Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem
My reading in Psalm 122 today seemed highly appropriate in the light of the ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas. We pray for peace for Jerusalem, and for Gaza, and for Israel, and for its other troubled neighbours, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. But our prayers are for much more than a cessation of hostilities. We do want bomb and rocket attacks to stop, but we pray a much deeper, broader, more significant and effective peace for all those living in and around this modern nation of Israel.
Jerusalem is always associated with peace, despite its many conflicts. The first possible reference in the Bible is in the story of Melchizedek in Genesis. Melchizedek, whose name means King of Righteousness, is the King of Salem who blesses Abraham and receives tithes from him. Hebrews 7 says that as King of Salem he was the King of Peace, and the name Jerusalem has long been linked with the Hebrew word for peace, Shalom. The identification of Salem/Jerusalem is disputed by some scholars, but the connection betweeen Jerusalem and peace is clear and longstanding.
In Psalm 122 when David talks about Jerusalem, he is thinking of his recently-conquered capital. It is the place where the tabernacle, containing the ark of the covenant, is brought, and it is the centre of worship for the Jewish people. The priests are based here, the sacrifices are made here, the temple will soon be built here. And of course we know the ultimate sacrifice, the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, will take place here, just outside the city walls.
So we pray for physical peace, we pray for an absence of conflict. But much more we want to see the Prince of Peace, Jesus the Peace of the World, bringing the personal peace of His presence into the hearts and lives of Israelis and Palestinians. Whatever the background or religion, we know that Jesus is the only hope for every person. His death and resurrection is the door to eternal life for every man, woman and child who is willing to put their trust in Him:
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16, NIV
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: may those who love you be secure.
Psalm 122:6, NIV
