I can see two distinct groups in this verse, Adonai. One is a set of people who know Your word but turn away from the truth to follow after their own ways. The second set are the evil ones who have rejected You completely. It is the first group that the Psalmist is focused on, for he says that because these do not hearken to Your truth that You should turn them to be like the second group. O Saviour, the so called "believer" knows Your word. They are familiar with Your commandments yet they choose to turn aside to foolishness.
I take for instance that all "believers" in Yeshua believe and accept that the 10 commandments are relevant for today. While many foolishly advocate that Yeshua has done away with the law and we do not need to keep the commandments of the Old Testament, they still believe that the 10 commandments are to be obeyed. Yet, such a large number of this group do not obey the 4th commandment that specifically commands us to keep the 7th day, which is by the Gregorian calendar a Saturday, as a day of rest. These know Your word but consciously choose to turn aside to obey the traditions passed down the centuries when the Roman Catholic leaders changed Your command, instructing all men to observe the 1st day of the week as a day of rest instead.
Yet I ask that You show mercy Lord, just as You showed me mercy; and do not turn them away along with the second group that does outright evil. May they receive boldness from You to break away from the "normal" of the world and be holy (or separate) for You.
May peace rest on the Israel of God.
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 42 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 fulfil 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 in First-fruits (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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