Psalms 120-135
The people of Israel sang these songs as they walked up the hill and steps to the place where they gave honor to God. The note over each Psalm is, “A song of degrees” (or ascent). It must have been a great cheer for the people who were often in trouble to sing these Psalms, for each one told of help from God.
King David did not count it a hard duty to go to praise God, for he wrote,
“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the House of the Lord.” Psa. 122:1.
The “House” was then a plain Tent but was the place God had chosen. See Psa, 132:13.
There was one valuable article missing from that Tent for a long time. That was the chest of wood, covered over with gold, called the Ark of God. When you hear the word Ark, you may think of Noah’s ark or ship, but the word ark means a safe place, and this Ark was the place where the cloud of glory rested, and the blood to atone for sin was sprinkled; so, it was the only safe place for those people before God. An enemy once carried the Ark away, then later returned it, but it was kept in men’s homes instead of in the tent of God. David was so grieved that the Ark was gone that he said,
“I will not give sleep to mine eyes... Until I find out a place for the Lord. Lo, we beard of it... we found it in the fields of the wood.” (Psa, 132:4-8).
Then David and others carried the Ark to the tent on Mt. Zion with much praise to God (1 Chron. 15:25), Later the Ark was placed in the great Temple, and King Solomon prayed the words of this Psalm,
“Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest; Thou and the Ark of Thy strength” (Psa. 132:8; 2 Chron. 6:41).
Those who love the Lord do not now have such an ark, but it teaches them of the humble place the Lord Jesus took in this world, yet showing the glory of God, and He is the only way now to God, (John 1:14: 14:6). If any do not believe Jesus was the holy, perfect Son God, they would take away His glory as the enemy took the ark.
There are other verses in these Psalm, to help us now, for David had trouble from those who did not honor the Lord, he said,
“Our soul is escaped as a bird out the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the Name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psa. 124:7, 8.
Notice the verses about sowing seed perhaps you have put in garden seeds, when cold and rainy, which is not an easy task, for they need to be sown very evenly but when the plants were grown, and you could gather the vegetables, you were glad. So these verses tell:
“He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psa, 126:5, 6.
That, was “precious” seed, and the harvest “doubtless”, or sure; so, it must be the seed the Lord Jesus called, “The Word of God” (Luke 8:11). Can we sow God’s Words? Yes, by telling them to someone else, which often is not easy, but is certain to bring a time of joy at last.
ML 01/05/1941