The Peace of Jerusalem
War, Peace, and the Christian Response
War is once again at the center of the world’s attention. The current conflict involving Iran and Israel and the United States has stirred fear, passion, and sharply divided opinions. Christians may—and often do—disagree about politics, military strategy, and diplomatic solutions. But there should be no disagreement about the Christian response to Jerusalem and to Israel. On that point, Scripture is neither vague nor silent.
In times of war and uncertainty, God calls His people away from speculation and into obedience—away from opinion and into prayer. Psalm 122 speaks directly to this moment, reminding us that long before today’s headlines, God revealed how His people are to think, feel, and act toward Jerusalem, especially when peace seems far away.
This Psalm turns us from debate to obedience, calling us to pray for and seek the peace of Jerusalem in faithfulness to God.
Songs Sung on the Road to Worship
There was a time in ancient Israel when the people would go up to Jerusalem three times a year to worship the Lord. These pilgrimage festivals were approached with reverence and anticipation. The journey itself was part of the worship.
Along the road, the pilgrims sang. These songs are known as the Songs of Ascent.
By God’s grace, they have been preserved for us in Psalms 120–134. One of them, written by King David, is Psalm 122.
“I was glad when they said to me,
‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’” (v.1)
Standing at the Gates of the Holy City
Picture the pilgrim at the end of his journey. The dust of the road is behind him. The Holy City is finally before his eyes. His heart overflows with joy and gratitude.
“Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.” (v. 2)
This is not merely arrival—it is fulfillment.
A City Lost and Long Denied
History would soon alter that joy.
In A.D. 70, the Romans—specifically the Tenth Roman Legion under Titus—besieged Jerusalem. The Temple was destroyed. It has not yet been rebuilt. The Jewish people were banished and scattered among the nations.
They were denied access not only to the Temple, but eventually even to what remained of it—the Western Wall.
Centuries passed.
Restoration After Two Thousand Years
On May 14, 1948, the modern State of Israel was reborn after nearly two thousand years of dispersion. Yet even then, Jewish access to the Western Wall was denied. It remained under Jordanian control.
Until 1967.
In June of that year, Israel was attacked by Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. By God’s grace, the war ended in just six days.
On June 7, 1967, Israeli paratroopers advanced through the Old City and reached the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. For the first time since A.D. 70, Jerusalem’s holiest site came under Jewish control.
For the first time in nearly two millennia, Jewish people could once again pray at the Western Wall.
And once again, the ancient words of Psalm 122 rang true:
“Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.”
“Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem”
David now issues a command that echoes through history:
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” (v. 6)
Jerusalem means “City of Peace.”
The Hebrew word for peace is shalom—wholeness, well-being, completeness.
David is telling us to pray for the shalom of the City of Shalom.
The irony is unavoidable.
Few cities in history have known less peace than Jerusalem. It has endured relentless conflict, invasion, and bloodshed. Yet Scripture uniquely commands God’s people to pray for this city’s peace.
Notably, the Bible commands prayer for no other city in this way.
What It Means to Pray
The Hebrew word translated pray means to ask, but it also means to desire or to long for. This is not a passive suggestion—it is a command of the heart.
To desire Jerusalem’s destruction is not morally neutral; it is a violation of God’s command. To harbor evil desires toward Jerusalem is sin.
Can Human Efforts Bring Peace?
Will human effort produce lasting peace in Jerusalem?
No.
Only the Lord Jesus Christ can do that.
Isaiah calls Him Sar Shalom—the Prince of Peace.
To pray for the peace of Jerusalem is ultimately to pray for Jesus Himself to act:
That He would come into the hearts of the people
That He would come to Jerusalem again—soon
A Promise and a Warning
David adds a promise:
“May they prosper who love you.” (v. 6)
This is not a promise of wealth. The word prosper means well-being—the same shalom being prayed for Jerusalem.
Those who seek Jerusalem’s well-being will themselves experience well-being.
But there is also an implied warning. If blessing attends those who seek Jerusalem’s good, then upheaval and distress await those—individuals or nations—who oppose it.
The Things Which Make for Peace
Are we merely praying for the absence of war?
Jesus answers that question.
“When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying,
‘If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace!
But now they have been hidden from your eyes.’”
(Luke 19:41–42, NASB 1995)
The things which make for peace are the things that reconcile people to God.
Those things are clear: the death, burial, and resurrection of the Prince of Peace.
For the Sake of the Lord
David closes with one final motivation:
“For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your good.” (v. 9)
For God’s sake, David says, I will seek Jerusalem’s good.
Jerusalem is the city of the Messiah’s birth, life, death, burial, resurrection, return, and future reign. It is the place where the house of God once stood—and will stand again.
God’s redemptive plan for humanity radiates from this city. From this place, God intends to bless the world with the greatest gift He has ever given:
Himself.
So when you pray for the peace of Jerusalem, you are praying for the salvation of its people now—and for the return of the Lord soon.
And that is a prayer God delights to hear.
-Stuart
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