O faithful God of all creation, You have proclaimed over and over again in Your word that those who pursue righteousness there is always good that follows them. In one Psalm it is written that, "it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield." There are numerous other scriptures that plainly tell us that it is "the" way of life. In fact it is for this reason that You have sanctified us, making us a new creation in Yeshua the Messiah.
Let us always remind ourselves Lord that in our pursuit of You, and in our endeavour to live a life that always pleases You there is no other way but to love You and do Your will with a pure heart, live righteously with a good conscience and maintain a sincere faith in You (1Tim. 1:5). To such who do good and are upright of heart, You will do good. Just as Solomon wrote, "The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the dwelling of the righteous." Blessed is the man who hears these words of Yours and walks by (does) them.
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 concluded the seven-day 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. The next feast is Shavuot (or Pentecost) which is 50 days from First-fruits. (This year it falls on May 20, 2018.)
From the day of First-fruits, which was the day our Lord rose from the dead, we have now completed 41 days of counting up to the fifty days to Shavuot (Lev. 23:15-16), the next feast day of the Lord. This counting is also a good reminder of the fact that after our Lord Yeshua rose again, He revealed Himself to His disciples and to many others for 40 days before pouring out the Holy Spirit upon them and clothing them with power from on high. Having now seen the Lord ascend into heaven the disciples tarried in Jerusalem. Knowing that the Feast of Weeks was only ten days away, they knew it best to wait for on that day, all Israel were to gather in Jerusalem according to the command of God. Little would they have known that on the day of the feast, God was to fulfill one more of His promises just as He did on His other three appointed days of Passover (in Yeshua’s death); the Feast of Unleavened Bread (in Yeshua’s burial) and First-fruits (in Yeshua’s resurrection).
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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