The Blessing of Psalm 122:6 and The Jerusalem Covenant
What is to pray for the peace of Jerusalem in Psa 122:6? Is this just the words we say at the set “prayer time” or something more to it than that? And why are we commanded to seek the peace of Jerusalem? And what does “the peace of Jerusalem” mean?
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Psa 122:6 KJV
שׁאלו Seek שׁלום the wholeness ירושׁלם of Yerushalaim:
ישׁליו they shall be complete אהביך׃ who care about you
The first word we will study in the blessing of Psa 122:6 is the word sha-al.
שָׁאַל sha-al’, means to request, to ask, to seek something that is unknown it comes from the parent root שָל, shal, meaning “to draw out meaning to cause to speak. In Psa 122:6 this word is in imperative mood and thus it is to be understood as a command.
שָׁלוֹם shaw-lom, comes from the same root שָל, shal; shalom derives from the verb shalam, meaning to make whole or complete and also to restore or make right through payment or restitution and thus means “completeness”. When there is a war, there is no completeness. Shalom is also a greeting as a desire for completeness to another. We greet with Shalom when we meet someone because we want the completeness to come to him with our friendship. And when we leave, we also say Shalom because we wish the completeness to stay with him even after our departure.
יְרוּשָׁלַיִם yer-oo-shaw-lah’-im, Yerushalayim is derived from two words, “yir”, city, and the word, shalam, to make whole, or city of completeness; another possible translation will be city of perfectness.
שָׁלַו shah-lav’. It comes from the word shalu, from the parent root shal, “to draw out”, and means a drawing out of what is needed, to prosper (not in the Western Gentile sense though). One can prosper only if (s)he is whole and complete thence this word comes as a close synonym of shalam, to make complete.
אָהַב ah-hav’. In Western culture “love” is an abstract thought of emotion or how one feels toward another; a thing of mindset. For more on what love is, refer to the article What is Love? As a verb ahav means “to give”, “to provide” in our actions, not in thoughts only, as we are told to love Elohim and our neighbors (Joh 14:15, Joh 15:10, 1Jn 2:3-5) not in an emotional sense, but in actions, as the apostle urges us in 1Jn 3:18:
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
But why are we commanded to seek the completeness of Yerushalayim? And what does “the completeness of Jerusalem” mean? What is Jerusalem lacking now?
1) In the first place, Jerusalem is lacking peace.
2) Jerusalem is also lacking its people to be regathered again. The lost tribes of Israel and the grafted-in are still dispersed all over the world.
3) The land Israel has sovereignty today is not the land promised to Avraham. And even worse, even this tiny sliver of real estate is under the threat to be divided by the enemies of Israel.
4) Torah is not the constitution of the Land, yet. But when the Messiah returns, it will be the Law of the Land.
5) The Temple. Jerusalem is lacking the Temple today. When the Messiah returns, He will build the Third Temple.
6) There is no Levitical priesthood today. When the priesthood will be reestablished with the Messiah’s return, the Temple services will resume, then Jerusalem will add another pearl to its diadem.
7) And yet, Jerusalem will still be missing something or … someone. Yes, Jerusalem is missing its Messiah, Yeshua HaMashiach.
When (1) Yeshua comes He will (2) put the enemies under His feet and bring peace, (3) gather all His people, native and non-native to be one people, (4) give the Promised Land to His people, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River, (5) restore Torah to the fullest extent, (6) build His Temple with its sacrificial services. Then, and only then, Yerushalayim will be in peace and completeness. What do we pray for Jerusalem?
Shalom!
Navah
May we merit seeing the coming of our Mashiach speedily in our days.