576_The joy of dwelling in the city of God (Psalm 122)
Psalm 122 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2 Our feet have been standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together,
4 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.
5 There thrones for judgment were set,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you!
7 Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”
8 For my brothers and companions’ sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.
A traveler who, after years of wandering across continents, finally reached the gates of his childhood town. The moment he saw the familiar rooftops and the ancient walls, his heart surged with a joy he could not explain. It wasn’t simply the beauty of the place, nor the memories it held, but the sense of belonging—of standing once again where he knew he was meant to be. He later wrote in his journal, “There are some places the soul recognizes before the mind fully understands. Some gates you cross and instantly feel at home.”
That sentiment mirrors the heartbeat of Psalm 122. It is the feeling of a pilgrim drawing near to Jerusalem, the holy city of God—the place where heaven and earth seemed to meet for the people of Israel. And it is also the feeling David describes when he bursts out in joy: “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’” His joy was not merely about traveling or tradition; it was the joy of drawing near to the dwelling place of God.
Psalm 122 is the third of the Songs of Ascents but the first written by David. Interestingly, David wrote this long before the temple was built. The magnificent house of God that Solomon would construct existed only as a promise and a blueprint in David’s mind, yet his longing for God’s presence was as real as if the temple already stood. Throughout his life, David displayed a deep yearning to dwell with God—an ache, a holy hunger, that consistently appears in his psalms.
“One thing have I asked of the Lord… that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” (Psalm 27:4)
“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” (Psalm 42:1)
“In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
These were not poetic exaggerations—they were the authentic cries of a man who knew that the deepest joy a human soul can taste is found in the presence of God. So when David says, “I was glad,” it is the gladness of someone who has been invited to the one place he wants to be more than anywhere else. The invitation to go to the house of the Lord was to David what the sight of his hometown gates was to that weary traveler—an awakening of joy.
David also knew precisely where God had chosen to place His name. Long before David penned this psalm, God had already appointed Mount Moriah as the location of His temple. It was the place where Abraham climbed to lay his son Isaac on the altar—a place of surrender and costly obedience. It was the place where God stopped the plague that had ravaged Israel after David’s own sin of pride. Mount Moriah, the center of Jerusalem, was a place heavy with divine intention.
So when the pilgrims sang, “Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem,” they were standing in a place layered with sacred history. Jerusalem—whose very name carries the idea of peace—was God’s chosen dwelling place. David had conquered it from the Jebusites and established it as the center of worship and the seat of his kingdom. Looking at the city, David rejoiced that it was “bound firmly together”—not merely architecturally strong but spiritually unified. Jerusalem was more than a city; it was a symbol of God’s presence among His people.
And what made Jerusalem glorious was not its stones, its walls, or even its history, but the fact that it was the place to which “the tribes of the Lord” ascended. Three times a year, all the tribes of Israel, from the north, south, east, and west, journeyed up to Jerusalem to celebrate the appointed feasts. Each feast was an occasion of thanksgiving: Passover for deliverance from Egypt, the Feast of Weeks for the giving of the law and the harvest, and the Feast of Booths for God’s provision and their journey through the wilderness. At the heart of these pilgrimages was gratitude—gratitude for salvation, for revelation, and for provision.
In Jerusalem also stood “the thrones of judgment,” where the house of David administered justice. God had promised David a dynasty that would not fail, and David trusted that God would fulfill every word. Jerusalem was meant to be the place where justice reigned, where righteousness was upheld, and where God’s people could live in security and fairness.
It is fitting, then, that David concludes the psalm by urging the people to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. To pray for Jerusalem was to pray for the flourishing of God’s dwelling place, for the unity of His people, and for the continuation of His purposes in the world. David prayed for peace not for political gain, but because Jerusalem housed the presence of the Lord. Its welfare was tied to the spiritual health of the nation.
Yet despite all its privilege and divine purpose, Jerusalem would one day reject the God who loved it. Jesus, standing on a hill overlooking the city, wept and cried out, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… how often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” The city that once echoed with the songs of joyful pilgrims became the city that rejected its Messiah. The tragedy of Jerusalem reminds us that it is possible to live near holy things and still remain far from God. Like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son—who lived in his father’s house but never understood his father’s heart—Israel lived in the holy city yet failed to embrace the God who dwelled there.
Psalm 122 ultimately points us beyond the earthly Jerusalem to the New Jerusalem of Revelation—a city where God Himself will dwell with His people forever. In that city, there will be no temple because God Himself and the Lamb will be its temple. It will shine with the glory of God, free from sorrow, sin, and death. The pilgrim journey of Psalm 122 is in many ways our own journey toward that eternal city, the place where joy will be full and peace will be unbroken.
Until then, we are called to live as people who long for God’s presence just as David did. We may not ascend to a physical temple, but through Christ, the presence of God is accessible to us wherever we are. Yet the joy of dwelling with God still requires trust, obedience, and a heart that seeks Him above all else. We must be careful not to resemble the Israelites who remained stubborn despite God’s warnings. The invitation to joy is open, but it must be embraced.
In practical terms, this means cultivating a life that seeks God intentionally. It means setting aside time to dwell in His presence, to meditate on His Word, and to worship Him with gladness. It means valuing the fellowship of God’s people, just as the tribes valued their journey together to Jerusalem. It means praying for the peace and flourishing of the Church, God’s dwelling place today. And above all, it means living each day with the anticipation that we are pilgrims heading toward a city whose builder and maker is God.
Let Jerusalem—God’s presence—be our chief joy. May we say with David, “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord,’” and may that gladness shape the way we live, worship, and hope, until the day we stand within the gates of the New Jerusalem, where joy will finally be complete. God bless.