#874 Bethel

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. Psalm 122 ESV

A Psalm of Ascent, let us go.

I was glad when they said to me, "let us go to the house of the Lord" - Forsake not the assembly. This was a difficult thing for me, for many reasons, and I was not glad. As a youth, I would fake illness on Sunday so I could stay home and watch cartoons. Then I would miraculously recover when someone asked me to take a trip through the woods and fish the creek. Like the people, who followed Jesus for the fish and the bread, I didn't mind going on pizza night, or when there was a youth event with all you can eat tacos. On Wednesday nights, me and some other kids would go to the 7 eleven by my church. This was in the days when cigarettes were on the counter and even on a stand in the aisle, and one of us would distract the cashier while the others would steal smokes. On Sunday nights it was the same; my mom would ask us where we were, and it was a big church so we told her we were sitting in the balcony, and I would even look to see where she was sitting so I could say, "I was above you, I saw you sitting with Linda or Mrs. Parton." My mom was glad to be there because she saw it as obedience to the One Who saved her, but all I saw was hypocrisy, not mine, that never bothered me. 

Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem - Three times a year, God commanded them to come to the feast at Jerusalem. Some of these pilgrims came many miles. 

Jerusalem, built as a city that is bound firmly together - David took this city from the Jebusites and began to fortify it as the capital city. He brought the tabernacle and the ark here, and though he did not build the temple, he was instrumental in gathering the materials for it's preparation.

David and the Jebusites

To which the tribes go up - God establishes the way to approach, where, and this was the place for all of Israel to come worship the one, true God. After Solomon's reign was over there was a split among the tribes, and the northern tribes decided to separate and have their own king. This was understandable in that Solomon's son promised to be a dictator who would not listen to wisdom. The temple was still in Jerusalem though, and this had not changed, nor the mandate of the feasts. The apostasy does not start with Jeroboam, there were high places that were abominable to God in Solomon's reign. Solomon had broke the law that God gave to kings and took many wives, also building places of worship to their gods. Jeroboam knows the mandate of the feasts, but offers the people a different way. He is afraid that if he lets the people return to Jerusalem, to worship at the temple, their hearts may go astray, not from God, but from him. He makes them golden calves to worship, but calls it Judaism, and look, now you don't have to make that long pilgrimage to Jerusalem 3 times a year. You can worship God here, the way you want to and at your convenience. It was not just watered down, it was heresy, and he led the people astray. 

…21“Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.… John 4: 21-23

We are all called to worship the Creator, under the unity of truth, found in His word, not emotions, feelings, and those that would add or take away for their convenience or to fill the pews, don't follow. Go where God is held up, where He is preached in a way that honors and glorifies Him, not your ego. Roman Catholicism has done to Christianity what Jeroboam did to Judaism, keep the name but the Spirit and truth is gone. It's convenient because you can have a man tell you that you're saved, pay an indulgence to get a loved one out of purgatory, but God is not bound to anything but His own word. Mormons are called Christian by some as well, but they have considered the writings of an apostate teacher, Joseph Smith, to be on par with the Bible. They worship another Christ, who they think is Michael the archangel, even though God has made it clear that we do not worship angels, and Christ has made it clear, that He and the Father are One.

…57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?” 58“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. John 8: 57-59

…7 which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a divine curse! 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!… Galatians 1: 7-9

…23 At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. 25 See, I have told you in advance.… Matthew 24:23-25

Calling something worship doesn't make it acceptable to God. Calling a place the house of God, does not make it so. It is important that we meet with other believers, receiving the means of grace that God provides through the body of Christ, but convenience is not the first question. Do they hold God's word above their own opinions, are they seeking material blessing or the honor and glory of God? 

Signs of false teachers

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem - 

- Peace was her name, pray that her condition may verify her title. Abode of Peace, peace be to thee. Here was a most sufficient reason for rejoicing at the thought of going up to the house of the Lord, since that sacred shrine stood in the centre of an area of peace: well might Israel pray that such peace should be continued. In a church peace is to be desired, expected, promoted, and enjoyed. If we may not say "Peace at any price, "yet we may certainly cry "Peace at the highest price." Those who are daily fluttered by rude alarms are charmed to reach their nest in a holy fellowship, and abide in it. In a church one of the main ingredients of success is internal peace: strife, suspicion, party spirit, division, --these are deadly things. Those who break the peace of the church deserve to suffer, and those who sustain it win a great blessing. Peace in the church should be our daily prayer, and in so praying we shall bring down peace upon ourselves; for the Psalmist goes on to say, They shall prosper that love thee, or, perhaps we may read it as a prayer, "May they have peace that love thee." C. H. Spurgeon