The Psalms are for worship – and so they have been used through the years been a vital part not only of Jewish worship but of Christians in the Presbyterian Churches. They rightly hold a place in our worship here in SYPC.
But they are also Songs for Life, reflecting on all the situations, emotions, questions, desires, aspirations and delights of being the people of God in a fallen world.
They teach us how to think, pray, feel and do as well as to sing before out God in a way that pleases and honours Him, all the while assuring us that ‘we have permission and freedom granted us to lay open before Him our infirmities, which we would be ashamed to confess before men‘ (Calvin).
Athanasius referred to it as ‘an epitome of the whole Scriptures‘; Basil called it ‘a compendium of theology‘; Luther described it as ‘a little Bible‘; and Calvin said it was ‘an anatomy of all the parts of the soul … There is not an emotion which anyone can be conscious that is not here represented in a mirror.’
Over the next few weeks we will look at that small group of 15 Psalms from Psalm 120 – 134.
These bear the common heading of ‘Songs of Ascent‘. They were apparently sung by the Jewish pilgrims on the way to the three major festivals of Israel held in the Temple at Jerusalem. The word ‘ascent’ not only describing the physically upward movement of Pilgrims as they came to the city situated in the mountains, but of the spiritual upward movement of the soul as they drew near to God in the displays of His grace and covenant love.
The Psalms were appropriate Songs for the Road for believing Israel, and continue to be for Christians today as we march to the heavenly Zion, gathering with one another through the grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ to the praise of His glory. In this we find not so much God coming and walking with us but that we are walking with God on the road of life.
Join us over the next few weeks as we consider and unite in the Songs for the Road.