Psalm 122
A clear topic today, folks – Jerusalem. I can picture Galileans singing this song as they began their three-day journey to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the annual feasts. We could even imagine Jesus as a boy or as a young man joining in praying and singing this Psalm. Carol and I have been with the crowd on the National Mall in Washington, DC a number of times for the Fourth of July. It’s a happy crowd, everywhere, that turns absolutely joyous when the fireworks begin. And I can remember my first-ever trip to Washington, the first time I saw the White House, the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial – how much I embraced the thought of my country, my citizenship, our independence. Again, joy. That’s about as close as I can come to relating to this Psalm and the joy in Israeli hearts as they began their journey and especially as they arrived at the Temple, as their eyes beheld the beauty of the gates and the columns. What joy they must have felt!