“PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM”
“Pray FOR the peace of Jerusalem …” (Psalm 122:6)
And so …
well-meaning Christian groups all around the world are fasting and
beating
their breasts … praying, begging and imploring God … with the utmost
earnestness … to bring immediate peace ‘FOR’ Jerusalem …
something they
hope will happen in the near future … particularly with the present
mid-East
turmoil.
But is
this what is meant by the verse?
In
Webster’s 1828 English Dictionary there are over two dozen entries
on
the meanings and contexts of the word “FOR” … some concerning the
future
and some about the past.
To help
direct our minds in this matter, we refer to the following verse, which
many
misinterpret thinking that our justification depends on Christ’s
resurrection
as the necessary second addition to his justifying blood … but this is not
correct.
“Who was
delivered for our offences, and was raised
again FOR our justification.” (Romans 4:25).
The
correct meaning is that on account of our already being
justified
(past tense) … that is … by reason of … something that had
already happened … Christ was raised.
Putting it
another way, the boy was fined FOR
breaking the window (past tense) not for something that he would
do in
the future.
So the
context of “FOR” (Psalm 122:6) is not
only about praying for future peace, but as a result of peace that God has
already brought to Jerusalem in the past … with the reasons
being as
follows …
1. David’s
Psalms 120-122 are what are called songs of degrees … are songs of
ascents …
songs about the ascending moods, thoughts and the physical
ascension
of Israel from Babylonian captivity in returning up to their
homeland (Ezra
7:9) … these being the hills from which cometh their help (Psalm
121:1-2) … the
mountains of Israel … the West Bank.
2. These
Psalms refer
to the three annual trips made for the great feasts of Passover,
Pentecost
and Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 16:16; Psalm 122:4)
3. Psalm 122
contains
the recollection of the end of this pilgrimage (Psalm 122:1-2), praise
for
Jerusalem (Psalm 122:3-5) and the prayer to God FOR THE PEACE HE
HAS ALREADY
BROUGHT TO JERUSALEM (past tense).
4. At the
time of their
writing, David is extolling the virtues of Jerusalem as a city that is already
compact together (Psalm 122:3) … that is well rebuilt, with
every
part contributing to the strength of the whole.
5. The t(T)estimony
of Israel (the ark Exodus 16:34; Hebrews 9:4) was already there
in
Jerusalem (Psalm 122:4) … where the presence of God was present with
the holy
of holies … called the Holiest (Hebrews 9:3) … with Jerusalem
being the
place of great political and spiritual union, where all the tribes
could
assemble and worship God JEHOVAH (Psalm 83:18).
6. Jerusalem
had the thrones
of judgment (Psalm 122:5) with the public courts of justice, where
order
and peace reigned.
7. David had
every
reason to pray FOR Jerusalem’s received peace and
prosperity … ON
ACCOUNT OF/BY REASON OF the PAST PEACE that had been
already delivered
by God … and of course … that this should never be disturbed … and be
ever on
the increase … that peace should be forever in Jerusalem’s walls (Psalm
122:6-7)
8. Lastly,
David
concludes, that as a result of God’s blessings, David would seek the
good of
Jerusalem because of the house of the LORD (Psalm 122:9).
9. And
doesn’t this sound like a contradiction Dear Reader … until the
Prince of
Peace returns (Isaiah 9:6) as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS with
sharp sword
to smite the nations (Revelation 19:15-16), there will never be peace
for
Jerusalem … indeed the world.
In
conclusion Dear Reader, today’s earnest (misguided?) prayer warriors
may be
accused of having a DOUBLE BLIND SPOT.
Firstly, in not
seeing that
David in Psalm 122, was thanking and praising God FOR
Jerusalem’s PAST peace
and
secondly praying
for an immediate
peace of their own designs for Jerusalem (eg a 2nd
State
solution) … being ignorant of the prophecy of the soon upcoming
seven
years of tribulation outlined for Jerusalem … Daniel’s 70th
week.
“Dear
God, we know that peace will come to Jerusalem in your way, your time
and according
to your will.
We
know that because Esau gave up his birthright there has been a perpetual
hatred of his descendants toward those of Jacob’s.
We
know that as Jacob was a deceiver, and he will be deceived as well …
and only
can be miraculously rescued by you Lord as outlined in your word.
Please
help us to see this and not pray prayers of unbelief and presumption
about the
future peace of Jerusalem … it will come … your word says it.
But
it’s all been laid out and there is nothing we can do about it … except
be
assured, that the Lord’s will, will be done and of course … pray for
salvations.
Amen”
Harley
Hitchcock
December
2023
This
website’s front page is:
www.
WAY
TO PRAY?”
“A
PERPETUAL HATRED”
(Ezekiel
35:5; Genesis 27:41)
The
deceiver shall be deceived
