Week 28 (Feast of Tabernacles), Psalm 120-124

Psalm 120-134, The Psalms of Ascents or Degrees

This group of 15 Psalms is a treasure trove of spiritual teachings on how to keep the Fall Holy Days in the right spirit as God intends. They picture life in God’s Church as a spiritual pilgrimage to God’s throne. Beginning with our preparation in attitude for the Feast, they point us to succeeding stages of our pilgrimage.

The Soncino commentary notes that they were called “the Great Hallel,” and defined as the songs of ascents or degrees. They follow and are contrasted with the smaller “Egyptian Hallel,” as 113-118 are known with 119 between them.

The meaning of Ascents or Degrees is literally "Goings up" (plural) and can refer to several things. Some common explanations are:

• The regular annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem, the highest elevation in the land... "Going up to Jerusalem."

• Going up before God's presence in a spiritual sense. When? —The Holy Days, of course! Notice Isaiah 30:29 refers to a type of Psalm—or the use of a Psalm—during the three Holy Day seasons with specific mention of an evening/night ceremony, concert or song service.

• These 15 psalms originally formed a separate psalter for the HD's. They were at times sung by the Levitical choir on the 15 temple steps leading up to the entrance of the temple and sometimes used in the processions traveling to the HD's—especially arriving at and entering the city. The trip was made with music, singing, celebration—a parade atmosphere.

• They were also called "Pilgrim Songs" because of the travel and because of the meaning of the Feast— booths or temporary dwellings picture temporary physical life. A pilgrim—one who makes a pilgrimage—is dispossessed for religious reasons. When we keep the Feast we are temporarily dispossessed for religious reasons—pilgrims by choice, as it were, in Satan's world.

Summaries for Psalm 120-134, The Psalms of Ascents or Degrees

The first four, 120-123, focus on the attitudes we start with and need to develop as we prepare to travel to the Feast and begin to keep it. 120- Distress in this world and peace at the Feast; 121- Protection and preservation of the righteous; 122- The things that cause peace—at the Feast and in the millennium; 123- The suppliant worshipping at the Feast.

The next three, 124-126, follow up with different aspects of deliverance and protection, resulting in faith and thankfulness.

Next, 127 and 128 are a pair on Festival lessons of marriage, family, and children, picturing God’s Family.

Then 129 is associated with  the Feast of Trumpets—the haters of truth punished and God’s people vindicated, and 130 and 131 teach Atonement lessons— forgiveness and fasting—preparing us to keep the Feast in the right attitude.

Psalm 132 speaks of honoring our mother, the Church.

Psalm 133 is the famous praise of unity, the result of internalizing these great life and Festival lessons.

And the 15^th, Psalm 134, is a beautiful farewell hymn.

Reading and praying through these Psalms in preparation for and keeping the Feast, as well as any other time, can be very rewarding.

1. Psalm 120

Author: Not known.

Time/Occasion: Not known.

Main theme: The distress call for protection in enemy territory.

Hymnal: N/A.

Personal application:

This world is a hostile environment for God’s servants—enemy territory where the way of peace is not known. This introductory psalm speaks of a time of alienation and tribulation for national Israel and the Church and the Firstfruits’ struggle against spiritual captivity. Meshech and Kedar are symbols of oppression, and both are known for falsehood and slander, the method of oppression. Slander paves the way.

Psalm 120 is for the beginning of the journey to keep the fall Holy Days in the place where God has placed His name. The right attitude/orientation for anticipating the Feast is "Let me outa here! I need some relief— a change of pace— a little peace!"

This Psalm is an instruction: There is a recognition that this isn’t God’s world. At the beginning of the Feast we leave our own Meshech or Kedar—shake loose of the stress of the rat race, leave problems behind and throw ourselves into the Feast. The Feast experience is intended to be a little taste of the joyful and peaceful world of the Millennium and the Kingdom of God.

2. Psalm 121

Author: Not known.

Time/Occasion: Not known.

Main theme: God, Thy Keeper. There is never a time when His people are unprotected.

The KJV uses “Keep” three times and “preserve” three times: He who keepeth thee; He who keepeth Israel; The Lord is thy keeper; The Lord shall preserve thee; He shall preserve thy soul; The Lord shall preserve thy going out…” But the Hebrew word for both keep and preserve is the same. NIV, NLT and others translate He who watches over you, shall keep you; shall watch over your life,” etc.

Hymnal: #75: Unto the Hills I Lift My Eyes #143: Be Not Afraid My People (related theme).

Other Music: He, Watching Over Israel by Felix Mendelssohn.

Note: Check out several beautiful and inspiring renditions of this classic from the Elijah at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0RElLfQXz0, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-Uh4BX3pW8, etc. This is one of the most beautiful modern compositions from the psalms.

Personal application: The hills, Jerusalem being the highest, were symbols of God’s presence and His protection. They did offer physical protection from many armies with chariots invading Palestine over the centuries. The chariots were supreme on the maritime plane but stopped short in the rougher hill country. We tend to look to physical institutions—the around, but we must look beyond the physical to the spiritual—the above. The true God offers His protection to His people who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9). He is never distracted from watching over us.

