March 13, 2005
As pilgrims made their way up the path to Jerusalem, they raised songs to the Lord in worship. Studying three of these Psalms of Ascents, Alistair Begg reveals to us what they meant to travelers then—and what they can teach us today. Even if others ridicule our beliefs, we, like the pilgrims, can focus on the living Lord’s mercy instead of on the scoffers along the way. We can trust in His protection and our eternal security with Him.
1To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2Behold, as the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he has mercy upon us.
3Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4Our soul has had more than enough
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.
1If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—
let Israel now say—
2if it had not been the Lord who was on our side
when people rose up against us,
3then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;
4then the flood would have swept us away,
the torrent would have gone over us;
5then over us would have gone
the raging waters.
6Blessed be the Lord,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth!
7We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped!
8Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
1Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
from this time forth and forevermore.
3For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous stretch out
their hands to do wrong.
4Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts!
5But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
the Lord will lead away with evildoers!
Peace be upon Israel!
Copyright © 2023, Alistair Begg. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service.