Psalm 122

Our call to worship this Lord’s Day is a responsive reading of Psalm 122. This is one of the Psalms of Ascent which presumably would have been sung as God’s people made their pilgrimages to the temple in the Old Covenant. In the New Covenant, we no longer go up the physical Temple Mount; instead, we ascend into the heavenly Jerusalem any time we gather for worship. Our Jerusalem is a spiritual city, as Hebrews 12:22 reminds us. So how does Psalm 122 direct us how to enter into God’s presence?

The Psalm starts this way:

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!”

Is this your attitude toward worship? When you alarm goes off on Sunday morning, are you delighted, or do you come to worship begrudgingly?

Furthermore, the Psalm reminds us that our purpose in worship is to give thanks to the Lord (v. 4). Often, we come to church looking to “get something.” Of course, God does give us something in worship. He gives himself in the promises of the gospel, in the Word and sacrament and prayer. But our first priority should be to give things. Is this your priority?

Finally, verse 9 reminds us that we are to seek the good of the house (meaning the household or family) of God. Our next priority in worship, after the thankfulness of God, is the love of our Christian neighbors. Once again, is this your priority?

Psalm 122, then, reminds us that we are to enter into God’s house with joy for the love of God and neighbor. As we approach this Lord’s Day, examine your own heart. Is this your desire?

If you want some music to help you reflect, here’s a choral setting of Psalm 122. The text is directly from the New King James Version of the Bible.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid