Psalm 122:1-9 NIV
I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together.
That is where the tribes go up— the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord according to the statute given to Israel.
There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.”
For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.
Psalm 122 is another psalm of ascent sung by pilgrims as they journey to Jerusalem for festival gatherings. There are three annual pilgrimages to the temple required by law for those within traveling distance. These are Passover, Pentecost, and the Festival of Tabernacles or Booths. This particular psalm celebrates the city of Jerusalem and prays for the city's peace.
The name Jerusalem means city of shalom. The city was originally known as Salem. You can see the similarities between Salem and shalom. In English the word we use to translate shalom is peace, but that hardly defines the full meaning of the word. Shalom is health, wealth, peace and happiness. Shalom is the deep and abiding security that comes from one's needs being met. Shalom is wholeness, like couples who feel that they complete one another. Shalom happens when you live in harmony with God and all people.
Some believe that praying for the peace of Jerusalem is essential to world peace. Jerusalem is important to three of the world's great religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The city has a history of war as these faiths, and the countries they represent, fight for control of the city and its sacred places.
An excellent film on the defense of Jerusalem against the Muslim armies under Saladin is called "Kingdom of Heaven". Balian de Ibilin of France negotiates terms of surrender with Saladin. He asks what does Jerusalem mean to him. Saladin answers, "Nothing... and everything!" Isn't that the truth? Jerusalem means nothing to world peace in the eyes of the secular world. But to people of faith Jerusalem means everything.
For the Jew, Jerusalem is the place where God claimed that His presence and name would dwell forever at His temple. Faithful Jews still pray at the Wailing Wall, the foundation where this temple once stood. For the Christians, Jerusalem is the place where Jesus was crucified, died and was buried, and where He rose again from the grave. It is the site where the salvation of the world was given. For the Muslim, Jerusalem is the place where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. The famous shrine known as the Dome of the Rock marks the place, where also Abraham offered up his son Isaac in obedience to God. God stopped Abraham's hand from slaying his son and provided a lamb to take his place. Jerusalem is so much more than all these things to people of faith.
Our hope in God and God's great vision of a world united in peace and love, as we worship our creator, is symbolized by Jerusalem. There are many other holy sites all around the world to many different religions, but Jerusalem is THE place for monotheistic faiths.
Last Sunday in Zionsville, Indiana, a Muslim leader addressed a Christian congregation, witnessing to his beliefs. It is part of a preaching series comparing Christianity to other religions.
Some might think this a heresy. I think that understanding and respect for one another is key to peace. This kind of thing gives me hope that we might actually learn to coexist, even though our beliefs differ significantly.
The Bible speaks of the new Jerusalem coming down to earth from heaven. If you were to interpret it literally, Revelation reads like a massive mothership entering our orbit from space. The vision of the new Jerusalem is beautiful and speaks of our hope in God for peace on earth.
Revelation 21:2-4, 7, 22-24, 27 NIV
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Our hope is in God to bring our warring madness to an end. Whether you pray for Jerusalem, or you pray in general for peace on earth, remember your prayers are joined with billions who desire the same. I leave you with lyrics to an Elvis Costello song.
And each time I feel it slipping away, it just makes me wanna cry, "What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?"
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