Songs of Ascent- 3

 Songs of Ascent- 

Psalms 120-135

Part 3

Psalm 131

Psalms 131:1-3 (NASB20) 1 A Song of Ascents, of David. 

LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes arrogant; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. 2 I have certainly soothed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child resting against his mother, My soul within me is like a weaned child. 3 Israel, wait for the LORD From this time on and forever.

Perhaps our pilgrim has just caught a glimpse of the temple for the first time and is awe struck at its majesty. It is good to contemplate the majesty and greatness of the Lord. That is perhaps one ting that our modern church has lost. The medieval cathedrals were designed to foster this sense of awe and majesty. Their towering arches made us feel small and encourages us to look up and worship the overpowering majesty of God. From time to time we need to remember that the Lord is greater than all we can imagine and we need to leave behind our pride and arrogance.

I love a loud and lively worship service, but there is also a time for quiet reflection. The old church was better at that but then they left it at that and didn’t continue on into exuberance worship. There is a time to quiet our souls and wait on the Lord and return to a child like faith.

Psalm 132

 Psalms 132:1-5 (NASB20) 1 A Song of Ascents. 

Remember, LORD, in David’s behalf, All his affliction; 2 How he swore to the LORD And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 3 “I certainly will not enter my house, Nor lie on my bed; 4 I will not give sleep to my eyes Or slumber to my eyelids, 5 Until I find a place for the LORD, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

This next psalm is dedicated to praising the temple and the king. To put this into a New Testament context, we need to not give sleep to our eyes until we find a place for the Lord in our heart. We need to construct a suitable temple of the Holy Spirit in our innermost being.

Psalms 132:7-9 (NASB20) 

7Let’s go into His dwelling place; Let’s worship at His footstool. 8 Arise, LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. 9 May Your priests be clothed with righteousness, And may Your godly ones sing for joy.

Psalms 132:16 (NASB20) 

“I will also clothe her priests with salvation, And her godly ones will sing aloud for joy.

Remember that we are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, so we should be clothed with righteousness. We need to enter into the presence of the Lord and sing for joy. We are clothed with salvation and sing around for joy.

Psalm 133

Psalms 133:1-3 (NASB20) 1 A Song of Ascents, of David. 

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to live together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, Running down upon thebeard, As on Aaron’s beard, The oil which ran down upon the edge of his robes. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For the LORD commanded the blessing there--life forever.

This is my favorite of all the songs of ascents. When I was first saved I lived in a Jewish neighborhood in Pittsburgh. There were many Messianic Jews living there and we would fellowship together. Oftentimes we would all sing and dance to this psalm. Sung in Hebrew, it is one of the favorite Jewish folk songs and dances that has been sung in rejoicing for centuries.

This psalm reminds us that we need brothers. The unity and fellowship of brothers in the faith is one of the key factors that will enable us to lead a godly life. There is a great blessing in such unity and the anointing of the Holy Spirit will flow over such a fellowship and cause much rejoicing.

Psalm 134

Psalms 134:1-3 (NASB20) 1 A Song of Ascents. 

Behold, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, Who serve by night in the house of the LORD! 2 Lift up your hands to the sanctuary Andbless the LORD. 3 May the LORD bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 135

Psalms 135:1-21 (NASB20) 

1 Praisethe LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; Praise Him, you servants of the LORD, 2 You who stand in the house of the LORD, In the courtyards of the house of our God! 3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely. 4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel as His own possession. 5 For I know that the LORD is great And that our Lord is above all gods. 

At last, we have completed our journey and are standing in the temple. There is nothing remaking to do by to praise the Lord. Lift up you hands in the holy place and bless the Lord! The Lord is good, sing praises to HIs name!

May the Lord bless you greatly and may you make the journey up to Jerusalem often.The spiritual Jerusalem is available to us always in the New Covenant and the Holy Place is open to us through the blood of the Lamb, Jesus. So rejoice in the Lord and come into His presence to worship as often as you can.

Amen

Songs of Ascent- Part 2

Songs of Ascent- 

Psalms 120-135

Part 2

Psalm 125

Psalms 125:1-5 (NASB20) 1 A Song of Ascents. 

