Psalm 121

August 4, 2019 · Ben Hoyer · 36:06

Part of the Psalms of Ascent series, describing how these fifteen psalms beginning at Psalm 120 were sung by pilgrims traveling together in family groups toward the festivals in Jerusalem, picturing God's people journeying toward him together through real-life challenges.

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the Psalms of Ascent, which are 15 Psalms that start at Psalm 120. And the reason that we are looking at these is, well because they're great. But also because most scholars think that these Psalms of Ascent were used as both liturgical and practical progression to the

feast days in Jerusalem. There's a section in the temple where there were 15 stairs and there's this theory that these 15 Psalms were read one on each step. Maybe even responsibly, a lot of them have spaces where there could be a call and response where the priest might read one part and the assembled congregation might speak the other part back to him. But then there's also this secondary theory that says that would be the liturgical

use. But the practical use would be in the groups of people that are leaving their home and journeying towards Jerusalem for the festival days. And this is the part that really captures my imagination and is encouraging for me. We talked last week about that story where Mary and Joseph lose track of Jesus when he's young on their journey back from Jerusalem. And when you first read the story, you're like, what kind of parents did God trust the

son of man to that they would lose him for a couple days, right? But then when you learn the cultural setting a little bit, you realize that the tradition was a family like Mary and Joseph moving from Nazareth up to Jerusalem a several days journey. They would all go together in large family units. And they would walk together for safety and for fun, right? And so that when they're walking back from Jerusalem and it's not a big deal that they don't notice Jesus because they're assured he's off somewhere playing with another group of kids staying.

And they'll walk together and walk together and walk together and walk together. And they'll walk together and walk together. And they'll walk together with the group of folks and they'll make their way back together. And I love the image of a congregation of people walking towards God together in the midst of real life challenges. And that's what I see the Psalms of a sense about. And I love the Psalms of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of a sense of

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