Moving On Up

$8 – Psalms of Ascent

Near the end of the book of Psalms is a set of fifteen of song-poems known as the Songs of Ascent. Some people think that the priests at the Temple of YHWH sang one song at a time while climbing each of the fifteen steps up to the altar. Others say that these were songs Hebrew pilgrims sang as they traveled to Jerusalem for Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Feast of Weeks or Pentecost), and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)—kind of like the playlist for a road trip, only the travelers sang all the songs themselves. Maybe it was both.

Regardless of the original use, these Psalms have something to say to spiritual pilgrims like us. If we listen, we may even learn to sing along.

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