Psalms 122:5-7 For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. 7 Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.”
Last week, we discussed the significance of Jerusalem in the culmination of the age. Here, we’ll continue to scratch that surface. The word “Jerusalem” is so rich with meaning that a single devotion will only begin to unpack it; there are so many etymological approaches. But most agree that the root letters at the end, שלם (shalem) spell a Hebrew word requiring numerous English words to fully comprehend including, “perfect”, “complete”, “sound”, “whole”, “harmony”, “peace”, etc. In addition, the concept of payment is present, as לשלם (leshalem), “to pay”, also suggests “reward”.
There are two options of meaning for the letters at the beginning of the name, Yerushalayim, “ירה” (yara, with the letter “hey” ה at the end), means “to throw, cast, or shoot; to cause (cast) a particular effect or result by means of many small elements or impulses”, (e.g. arrows, words, instructions, raindrops, etc.)”. From this, we infer that Jerusalem is a place where peace, wholeness, fulfillment, and completion (shalom) are cast or released (yara) through a patient, repetitive process of instruction, a softening produced by a “rainfall” of God’s word, or a piercing of sin and ignorance by “arrows” (of truth), etc. These processes describe the spiritual history and unique identity of Jerusalem, a central place of God’s self-revelation. Also, this name testifies that the first appearance of the Prince of Peace (Sar Shalom) there was preceded by an extended process of patient and repeated prophetic revelation cast over centuries.
An alternative root beginning the name “Yerushalayim”, ירא (yara’ with “aleph”, (א) instead of “hey” (ה), means “to revere”, “to give heed”, “to be in awe”, or “to fear”. In this case, the name “Jerusalem” carries an exhortation to heed, revere, or be in awe of (Yara) perfection, wholeness, and peace (shalom) and, therefore, God Himself, who is the Author of all these. Both of these beginning roots express true characteristics of the “Holy City”.
Additionally, within “Yerushalayim”, we find the Hebrew word “Yerusha”, meaning “inheritance”, the legal transfer of property across generations. This makes reference to the verses above concerning judgment and prosperity. In Jerusalem, there are thrones of judgment set in the house of David [Ps. 122:5]. Here, we see a prophetic reference to the judgment seat of Christ, David’s royal successor, Yeshua (Jesus). At His throne, all the works of men will be judged, assessed, and rewarded with an inheritance in the age to come [Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10]. Yerushalayim thus holds a promise for prospering as believers who, understanding its significance, serve faithfully and endure to become co-heirs with Messiah and reign with Him [Romans 8:17; 2 Timothy 2:12 ]. Finally, “May they prosper who love you”, [verse 6], reaffirms the prosperous reward for all who love and appreciate YHVH’s Holy City and its purpose in history and eternity.
So much of the Gospel message of Messiah is found in the name of the city where it happened, Jerusalem. Here, the raindrops, the water of God’s Word, repeatedly and patiently fell onto both the fertile and fallow soil of men’s hearts. Here YHVH’s prophetic “arrows” repeatedly pierced both the tender and hardened hearts of men, in the hope of repentance for acceptance in God’s Kingdom. Here, the awesome nature of God Himself was revealed in His Word and Personal Image, Yeshua the Messiah. Finally, in Yerushalayim, perfect redemption and peace with humankind were fulfilled and completed by the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Yet, before this took place, Yeshua gave a final word to His beloved Jerusalem; “You shall see me no more until you say, ‘Baruch haba b’shem Adonai’, (‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD’) [Matthew 23:37-39], a most serious word of warning and hope in light of His rejection by Israel. In this light, praying for the peace of Jerusalem takes on a dimension of significance that includes Israel’s final redemption and acceptance of their Messiah and becomes a “last days” participation in the Lord’s eternal purposes, with the expectation of rejoicing with Him for Israel’s salvation and the fulfillment of Jerusalem’s eternal destiny.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]The children of Israel are facing yet another test, this one, even more severe than hunger– dehydration – which, unabated, quickly leads to a miserable death. Yet, now, every day they are also seeing the miracles of God, who is feeding them regularly with manna, and surrounding them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Once again, they fail the test, even in the midst of their daily witness of miracles. So even though the test is more severe, the evidence for trust is that much greater.
Is there something about miracles that makes them forgettable? Or is the problem with us? After journeying for a season the children of Israel were faced with hunger — another test. This time, naturally faced with starvation, they murmured against the Lord, AGAIN! You’d think they might begin to put it together that God truly wanted them to trust Him. Apparently not yet. The dire circumstances attacked their mass cerebral cortex (memory) and once again they went into attack mode, bitterly complaining in unbelief. The Ten Plagues, the pillar of fire, the Red Sea walk, the Egyptian chariot soup, none of these connected to the present hunger pangs. Nature trumped super-nature, and sadly, God Himself.
The Apostle Paul’s discourse in 1 Corinthians 10 recalls the great miracles God performed for the children of Israel during the time of the Exodus. Delivered from Egypt and Pharaoh’s slavery, they were dismayed to discover his maniacal rage pursuing them anew, driving them into a deadly corner and imminent destruction. Humanly speaking, their terror and panic was understandable. With their eyes they could only see the wrath of Egypt succeeding at last to utterly destroy them. In that state of mind, how might they have remembered the consecutive miracles God had wrought against Egypt which had brought them to this very place?
When Ruth pledged her alligence to Naomi and to the God of Israel, it wasn’t based on, “What ifs?” or circumstances. It was a faith rooted in her devotion to Naomi and God even to the point of death!
This season of the Resurrection also occurs during a significant Old Testament feast day, the feast of “Firstfruits” (Hebrew, “bikoreem”). When Yeshua (Jesus) rose from the dead he was the firstfruit of the resurrection. On that day the keys of Hell and Death were obtained by our Lord. The apostle Paul connected the resurrection with the feast of Firstfruits in his letter to the congregation at Corinith. “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
There is a long standing tradition of cleaning one’s house in the springtime – hence the term “spring cleaning”. One source for this tradition is certainly the Jewish Passover (Pesach). Each spring as the holiday approaches observant householders in Israel and around the world perform a meticulous cleaning of their homes, especially to be sure there is no leaven in the house before Pesach begins. Leaven, in scripture, is often a metaphor for sin and impurity; and this season of the year is often a time for emphasizing “spiritual housecleaning”.
I’ve heard so many Christians ask, “How can I get more of the Holy Spirit?” As if the Holy Spirit is some kind of power or force that we can control or weild. What we should really be asking is, “How can the Holy Spirit have more of me?”