A Pre-Sunday Afternoon Reflection: The Psalms of Ascent and Preperation for Worship

On an average Friday afternoon, what’s on your mind?  Maybe you’ve got social plans on your mind.  You might be perusing the local movie listings.  Maybe you have some calls out to a few friends for dinner.  Not up for dinner and a movie, how about a BBQ and board games?  Maybe you’re looking forward to a quiet weekend in with a book, some magazines, a DVD or two, and some popcorn.  You could be looking forward to watching a few good ball games on Saturday and Sunday.  You might have the perfect tee time set up with some of the guys.  Golf not your thing, maybe you and your gal-pals have a spa-day to look forward to.   You just might possibly have a big shopping weekend planed.  Family outings can be nice: youth soccer, a picnic, the zoo, the museum, a camping trip. And, then there are chores: car maintenance, yard-work, house-work, home-work, or just possibly putting off work.  What’s on your mind on any given Friday afternoon?

What about Sunday morning worship?  Do you think about going to church?  And, I don’t just mean passing thoughts such as, “Is it my Sunday to help set up the coffee and snack table?” or, “I hope we can catch up with the Smiths over lunch after church.”  I have something much deep and more passionate in mind.  As Sunday approaches, do you look forward to worship?  Do you yearn for worship?  Do you long to join together with other Christians in order to praise God?  More importantly, beyond a pleasant want or desire, is worship something you desperately need?  And, if worship is something that you long for and desperately need, do you spend time or do anything to prepare yourself for worship?  The Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120—134) can help us to evaluate and work through our attitudes toward gathering for worship. 

There is some ambiguity about the background of these Psalms and the historical context of their use.  That said, we shall see, it is reasonably clear that these Psalms of Ascent were grouped together and used to prepare ancient Jews to gather together for worship.  So, what are the theories about the Psalms of Ascent?  The first theory, Rabbinic tradition reports that these 15 Psalms were used by the Levites as they ascended the 15 steps of Solomon’s Temple to the gate of Nicanor into the Court of the Israelites.  Upon each step the Levites would recite one of the Psalms of Ascent in order to prepare their hearts and minds to lead the people of God in worship.  However, since there is no evidence that Solomon’s Temple had 15 steps leading up into the Court of the Israelites, many commentators doubt this interpretation because it is seen as a later Rabbinic legend.  The second theory is that these Psalms were sung by the Jewish exiles returning to Jerusalem from Babylon.  These Psalms were not simply sung in celebration of a return to Jerusalem; these Psalms were sung in eager anticipation of a return to worship upon the Temple mount.  Yet, some commentators reject this interpretation because it fails to make sense of the inclusion of four Psalms that are explicitly ascribed to David (Psalm 122, 124, 131, 134).  The third, and currently most accepted theory, is that these Psalms were sung by Jewish pilgrims returning to Jerusalem and ascending Mount Zion for the three yearly festivals of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.  These Psalms were sung as prayers which prepared the pilgrims for worship.  But, some commentators aren’t satisfied with this answer because it seems too simplistic or generalized.  Ambiguities aside, there is one commonality among all of these theories: these Psalms were used to prepare God’s People for worship. 

Now, add to this the fact that these 15 Psalms of Ascent are the only Psalms out of all 150 that grouped together according to a theme, purpose, or event and we see just how important it was for the people of God to prepare for worship.  Sure, there are Psalms that are grouped by author (i.e. the Psalms of the Sons of Korah), and there are types of Psalms that could be classified together but are not textually grouped together (i.e. beatitudes, personal laments, and Messianic Psalms).  This sole grouping of Psalms with the Psalms begs us to take notice and pay attention.  What are they calling our attention to?  These Psalms of Ascent highlight our need to anticipate worship, to prepare for worship, and to be deliberate and intentional about our worship.  We shouldn’t just show up for worship without any forethought and expect to be blessed to the fullest.  As in the Psalms of Ascent, as we approach worship, we are to prayerfully prepare for worship. 

