Song of Ascents - Psalm 122, Verse 2

I think of what is written elsewhere Adonai: Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere. There is no place in the world that can compare with the joy of being in Your presence. Yes, we have moments when You permit us to experience Your presence. Yet, these are albeit brief, almost like teasers. But through Yeshua, You have purposed that we can move past the outer courts; past the brazen altar; through the Holy Place and into the Holy of Holies where dwells the fullness of Your presence—not for a brief moment but constantly and always. I want this Adonai and I know that You want this for me too. My feet are standing within the gates of Jerusalem, gracious Saviour; but I ask that I will not be content with just that. Please take me into the Holy of Holies, Adonai. Let me enter with the blood of the Lamb.

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 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. We have now completed 17 days of counting up to the fifty days to Shavuot (Lev. 23:15-16), the next feast day of the Lord.

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.