, as well and we have much to give God thanks for.
o It’s important to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
§ Keeps us humble
§ Keeps us dependent on God
§ Gives Him proper glory
Why “thanksgiving” and not general “worship”?
I’m not sure, but I know that our temptation is to go to God mainly to “Get” (help, blessing, etc.). That is right to do, but God has already done so much for us, thanksgiving needs to be emphasized.
ILLUS: Child’s natural inclination – “Mine” or “I want”
We have to train children to say, “Thank you.”
(Psalm 122: 5 ) There, thrones for judgment are placed, thrones of the house of David.
5 There, thrones for judgment are placed,
thrones of the house of David.
During the times the psalms were written, justice was found in the cities – at the city gate where the elders would sit and rule under the authority of the king. If you lived in rural areas, justice might be hard to find.
The psalmist notes that Jerusalem is a place of justice where God’s rule is established through the throne of David. The pilgrim recognizes Jerusalem as the place where things are put right; where wrongs are righted.
On a temporal level, this is why Scripture establishes qualified elders to oversee the church, to provide counsel, guidance, and order.
But the Church as a whole stands as a shadow of Heaven, the New Jerusalem, with Christ as the Head who will come and make all things new.
This is why the New Testament emphasizes forgiveness and not taking matters into our own hands because
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. 20 But
If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
For in so doing
you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.
21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.
III. (6-9) The psalmist closes this psalm with a prayer and a resolution
(Psalm 122: 6 ) well-being of Jerusalem and securityof those who love her and are within her.
6 Pray for the well-being of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure;
(Psalm 122: 7-8 ) Peace and (again) security
7 may there be peace within your walls,
security within your fortresses.”
8 Because of my brothers and friends,
I will say, “May peace be in you.”
(Psalm 122: 9 ) Resolution: Because of the magnificence of the city, the psalmist would work tirelessly for the Kingdom of God represented there.
9 Because of the house of the Lord our God,
I will pursue your prosperity.
If we believe the Church is the Body of Christ, we who are members of her because of the mercy and grace of Christ who saved us and brought us into the Family of God which is the Kingdom of God, this should be our resolution as well. Christ died for the Church, I will spend myself for the mission and calling of the Church in the world.
22 Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels, a festive gathering, 23 to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to a Judge, who is God of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel.
