In accordance with Your commands, Adonai, I keep Your appointed feast days. And though I may not completely understand the full intent of Thy purpose; yet gladly does my heart submit to Thy instructions knowing that the God I serve is eternally wise and never does anything without an eternal purpose. At this time I imagine how the Israelites, Thy chosen people, would pilgrim to Jerusalem on Thy appointed feast days. And on one such occasion, the Psalmist looked up to the hills of Thy holy city as he was ascending and asked, "From where does my help come from?" He knew the answer for joy would have filled his heart knowing that he was drawing to that place where dwells Your presence. Adonai, though I live in an era and culture so different from the days of old, my heart knows that Your instructions are never outdated but are true and relevant from generation to generation. The joyous truth is that because I obey, I find You, my living God, make me rest in the safety of Thy grace. And like the Psalmist, I too now confidently know that as I look to the hills, they are not just any hills. As I look to the mountains, though there are probably grander and higher mountains around the world, my help comes from just one place—from the One who has made Zion 'His' holy mountain.
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 have just concluded the Feast of Unleavened Bread which
started on the 15th 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. We have just entered the 9th day of counting up to the fifty days
to Shavuot (Lev. 23:15-16).
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.
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