Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem?

A friend asked me if the command to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” was in effect for us today. Here’s what I think.

All commands must be interpreted in context. Sometimes the motivation for the command is included in the context and thus sheds light on the nature of the command. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” is found in Psalm 122, which was a psalm of ascent sung by pilgrims going up to worship at Jerusalem. When this was written and sung, the temple of the Lord was standing in Jerusalem, and it seems that this is the primary motivation for this prayer: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem that God’s temple may be safe (v. 9). That this was not an idle prayer was demonstrated by various raids on the city during the time of the Divided Monarchy and ultimately by the destruction by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Given that there is no temple (or like access point to God) today, the motivation to pray for the peace of Jerusalem does not apply for this reason.

There is another reality of this psalm: it comes from the mouth of an Israelite and not from God himself. In context, the writer is exhorting his fellow pilgrims to pray. This writer would not make the same exhortation today for the same reason, and so even though this is included in Scripture, I do not believe that this command is incumbent upon us in the same way in which it was written.

There is another motivation given in verse 8: for the sake of my brothers and friends. I think the best understanding of this is to see a godly man desiring the peace of those he loves. He prays for Jerusalem’s peace so that his beloved will be safe. We can follow his example by praying for those that we love. That may include brothers and friends in Jerusalem, and therefore you would be motivated to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” This, however, is not the same as a universal, timeless command to all believers to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Having said that, I think there may be other passages that would ultimately lead one to pray for Jerusalem’s peace. To take but one, Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come.” What Jesus meant, and what I think it still means, is that we should pray that God would establish his direct rule over the earth. More specifically, we know from Scripture that this is the rule of the Son of David, Jesus, on the throne of David in Jerusalem over the whole earth. There are many verses that give understanding to this, but here are two:

The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name. (Zech 14:9)

My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever. (Ezek 37:24-28)

Jesus is telling us to pray that the day will come when God rules over the earth. From the context of Zechariah, it is clear that “the Lord” here is a clear reference to Jesus (cf. Acts 1:11). At the end of the Bible, there is a similar prayer to “Thy kingdom come” – “Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev 22:20). The fulfillment of this prayer will result in the Prince of Peace ruling over Jerusalem (Eze 48:35) in perfect peace.

I would conclude that we are in fact to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. BUT, I think we are better to pray “Thy kingdom come,” or “Come, Lord Jesus,” than to pray for the “peace of Jerusalem.” The reason I say that is “praying for the peace of Jerusalem” is too non-specific in our world. That is, it can mean a variety of things and it can be prayed by a Buddhist as well as a believer. When we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, our ultimate prayer is not that Jews and Arabs would stop killing each other. It’s not that there would be some sort of superficial harmony between neighbors. This sort of peace does not last and is not genuine. It’s easy to tell others to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” because this is non-offensive – no one would argue against praying for peace. But if in your heart you desire the submission of individual Jews and Arabs to the Messiah of all nations, I think it’s better to be more specific than simply seeking “peace.” I do think it’s appropriate to pray for violence to stop as part of our compassion to all men. But it’s not our primary or ultimate prayer and it’s not limited to Jerusalem, Israel, or the Jewish people.

When I pray for the peace of Jerusalem, I am praying that:
1) the people of the city would recognize the “Prince of Peace” and submit their individual lives to him as their Messiah and Lord
2) violence would cease so that innocent men, women, and children would not be maimed and killed
3) the “Prince of Peace” would return to his city and establish his rule of perfect righteousness, justice, and peace