Those who trust in the LORD Are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but remains forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So theLORD surrounds His people From this time and forever. 3 For the scepter of wickedness will not rest upon the land of the righteous, So that the righteous will not extend their hands to do wrong. 4 Do good, LORD, to those who are good And to those who are upright in their hearts. 5 But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, The LORD will lead them away with those who practice injustice. Peace be upon Israel.

We continue on in our journey by reaffirming the love and protection of the Lord. He surrounds us with protection like the mountains surround Jerusalem. He is the one who does good. Indeed, He is the one, the only one, who is Good.  Peace (Shalom) be on you.

Psalm 126

Psalms 126:1-6 (NASB20) 1 A Song of Ascents. 

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion, We were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tonguewith joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” 3 The LORD has done great things for us; We are joyful. 4 Restore our fortunes, LORD, As the streams in the South. 5 Those who sow in tears shall harvest with joyful shouting. 6 One who goes here and there weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

We have been studying Nehemiah in one of my men’s groups. His is the story of returning from Exile to rebuild Jerusalem. This psalm reminds me of that time and of Nehemiah’s struggle to rebuild the ruined city. He was full of joy at being given the opportunity to go back and rebuild Jerusalem, but at the same time he recalled all the tears that his people had shed over the destruction of the city and of their being carried off into exile.

Our story of salvation is similar. Many of us were far out into the world and our rebellion caused our lives to be shattered. We shed many tears over shattered relationships and broken lives. We were overjoyed to be saved by the Lord, but had to face the prospect of rebuilding the rubble of our lives into a functioning city once again. Fortunately, the Lord is there to help and if we utilize the seeds of faith, hope and love that he plants in our heart, we can return with shouts of joy. We also return with sheaves of grain with us, which is the fruit of repentance, and the compassion to help others find the same hope and salvation. Our joy is in rebuilding the rubble of our former lives into a city of God, and a temple of the Holy Spirit, where other lost souls can find refuge and restoration.

Psalm 127

Psalms 127:1-5 (NASB20) 1 A Song of Ascents, of Solomon. 

Unless the LORD builds a house, They who build it labor in vain; Unless the LORD guards a city, The watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is futilefor you to rise up early, To stay up late, To eat the bread of painful labor; This is how He gives to His beloved sleep. 

3Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

In rebuilding our house, it is important to know that it is the Lord that enables us to build on a solid foundation. In my own case, when I was first saved, there was a lot of rubble in my life that had to be removed in order for me to begin to build on a solid foundation. This is the work of repentance. As the psalmist says, it is futile to try to build on our own without asking for the Lord’s help, guidance and inspiration. But if we ask the Lord to rebuild our lives, we can rest in His peace and the Lord can work in us, even as we sleep.

The psalm ends with a blessing for families and thankfulness for children. This introduces the idea that in rebuilding lives, the most important place to start is with the family. That is why the enemy is trying so hard to destroy families in this day. Pray for the peace (shalom) in families.

Psalm 128

Psalms 128:1-6 (NASB20) 1 A Song of Ascents. 

Blessedis everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways. 2 When you eat the fruit of the labor of your hands, You will be happy and it will go well for you. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine Within your house, Your children like olive plants Around your table. 4 Behold, for so shall a man Who fears the LORD be blessed. 5 The LORD bless you from Zion, And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. 6 Indeed, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!

The next psalm reinforces this idea by repeating the blessing on families. Blessed families lead to prosperity and peaceful societies. Indeed, it is a blessing to see our grandchildren prosper and grow in the Lord. Thus we should continually pray for the peace (shalom) of Jerusalem, and of our families.

Psalm 129

Psalms 129:1-4 (NASB20) 1 A Song of Ascents. 

“Manytimes they have attacked me from my youth up,” Let Israel say, 2 “Many times they have attacked me from my youth up; Yet they have not prevailed against me. 3 “The plowers plowed upon my back; They lengthened their furrows.” 4 The LORD is righteous; He has cut up the ropes of the wicked.

