Spiritual Progress: How the Psalms of Ascent Reveal the Desires of Godly Living

Do you want to desire the things that God desires? I often pray, “Lord, please put on my heart those desires that are from you.” One way that God answers this prayer is through his Word – revealing to us his intentions for our lives and for the world. This is especially clear in the Psalms of Ascent – Psalms 120-134, each of which has the label ‘Song of Ascent’ placed before it. In these Psalms, we learn two important desires for our spiritual lives.

We Learn the Importance of Spiritual Progress

The Psalms of Ascent are found in the fifth book of the Psalms (107-150). Thus far, Psalms 107-119 led readers through extended periods of praise to God for his mighty works and his wondrous Word. The Psalms of Ascent follow. They demonstrate definite spiritual progression – perhaps a progression that occurs when we are exposed to God’s work and word.

While it is not certain why these Psalms are titled ‘Songs of Ascent,’ one common theory is that they were ancient travel hymns. Possibly, the Hebrews sang these songs as they journeyed to Jerusalem for the yearly Passover celebration.

Whether this theory is correct, we can certainly observe a progression, both spiritual and geographical. In the first of these Psalms (120), the poet is a sojourner in ‘Mesech’ and he dwells in the tents of ‘Kedar.’ These two locations were both very distant from Jerusalem – one is located in the Arabian Peninsula, while the other is in the mountainous region of Armenia, near Russia. The Psalmist is referring to the most far-away places that he can – not because he is literally an inhabitant of these locations, but because they typify places that are far from God’s presence. They are peopled by, as he describes them, those who ‘hate peace.’ The geographic distance from Jerusalem is paralleled by the moral distance from God’s temple, causing the Psalmist to cry out, “Woe is me” because he lives among them.

But as we continue to read these Psalms, we draw closer to God’s presence. In Psalm 121, the Psalmist says that he will lift up his eyes to the hills. The obvious referent is Jerusalem, situated among the Judean hills. The Psalmist has evidently not yet reached the holy city, but he is headed there, and as the peaks of Judean summits slowly rise in the distance, he observes that God, his hope, is found among them.

The progression continues, with frequent mentions to Jerusalem as ‘Zion.’ By the end of the progression, in Psalm 134, the poet is directly addressing those servants of the Lord who stand in the House of Lord – his journey has come to an end in the Jerusalem Temple, the moral and spiritual center of the world.

The progression, however, is more than geographic. It is also spiritual. From living among a people who hate peace, the Psalmist has cried out to God, hoped in God, and now stands in the Temple of God. The geographic journey is a spiritual allegory, and it reminds us of our need for spiritual progress toward God.

We learn to Love God’s Presence

The frequent mentions of Zion remind us that God cares for Zion. Jerusalem and Israel are all under God’s care, and the Psalmist delights to remember these places. Even though troubles and afflictions make life difficult for God’s people, God has not forsaken them. He even remembers them, filling his people with delirious joy (Psalm 126).

For New Testament believers, we must be careful here. The Psalms of Ascent are not designed to make us hanker after a trip to the Holy Land. Nor do we need to feel that God’s presence is more powerfully felt in Israel than in America (or any other place in the world). Jesus clearly taught that we no longer go to Jerusalem to worship God, for all the world is sacred space for those who worship in spirit and in truth.

Rather, the dwelling-place of God is now found in Jesus Christ, who ‘tabernacles’ among us. This is a major idea in John’s Gospel – Jesus ‘tabernacles’ with us, just as God once ‘tabernacled’ with the Israelites in a desert tabernacle. The Jewish temple no longer occupies our attention.

The point of this truth is not to replace ‘Zion’ with ‘Jesus,’ rewriting the Psalms to fit a new age. Instead, we need to understand the purpose of these Psalms in their time and place: the heart-cry of God’s people who sought his presence. And we can learn from them to long for God’s presence as well, found in the person of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

The question we began with was, what should we desire? The answer is – those things which God intends for us. And here, in the Psalms of ascent, we see what it is that God desires for his people: that they would progress toward him, learning more of him daily, and that they would love his presence – which today is found in his Son, Jesus Christ.