Well tonight we finish up the lat of the Songs of Ascents with chapters 132-134.

These three chapters are exceedingly small, but powerful in their brevity.

Psalm 132 seems to have been written following the Babylonian exile, with the psalmist standing, as it were, in the rubble of the temple destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar 70 years prior. This psalm is an appeal to God to return the Ark of the Covenant to the temple and sites God’s promise and intervention on behalf of David when he had done the same many years prior.

Psalm 133 is a priestly psalm which makes use of imagery form the anointing of the priests into their office where they stood before God on behalf of Israel and stood before Israel on behalf of God. It ends with a prophetic statement which would be easy to miss. That the blessing God commanded over Zion which has its ultimate fulfillment in the church, is where God has commanded His abundant blessing of eternal life!

Finally in Psalm 134 which had a predictive meaning for Israel at the time, is another priestly psalm making mention of the services performed by the priests in the Tabernacle of Meeting. Ultimately it does this as an elaborated way of expressing the union and intimacy with God we now enjoy as priests unto our God under the New Covenant.

These wrap up the pilgrim songs – those sung by Israel as they ascended the hill leading up to Jerusalem and the temple on their 4 annual and required feasts.