The Songs of Ascent Psalm 120 In the ancient songbook of the Jewish People - THE PSALMS - a certain section collected THE PSALMS OF ASCENT. Jerusalem not only is on a nearly 3000ft peek in the Mountains of Zion, but it is also just a few miles from the Dead Sea - the LOWEST PLACE ON PLANET EARTH! No matter the direction from which you approach Jerusalem, you are ALWAYS going UP to Jerusalem! Yehovah - The God of Israel - instructed His people to gather before Him three times a year in Jerusalem. THESE SONGS - from Psalm 120 to Psalm 134 - were sung by the Jewish people as the congregation of pilgrims to Jerusalem swelled in number on their ascent of Mount Zion to the city, and as they entered the city and climbed the final hill to the Temple. This is a series of devotional thoughts from the PSALMS OF ASCENT, gleaned from these Psalms and from The Holy Spirit as Sheila and I prepared for travel to Israel, and also while in The land prepared to ascend Mount Zion and enter THE CITY OF OUR GOD - Jerusalem. PSALM 120 - Doing Good Often Results in Trouble and Oppostion, But Trusting Yehovah is Still the Right Thing to Do Yehovah - the God that struck the strongest nation in the world with 10 plagues, bringing Egypt to its knees, setting free the Israelite slaves - THIS God commanded His people Israel to come to Jerusalem to worship Him three times each year. THIS God has proven Himself more mighty, more able than any other god and also, through His instructions on Mount Sinai, had given Israel a far superior, more right way to live. He also set up a way of mercy and forgiveness through blood sacrifices of animals so that those who sinned - damaging His creation - could escape the punishment God would have been just to impose. This awesome God desired not only Israel - but the goyim - The Nations - All the People of The World - to join in following His Word and enjoying the blessings that come from being in agreement with Their Creator - instead of the facing the peril and punishment that come from opposing the goodness of His way. Imagine you are someone in Israel beginning your travel to Jerusalem as God had commanded. You begin to lift your song to The Lord from The Psalms of Ascent and the first thing you sing is (Ps. 120, verse 1) - In my trouble ... Here you are, a person with a heart to do the right thing before Almighty God - and yet you have trouble. In other Psalms the issue is addressed of our own wickedness and the trouble we cause ourselves. This Psalm describes trouble from without ... but this trouble does indeed have an inward connection. Verse 1 announces the trouble, but also the answer And He [Yehovah] heard me ! There IS an answer !!! Yehovah knows we are but dust and need Him. The question for us is this - do we want to receive His Help? What if the only way to receive Gods Answer to our cry is to press on into a situation that will cause us trouble? The obedient Israelite - headed to Jerusalem as God instructed - to spend time with The One who Redeemed their lives from horrible bondage in Egypt - by heading to Jerusalem this obedient Israelite is causing trouble in this world. By taking up this journey he is saying, There is only One God I heed, and you should obey him as well. Others - even other Israelites - mock the traveler - Why are you going on such a journey? Why are you leaving your town and your things behind? What good is this really going to do you? In verse 5, these lying lips (so named in v. 2) are compared the people of Meshech and Kendar - people devoted to pagan gods, and constantly at war - people who want nothing to do with The Holy One of Israel. Yeshua said, In this world you will have tribulation. If we want to follow The Word of God we will make trouble for this world. It does not want to be reminded that there is one God that has proven Himself Creator and Mighty, able to defeat all his enemies. Egypt could not hold His People. The Grave could not hold His Son. And the world cannot get a hold on you if you will, as verse I says, Cry to Yehovah when you face trouble. But you have to be prepared to receive His Answer. The God of Israel clearly told His people throughout the pages of the Tenakh (The Scriptures) that He would send an Anointed One - The Moschiach - The Messiah who would take the punishment we deserve for our sins. He was cut off, out of the land of the living, taking the punishment that was due to my people (Isaiah 53:8). Journeying through life believing that Yeshua - Jesus fulfilled these prophecies and that He is our Atonement - this causes our lives to say, there is only One God I heed, and you should obey Him as well, Will you back down, when the world says, Dont go through all that trouble to listen to and obey The Word of Yehovah ??? Will you and I agree with lying lips ? Or will we set our hearts on a pilgrimage to meet the God of Zion (as it says in Psalm 84) ? Read Psalm 120, then read Psalm 84 and be encouraged, Gods Word is true. O Yehovah of Hosts - blessed is the person who trusts in YOU!
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 03:32:42 +0000
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