July 7, 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the next 15 days we will be reading through the Psalms of Ascent together as a church! The Psalms of Ascent are a collection of 15 psalms (Psalms 120-134) that pilgrims would sing on their way up to Jerusalem to worship. These songs are meant to instruct and prepare the hearts of the traveler to worship the Lord! As sojourners and aliens in this world, we too need to have our hearts prepared for and instructed in the worship of our God. Let\u2019s meditate on these psalms and allow the Spirit of the Lord to move us to true worship as we seek Him together!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a wisdom psalm which presents us with the blessedness of all people who fear the Lord and walk in His ways. The pilgrim worshipper sings this song as a reminder both to himself and to others of the divine blessing that comes from living in the blessed way which God has called us to!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the song the psalmist paints a picture of the man who fears the Lord having an aura of divine blessing which surrounds both his work and his family. Not only is the man himself blessed, but the land he works is blessed with fruitfulness and his family is blessed too! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ending of the song extends the reach of this blessing even further: the psalmist proclaims a blessing asking that all of God\u2019s people might walk in this way and experience this blessing, which would lead to prosperity for Jerusalem and peace for Israel. The blessing that the individual experiences as a result of fearing the Lord and walking in His ways extends to his work, his family and his entire community as well!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We see the opposite effect in the Scriptures as well: sometimes the sin of the individual can be the blight which is bringing down the entire community of God\u2019s people (see Joshua 7). Our faithfulness or faithlessness has far-reaching consequences beyond our own lives, and we must remember that our walk with Christ is in some ways communal even more than it is personal!<\/p>\n\n\n\n