Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible Recap.

Today we read seven Psalms that all fall into a category known as the Psalms of Ascent.

There are 15 Psalms in this category, and they span Psalm 120 through 134.

But before we dig into today's individual chapters, let's talk about what the Psalms of

Ascent are.

The first thing that's important to know is that Jerusalem is the city that will eventually

be the nation's capital, and it will be the headquarters of the tabernacle and the future

temple.

Jerusalem is at a high elevation, so no matter

which way you approach it, you have to go up to Jerusalem. So when all the people of Israel,

who've been dispersed all across the land, come together every year to celebrate the high holy days,

they have to make a long journey up to Jerusalem, hence the word ascent. And most historians say that as they made their long pilgrimage

three times a year, they would sing these 15 songs. These were their road trip hymns of praise to God,

with reminders of who he is and what he has done for them. And some of them even have language

that refers to travel or the things travelers would be particularly mindful of, like

Psalm 121, for example. This is a Psalm of confidence. It points out all the ways Yahweh is superior to

the pagan gods of the day. David praises God for being his stability in all times, day and night.

He's a God who is never tired or distracted, unlike the pagan gods of the day who require

sleep and are reported to return to the underworld at night. This tireless, undistracted God

would be comforting to people who are sleeping along the highways as they travel to Jerusalem.

And David even talks about God providing shade to them, which is especially nice if you happen to be

traveling through the Judean desert. And I love how the Faith Life Study Bible summarizes his protection.

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