The thing a man has to realize is that it is never too late. I’ve known of many a man who has braced up and made something of himself after he was forty, with nothing to show for the years before that but scars and the cluttering up of dead wishes. About the worst thing a man can do is to let a dream die.”
–Louis L’Amour (Hanging Woman Creek)
“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.”
–Revelation 21:10(NKJV)
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Psalm 122, another psalm of ascent, is at the beginning. Many ask why since it speaks of Jerusalem, the destination of the pilgrims. George Wood states, “Why then is this psalm here, near the beginning of the psalms of ascent rather than the end? Because if you are going to reach the top, you must keep alive the faith of actually getting there.” Remember Christian in The Pilgrim’s Progress who was going onward, upward, always looking for the Celestial City. This morning we will look at the first five verses.
1 — I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the LORD.”
2 — Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 — Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together.
4 — Where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to the Testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 — For thrones are set there for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. (NKJV)
George Wood titles this psalm the “Dream Psalm,” because even though the psalmist knows the trail is steep and difficult at the finish the the holy city of Jerusalem. Eventually he will reach his goal, but until that time he will encourage himself by “refreshing himself in the present toil by drawing from the well of future gladness.” (Wood) He will make sure that he watches his step, that they are firmly established before taking the next one.
We live in a day when church attendance is dwindling. Excuses are made, some say it has not recovered from COVID, but I would answer that any excuse to stay away from the house of the Lord is a flimsy excuse. Yes, I know there are times of unusual circumstances that cannot be avoided, but on the whole, the Christian can make it to church.
“I was glad!” the psalmist says. But Sunday morning is my only time to sleep in. “Let us go into…” I get bored, the preacher is always harping about something. Excuses, so many excuses. I had a rough night last night, I had a rough week and need to rest and recuperate. There’s a ball game I want to watch. Oh, I hear the fish are biting. And on, and on, and on we can go with the excuses.
“I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining ev’ry day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
‘Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.'”
–Johnson Oatman, Jr.
The NLT translates the second part of verse 4, “They come to give thanks to the name of the LORD as the law requires.” The people were required to make this pilgrimage to Jerusalem to sacrifice at the Temple. However, now the veil has been rent, we take the “temple” with us as we climb. We are not looking for a place to throw our tent as Abraham did looking for the land that God promised him, or the cross over Jordan to the promised land that was promised to Moses and the children of Israel as they left Egypt. No, my friend, we are looking for that wonderful city. We are traveling the gloryland trail, and we’ll make it–no matter the hardship, no matter the hostile imps of the devil we may meet along the way, no matter the battles, no matter the pestilences that may come–heaven is waiting. Take time to read of the New Jerusalem found in Revelation 21:10-22:5.
So onward and upward. The mind and attitude is set. The “blessed hope” is before us and the heavenly city awaits. The Lord is coming, are you able to sing, or to say, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD'”?
“Come, we that love the Lord
And let your joys be known,
Join in a song with sweet accord,
And thus surround the throne.”
–Isaac Watts
–Revelation 21:10(NKJV)
——————————–
Psalm 122, another psalm of ascent, is at the beginning. Many ask why since it speaks of Jerusalem, the destination of the pilgrims. George Wood states, “Why then is this psalm here, near the beginning of the psalms of ascent rather than the end? Because if you are going to reach the top, you must keep alive the faith of actually getting there.” Remember Christian in The Pilgrim’s Progress who was going onward, upward, always looking for the Celestial City. This morning we will look at the first five verses.
1 — I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the LORD.”
2 — Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 — Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together.
4 — Where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to the Testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 — For thrones are set there for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. (NKJV)
George Wood titles this psalm the “Dream Psalm,” because even though the psalmist knows the trail is steep and difficult at the finish the the holy city of Jerusalem. Eventually he will reach his goal, but until that time he will encourage himself by “refreshing himself in the present toil by drawing from the well of future gladness.” (Wood) He will make sure that he watches his step, that they are firmly established before taking the next one.
We live in a day when church attendance is dwindling. Excuses are made, some say it has not recovered from COVID, but I would answer that any excuse to stay away from the house of the Lord is a flimsy excuse. Yes, I know there are times of unusual circumstances that cannot be avoided, but on the whole, the Christian can make it to church.
“I was glad!” the psalmist says. But Sunday morning is my only time to sleep in. “Let us go into…” I get bored, the preacher is always harping about something. Excuses, so many excuses. I had a rough night last night, I had a rough week and need to rest and recuperate. There’s a ball game I want to watch. Oh, I hear the fish are biting. And on, and on, and on we can go with the excuses.
“I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining ev’ry day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
‘Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.'”
–Johnson Oatman, Jr.
The NLT translates the second part of verse 4, “They come to give thanks to the name of the LORD as the law requires.” The people were required to make this pilgrimage to Jerusalem to sacrifice at the Temple. However, now the veil has been rent, we take the “temple” with us as we climb. We are not looking for a place to throw our tent as Abraham did looking for the land that God promised him, or the cross over Jordan to the promised land that was promised to Moses and the children of Israel as they left Egypt. No, my friend, we are looking for that wonderful city. We are traveling the gloryland trail, and we’ll make it–no matter the hardship, no matter the hostile imps of the devil we may meet along the way, no matter the battles, no matter the pestilences that may come–heaven is waiting. Take time to read of the New Jerusalem found in Revelation 21:10-22:5.
So onward and upward. The mind and attitude is set. The “blessed hope” is before us and the heavenly city awaits. The Lord is coming, are you able to sing, or to say, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD'”?
“Come, we that love the Lord
And let your joys be known,
Join in a song with sweet accord,
And thus surround the throne.”
–Isaac Watts