So, what are we to prayerfully consider as we approach worship?  We will examine this question in much greater detail as we explore each of the Psalms of Ascent in the coming weeks (look for postings under the heading of “Sunday Afternoon Reflections”).  Yet, before we begin to look at each of the Psalms of Ascent one by one, we can begin to answer this question by making a simple observation about the nature of Jewish worship upon the Temple Mount.  At the heart of the Jewish system of worship was the Levitical sacrificial system, and this sacrificial system was rooted in the deliverance of the Hebrew people from the bonds of slavery in Egypt.  This concept of deliverance is most vividly seen in the Passover celebration and sacrifice.  The blood of a pure unblemished lamb insured that the angel of death passed over the Hebrew people, thus leading to their deliverance from Egyptian bondage.  Once delivered, the Hebrew people showed themselves to be a stiff-necked and rebellious people.  Subsequently, God established a sacrificial system to provide atonement for this sinful rebellious people.  Worship in the Old Testament focuses upon sacrifice, atonement, and deliverance.  Day by day, month by month, year after year, Jewish worship revolved around sacrifice, atonement, and deliverance, all of which anticipated Jesus Christ who is the once for all atoning sacrifice delivering us from sin and death. 

Fast forward through history to the 21^st century on any given Sunday morning in Somewhere-Suburbia, USA.  We may enjoy exceptional music at church, but apart from Jesus’ atoning sacrifice we ultimately have nothing.  We may experience wonderful fellowship, but apart from Jesus’ atoning sacrifice we ultimately have nothing.  We may receive some impressive counsel, but apart from Jesus’ atoning sacrifice we ultimately have nothing.  We may be comforted or encouraged, but apart from Jesus’ atoning sacrifice we have nothing.  However, more often than not, our churches are more imperfect than excellent.  Especially in this case, apart from Jesus’ atoning sacrifice our Sunday services are little more than a so-so performance, a ho-hum social outing with some legalistic self-help advice, and an emotional pat-on-the-back to bolster our already fragile self-esteem.  We desperately need the blood of Christ, yet, too easily, we get caught up in a Sunday morning show (and all the busyness that goes along with it).

What are we to do?  The answer to this question is not so much about what we are to do as it is about what Jesus Christ has done for us.  Jesus Christ has released us from bondage to sin and death – he has justified us.  Jesus Christ continues to free us from bondage to sin – he sanctifies us.  And our worship is to be centered upon the once and for all atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  When we actively anticipate gathering together for worship, do we anticipate the transforming power of Jesus Christ to change our lives?

So, what does this look like on a practical level?  First, on a very basic level, are you ready for worship when Sunday rolls around?  Without setting up a legalistic “Protestant Mishnah”, getting a good night sleep, waking up on time, getting a good breakfast, and arriving on time are a good start.  This may sound moralistic, but if we truly anticipate the power of the Gospel to transform our lives, why wouldn’t we show up alert and ready to be engaged in worship.  We wouldn’t sleep through a conversation with a friend, why would we snooze through the grand conversation of worship.  With respect to timeliness, most of us wouldn’t want to show up twenty minutes late or even blow off an appointment with a close friend, so why would we habitually show up twenty minutes late for worship or even blow it off all together. 

Second, and more critically, we should approach worship with a deep sense of our need for the Gospel.  How do we do this?  To begin with, we need to develop an honest awareness of our sin and its destructive power in our lives.  From there, we need to cultivate a heightened appreciation for the love of Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice for our sin.  In other words, we need to grow in our realization that we are much more sinful than we have ever dared to imagine; yet, at the same time, we are much more loved than we could ever hope.  Whith these two sides of the Gospel as out starting point, we also need to develop a desire to fellowship with God’s people, a hunger for the Word, and a passion for prayer.   

You may be wondering, “Ok, how do I develop a disposition that is honest about my sin, values the love of Jesus Christ, desires fellowship with God's people, hungers for the Word, and is passionate about prayer?”  As the ancient Jews sung these prayers in anticipation and preparation for worship, we too need prayer saturated anticipation and preparation for worship.  We can pray for a more honest awareness of our sin.  We can pray for a heightened appreciation of the love of God and the Gospel.  We can pray for a deeper desire to fellowship with God’s people.  We can pray for an increased hunger for the Word.  We can even pray that God would give us a passion to pray.   The same God who calls us to worship is the same God who leads and prepares our hearts for worship.  So, pray that God will shape you into the worshiper that he desires you to be. 

This coming weekend, have a nice dinner, enjoy a good movie, have some fun with friends, and relax with some down time.  But, above all anticipate and prepare your heart for the transforming power of Jesus Christ in worship, and have a blessed Sunday.

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