Psalms of Ascent: Arrival

This week we will finish our journey through the Psalms of Ascent. These ancient songs have been our companions these past five weeks as we have been in the wilderness of the COVID Quarantine. I have been amazed at how timely and relevant these words are for our current context, even though they are 3,000 years old.

These songs of hope, of lament, and of remembrance guided their steps as they journeyed toward Jerusalem. As I read today’s Psalms (132, 133, 134), I am imagining Psalm 132 written just outside the city, looking on at the glory of the Temple. I envision Psalm 133 written in the outer court of the Temple. And Psalm 134 written as the writer joined the crowds in worship.

Outside the City

Standing on the Mount of Olives, gazing over the Kidron Valley and resting your eyes on the beauty of Jerusalem’s Temple would have been an exciting moment for the travelers. After a long journey, the destination is just ahead, and an appropriate song would be a song about what made this city so great.

This song opens with a request for God to remember His servant David’s love for Him. When David became king, Israel was still new to having a king. The divided tribes were still coming together to develop a united kingdom. It was King David who captured Jerusalem and established it as the capital of Israel.

As David was getting settled, he turned his thoughts toward God, as was his custom. He desired to build God a house, a temple, for all to come and worship. And so he sent for the Ark of the Covenant, also known as the Mercy Seat. The Ark comes from the Tabernacle Worship, a tent God instructed Moses to build for the proper worship of God. The Israelites would set up the Tabernacle everywhere they went, but it was a temporary structure. David wanted God to have a permanent structure.

Psalm 132 reminds God of David’s desire for God. It also traces the movement of the Ark as David brought it back to Jerusalem. His desire is that the priests would righteously lead the city and nation in sincere worship of the Almighty.

God’s response to David was not what you would expect. David, the king, wanted to build a house for God, but God said, “I appreciate your heart, but that task is not for you, it is for your son.” Yet God did bless David for his desire by promising him that He will keep His promise toward David forever and one of his son’s will sit on David’s throne forever.

God also identified the city as the place where He will dwell among men. His presences would bring blessings and hope to the city. Later, Solomon would construct the Temple and God acknowledge it as the place where He would dwell, and the people would worship.

Sometimes we desire good things, but God works things out differently than we expect it. It’s a good reminder that even when we desire good things, we have to surrender our plans to God’s and receive the blessings He has for us today. David didn’t reject God because God said “It is not for you to build.” He trusted in the promises of God that his dream would be fulfilled, he just wouldn’t get a chance to experience it. Yet, true worship did return to Jerusalem and God’s presence descended on that place.

What’s your real desire? To see your plans work out the way you want it to, or to dwell near to God?

The Outer Court

Temple worship was laid out by God through Moses and described in the Law. Leviticus, in particular, demonstrates the fact that we can only come to God on His terms and not our own. We have to submit to God’s ways in order to experience true worship.

The Temple was laid out in several layers, each layer represented access to God and would bring new requirements of man. The Outer Court was the place in the Temple that all the nations of the world could gather, men, women and children. Beyond that was a court for only Jewish men, and further still was only permitted by the priests. The Holy of Holies was only accessible by the High Priest, and he could only go in once a year.

I envision this Outer Court as an appropriate place to sing Psalm 133. As the psalmist looked around and saw the crowds of people gathering in unity before God, it provoked a celebration. In this world, unity is hard to come by, and therefore it is cherished.

Have you ever been to a conference or a concert where Christians gathered in unity? It is such an amazing experience. On Easter Sunday, I went to a Drive In Church service in Tallmadge. Due to the quarantine, we all had to stay in our own cars and listen to the service on FM radio. Six churches in Tallmadge joined together to put on a worship service for this special and peculiar occasion.

All six churches were of different denominations and worship styles. Yet that didn’t hinder their participation. The Methodist pastor stood up and he proclaimed this very fact, that we are united because we are all celebrating the Son of God who died and rose again. It is the resurrection that unites us. It was a special moment for me as I celebrated how beautiful it is for the Believers to dwell together in Unity.

True unity is rare. True peace and unity, when achieved, is fragile because we are all sinners. When our peace is disrupted, we immediately look at others and blame them for robbing us of the peace. However, in our pursuit of peace and unity, we have to start with ourselves, with our own heart.

The quarantine is a difficult time and wearisome. To be confined in our homes, in such close proximity to our families, can lead to stress and annoyances.  It’s hard to stay united and keep the peace. But it is such a joy when everyone is together, on the same page and enjoying each other’s company.

There is no worse feeling than wanting to avoid going home. When there is conflict in the home, unresolved issues, an unrepentant heart(s), anger or bitterness, it robs home of being a refuge. It’s so important that we come together in our homes, work through conflict, practice regular repentance before God and our family and remove all roots of bitterness. We need each other. Conflict is opportunity to grow, to be made aware of areas of sin and ways to grow closer with Jesus.

Church can be the same way. It is rare thing to experience unity, so when you do, treasure it. Celebrate it. Do all you can to preserve it. The Word of God commands us to be like minded, to seek unity and to treat others kindly. Yes it is hard work, but it is worth it.

Time for Worship

In these Psalms, we are moving from the Place of Worship, to the People of Worship and now to the Practice of Worship. This journey through the Psalms of Ascent is a journey from a dry and thirsty land, along a difficult road, to ultimately be in the presence of God.

Along the way we have acknowledged the difficulties of life, the hardships of quarantine, the disappointments and frustrations we encounter as humans. We have remembered how God has been faithful in the past, have been reminded of His character and goodness, and looked at His promises for our future.

We take these steps with the purpose of encountering God, to be in His presence and to enjoy Him forever. Now we have arrived at the end of the journey and the question is, have you arrived at the destination?

To be in Jerusalem during the festivals and to worship in the Temple was the goal. The Psalmist has arrived and invites us to worship, to bless God, to forget about everything else and enjoy our Creator.

Can you say you have arrived? Have you walked this journey through these psalms and arrived at a place to bless God? To lift your hands in Worship with abandoned and enjoy His presence?

If not, maybe you need to go back through. These Psalms are a very human experience that leads us to the foot of the cross and to the celebration of the empty tomb. What is holding you back? Is there sin that needs to be confessed? Is there pain you need to lament? Is there a lie about God you need to abandon?

I pray that you can experience the joy of the Lord. You no longer have to carry the burden, you can give it to Jesus. His love is bigger than you deepest pain, His light is brighter than your darkest place, call out to Him and He will answer.

If yes, enjoy Jesus today! Crank up your favorite praise songs and sing out loud! Even if it isn’t your normal practice, lift your arms up in praise. Like a child longing to be picked up by their father, raise your hands to the Lord and bless His name.

The amazing thing is, when we pursue God and worship Him, He blesses us more than we can imagine.