Song Deep Dive: Psalm 122 (Let’s Go to the House of the LORD!)
About Psalm 122
Psalm 122 is a psalm of David. David, the giant-slayer and warrior-king, was also a poet, a musician, and a man after God’s own heart. He did not only fight battles, he also led worship.
David wrote:
“I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’” (Psalm 122:1)
That verse marks a turning point. Psalm 122 finally brings us into worship.
Notice something important: that worship was not private, it was shared. Worship was never meant to be a solo act. It is something we do together. The Songs of Ascent were sung together by pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. They looked out for one another, their families, their flocks, and their lives. Some came from hundreds of miles away. Can you imagine traveling that far just to go to church? Yet David said, “I rejoiced,” not “I endured.”
So what pulled David forward? Why did he rejoice? David came to give thanks and praise to the LORD. David longed to lift his hands in the house of the LORD, in Jerusalem—Yerushalayim. The name “Jerusalem” comes from the word Shalom, which means peace. But Shalom is not just the absence of conflict. It is wholeness, harmony, fullness, and flourishing.
Psalm 122
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
Stephen's Thoughts
This is the first song that features Centerpoint Community Church’s praise team, and it felt fitting since this psalm is all about collective worship.
When I first wrote music for Psalm 122, the words were verbatim from the original text. However, this made it very difficult for corporate worship. The goal was to create a song that people could sing together in praise and worship of the LORD.
I simplified the words and focused on why David rejoiced to go to the house of the LORD: to go up together, to seek Shalom (peace), and to give praise and thanks to the LORD. The Hebrew word David uses here for praise and thanks is Yadah. It literally means to throw out your hands, like casting a stone or launching an arrow. It is praise you can see.
Hopefully, by the end of the song, every hand is raised in praise of the LORD.
Listen to Psalm 122 (Let's Go to the House of the LORD)
Musical Credits
Stephanie Wilsey (Vocals and Piano)
Stephen Vesolich (Vocals and Guitar)
Lisa Vesolich (Vocals and Djembe)
Alexa Wisley (Vocals)
Sonny Romich (Keyboard and Hammond)
Jane Howell (Flute)
Dane Howell (Violin)
Keith Hackett (Drums)
Dave Holbert (Bass)
© 2025 Stephen Vesolich. All rights reserved.
Lyrics
I rejoiced When they said to me,
“Let’s go to the house of the LORD.”
Our feet are standing in your gates
Let’s go up. Gather together.
To Give the LORD thanks.
We want to praise the name of the LORD.
Praise the name of the LORD
May those who love You be secure. May peace reign within Your walls.
May We Find Rest within You
Let’s go up. Gather together.
To Give the LORD thanks.
We Want to praise the name of the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD
We Want to praise the name of the LORD.
Praise the name of the LORD Praise His Name
Let’s go up. Gather together.
To Give the LORD thanks.
(We want to praise the name of the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD) 5x
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