Day 110 (Psalm 121, 123-125, 128-130) - Year 7
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Hey, Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for The Bible Recap. Today we read seven psalms that all fall into a category known as the Psalms of Ascent. There are 15 psalms in this category, and they span Psalm 120 through 134. But before we dig into today's individual chapters, let's talk about what the Psalms of Ascent are.

The first thing that's important to know is that Jerusalem is the city that will eventually be the nation's capital, and it will be the headquarters of the tabernacle and the future temple. Jerusalem is at a high elevation, so no matter which way you approach it, you have to go up to Jerusalem. So when all the people of Israel, who've been dispersed all across the land, come together every year to celebrate the High Holy Days, they have to make a long journey up to Jerusalem, hence the word ascent.

And most historians say that as they made their long pilgrimage three times a year, they would sing these 15 songs. These were their road trip hymns of praise to God, with reminders of who he is and what he has done for them. And some of them even have language that refers to travel or the things travelers would be particularly mindful of, like Psalm 121, for example. This is a psalm of confidence. It points out all the ways Yahweh is superior to the pagan gods of the day.

David praises God for being his stability in all times, day and night. He's a God who is never tired or distracted, unlike the pagan gods of the day who require sleep and are reported to return to the underworld at night. This tireless, undistracted God would be comforting to people who are sleeping along the highways as they travel to Jerusalem. And David even talks about God providing shade to them, which is especially nice if you happen to be traveling through the Judean desert.

And I love how the Faith Life Study Bible summarizes his protection. It says, Yahweh is not just a hideout, but a bodyguard. He's not just in one place. He goes with them. Psalm 123 calls out to God in the midst of distress and oppression, which the Israelites will continue to spend a lot of time dealing with. They ask God for mercy. And as they travel, they'll even likely be passing through areas where their oppressors live. So this might have really struck a chord with them on their pilgrimage.

This flows right into Psalm 124, which points out that God is the only way they've survived distress and oppression so far. It has been abundant. And they affirm that God is their help. It's a good thing for them to have to sing this song at least three times a year, because remember how easy it is for them to forget God? Psalm 125 continues by pointing out the blessings that will come to those who remember God and trust Him, and that God will uproot the unrighteous.

By the way, Mount Zion, which is referenced in this psalm, is a location we've heard referenced in a few other places as well, so it's worth pointing out this is the highest point in ancient Jerusalem, just outside the city gates.

Because it's such a noteworthy location, it even becomes sort of a representation of Jerusalem, and the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably. In Psalm 128, we see a lot of reference to God's covenant with the children of Israel. Remember how He told them if they keep the covenant, they'll live in the land and be fruitful and blessed, but if they break the covenant, they'll be oppressed and exiled? So here's where all that comes together in a song that reminds them of the blessings of keeping the covenant He made with them. I want to offer one caveat for chapters like this.

Texts like these present us with lots of information about God's character and how He operates in general, but there's some stickiness involved in trying to apply them with the same one-to-one ratio today. For instance, not every obedient person is guaranteed to have children. That was God's promise to a specific people group at a specific time and for His specific purpose.

The reason it's important for us to recognize the context of this is not only because it saves us from the error of entitlement, but also because it keeps us from judging others as obedient or disobedient based on how their lives look. Imagine there's a couple who wants to expand their family, but they can't get pregnant, or the adoption keeps getting delayed, or they suffer miscarriages repeatedly. Now imagine how hard it would be for them and how it would impact their view of God if they actually thought Scripture always promised children to the obedient.

They'd probably be plagued with frustration and confusion over what they'd done wrong. And they might even look at couples who aren't even walking with God and who do get pregnant, and then get angry at God for not fulfilling His alleged promises. It's important to be mindful of context always, but especially with verses we're tempted to claim for ourselves. While 128 points out the blessings God brings to the home, Psalm 129 highlights all the ways God has blessed Israel as a whole—

And in Psalm 130, they recount the ultimate blessing, not just peace in the home or peace in the land, but peace with God himself. God is the one who forgives their sins and redeems them. And my God shot for today came in verse four, which says, "'With you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.'" We've talked about this before, but I always love noticing the different ways the fear of God shows up in scripture. The fear of God is comprised primarily of delight and awe.

If that weren't true, the two halves of this verse wouldn't fit together at all. It would have to say, with you, we really have to watch our backs, that you may be feared. Instead, this verse reminds us that God's great forgiveness of our sins inspires respect and awe and delight. It draws us to Him. No matter how we've walked in iniquity and rebellion, we can come to Him for forgiveness, knowing that because of Christ's full payment for our sins on the cross, we have pardon and redemption.

The fear of the Lord truly enhances our lives in every way. He's where the joy is. Tomorrow, we start our 11th book of the Bible, 2 Samuel. It's all about King David's reign. As usual, we'll be linking to a short overview video in the show notes. If you've got six minutes, be sure to check it out before we start our reading tomorrow. It will really help set you up for success.

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