Psalms of ascents: Road trips and Play lists Pt 2
Psalm 122 Most scholars believe this song now represents their entrance into the city of Jerusalem.
- Not that they made it all the way to Jerusalem in the amount of time it took to sign Psalm 120 and Psalm 121. The journey of course took days, perhaps weeks depending on where they were coming from.
- Rather the story of God is ready to move on from the lying lips and deceitful tongues.
Verse 1 As they journey along, they are excited together to be going to the house of the Lord.
- Do we share this joy and rejoicing about going to the house of the Lord On Sunday?
- Remember these folks were walking on a pilgrimage in the hot scorching desert.
- Maybe we have forgotten “I lift up my eyes to the mountains”
- Remember that referred to looking toward the Presence of God.
Verse 2 This verse is the primary reason the Psalm now refers to being in Jerusalem.
- In Fact, the main focus of this Psalm is the city itself.
- In Hebrew much of the Psalm is a play on the word Jerusalem.
- In the Hebrew in verses 6 through 8 there is a six-fold alliteration on the name Jerusalem
- Six times the “sh” sound is used to make an alliteration with Shalom.
- The mention of gates here is also important.
- In the day and age of the Psalm the gate represented a place of Justice.
- The king or any of his appointed judges would often come and sit at the gate to administer justice.
- As they think about the lying lips and deceitful tongues they are put at peace as they enter the place of justice.
- Throughout other places in scripture gates refers to entering into God’s presence.
Verse 4 The Psalmist reminds us that this is where the tribes come to worship. For them this would have been the 12 tribes of Isreal. For us in Jesus, this is every Tribe and tongue on earth.
Verse 6 Perhaps the irony here is that Jerusalem is still seeking that peace that has been so long prayed for.
- Again, Jerusalem is the location of the Temple and the presence of God.
- So, the enemy will attack it.
Psalm 123 This Psalm is broken into two parts: guidance and mercy.
Verse 1 This is of course very similar to verses 1 and 2 from Psalm 121.
- They are now on the fourth step of the temple looking up at the upper court.
- They are staying focused on His presence.
Verse 2 This is a very interesting and helpful comparison.
- Why does a slave look at his master?
- A slave does nothing on his own.
- They only do the will and command of their master.
- They look to the Lord for guidance just like a slave looks to their master.
- They are not going to take action on their own.
- This applies both to dealing with the lying lips and deceitful tongues
- But this also applies to their worship as they continue to climb the steps to the upper court.
- I love how the Psalmist states this is true for both men and women.
Verses 3-4 Despite all they have been through from the lying lips and deceitful tongues, to war and conflict they are just seeking mercy from the Lord.
Psalm 124 This Psalm could be summarized with the word remembering.
- And each time they remember, it is prefaced with “if the lord had not.”
- Much of the Psalm is remembering the Exodus out of Egypt.
- Remember what the Lord has done. Make a list, keep a journal.
- The Hebrew people wrote a Psalm and put it to music.
Verse 8 This of course remembers Psalm 121 verse 2.
- In Palm 121 verse 2 it was stated as a questions. “Where does our help come from?”
- But the act of their remembering now allows them to answer their own question with an emphatic statement.
- “Our help is in the name of the Lord.”
- It’s no longer a question; it is now a statement!