A JOURNEY UNDER
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD!
Psalm 122
was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go
to the house of the LORD!”
Our feet
have been standing
within your
gates, O Jerusalem!
Jerusalem—built
as a city
that is
bound firmly together,
to which
the tribes go up,
the tribes
of the LORD,
as was
decreed for Israel
to give
thanks to the name of the LORD.
There
thrones for judgment were set,
the thrones
of the house of David.
Pray for
the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they
be secure who love you!
Peace be
within your walls
and
security within your towers!”
For my
brothers and companions' sake
I will say,
“Peace be within you!”
For the
sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek
your good.
In this
Psalm of ascent the writer, David, rejoices at the fact that the tabernacle is
back in Jerusalem and that he is able to see Jerusalem regain its stature.
David
remembers well when he had been recognized as King and, having defeated the
Jebusites, had established Jerusalem as the center of his reign. He called it ‘the
city of David’. He also remembered how the Ark of the Covenant had been brought
back to Jerusalem by him.
Although 2
Samuel 6 describes how the returning of the Ark had exposed David’s sin, at the
end there was great joy.
As the
pilgrims would come back to Jerusalem, singing these words brought back to
their memories the sovereignty of God and His great care for Jerusalem. It also
evoked in their minds the fact that God expected them to follow His
instructions, and that there was great joy in submission to God.
At the time
of David, Jerusalem was not as large and as wonderful as it would be under the
reign of Solomon. Even in these verses there is a sense of expectation about
what God would do in the future.
We know
that perfect peace will be found in Jerusalem only when Christ, the eternal King,
will reign forever.
Jerusalem,
meaning ‘city of peace’, has been a city of much strife over the years. But one
day, peace will reign forever. As the pilgrims came back to Jerusalem, they
shared in the joy of being in the city they loved. And they also participated
in prayers for the peace of this city, where those who worship God would find
peace.
As we look
at the work of God, and His love for the Jews and Jerusalem, we are certainly
encouraged in our own walk. As I read the Old Testament, I am continually
reminded of the fact that God is in sovereign control over all, and that He
desires that we walk in step with His will. One cannot overlook the fact that
God rebuked and punished His chosen people, but He also showed continued grace
toward them in bringing them back to their homeland.
Looking back
at my own life, I can see how many times God has shown me His faithfulness when
He has rebuked me and caused me to return to Him. I know the reality of the joy
and peace that is found when I followed His ways, and the darkness of those
times during which I wandered.
As
believers, we long for the day when God will establish His perfect reign and we
will know perfect peace. We are also reminded of our responsibility to be light
to those around us. Certainly the Jews failed many times and we do also, but
our lives should be lights in this dark world.
Knowing
that God keeps His promises, and that man cannot limit Him or change His plans,
gives me great peace, while facing daily difficulties. God will continue to do
His perfect work in me, as He continues to mold me into the image of His Son.
I rejoice
in God’s faithfulness, and in the fact that I have brothers and sisters who
accompany me on this journey. Take time to thank God for His love, and take
time to thank those brothers and sisters who are being used by God in your
life!
No comments:
Post a Comment