Psalm Devotional
The Joy of the Church
Written by Kit Swartz. This devotional was first published in the March 2015 issue of The Reformed Presbyterian Witness.
Psalm 122 is the third in the Songs of Ascents (120-134). The series’ theme of ascending to the temple in Jerusalem (Exod. 23:14-17) is very prominent in this psalm. The Songs of Ascents are well suited to our praise as we ascend in the Spirit into God’s presence in public worship (Heb. 12:22-24). These psalms are good choices for elders as they call God’s people to worship.
Psalm 122 is connected to David, and nothing precludes his authorship. He is the one whom God used to conquer Jerusalem and make it His chosen dwelling place. He is the one who rejoiced to bring the ark there and earnestly sought the good of the city by means of justice (2 Sam. 5:6-10; Ps. 101). The main point of this psalm is joy in the house of the Lord in Jerusalem and, therefore, prayer and labor for its peace and prosperity. For us, this means joy in the church (Heb. 12:22) as the assembly of God’s people and, therefore, prayer and labor for her blessing.
Enjoy the Good of the Church (vv. 1-5)
The prospect of public worship should be joyful (v. 1; Ps. 42:4). Going to church should bring much more joy to our hearts than a trip to the mall or the ballgame, considering where we are going, who we will be with, and what we will be doing (vv. 3-4; Heb. 12:22-24). The church gathers not at its own will and whim but at the command of God (v. 4; Heb. 10:25). One of the reasons for joy is that the church provides stability to our lives and relationships by vindicating righteousness and disciplining sin (v. 5; see Matt. 18:15-20). The church is stable because it is built by God (v. 3; 1 Cor. 12:18). Each part functions for the good of the whole (v. 3; Eph. 4:16).
Each tribe (v. 4) has its own nature, gift, and calling (Gen. 49) and contributes accordingly for the good of the whole nation. This is also true of individuals in a congregation, congregations in a presbytery and synod, and congregations in a city or town. We should discern our gifts and needs as individuals, congregations, and denominations, and give and receive accordingly within the broader church (Eph. 4:16). We should not be ashamed of our gifts and needs or contemptuous of the gifts and needs of others (1 Cor. 12:12-26).
Seek the Good of the Church! (vv. 6-9)
Because the church is so blessed by God and such a blessing to His people, we must pray and labor for her peace and prosperity (vv. 6-9). When paired, peace refers to the absence of evil and prosperity refers to the presence of good. We have this pair in the elements of the Lord’s supper: peace in the forgiveness of sins (cup) and prosperity in the gift of righteousness (bread). When peace is alone, it signifies both aspects (Ps. 125:5). We have this in baptism: both the washing away of sin and the refreshing in righteousness in the one symbol of water. All of this good is, of course, in Christ alone! The Greek version of the Old Testament expands the idea of peace to “the things which make for peace” (v. 6) which Jesus longed for (Luke 19:42) and Paul exhorted to (Rom. 14:17, 19); namely, faithfulness.
We pray particularly for those who love the church (v. 6); namely, those who are not merely nostalgic and sentimental but who seek and do good to the church (v. 9; 1 John 3:18; Eph. 4:16). We are to pray and do good to the church, both to citizens who are geographically or relationally far away (v. 7, walls) and citizens who are near (v. 7, palaces). We are to pray and do good to those of our own tribe (v. 8, brothers) and those of other tribes (v. 8, friends). That is, we are to pray and do good to the church in every place and in every manifestation. We are to do this because the church is the house of the Lord our God (v. 9; 1 Tim. 3:15).
Rejoice in the beauty and blessing of the visible, gathered church. Do all God has gifted and called you to do, seeking the Church’s good in word and deed, in prayer and labor, near and far (Eph. 4:16).
