Coming to the House of the Lord
Book of Psalms 122 Verses 1-9
Up until October 7, 2023, when Israel's war began, millions of people traveled to Israel, most of them were Christians.
Some few go now but not many.
Most Christians are headed to Jerusalem because everyone knows Jerusalem is special.
Some people say "It just feels like home" even though they had never been there before.
We know that our Messiah walked all over Israel, but He was crucified at Jerusalem.
As Christians, we know that our spiritual roots extend to Jerusalem!
We will spend a thousand years in Jerusalem serving the Lord, but we will spend eternity in New Jerusalem.
The redeemed of all the ages who will walk through those pearly gates of New Jerusalem to bask in the glorious presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
One day that trumpet will sound, and we will hear and heed the call to worship in God's true House.
Let us listen to these clear instructions to all believers.
*****Psa 122:1 A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
We know that David rejoiced to go to the house of the Lord!
There was no Temple yet in Jerusalem, but David had built a Tabernacle in which the Ark of the Covenant was placed.
2Sa_6:17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
David was a man after God's own heart.
David loved to be in the presence of God.
We know the Lord had chosen to put His name in Jerusalem many years before this.
Deu 12:11 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:
Every Christian should have a great desire to go to the House of God and even go more often because of the things we see today going on in Israel.
Israel is God's timepiece!
So, let us see if this phrase could have another meaning.
It could be describing to us the restoration of Israel when the Lord returns to restore this Earth as it was in the day of Adam.
Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
Amo 9:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.
The phrase “that day” points toward the future.
In fact, it is probably referring to the time when the Lord Jesus will restore Israel as it was in the days of King David.
This means all the land God gave to Abraham.
So let us see which way the Scriptures go.
The Israelite men had to go to the Temple three times a year according to the Law of Moses.
For believers today, we should be in God's House every time the doors are open to Praise our Savior!
We should know how to act in God's House!
1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
We should go to God's House often and know that it is a command of God.
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Those who do not go to God's House often are sinning against the Word of God!
We ought to rejoice when the appointed time comes to go to God's House.
The Jewish feasts were special times, the highlights of the year and they celebrated the opportunity to go to God's House.
I live in the Bible Belt and when I meet people on the street and ask them about Church most of them will claim to be saved, but they do not attend church regularly.
Many others go to church, but it seems to be a dreadful duty to them. They just as well stay home!
It should be a joyous occasion every time we go and hear what God has to say!
We must make being at church to be joyful, but it cannot be that way unless we love the Lord.
He is always at church to worship with us and even the Holy Spirit is always there because He lives within us.
Heb_13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
God has a purpose for everything He does.
What was God's purpose for the founding of Jerusalem?
*****Psa 122:2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.
Psa 122:3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:
Psa 122:4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.
Psa 122:5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
***The most important reason for going to Jerusalem was the fact that God had chosen Jerusalem as the place where He would establish His name!
Deu 12:5 But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:
Deu 12:6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:
Deu 12:7 And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.
Psa 87:2 The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Psa 87:3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.
Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
There should be no doubt that God loves Jerusalem!
We can also understand that Jerusalem is a picture of the New Jerusalem, but we will not know the full picture of this until the Lord Jesus sits on the throne of David in Jerusalem.
We could also say until the Lord Jesus sits upon the throne of David to rule this world.
God will dwell among His people in the New Jerusalem!
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
***There is a second reason:
Jerusalem had strong, closely guarded walls.
Jerusalem was a secure city.
2Sa 5:9 So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.
Most people felt safe when they were inside the walls of Jerusalem.
***There is yet a third reason.
The walls of Jerusalem were solid walls.
Jerusalem was without a doubt the City of God!
Psa 48:8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.
This same God Jehovah is the same God today, still full of power and majesty.
Psa 48:14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.
When the gates of the city came into view of God's children, they knew they were almost home!
Israel was a nation of tribes, and they were all essentially one family. Their leaders were each the sons of Jacob who became Israel. They may have forgotten that for a while, but they are bound to remember when it becomes time to choose the world or time to choose God's family.
***There is a fourth reason.
As a nation of tribes who had a common ancestor, then they needed a place to gather in the name of God.
Each tribe may operate independently but they could come together in unity because they all had the same God!
When they gathered together for the feast to give thanks to the Lord they obeyed the testimony of Israel, the laws that God had given to them.
Exo 23:14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
Exo 23:15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
Exo 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exo 23:17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
There is a great feeling of relief that comes from knowing that you have been obedient to the Almighty Living God.
Jerusalem was the appointed worship center where they came in unity.
God ordained this physical location on our planet for Israel to gather to worship Him.
