Psalms of Ascent

September 26th, 2025

The days of awe, and the journey to the Feast of Tabernacles has begun.
Join us as we explore the meaning of this fall festival season through the Psalms

The Psalms of Ascent were sung as people traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles — Succoth.

Day 1 — Psalm 120

David is pleading with God for relief from his lying and aggressive enemies. We live in a time not unlike David’s, when our freedom to worship God unhindered is being undermined and people pretend they want peace, when in reality their actions shout out that they want war.

This Psalm of ascent — Psalm 120 — was traditionally recited on the Feast of Trumpets. It is a time that looks forward to the Lord’s intervention into human affairs. He will protect and nurture those who trust him, those who love peace and righteousness. But the Lord, will execute judgement on those who love war, and are guilty of destroying the earth and its inhabitants.

“In my distress I cried to the Lord,
And He heard me.
Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips
And from a deceitful tongue.
What shall be given to you,
Or what shall be done to you,
You false tongue?
Sharp arrows of the warrior,
With coals of the broom tree!
Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech,
That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
My soul has dwelt too long
With one who hates peace.
I am for peace;
But when I speak, they are for war.”

Day 2 — Psalm 121

I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Wonderful promises to encourage those who put their trust in the Lord.

Day 3 — Psalm 122

As we travel to the Feast of Tabernacles, we look forward to the time when the Psalmist’s vision of peace and prosperity will become a reality. Why? God’s house will be established in Jerusalem, and the King of Kings will rule there!

Psalm 122

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.”
Our feet have been standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem!
Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together,
Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the Lord, To the Testimony of Israel,
To give thanks to the name of the Lord.
For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.
Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.”
For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good.

Day 4 — Psalm 123

When we live in a society whose tone is one of pride and contempt for God, then we need to look to the Lord continually for mercy as we of necessity will find ourselves in conflict with those who cannot tolerate Gods ways.

Psalm 123

Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God, Until He has mercy on us.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt.
Our soul is exceedingly filled With the scorn of those who are at ease,
With the contempt of the proud.

Day 5 — Psalm 124

God’s deliverance in our lives is no insignificant matter. How often have we faced dilemmas, hostility, or irrational adversaries? When the situation is beyond our ability to “live at peace with all men” we need God to intervene and provide a way of escape. And he does for those who call out to him in faith.

Psalm 124
“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,” Let Israel now say—
“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, When men rose up against us,
Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us;
Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul;
Then the swollen waters Would have gone over our soul.”
Blessed be the Lord, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

Day 6 — Psalms 125

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the Lord surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.
For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
On the land allotted to the righteous,
Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.
Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
And to those who are upright in their hearts.
As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways,
The Lord shall lead them away
With the workers of iniquity.
Peace be upon Israel!

Unfortunately this is not the present reality! Rather it is a hope for the future.
A future that will be ushered in by the return of the King as LORD of Lords.
The Psalm looks forward to the time that Isaiah envisioned:

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this!
Isaiah 9

Day 7 — Psalms 126

God promises to do great things for his people and bring a time of peace and abundance that we can only dream about now.

He promises this to his physical people, Israel, a time of amazing harvests and joyful celebration in their own land after a time of exile.

Psalm 126

When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion,

We were like those who dream.

2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

And our tongue with singing.

Then they said among the nations,

“The Lord has done great things for them.”

3 The Lord has done great things for us,

And we are glad.

4 Bring back our captivity, O Lord,

As the streams in the South.

5 Those who sow in tears

Shall reap in joy.

6 He who continually goes forth weeping,

Bearing seed for sowing,

Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,

Bringing his sheaves with him.

Day 8 — Psalms 127

Solomon, David’s son, knew something about building! He had built God’s temple, and his own palace and they were considered to be wonders of the ancient world. How many sleepless nights did he endure because though he had wisdom he did not have the faith to fully trust the Lord.

Solomon is renown for his calvary, and his military, but did he only realize at the end of his life that these things were meaningless unless the Lord was “on guard.”

Perhaps too late in life he realized that the true heritage of a man is not great building projects. And Solomon’s “house” his family, was not built according to God’s standards, and caused him great heartache. So he gives us some advice learned from hard experience.

Unless the Lord builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

Unless the Lord guards the city,

The watchman stays awake in vain.

It is vain for you to rise up early,

To sit up late,

To eat the bread of sorrows;

For so He gives His beloved sleep.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,

So are the children of one’s youth.

Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;

They shall not be ashamed,

But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

Day 9 — Psalms 128

What greater blessing could we receive from God than to have the joy of family, children and grandchildren, who walk together with you in God’s ways.

Blessed is every one who fears the Lord,

Who walks in His ways.

When you eat the labor of your hands,

You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine

In the very heart of your house,

Your children like olive plants

All around your table.

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed

Who fears the Lord.

The Lord bless you out of Zion,

And may you see the good of Jerusalem

All the days of your life.

Yes, may you see your children’s children.

Peace be upon Israel!

Day 10 — Psalm 129 Day of Atonement

On the Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur, when we willingly afflict our souls through fasting according to God’s command, we also remember God’s promises to the humble and repentant.

God is a God of justice and he rewards people according to their works. He is not a respecter of persons!
There are blessings to those who have changed hearts, whose sins are forgiven .
But to those who adamantly refuse to love God and who hate God’s people there is judgment.

“Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth,”
Let Israel now say—
“Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth;
Yet they have not prevailed against me.
The plowers plowed on my back;
They made their furrows long.”
The Lord is righteous;
He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.
Let all those who hate Zion
Be put to shame and turned back.
Let them be as the grass on the housetops,
Which withers before it grows up,
With which the reaper does not fill his hand,
Nor he who binds sheaves, his arms.
Neither let those who pass by them say,
“The blessing of the Lord be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

Some verses to consider on the Day of Atonement. Are we fasting with the right heart and motivation and are we forgiving others as we have been forgiven. God will show mercy to the merciful.

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
Isaiah 58

Day 11 — Psalm 130

Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope.
My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning
— Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption.
And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities.

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