The House of Prayer considered Psalm 122. One of the most quoted verses I heard as a child in Church was Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord. Why would going to the house of the Lord bring joy to David? David writes the rest of this Psalm around why there should be such joy in going to the house of the Lord. From verse 2 to the end of the chapter, David is describing what you will find in the house of the Lord and that is why he is glad that they were gathering in the house of the Lord.
He begins by saying our feet shall stand within the gates. I can’t help but think of Psalm100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him and bless His name. What great joy there would be to stand within the gates where thanksgiving and praise would ring out from everyone who would find strength and refuge in the gates of the house of the Lord. Were taught in the Word of God that there are 12 gates to the New Jerusalem. One day all the redeemed will walk through the gates of the New City and the joy will be of such magnitude that mere words cannot describe it. You cannot help but believe that the Psalmist is saying, I’m glad to be going to the house of the Lord for inside those gates there is joy, strength, protection, comfort, rest and so much more.
Verse 3 teaches us that in the house of the Lord, there is unity. He says we compact together. We are unified in the worship of our Lord. Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: This will always produce an unspeakable joy. The unity we find in the person of Jesus Christ is what you find in the house of the Lord.
Verse 4 describes the tribes going up. It’s a relationship between one another founded on the person of Christ, who is the target of our worship. 1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. In the house of the Lord, our fellowship with each other is dependent on our fellowship with Jesus. If we're in fellowship with the Lord Jesus, then our fellowship with each other must be right.
Verse 5 declares that righteous judgment is found at the house of the Lord. In the house of the Lord, there is only one who can sit on the throne, and He is Christ Jesus. He is the head of the Church. We are members of His body. You will find righteous judgment at the house of the Lord.
Verse 6-9 declares the most precious gift given to those who shall stand inside the gates of the house of the Lord. It is the gift of peace. So many elements are revealed concerning the gift of peace. What follows peace is prosperity. Preceding peace is our love for Christ. Peace is settled within us, and for that reason, there is a transformation process that takes place in the heart of people the dwell in the house of the Lord. Verse 10 says, “I will seek thy good.”
I find myself as David was, saying I’m glad to be able to go the house of the Lord. I long for the days that people will enter the gates of the house of the Lord with thanksgiving and praise, for that is our strength and our joy.
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