Sung by pilgrims on their ascent to the feasts at Jerusalem, psalms 120 to 134 are called Psalms of Degrees. Three times yearly, every male 30 years old and over went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. Not only was each of the 15 psalms a step up and away from the cares of everyday life: it was also a step closer to the heart of the Hebrew’s faith, for Jerusalem was to them The City of the Great King.
Picture these happy pilgrims as they ascend the mountain roads—their work duties behind them, the presence of God before them—joining in song as many converging paths unite them. Uppermost in every pilgrim’s mind is the thought of soon entering the Temple’s gates with thanksgiving, and its courts with praise—a place of privilege granted by the Lord to every adult citizen of Israel.
Psalm 120, the first of these psalms, speaks of a difficulty in life common not only to tent-dwellers of the time but also to suburbanites of today—troublesome neighbours! But as the pilgrims ascend, they focus more on Jerusalem, and the joy the particular feast will bring. Psalm 133 speaks of the blessing that unity brings—refreshing as mountain dew; exotic as holy anointing oil. In Psalm 134, the worshipping pilgrim encourages priests serving the Lord through the night hours to “lift up your hands in the holy place”—bless God continually.
When the particular feast was over, the pilgrims descended from Jerusalem, dispersing through the many byways that led homeward, bringing God’s blessing back to family, home, and daily life. The high points of the feast were told, retold, and remembered—until the next pilgrimage, which might be even more memorable!
There’s liturgy in this—a powerful sense of purpose in ascending to the Most Holy Place and the Almighty God—which we 21st Century believers, searching for simplicity in worship, can quite easily miss. Although we enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise, we are too little aware of standing before the throne of God’s Grace, and too much aware of what’s going on around us in church. We need a better approach to worship; we need an awareness of how to approach God by degrees—step by step.
In North Devon, the historic village of Clovelly runs steeply downhill to the sea. A single, cobbled street serves its more than 1000-year-old cottages and pubs—the only way down to the small harbour and back up again is on foot. The name of that street depends on which way you are going: it’s Down-a-long on the way down, and Up-a-long on the way up. (It’s possible for two visitors to meet halfway and argue that it’s both!)
Is the cup half-full or half-empty? The pessimist says half-empty. The optimist says half-full. (The Opportunist drinks what’s in it!) The pessimist and the optimist are both correct.
Clovelly’s street reminds me of the emotional ascents and descents we make in everyday life—and, would you believe, there are 15 steps, or degrees, by which we can either ascend to victory or descend to defeat.
Are you “singing the blues” on Down-a-long Street, or singing God’s praises on Up-a-long Street? Your answer will depend, not only on the way you are travelling, but on your approach to life.
A really miserable person ascends to a state of mere Anxiety. An ecstatic person descends to a state of Determination.
Some of the most popular hymns, songs, and choruses of the past have come from the Psalms of Degrees: “I was glad, very glad” (Psalm 122); “My soul has escaped” (Psalm 126); “They that trust in the Lord” (Psalm 125); “Bringing In The Sheaves” (Psalm 126); “This is my rest forever” (Psalm 132); and “Come bless the Lord” (Psalm 134). These psalms express joy in times of renewal! The fifteen “Psalms of Degrees” — Psalms 120 to 134 — were sung by pilgrims as they ascended the very steep road from Jericho on the Jordan River to Mt Zion in Jerusalem.
It’s good to remember that although all emotions are feelings, not all feelings are emotions. For example, physical tiredness is a feeling, not an emotion. It helps to make the distinction between, say, physical weariness and mental depression.
The ancient Syrians made the mistake of concluding that Israel’s God was “a god of the mountains, not of the plain”— and found out to their dismay that He was the God of both! (1 Kings 20:23)
God is with us on the mountaintops as well as in the valleys—our ‘ups’ and our ‘downs’—ecstasy and misery. He’s also with us on the plains—in uneventful times. Wherever we may be, in Christ we are on Victory Street!
15 STEPS DOWN TO EMOTIONAL DEFEAT ON ‘DOWNALONG’ STREET:
1. ANXIOUS
2. WORRIED
3. LONELY
4. FRUSTRATED
5. UPSET
6. DISILLUSIONED
7. DOWNCAST
8. GLOOMY
9. DOWNHEARTED
10. DISCOURAGED
11. DISGUSTED
12. DEPRESSED
13. DESPERATE
14. DESPAIRING
15. MISERABLE
15 STEPS UP TO EMOTIONAL VICTORY ON ‘UPALONG’ STREET:
15. ECSTATIC
14. TRIUMPHANT
13. JUBILANT
12. ELATED
11. DELIGHTED
10. JOYFUL
9. SPIRITED
8. LIGHT-HEARTED
7. HAPPY
6. PLEASED
5. SATISFIED
4. ENCOURAGED
3. CHEERFUL
2. PURPOSEFUL
1. DETERMINED
The optimist at the bottom of Downalong is in better emotional condition than the Pessimist at the top of Upalong. If you’re tired of living on an emotional Downalong, then switch to Upalong!