Song of Ascents - Psalm 120, Verse 5

I am reminded of the prayer You made while You were on the earth, Adonai. You said, "I have given them Your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world — just as I Myself do not belong to the world. I don’t ask You to take them out of the world, but to protect them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Set them apart for holiness by means of the truth — Your word is truth" (Jn. 17:14-17).

The Father heard Your prayer Yeshua and has preserved for Himself a remnant that is being prepared as Your bride. This sustaining grace of Yours therefore gives me confidence; for were it not for Thee, I would have been swallowed up alive by the deceitfulness around.

I can see that no matter where I sojourn as an alien of this world, whether in Meshech (in the North) or Kedar (in the South), deceitful people surround me. They say they fear Thee but their hearts are far away from Thee.

Keep me therefore Adonai. Deliver me from all evil.

Song of Ascents comprises of a collection of 15 psalms from Psalm 120 to 134. While there are a number of suggestions as to what the phrase, “Song of Ascents” could mean, one thought is that these psalms were sung by Israel as they went up to Jerusalem to celebrate the three annual feasts that the Lord had commanded (Lev. 23; Ex. 23:14).

We are in the midst of the Feast of Unleavened Bread which started on the 15^th day of the first month of the Biblical calendar (or on the evening of March 30, 2018). During this seven day feast, Israel went up to Jerusalem singing these Songs of Ascent.

My purpose of posting a verse from these psalms each day (during these days between the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) which in Greek is called Pentecost) is so that we too—if you are a son (or daughter) of Israel, even though you once may have been a Gentile but now through the great grace shown to us by the Father and through the blood of the Messiah Yeshua—can pilgrim into the presence of the Most High God (for we are the temple of God and the Holy Spirit dwells in us) singing these psalms to Him who sits on the throne (in heaven and in our hearts).

Join with me then O son of Israel and let us exalt the name of our God together as we pilgrim on His appointed feast days just as He commanded.