Psalm 122

Three Things To Take Note

Bible scholars are in agreement that Psalm 122 was a song sang by the ancient worshippers as they climbed the hill towards the temple in Jerusalem. They were going to the house of God to do several things: firstly, to praise the name of the Lord according to the statute given to Israel (v4). Meaning they were going there to worship God. For Psalm 122, you will find that it begins and ends with the mention of the house of the Lord (v1 and v9). This tells me that the psalmist longs very much to go to the house of the Lord for worship. And he expressed his delight in going to the Lord this way – I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” (v1).

Since more than a year ago, we required our worshippers to register before coming for service. This was in keeping with guidelines from MCCY. Last Sunday was the first time we did away with the need to do that for our worship services. I was delighted to see all the worshippers coming to church for worship service. I look forward to seeing more and more of you come back for onsite worship service in the coming Sundays.

I am looking forward to hearing the sound of your singing resonate through the Sanctuary and on to the streets. Let us come to the house of the Lord to praise and worship Him!

The next thing the psalmist did in the temple was to pray for the peace (shalom) of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love you be secure (v6). The fact that the psalmist is going to the Lord to pray for peace is a sign that he was experiencing some degree of anxiety. For us today, the war in Ukraine and the virus situation are just two of the many anxieties we are facing. And I am sure there will be more uncertainties ahead, but the Bible assures us that we can come the Lord in prayer. So, let us not be discouraged but continue to pray for God’s peace upon our land and the world round us; believing that the Shalom peace of God will come soon.

The third thing the psalmist did was to seek your (God’s) prosperity (v9). In our modern world we use the measure of what we have or our “net worth” to define prosperity. But the bible’s understanding of prosperity is not about material possession. It is about seeking the ultimate purpose in life, that is, to worship the Almighty God in His house.

Our government has taken the bold step to allow singing in worship though with mask on. I am looking forward to hearing the sound of your singing resonate through the Sanctuary and on to the streets. Let us come to the house of the Lord to praise and worship Him!