V. 7. God protects from ALL types of danger and every evil that could possibly hurt us.

This psalm offers a six-fold assurance of His care for us while we are mere humans. This may be the reason for the number of man, six, being used here. We are incomplete and vulnerable as physical beings and need protection until we are changed to immortal and glorious (with strength and power).

3. Psalm 122

Author: David (superscription) but scholars generally think this superscription was added later because it is missing in many of the old records.

Time/Occasion: Not known, but generally believed to be late because it is written in a later style.

Main theme: The joy of being part of God’s Church keeping His Feast.

Secondary theme: Millennial prophecy of the whole world sending representatives to keep the Feast at Jerusalem.

Hymnal: N/A.

Personal application: This psalm deals with our attitude toward the temple in Jerusalem, both the building and city symbolizing the Church and God's authority. God requires of us a high regard and love for His Church.

V. 2. There is a desire to be within the body of Christ, in the Work, among the members of God's family and Church. The Feast is an annual family reunion. David is saying: That's where I need and want to be.

V. 4-5. The Feast showed ancient Israel where the source of truth and authority was—where God had placed His name (Deuteronomy 12). God's name isn't in a place now, but in a people— in His Church. There are set offices in the NT Church as well (though different ones). The Church has authority to make judgments on some things. For example, judgments are made that determine whether there will be peace or division within the Church. Stability is produced in great part by the responsibility and authority to make judgments on various issues at critical times. There is also an implied anti-heresy theme to the Feast. The ministry is responsible “watch over” and feed the flock in general, and to protect the flock in some circumstances from individuals or situations that would bring harm to the congregation.

Note: The Church is called the pillar and ground of truth in 1Timothy 3:15.

Note: Sometimes, people who know of a judgment don't know all the facts. And many times the minister is not free to tell all the facts. It's easy to second-guess. This is a point of wisdom.

V. 6-7. Pray for the peace and guidance of God's Church— all the membership, the leaders, especially those who have the responsibility of making decisions that affect the whole Church. God promises here to intervene and answer those prayers and bless us with peace in the Church. Blessings go to those who love God and His Church.

4. Psalm 123

Author: Not known.

Time/Occasion: Not known, but the message of this and the whole series seems to best fit in the time after returning from Babylon when they faced enemies who resisted their efforts to do God’s work at that time, which was to build the temple and the wall of Jerusalem. It was definitely a time of stress and distress.

Main theme: The spiritual attitude and orientation that God wants us to bring to the Feast: that of a worshipper, a suppliant. This is the attitude we should always have in our lives.

Secondary theme: There is an underlying theme all through the Psalms of Ascents: the difficulties of living God’s way in Satan’s world. Adversity is part of our training. God hasn’t called us to a life of ease!

Hymnal: N/A.

Personal application—using this psalm in our prayers:

This psalm continues to deal with the spirit and attitude with which we keep the Feast and gets to the number one reason!— Because God is God, He is our God, and He simply tells us to keep His Feast! Whether or not we have the approval of men, we obey Him out of respect of doing His will and wanting to please Him! It's that simple! This is the song of the suppliant, the worshipper.

V. 2. Two meanings: Employees look to the boss for direction because his is the hand that feeds them. How much more attentively should we look to God? Secondly, a personal slave or maiden-in-waiting serves as a model for us. A slave was vulnerable—served at the whim of masters who had great power over them, even life and death. Every move was watched, every nuance & twitch noticed. No slave could afford a blase', cool, laid-back attitude. This is an illustration of what our attitude toward God should be. We should have the same attitude toward God, minus the fear.

Both meanings apply to us. We are always under God’s eye as His workers. We are slaves wholly owned by Him. We should be so riveted on Christ that no nuance is missed, no morsel is left on the table that He spreads for us, no crumb falls to the ground—careful not to miss what God has to say or to discover any lesson God has for us in the Feast experience or anytime.

Is it possible to go to the Feast just for a big party— recreation, concerts, three steaks a day? Yes, and it does happen. Many times that experience is part of how we learn to keep a spiritual Feast. A big party with lots of physical recreation and enjoyment is fine, but the physical is only secondary to our relationship with God.

Psalm 124, 125, and 126

These three are a set with the same historical background, and show different aspects of deliverance and protection, resulting in faith and thankfulness.

5. Psalm 124

Author: David (superscription), but the same comment as 122 above.

Time/Occasion: Not known, but see 122 above.

Main theme: Historical. A quick review of God’s saving acts on behalf of the nation, referencing the waters of the Red Sea and the Jordan River.

Hymnal: N/A.

Personal application:

Other psalms use the imagery of a flood passing over to signify being overwhelmed, and destroyed by enemies.

This short psalm gives us a personal prayer we can identify with because the lesson is “common to man.” Without God’s protection each of us wouldn’t have made it for many reasons. The fact that we are still standing demonstrates God’s mercy and love to us. He wouldn’t have invested so much into each of our lives just for the purpose of forgetting about us! He guards His investments, the greatest of which is His children.