Psalms of Ascent
Fifteen psalms in the Book of Psalms were designed for a special purpose- these were the songs sung by the children of Israel as they ascended to Mount Zion 3 times a year for a feast, and time of worshipping before the Lord. The Psalms of Ascent are: Psalms 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134.
On an equivalent level for the faith-children of God, these are the prepatory songs of worship, sung prior to the festive worship of the congregation. Imagine the festivities as God's children gathered in His holy place with worship offerings and gifts to the Holy One! Can you see the smiles on their faces and the pining in their hearts to dance before His throne of glory, and taste of the goodness of His Spirit? Even the children, whose hearts were still young and innocent, rejoiced in the worthy example of their parents jubilation. Young men and women came to consecrate themselves before the Lord in sincere praise for their day to day lives, as did the older ones of the community who had to be helped around the cities- now raising hoarse voices in a reverent praise with hands outstretched. What a beautiful picture of worship the Psalms of Ascent give us! And all this BEFORE the true worship feast!
This article's key word must be preparation, above all else. How much do you and I prepare ourselves before entering the time of worship before our Lord? Do we spend out time bickering and struggling to get up on Sunday morning itself, or do the late Saturday nights leave us tired and sleepy as we approach His throne of grace?
Let us follow the example of the Israelites, who came in a spirit of consecration, looking forward with anticipation even in the pre-worship phase BEFORE the worship formally began. For us who live in the 21st Century- this could be simply reading the Psalms of Ascent before heading out the door, or coming home early on a Saturday night, or preparing one's heart for worship with reading of the Scripture, more prayer, extended quiet times, even just a prayer-chat with God. How are you prepared for worship?
If that were not enough, if we pause to consider the motivations for the Israelites and their reverence for God, we find nothing less than an overflowing gratefulness, a brimming heart of worship that was not obligated to do any of these things. They were driven with hearts of thanks, of gratefulness for what the Lord had done in their lives, both individually and as a nation. How much can we thank Him for His bountiful blessings, we who enjoy no lack of anything at all! 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, ". Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Give your worship out of a heart of gratefulness, nothing less, that He may delight in the gifts we bring- a fragrant offering rising up to heaven.
On an equivalent level for the faith-children of God, these are the prepatory songs of worship, sung prior to the festive worship of the congregation. Imagine the festivities as God's children gathered in His holy place with worship offerings and gifts to the Holy One! Can you see the smiles on their faces and the pining in their hearts to dance before His throne of glory, and taste of the goodness of His Spirit? Even the children, whose hearts were still young and innocent, rejoiced in the worthy example of their parents jubilation. Young men and women came to consecrate themselves before the Lord in sincere praise for their day to day lives, as did the older ones of the community who had to be helped around the cities- now raising hoarse voices in a reverent praise with hands outstretched. What a beautiful picture of worship the Psalms of Ascent give us! And all this BEFORE the true worship feast!
This article's key word must be preparation, above all else. How much do you and I prepare ourselves before entering the time of worship before our Lord? Do we spend out time bickering and struggling to get up on Sunday morning itself, or do the late Saturday nights leave us tired and sleepy as we approach His throne of grace?
Let us follow the example of the Israelites, who came in a spirit of consecration, looking forward with anticipation even in the pre-worship phase BEFORE the worship formally began. For us who live in the 21st Century- this could be simply reading the Psalms of Ascent before heading out the door, or coming home early on a Saturday night, or preparing one's heart for worship with reading of the Scripture, more prayer, extended quiet times, even just a prayer-chat with God. How are you prepared for worship?
If that were not enough, if we pause to consider the motivations for the Israelites and their reverence for God, we find nothing less than an overflowing gratefulness, a brimming heart of worship that was not obligated to do any of these things. They were driven with hearts of thanks, of gratefulness for what the Lord had done in their lives, both individually and as a nation. How much can we thank Him for His bountiful blessings, we who enjoy no lack of anything at all! 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, ". Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Give your worship out of a heart of gratefulness, nothing less, that He may delight in the gifts we bring- a fragrant offering rising up to heaven.
posted by leb at 7:39 AM
1 Comments:
hi there!
i don't know how i came across this blog, but i'm so encouraged by it! it immediately reminded me of "two are better than one....if one falls down, his friend can help him up.."
keep it up kleb and co :D
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