The next psalm takes a different tack and inserts a Messianic prophesy into the songs of ascent. Remember that these psalms were sung in the Old Covenant when they were still looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. Thus as they were marching up to Jerusalem, their thoughts would turn to the promised Messiah and of the day of peace that He wold bring. As the prophet Isaiah said it, by His stripes we are healed. (Isa 53:5) Jesus’ back was indeed plowed by the scourge cruelly administered by the Roman soldier, but it was by His wounds and the blood He shed that He broke the ropes of the wicked and freed us from the bonds of sin and death. That is the true peace (shalom) of Jerusalem.

Psalm 130

Psalms 130:1-8 (NASB20) 1 A Song of Ascents. 

Out of the depths I have cried to You, LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the sound of my pleadings. 3 If You, LORD, were to keep account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with You, So that You may be revered. 

5I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And I wait for His word. 6 My soul waits in hope for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning. 7 Israel, wait for the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. 8 And He will redeem Israel From all his guilty deeds.

In psalm 130 we are getting closer to the temple and begin to contemplate our sinful condition. How can we enter into the temple? What sacrifice is sufficient to absolve us from our sins? The Lord keeps accounts of our guilty deeds, so how can we measure up?

Of course, we now know that it is by the blood of Jesus, alluded to in the previous psalm, that we can approach the holy place, “For with the LORD there is mercy”. We wait on the Lord and hope in His salvation, and then rejoice that we are redeemed by the blood of the lamb, the ultimate lamb, the Messiah, Jesus.

 

Songs of Ascent- Part 1

 Songs of Ascent- 

Psalms 120-135

Part 1

In biblical times, the people of Israel would journey to Jerusalem to worship at the temple on the three major feast days: Passover, Weeks (Pentecost) and Tabernacles (Succoth). The temple on Mount Zion is the high point in Israel, so you had to go up, regardless of which direction you were coming from. As they ascended the hills leading up to Jerusalem they would sing these psalms. There is a progression of these psalms that mirror the physical ascent to a spiritual journey, going up to the house of God, getting closer and closer to the heart of God. We can make that spiritual journey to get closer to God, even though there is no longer a physical temple on Mount Zion.

Psalm 120

Psalms 120:5 (NASB20) 

Woe to me, for I reside in Meshech, For I have settled among the tents of Kedar!

We start our journey as far away from Jerusalem as the psalmist could imagine. The sons of Meshech were descendants of one of Noah’s grandsons, and migrated to the north, eventually reaching the lands around the Black Sea. The tribes of Kedar were nomads that dwelt in the Arabian desert to the south. These lands were both physically and spiritually far from God.

Psalms 120:1 (NASB20) A Song of Ascents. 

Icried to the LORD in my trouble, And He answered me.

Psalms 120:6-7 (NASB20) 

6 Toolong has my soul had its dwelling With those who hate peace. 7 I am for peace, but when I speak, They are for war.

When your heart is far from the Lord, you are going to have trouble and will be at war. Your first step back is to recognize that there is a place a peace. Every journey starts with a first step, and the journey back to God starts with calling out to Him to rescue you from your place of trouble:

Psalms 120:2 (NASB20) 

Rescue my soul, LORD, from lying lips, From a deceitful tongue.

Psalm 121

Psalms 121:1-4 (NASB20) 1 A Song of Ascents. 

I will raise my eyes to the mountains; From where will my help come? 2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. 3 Hewill not allow your foot to slip; He who watches over you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who watches over Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.

A journey also needs a destination. You can’t get there if you don’t have a vision of where you want to go. The psalmist begins his journey by looking up to the mountains of Israel. At first it may have only been a memory of Mount Zion, but as he walks on, eventually he will see the hills in the distance and know where he needs to go. I’ve never been to Israel, but I’ve been to Colorado, and going through Kansas or Nebraska you can see for miles, but there are no mountains. But eventually, you get into the foothills of Colorado and the Rockies begin to loom on the horizon. At first there is just a slight blue ridge on the horizon, but as you get closer, the mountains seem to rise out of the prairie like gigantic monuments. As your eyes look up, you naturally think of the majesty of creation, and if you are wise, you think of the creator that is the author of such majesty. The psalmist was thinking the same way. He begins to think of the Lord that created heaven and earth and then starts to remember how the Lord has guided and protected him. Even as he starts to climb up the steep mountain trails, with their loose rock and ruble, he remembers how the Lord has made his footsteps sure and has not allowed him to stumble.

