A Song of Ascents
Thoughts about a Beloved Psalm
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills — From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)
Free Image provided by Sasin Tipchai at Pixabay.com
“Come we that love the Lord and let our joys be known! Join in a song with sweet accord, join in a song with sweet accord, and thus, surround the throne, and thus, surround the throne!”
“We’re marching to Zion, Beautiful, beautiful Zion! We’re marching upward to Zion (Zion), the beautiful city of God!”
These are the words of …
one of my favorite hymns, and a good example of a song of ascents! Also known as “songs of degrees,” or “songs for going up to worship,” the fifteen Psalms contained in chapters 120-134 of the book can be considered in this category.
The book of Psalms was the Hebrew songbook, and much like the lyrics of the song “Marching to Zion” above (by Isaac Watts and Robert Lowry), Psalm 121 inspires Christians to climb to the higher plane of being closer to God.
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.”(Psalm 121:1-8).
It is believed that the Psalms of Ascent were sung by Jewish worshipers during the Old Testament as they ascended the mountain to Jerusalem to worship God three times a year, mentioned in Deuteronomy 16:16-17 (NKJV).
(Songs of Ascents Wikipedia Article)
Panoramic view of Half Dome, Yosemite N.P., California
Free Image provided by Thomas H. at Pixabay.com
It is inspiring to imagine …
faithful men of God as they “marched in step” upward to Zion to go worship the Lord. I can imagine the feelings of love, zeal and dedication for the Lord this experience must have inspired while these men looked down on God’s beautiful creation as they ascended to God’s chosen place of worship for their time!
There are times when I’m out hiking with my family, ascending to some beautiful overlook that highlights a grandiose mountain panorama, or a gorgeous view of an awesome waterfall, and I can hardly keep from bursting out in song — “How Great is Our God,” “How Great Thou Art,” or “Come We That Love the Lord!”
These “songs of ascent” inspire me to look upward to the One Who created us, and I hope that they will inspire you to look upward as well!
As always,
Keep exploring friends, and we’ll see you next time!
— Chase