Thirty Days of Thanksgiving in Psalms Day 24

Psalm 122:4 – Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.

This verse is speaking of Jerusalem. It was the center of temple worship in Israel. It is where all the twelve tribes of Israel came to worship the Lord.

Psalm 122 is written by David after he had suffered deep betrayal at the hand of Absalom, his son. He’d had to abandon his palace and run for his life to escape death from the hands Absalom’s men. He had to leave his beloved Jerusalem, and he lived in the wilderness while avoiding being killed.

After Absalom’s death at the hands of Joab, and after the time of mourning was over, David was asked to return to Jerusalem, and the men of Judah welcomed him back as King of Israel.

This psalm was a loving tribute by David after returning to his city, Jerusalem. He was so pleased to be back in the temple there. He recalled how the tribes of Israel gathered in the beautiful city for the yearly sacrifices and how all of Israel thanked the Lord in the temple of Jerusalem. He promises in this psalm to seek peace for Jerusalem because it was where the house of God was built.

As New Testament believers, we no longer return to yearly sacrifices in Jerusalem. Our Lord laid down His life as the final sacrifice. Our sacred place is no longer a physical place, but rather in the heart where we fellowship with our God.

However, we aren’t to forsake assembling together with other believers (Hebrews 10:25). Our church congregation is now the place where we can draw near to the Lord, be reassured of our faith, hear the Word of God, and encourage and pray for each other. (Hebrews 10:22-24)

Be sure as you worship, regardless of the circumstances in your life, whether you are meeting with the Lord in your personal quiet time, or gathering with other Christians in your local church, to keep a place to “give thanks unto the name of the LORD” just like they did in Jerusalem.

As we’ve seen throughout our study, thanksgiving is indelibly tied to worship. How can we honor, respect, adore and reverence our God without a heart full of thankfulness to Him?