The world may refuse to acknowledge this, but it does not make it any less true.
Anyone, anyone who tries to alter this ordination of God deserves the punishment that God will place on them!
***A fifth reason also comes to us.
Jerusalem was also Israel's political center, much like Washington DC is the political center of the United States of America.
We could say the United Tribes of Israel, and this is who they are when they are obedient to God!
In Jerusalem was the location of the Throne of Judgment.
One of the King's most important duties was to render judgment and execute justice.
The thrones of the house of David would extend until it will be the Lord Jesus Christ, King Jesus, who will sit upon that throne in Jerusalem.
2Sa 7:13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
2Sa 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
2Sa 7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
The Jerusalem of old is a picture of New Jerusalem to come in many ways.
When the Apostle John was on the Isle of Patmos, the Lord Jesus showed him the New Jerusalem.
John reported what he saw.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
God's people will rejoice in New Jerusalem, and all the painful things of this life will have passed away.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
This new city will be full of God's Glory.
Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Rev 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
We will all be secure within the walls of New Jerusalem.
Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
Rev 21:13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
All God's people from every nation and every tribe will come together in New Jerusalem.
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Rev 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
We see that God has a plan and those who are against Him cannot stop it!
The greatest privilege after salvation is the privilege to stand in God's House in New Jerusalem!
There will be a gathering of family members who have gone on before us and those who will come after us.
The Word of God will be exalted because we will understand the things that God has done.
We will praise God like never before because we will truly have the mind of Christ.
We will understand that we are safe and secure throughout all eternity.
Today, especially because of what we see and what we know, we need to pray earnestly for the peace of Jerusalem.
*****Psa 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Psa 122:7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.
Psa 122:8 For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.
Psa 122:9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.
If you are a Christian, you will love Jerusalem.
If you are a Christian, you will be on the side of Israel.
If you are a Christian, you will pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all of Israel.
To the Eastern part of the world, Jerusalem is called the Holy City and it is.
The Apostle Matthew used this phrase in Scripture and so did the Apostle John.
Mat_4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
Rev_21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Nehemiah, Isaiah, and Daniel used this phrase in the Old Testament all speaking of the same Jerusalem.
Shalom is living happy, untroubled, with a sense of fulfillment.
Shalom and its related words are among the most important theological words in the Old Testament.
Jerusalem has not seen peace throughout the Bible.
The closest this city of God came to peace was in the time of King David, but Jerusalem will finally see peace in the time of King Jesus.
David prayed for peace in Jerusalem asking for peace inside the walls of his city.
David was praying that God would bless the leaders of Israel and would protect them from the wickedness of this world.
How many of us pray such prayers?
David prayed for the peace of Jerusalem for the sake of his family friends and those of all of Israel.
We should remember that King David was responsible for the peace of Jerusalem in his day.
It is one thing to look out for your own self and that of your family, but it takes a lot more to look out for each individual in an entire city.
David next prayed for peace in God's House.
If we consider all denominations to be the Church today, we can certainly see that there is no peace in God's House.
We may brag about the church that we attend, but the truth is many denominations are throwing the Bible away and listening to what the world has to say rather than what God has to say.
The Pope the leader of the Catholic Church is one way today and another way tomorrow.
The Wesleyans have thrown out the truth of the Gospel.
The Methodists have forgotten the methods of truth.
The Protestant church has forgotten about those who protested for the truth.
The Southern Baptists have left the truth for lies.
We could go on and on, but the truth is God's House is not at peace and the church is no longer holding back the evilness and the wickedness in this world.
We know that Israel is at war, so we surely know we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all of Israel as the world turns its back on reality.
The fact remains there will be no peace in Jerusalem until the return of Christ!
There will be no peace in the Church until the Lord Jesus returns to separate the wheat from the tares!
There will be no peace in this world until King Jesus speaks with that sword in His mouth and brings an end to the time of Satan!
Today the Temple of Jerusalem lies in ruins part of it under the Muslim Dome of the Rock.
The Jews have to pray at what is called the Wailing Wall most of them have never been able to even go upon the Temple Mount.
Even so-called Christian sects in Jerusalem haggle over shrines and the Arabs and Jews are at each other's throats.
The world refuses to recognize that land belongs to the Jews because God gave it to them and God is going to give it back to them.
Those nations that surround God's people trying to rid this world of them will find that the shoe is on the other foot at the appearance of King Jesus.
The fact is that the Arab nations will almost destroy this world just to annihilate all the Jews, but King Jesus will settle this issue forever before this happens.
We can be with Him, or we can burn in Hell with all other unbelievers.
I choose the Lord!
Amen
