Lake Deaton at Home

Good Sunday to everyone!  So, just telling you up front.  Psalm 119 is really long!  Just putting that out there.  Today though, I am going to talk about Psalm 120.  But before I talk about Psalm 120 I want to talk about The Songs of the Ascents, because that is the section of psalms that we are getting ready to start reading. 

There are fifteen Songs of the Ascents, Psalm 120 to Psalm 134, and they are brief and easy to memorize.  Jerusalem is on top of a hill, so no matter which direction you approach the city, you will always be going up to Jerusalem.  When pilgrims would travel to Jerusalem it would be customary to sing a Song of Ascent while going up to the city.  This is especially true for pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Tabernacles (Sukkot).  Within the collection of psalms we can find many different types of psalms.  There are laments (120, 123, 126, 130), hymns (121, 122, 124, 125, 129, 131), wisdom psalms (127, 128, 133 and a royal psalm (132). 

Now you know about The Songs of Accents.  Take some time reading the three Psalms for the day, again 119 is long, and then come back and watch the video for my thoughts on the first Song of Accent, Psalm 120.  See you soon. 

Read: Psalms 118, 119, and 120

Questions to Consider:

1. Do you have a story of when your words got away for you and you said something you never should have said?  Write about this in your journal.
2. What is your vision of Shalom?  Keeping in mind the quote I gave in the video.  Shalom is more than peace it is “Wholesomeness of life when living is knit into the fabric of relatedness to God and other and world.  It is the at-one-ness that makes for goodness.” 
3. How can you work to make your vision of Shalom a reality?

Activity for the Day: I mentioned in my writing that the Songs of Accents were sung when people were heading up to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Tabernacles or Sukkoth.  I have done a little deep dive into this feast and have found it very interesting.  The activity for the day is to watch one or all of the videos that I have selected that explain a little more about what the Feast of the Tabernacles is all about.  Enjoy!

Click here for an American Rabbi telling about Sukkot.    

Click here for a Christian view of Sukkot. 

Click here for a great cartoon telling about Sukkot.

Blessings,