Daily Guide: Week 85

Psalms                                                         Week 85 – 8/22/10

Psalms 120 thru 134 have “A Song of Ascents” at the beginning of each psalm. These were songs that were sung by bands of traveling pilgrims. However, there are different ideas in regards to where these pilgrims were traveling to as they sang these psalms. The two most common ideas are that they were sung by the Jews returning from captivity or they were sung by the Jews as they went to Jerusalem for the feasts. Since four of these psalms are ascribed to David and one to Solomon, some suggest they could not be psalms sung on the return from captivity. However, authorship would not limit the time of their use since both David and Solomon lived and wrote before the captivity. However, these being the psalms sung by the Jews as they made their three pilgrimages to Jerusalem each year to celebrate the feasts seems a better fit. The argument against that position is that both David and Solomon, as kings of Israel, lived in Jerusalem and would not be among the traveling pilgrims. However, from the reading of these 15 psalms, I doubt that it makes any difference of the time of their use.  Even though the topics of the psalms differ, you will notice there are recurring ideas among them; primarily that God is the protector and deliverer of His people and blesses them, and the thanksgivings of the people for His protection, deliverance and blessings.

Monday – Read Psalm 120

A Cry For Deliverance From A Treacherous Tongue

Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.

1. What does the psalmist say he did in times of distress, verse 1?

2. What is the psalmist crying out for deliverance from, verse 2?

3. To what does the psalmist compare the tongue, verse 4?

4. In verses 5 & 6 the psalmist seems to be giving a reason for his deceitful tongue. What do you understand as his reason?

5. What does this psalm say to you personally; how does it help you; what does it say to you about your relationship with God?

Prayer: Ask God to help you always keep the words from your tongue from being deceitful.

Tuesday – Read Psalm 121

A Psalm Of Comfort And Consolation – God Is The Keeper Of His People

Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.

6. When the psalmist says “I will lift up my eyes to the hills,” verse 1, what do you think he is talking about?

7. How are “the hills” connected to the Lord, his helper, verse 2?

8. What does the psalmist say about the Lord, verse 3?

9. What does the psalmist believe the Lord will do for him, verses 7 & 8?

10.  What does this psalm say to you personally; how does it help you; what does it say to you about your relationship with God?

Prayer: Thank God for being your helper and the one who watches over and protects you.

Wednesday – Read Psalm 122

Prayer For The Peace Of Jerusalem, The Dwelling Place Of God

Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.

11. Why do you think the psalmist would say “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!”?

12. Why does the psalmist say he prays for Jerusalem?

13. Why does the psalmist say the tribes go up to Jerusalem, verse 4?

14. What does the psalmist say is located in Jerusalem, verse 5?

15. Why does the psalmist say he will seek good for Jerusalem, verse 9?

16. What does this psalm say to you personally; how does it help you; what does it say to you about your relationship with God?

Prayer: Thank God for declaring your body to be a temple and for dwelling in you.

Thursday – Read Psalm 123

Prayer For God’s Help

Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.

17. Where does the psalmist say God lives, verse 1?

18. If God lives in the heavens, why do you think the psalmist has made such a big deal about Jerusalem?

19. Is this psalm, what is the psalmist asking for from God, verse 3?

20. Why does the psalmist say he is asking for this from God, verse 4?

21.  What does this psalm say to you personally; how does it help you; what does it say to you about your relationship with God?

Prayer: Thank God for His mercy.

 Friday – Read Psalm 124

A Psalm Of Praise For God’s Protection

Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.

22. Why is the psalmist offering praise to God, verse 3?

23. What does the psalmist say God did not do to them, verse 6?

24. Where does the psalmist say their help comes from, verse 8?

25. Why does the psalmist say it is significant that God is their helper, verse 8?

26. What does this psalm say to you personally; how does it help you; what does it say to you about your relationship with God?

Prayer:  Thank God for being your Helper and your Deliverer.

Saturday –  Read Psalm 125

God Is The Protector

Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared from you during your study.

27. To what does the psalmist compare the people of God, verse 1?

28. Why do you think he makes this comparison?

29. What does the psalmist say will happen to the people of God if the scepter of wickedness rests in their land, verse 3?

30. Who does the psalmist ask God to do good to, verse 4?

31. What does this psalm say to you personally; how does it help you; what does it say to you about your relationship with God?

Prayer:  Thank God for surrounding you with His love and protection.