Likewise, we need to take time to remember the greatness and majesty of the Lord. He is great enough to create all the heavens and the earth by His word, but yet he cares enough for us to watch our every step. He never slumbers or sleeps in His care for us.

Psalms 121:5-8 (NASB20) 

5 The LORD is your protector; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun will not beat down on you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. 8 The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time and forever.

As we journey on, we come closer and closer to the Lord until we enter the gates of Jerusalem.

Psalm 122

Psalms 122:1-3 (NASB20) 1 A Song of Ascents, of David. 

I was glad when they said to me, “Let’s go to the house of the LORD.” 2 Our feet are standing Within your gates, Jerusalem, 3 Jerusalem, thathas been built As a city that is firmly joined together;

Psalm 100:4 (NASB20)

EnterHis gates with thanksgiving, And His courtyards with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

The gates of Jerusalem speak of salvation. Jesus himself taught us that he is the door of the sheepfold and is the way to the Father.

John 10:7-10 (NASB20) 

7So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 “All those who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.

John 14:6 (NASB20) 

Jesussaid to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

Thanksgiving and praise open the gates to allow us to approach the presence of the Lord, and Jesus himself is the only door that allows us to fellowship with the Lord God almighty!  Jerusalem, the city of God, speaks of the church, the ecclesia, which is called out and bound together in fellowship with one another and with the Lord. So indeed, we should enter his gates with thanksgiving and enter his courts with praise, and give thanks and bless His name.

We started our in a land at war but have entered a place of peace, Jerusalem, which literally means “teaching of peace.”

Psalms 122:6-9 (NASB20) 

6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. 7 “May peace be within your walls, And prosperity within your palaces.” 8 For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, “May peace be within you.” 9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.

Now we are acutely aware in these days that physical Jerusalem is not a place of peace. However, we should pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We desire physical peace for the people of Jerusalem, but more than that we seek the spiritual peace that comes from entering into relationship with the one true  Messiah. So let us pray for, and enter into, that place of peace with God.

Psalm 123

Psalms 123:1-4 (NASB20) 1 A Song of Ascents. 

To You I have raised my eyes, You who are enthroned in the heavens! 2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a female servant to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He is gracious to us. 3 Be gracious to us, LORD, be gracious to us, For we have had much more than enough of contempt. 4 Our soul has had much more than enough Of the scoffing of those who are at ease, And with the contempt of the proud.

In the next psalm, we shift our focus from the city to God, to God himself. It is wonderful to be at peace and have fellowship with the people of God, but even better to have close fellowship with the Lord himself. In this psalm we remember the grace of God who sent Jesus to die for our sins. It is only through His mercy and grace that we have found our way into His presence. We worship HIm as lowly servants who owe everything to the master. In this place, and only in this place, will our souls find peace. So enough with the contempt and pride of the world, but let us instead turn our eyes upward to our Lord, who is gracious to us.

Psalm 124

In the next psalm, the psalmist takes one last look at the world he came from, and thanks the Lord for his deliverance from the anger and strife of his previous life. He blesses the Lord who has rescued him and affirms that his help is in the name of the Lord.

Psalms 124:1-8 (NASB20) 1 A Song of Ascents, of David. 

“Had it not been the LORD who was on our side,” Let Israel say, 2 “Had it not been the LORD who was on our side When people rose up againstus, 3 Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their anger was kindled against us; 4 Then the waters would have flooded over us, The stream would have swept over our souls; 5 Then the raging waters would have swept over our souls.” 

6Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth. 7 Our souls have escaped like a bird from the trapper’s snare; The snare is broken and we have escaped. 8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.