Today: March 12, 2010

 

Psalms 120 to 134

Posted: Mon 8th February 2010 3.01 PM  | Author: CUFI

Psalms 120 through 134 is a group of hymns most likely used by pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem to worship the Lord during the three annual national feasts – Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles. As pilgrims, families made the journey to the Holy City for festive worship. They would use these psalms as encouragement along the way.  It is also possible that once they arrived in Jerusalem, they would sing these songs anew as they drew near the Temple, remembering their journey and affirming God’s blessings on their path.

They are all quite short psalms. Notice when they start that the Psalmist begins in Psalm 120 saying, “In my distress I cried to the Lord, and He heard me…” as they go along the road and as others gather up along the way to Jerusalem. He begins to lift his eyes and he looks to the hills. “I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 21

In Psalm 122, he begins to be happy and rejoice, “I was glad when they said to me let us go into the house of the Lord.” He begins to have an idea of what he is doing – he’s ascending to Jerusalem. He’s going up to celebrate the festival. He’s going up to worship his Lord and so he begins to call on the name of the Lord and remember what God has done for him and the people traveling with him. “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side...” he recalls that help comes only from God. He is becoming more and more focused as he goes toward the Temple in Jerusalem. Finally he gets to the Temple and he says, “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless the Lord.” – Psalm 134. He now understands the purpose of going to Jerusalem.

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