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Scripture admonishes believers in God to: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6). It tells us what will happen if we do and gives us a sample prayer.
May they prosper who love you [Jerusalem].Another translation renders this differently, though the essence is the same: Pray for the well-being of Jerusalem;Some people I’ve met zealously obey this command. They pray for and give material support to the State of Israel, then wait to be blessed by God. They pray so they themselves will prosper. It’s like an investment. God made promises, so they do it. But is that the right heart to have, an honorable motive behind interceding for this long-troubled city? The psalmist tells us why we should offer this prayer:
For the sake of my kin and friends,Not for our own prosperity or peace, but for the sake of others. Especially for the House of God—His place of dwelling. His House (or Temple) was his earthly framework out of which He spoke and where He provided atonement to make it possible for humans to fellowship with Him.
Praying for the House, within Jerusalem, is the real focus here. Not making a business deal with the Creator. Originally Psalm 122 was a pilgrim psalm that worshipers sang while ascending the roads into the city—in order to go up to the Temple to see God. The city has worth because of the House, not vice versa.
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The Gospel of John implies that Yeshua was the House of God, in whom the Kavod and Davar (the Glory and the Word) were dwelling among God’s people. In him they saw and heard the face and voice of the One who sent and indwelled him. Before leaving, Yeshua said he would make the true believers into a House, to the extent they allow God’s presence to indwell them. They were then to add on to the House, to extend its rooms so that it filled the earth. So there have been three houses: the Temple in Jerusalem, Yeshua, and the true believers (whether Jewish or Gentile). There is to be a fourth: in Jerusalem again. Scripture affirms that the Architect’s compass has always pivoted around this center-point city and people. How this last House will be built and who it will consist of is now unfolding. In our zeal to return to the prophetic blueprints, let’s also be sober. Praying for Jerusalem’s rebuilding may lead to “prosperity” we wouldn’t expect or naturally choose. Yeshua prayed for the city: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . .He sought her well-being and he was killed. He prayed for God’s House and got war every day. Yet he knew that the House and the city would one day prosper as he had prayed and labored. And in the end, with his last breath, he said he was at peace with his work. But it cost him. If we obey the command and pray for the city, and follow Yeshua’s example, it may cost us. We may not obtain earthly prosperity or peace. So? What’s truly important? Do we want blessing or to bless? Should we pray for Jerusalem, hoping we’ll escape war and tribulation, or pray to give strength and hope and shalom to city-dwellers who have known only war? If we pray rightly—in the spirit of Psalm 122—we may be assured that the House will indeed prosper. And in the end we’ll be blessed: along with the whole House, our kin and friends. That will be far better than “much fine gold” (Ps 19:11). |
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