Psalm 122 focuses on the “house of the LORD” in Jerusalem (verse 1). David “rejoiced” with those who, like him, desired to go up to the temple where man could meet with God for praise and official corporate worship, according to the law of Moses. The children of Israel were expected to live by God’s law, and their daily practice of the law was a form of individual, personal worship. Temple worship, however, was corporate, collective, and more official – a demonstration and the outward manifestation of one’s legal, collective responsibility as an Israelite to worship God at His “house.” Thus, Jerusalem figures highly in the minds and hearts of the people because it is the place “where the tribes go up to praise the name of the LORD” (verse 4). David calls for the people to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (verse 6), without which, corporate temple worship could not continue – thereby – violating the law of Moses. Through this Psalm, David instructs “his brothers and his friends to seek peace and prosperity for their own sake and for that of the house of the LORD” (verses 8-9).
In Ezekiel 19:1-20:44, we see a lamentation over the exile of Israel’s princes (19:1-9) who were referred to here as “young lion cubs” (verse 1). This comparison is consistent with Jacob’s prophetic address to and blessing of Judah way back in Egypt: “You are a lion’s cub, O Judah” (cf., Genesis 49:9). King Jehoahaz was dethroned and taken to Egypt (verses 3-4; cf., 2 Chronicles 36:3-13). Another prince, Jehoiachin, comes into Ezekiel’s view (verses 5-9). Jehoiachin was “taken to Babylon and put into prison” (verse 9; cf., 2 Chronicles 36:9-10). Judah had been a “fruitful vine” (verse 10), but left without princes, she became “uprooted” and subsequently lost her fruitfulness. Judah became a “desert” and was reduced to “a dry and thirsty land – consumed by fire – with no strong branch left on it” (verses 12-13). In Ezekiel 20, we see Israel’s long-standing rebellion against God – their sins in Egypt (verses 1-8); their sins in the wilderness wanderings (verse 9-26); and their sins in the land (verses 27-49). Here, we see that God, “for the sake of His name” (verse 9), brought the people up out of Egyptian slavery and even “withheld His hand” against them (verse 22), even though they “blasphemed and forsook Him” (verses 22-27). God promised to “disperse them among the nations” (verse 23), but He also promised to regather them back “from the nations” (verse 34). Praise God for His restoration!
In Hebrews 10:1-18, the writer explains that “the law is a shadow of good things to come” (verse 1). Annual sacrifices served, partly, as a reminder of sin, but they lacked the perfection of Christ’s shed blood on the cross. As we have seen, His sacrifice was “once for all” (cf., Hebrews 9:12; 9:26; 9:27; and 9:28). The annual sacrifices of the law were “the same sacrifices again and again and could never take away sins” (verse 13), so they could never accomplish what Christ’s perfect sacrifice did ultimately – to “make us holy and [to] perfect us” (verses 10-14). But “ this priest [i.e., Christ] offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, and He sat down at the right hand of God” (verse 12). Thus, “as the Holy Spirit testifies” (verse 15), the new covenant is superior to the old in that Christ, Who by the completeness of His superior sacrifice, also occupies a superior, exalted position “seated at the right hand of God” (verse 12). The Holy Spirit also testifies that “their sins I will remember no more, and where sins have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin” (verse 18). What could be more perfect?
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