“May Yahweh.
The maker of heaven and earth,
Bless you from Zion.”
We come to end of this short psalm and the ascending psalms with a blessing from Yahweh, who is the maker of heaven and earth. He blesses his people from Zion, Jerusalem.
ascending
Yahweh is the source of all (Ps 127:1-127:2)
A song of ascents, of Solomon
“Unless Yahweh builds the house,
Those who build it
Labor in vain.
Unless Yahweh guards the city,
The guard keeps watch in vain.
It is in vain
That you rise up early.
It is in vain
That you go late to rest.
It is in vain
To eat the bread of anxious toil.
He gives sleep to his beloved.”
Psalm 127 is another of these short pilgrimage songs or psalms sung on the way ascending to Jerusalem. However, this one has the name of Solomon since there is a little wisdom saying embedded here about God’s providence. Unless Yahweh builds the house, your work is in vain. Unless Yahweh guards your city, it is in vain to have guards watch it. You should not be anxious for your daily bread. It is in vain to rise up early to work or stay up late at night to work. Yahweh gives sleep to his beloved ones. Do not be anxious for Yahweh is the source of all things.
Prayer for deliverance (Ps 125:1-125:5)
A song of ascents
“Those who trust in Yahweh
Are like Mount Zion.
It cannot be moved.
It abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So Yahweh surrounds his people,
From this time on and forevermore.
The scepter of wickedness shall not rest
On the land allotted to the righteous.
Thus the righteous might not stretch out
Their hands to do wrong.
Do good!
Yahweh!
Do good
To those who are good!
Do good
To those who are upright in their hearts!
But those who turn aside
To their own crooked ways,
Yahweh will lead away with evildoers.
Peace be upon Israel!”
Psalm 125 is another of these short psalms or songs of pilgrimage on the way to ascending towards Jerusalem. They trusted in Yahweh, the way that they trusted in Mount Zion since it could not be moved and would last forever. Just as the mountains surrounded Jerusalem, so too Yahweh surrounds his people today and forevermore. Wickedness will not rest in the land of the righteous so that they will never do wrong. Yahweh was to do good to the good people. He was to be good to the righteous. However, those who follow the crooked ways would be led away with the evildoers. Peace or Shalom should be upon all Israel.
A song of thanksgiving to Yahweh (Ps 124:1-124:5)
A song of ascents, of David
“If it had not been Yahweh
Who was on our side,
Let Israel now say.
If it had not been Yahweh
Who was on our side,
When our enemies attacked us,
Then they would have swallowed us up alive.
Their anger was kindled against us.
Then the flood would have swept us away,
The torrent would have gone over us.
Then over us would have gone
The raging waters.”
Psalm 124 is another short song or psalm of thanksgiving on the pilgrimage ascending to Jerusalem, like the others in this series. Notice the repetition of the opening verses that made it easier to remember while moving on pilgrimage. If Yahweh was not on their side, they would have been swallowed up alive. Their enemies or the flood waters would have destroyed them. They were blessed that Yahweh was on their side of the battle against man and nature.
The servant prayer (Ps 123:1-123:2)
A song of ascents
“To you I lift up my eyes.
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
As the eyes of servants
Look to the hand of their master,
As the eyes of a maid
Look to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to Yahweh our God,
Until he has mercy upon us.”
Psalm 123 is another very short psalm, or song, sung on the ascending way to Jerusalem in a pilgrimage. However, the tone is more somber as there is a cry for help against enemies. Both the male and female servants look to Yahweh to help them. They lift up their eyes to the heavens, like servants looking to the hands of their masters. Their eyes cry for mercy towards Yahweh, their God.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 