April 22 - Psalms
108-109; 120-121; 140; 143-144
We are often told to pray scripture – I’m not
sure those who say this mean we should pray Psalm 109:6-15 or Ps 140:9-11 for
anyone! However, it is encouraging that God seems to be ok with us even when we
feel that way.
Psalms
120 -121 are part of a subset of psalms (120 – 134) that were actually pilgrim
songs that were sung when Israelites went up (ascended) to Jerusalem for annual
feasts. Jerusalem is surrounded by mountains, and visiting pilgrims would have
to climb them from almost any direction. Those coming from the area of the Dead
Sea would actually climb the most – some 3700 feet over the course of about 40
miles.
Four
were written by David, one by Solomon, and the rest are anonymous. (As an
aside, Beth Moore has a Bible study entitled “Stepping Up – A Journey Through
the Psalms of Ascent” if you are interested in going deeper on these verses.)
These psalms speak of the longing of the travelers to worship God and to be in
his temple. They also talk about the challenges of the journey and express
confidence in God’s protection and provision.
The
Mishnah, a Jewish collection of oral traditions and written works, indicates
that the 15 Songs of Ascent related to the 15 steps that led from the court of
women to the court of Israel in the temple. It doesn’t say that the songs were
sung specifically on those steps, though. It also indicates that the Levites
sang these songs during the all-night ceremony on the first night of the Feast
of Tabernacles.
Psalms
140, 143, and 144 are laments that share common themes of prayer, trust, and dependence
on God. They can provide encouragement and guidance for us when we face
struggles and challenges.
TOMORROW’S
TEXT: Psalms 1; 14-15; 36-37; 39
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment