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Day 18 - The Journey of the Psalms of Ascent

The Hebrew scriptures are roughly divided into three sections:

Torah – the first five books of the Old Testament which describes the creation of the nation and the giving of the law.

Prophets – In general this is the historical sections (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Chronicles, etc…) and the corresponding Prophetic writings (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, etc…) that related to Jewish history.

Writings – The Poetry of the Old Testament scriptures from Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Songs (Solomon), but also includes books like Ruth, Chronicles, and others.

Among the Writings, this Poetry that was often turned into music, are the Psalms of Ascent.  Beginning in Psalm 120 thru Psalm 134, a series of songs became part of the journey of each pilgrim as they journeyed to Jerusalem for the seven major festivals God ordained in the law (see yesterday’s blog if you need to remember the different feasts God ordained).

It might be difficult for us to imagine that people, families, would actually leave their homes and make these annual journeys.  But, imagine with me the Jewish faithful leaving their farms, businesses, trades and the daily routines that go with their vocation, and heading towards Jerusalem with their family in order to participate in Passover, or Yom Kippur.  Let me remind you of Jesus’ own journey with his parents on one of these journeys. 

Luke 2:41-44
41  Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
42  And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.
43  And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,
44  but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances,

Some key words:  “every year”… “according to custom”… “in the group…among relatives and aquaintances”.  This was not a one time occasion, but an annual one that his family, and many other families participated in.

As Jesus and his family made their journeys, they most likely sang these Psalms of Ascent.  Why Ascent?  Because all roads in Israel are lower and all journeys towards Jerusalem mean an ascent up to arrive in Jerusalem. 

Is it relevant to us?  I believe so…and not just because I’ve chosen to blog on them.  All of us have experiences of travel.  I have made journeys of a few hours, to several days in order to arrive at a destination.  Some of those times of journey were arduous and some of those were boring.  A car journey of 70 – 80 miles per hour for several hours is often boring.  The highway passes so rapidly that the images are brief and the thoughts are quick.  Contrast that with a journey that is slow, allowing time for thoughts to emerge and reflections to occur.  I don’t know about you, but the latter journey is what I prefer.

These Psalms for the journey remind the faithful that the journey has begun but is not yet finished.  Take your time, think, process, enjoy, be wiser because you did.

These Psalms challenge us to live “mindfully”, “reflectively” and not merely pass quickly through because we’re in a hurry to get a destination.

Perhaps the most important question is “why go on the pilgrimage to begin with?”  The first of these Psalms, the 120th is where we begin to understand the reason why we begin the journey.

Psalm 120:1-7
1 In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me.
2  Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.
3  What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue?
4  A warrior’s sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree!
5  Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
6  Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace.
7  I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!

Why travel through the Psalms of Ascent on our journey through Lent?  It’s clear from the first Psalm – our culture is drowning in lies, deceit, hate, war – and here’s the key, “We’re part of it”!

We go on this Lenten journey because we are disgusted; because we know that every time we turn around we are met with a world that is sick and sad. 


I’m coming back to this tomorrow, so read some more of this tomorrow…but let’s read them together and make a spiritual journey that might just lead us away from the dismal towards the hopeful.

Peace

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