Songs of ascents

"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD!'" (Psalm 122:1)

THE SONGS OF ASCENTS are Psalms 120--134. These fifteen psalms are called the psalms of ascents, because traditionally they were recited on the way to the temple on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem. Each psalm has a particular theme related to being a pilgrim on the way to God's house. 

Why are these psalms in the Bible? I believe that it is because we need to know that we, like the ancient Israelites, are citizens of the kingdom of God, sojourning in this world as resident aliens. We're on our way to God's glorious eternal kingdom in the new heaven and new earth (Matt 6:33; Heb 11:16; 1 Pet 2:9-12; 2 Pet 3:13).

Here are the fifteen themes. 

DEPARTURE (120). The psalmist does not literally dwell in Meshech (to the far north of Israel) or Kedar (far to the east) but feels as if he lives among barbarian people who do not care about the God of Israel. Their lives are characterized by deception, not truth. When he speaks out for peace (Heb., shalom) he is not being primarily anti-war, but rather, is promoting God's way of peace, involving reconciliation and the wholeness of living God's way. The people around him do not like this (see Rom 3:17). This is the point of departure for the pilgrim. He, and we, decide to leave the lies and hostility of the world behind to seek God’s holy city (Heb 11:16).

PROTECTION (121). The Lord is the one who protects ("keeps, keeps watch over") the pilgrim on the journey (John 10:27-29). The trip to Jerusalem could be dangerous and the traveler was vulnerable, needing protection. God is the One who does not sleep or get distracted from watching over his children. He will bring them safely to his heavenly kingdom (2 Tim 4:18; 2 Thess 3:3).

PEACE (122). This is a call to pray and work for the peace and well-being of God's people. First, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem and that God would reveal the Lord Jesus to the Jewish people (Zech 12:10; Rom 10:1). And we pray for our brothers and sisters experiencing persecution around the world. And we pray for peace within the church, that believers would delight to gather together to worship the Lord in unity (Eph 4:1-6; Phil 2:1-2).

MERCY (123). In this psalm the pilgrim expresses faith in the care and compassion of the Lord, as a servant is dependent upon the care and power of his or her master. In humility we too lift our eyes to the Lord for his continued mercy (Heb 4:16).

DELIVERANCE (124). We have confidence in the Lord who rescues us from our enemies (2 Tim 4:17-18). If it were not for the Lord's powerful protection, God's people could easily be swept away and lost. Jesus taught us to pray, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matt 6:13; cf. 1 Cor 10:13).

SECURITY (125). The pilgrim needs to know that the Lord himself surrounds his people. What assurance this brings, knowing that God will not allow his people to be destroyed (Rom 8:28-30). The Bible tells us that we have come to "the city of the living God", and that we have received "a kingdom that cannot be shaken" (Heb 12:22-29).

JOY (126). Walking as a pilgrim on a long journey can be a tiring and cheerless task. Think: a very long, hot, dry hike. This psalm reminds them (and us) that after the hardships of the journey, God will fill our mouths with laughter (Ps 16:11; Heb 12:2, 11; Rev 21:4). Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit within us (Gal 5:22), especially as we consider the goal of our journey. We should pray this for ourselves and for others: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope" (Rom 15:13).   

FRUITFULNESS (127). Family and children are a blessing. Not all are able to have this joy on the journey, but those of us with families should surely count them as blessings which the Lord has given. In any case all of us are given people for whom we can love and care...the widow, the orphan, the poor, the immigrant, etc. Further, without the Lord any of our labors would be in vain (John 15:4-5). As sojourners in this world, we should be "always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain" (1 Cor 15:58).

BLESSING (128). Prosperity under the Mosaic covenant is often described in material ways, but it is never simply that. It is the enjoyment of life walking with the Lord who generously provides. What is commended is the ability to enjoy whatever the Lord has provided (Eccl 2:24; 3:13; 9:9) and the privilege of passing on biblical truth to future generations (Deut 6:7; Ps 78:5-6; Eph 6:4). Our Lord Jesus expands the blessing to include the relationships we have with others in his kingdom (Mk 10:29-30).  

PERSECUTION (129). As pilgrims, God's people are resident aliens in this world (John 18:36).  As such, they will be ill-treated by others, but those who have persecuted the people of God will face his judgment (2 Thess. 1:5-8). Billy Graham once said, "It is unnatural for Christianity to be popular." We must always be prepared for this. 

HOPE (130). We need hope on this journey! The night will seem long and the dawn so far away. We must wait patiently and expectantly for God to fulfill all of his promises to us (Isa 40:31; Rom 15:4, 13). "Hope means expectancy when things are otherwise hopeless." (G. K. Chesterton)

TRUST (131). What a beautiful picture of childlike faith! Along this journey we must trust our Father, for we are his beloved children (Isa 49:15-16; Matt 18:3-4). He knows that we are dependent upon him! Often in this life we may be tempted to panic and to let our thoughts run wild, but like David, we must learn to compose and quiet ourselves in the presence of the Lord. 

DWELLING (132). In the OT King David yearned to find a dwelling place for God, a place where he could be known and worshiped (vv. 5, 7, 13). This is the city of Jerusalem and Mount Zion, where the temple was built. This has been the hope of all redemption history, that man and God might dwell together (Lev 26:11-12; Ezek 37:27; 2 Cor 6:16). NT believers await the return of the righteous King, the Son of David, who will bring the dwelling place of God from heaven to man forever (Rev 21:2-4, 23). 

UNITY (133). The unity of the Israelite tribes was found in the worship of the one true God, of whom Aaron was the first high priest. United worship in Jerusalem brought not only the tribes together, but also families and individuals.  True unity is refreshing like the dew from Mount Hermon. We who believe in Christ, the eternal high priest, find in him a unity that he himself creates (1 Cor 12:12-13; Eph 2:15-16; 4:3-6). Our harmony in fellowship is a blessing like the dew from heaven, and we too need the shared strength of our fellow believers as we walk this pilgrim road. 

WORSHIP (134). The pilgrims, having arrived in Jerusalem (perhaps in the evening), call upon the priests and Levites who keep watch over the temple to bless (praise) the Lord even at night. And they express the wish that the Lord would bless those servants who keep watch. The final psalm in this collection speaks of a city where praise is natural and continual. Once we taste the joy of worshiping God, and of being blessed by God and blessed by his people, we long to be there forever (Rev. 21:22-26). 

JUST PASSING THROUGH. These psalms are clearly applicable to the Christian today. We should have a similar mindset in our world as these ancient pilgrims did. We are traveling to our Father's house (John 14:1-3). We too live in a world characterized by deception, filled with lies about what's important, what's real, and who God is and is not. We live as sojourners, knowing that we have the protection of our Father in heaven. We are to work for the unity and harmony of God's people. We are on a journey to a new world, a new land where righteousness dwells (2 Pet 3:13), which is our future inheritance. 

In The Pilgrim's Progress, the main character, Christian, says, "I am seeking an inheritance that is not subject to decay and that cannot be tarnished and that will never fade away. It is kept safely in Heaven to be given at the appointed time to all who diligently seek it." -- The Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan (Tyndale House edition, 1991). 

Or, as Larry Norman sang, "This world is not my home, I'm just passing through!"

Photo at top was taken in 1997 as we visited the south wall of the Temple, with its steps leading to the Huldah gates. Painting below: source unknown.