1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let’s go to Yahweh’s house!”
Free Grace note
Glad to Go I was glad when they said, Let us go to Yahweh's house. The gladness comes before the pilgrim ever arrives; it is stirred simply by the invitation to worship. This corrects a common assumption that worship is mainly a duty to be performed. Here it is a delight to be enjoyed. A maturing believer notices the difference between coming to God because you must and coming because you long to. Jesus told the woman at the well that the Father seeks worshipers who worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23), not reluctant attenders. Gladness in gathering with God's people is a healthy sign, and it is worth cultivating. Worship is a joy before it is ever a job, and the joy is meant to draw the whole heart in.
2 Our feet are standing within your gates, Jerusalem;
3 Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is compact together;
4 where the tribes go up, even Yah’s tribes, according to an ordinance for Israel, to give thanks to Yahweh’s name.
5 For there are set thrones for judgment, the thrones of David’s house.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Those who love you will prosper.
Free Grace note
Praying for Peace Beyond Yourself Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and notice the psalmist prays for others, for his brothers and companions and the house of God, not only for himself (verses 8 and 9). A growing faith turns outward. Jerusalem here also points forward. The New Testament calls the assembly of believers the heavenly Jerusalem, a city that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:22). Some might think citizenship there is earned by pilgrimage or effort, but Scripture is clear that the peace of that city was purchased by Christ, who made peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20). Your place in the city of God is a free gift received by faith, never a reward for the miles you walk. So pray for peace, seek the good of your people, and rest in a peace already bought for you.
7 Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.
8 For my brothers’ and companions’ sakes, I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of Yahweh our God, I will seek your good.
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