Psalm 122

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Sermon Follow Up

Summary

Psalm 122 shows us a people gladly ordering their lives around worship as they travel to Jerusalem—the city where God dwells, His people gather, and His King rules. This sermon considers what Jerusalem teaches us about worship, work, culture, and the Church, and how the blessings once found in the city of God ultimately come to us in Christ.

Discussion/Reflection Material

-Psalm 122 gives us a window into Israel’s festal calendar and religious life. God ordered Israel’s schedule around worship through the command of memorial festivals and Sabbaths. While our New Covenant calendar is more flexible than Israel’s Old Covenant calendar, the comparison should lead to an assessment of our value system. Is worship the center of gravity in your life, or is work/economic productivity the center of gravity?

-How does the joy of the pilgrims standing in Jerusalem relate to the joy we have in Christ?

-The prayer for Jerusalem’s strength in verses 6–9 led to the question: How does God’s city become weak? We noted that this often happens when the rulers of God’s city become enamored with the cities of man and begin reshaping God’s city according to their patterns (Solomon and Ahaz were examples). How can Christians receive good tools and gifts from the surrounding culture without allowing that culture to redesign God’s city?

-Verse 4 draws attention to the tribes of Israel traveling “up” to Jerusalem. What is Scripture communicating through the geography and topography of the city? How does the New Testament continue and develop this upward movement of God’s people (e.g. Heb. 12:22–24)?

-The sermon briefly drew attention to the oneness and distinctiveness of God’s people as all of the tribes came together to worship one God in one city. What, if any, significance might this have for our modern conversations about church unity, Protestant denominations, and the like? Where might the comparison between Israel’s tribes and Christian denominations break down?

Family Friendly Version

Big Idea: Jesus is our Jerusalem.

Talk about it: Psalm 122 is all about the joy God’s people experienced when they got to travel to Jerusalem to worship God. What did the city of Jerusalem provide God’s people in the Old Testament? It’s where their King was. It’s where the temple through which they accessed God was. It’s where the army that protected them was. Rule, worship, and warfare (protection) all came from and were found in Jerusalem. Who is our King? How do we access God? Who commands the armies of heaven to protect us? Jesus!