September 4 — Psalm 126

“When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses in the Negeb. May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.”

In the old religious myths of Egypt, seedtime was associated with the death of the god of fertility, and harvest was associated with his revival. The ancient tradition seems to have created an association of sowing with grief and of joy with harvest. The Psalm then uses this association as a cultural idiom. Perhaps it intends that the sowers represent the going out of the Israelites during the diaspora and that those who come carrying the sheaves of harvest represent their return.

It is true, I believe, that the Lord weeps every time someone leaves the faith — leaves the church — expresses their contempt for any hope that the church can be a healing, sustaining, and worshipful presence in the community. But when someone returns to the faith, or when one person remembers their need for the Lord, then, as Jesus says “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

Let us Pray:

Faithful God, like a grain of wheat falling into the earth your Son went into death, so that after three days the earth might bloom with the joy of his rising. Let the seeds of justice, which we plant with tears, bring forth the power of the resurrection in the places of death and despair, and gather us at last into the joyful harvest of the saints; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

September 3 — Psalm 125

“Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time on and forevermore. For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, so that the righteous might not stretch out their hands to do wrong. Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts. But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways the LORD will lead away with evildoers. Peace be upon Israel!”

“Those who trust in the LORD…abides forever.”

The theme of today’s psalm is safety and security. We should notice by now that these Psalms, these Psalms of Ascent are psalms that build upon each other. That’s another reason why we can call them psalms of ascent. Psalm 125 takes the hills of Psalm 121 (I lift my eyes upon the hills) and the holy city of Psalm 122 (Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem) and combines them into a new image showing G-d’s people are as safe and secure as Mount Zion (Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion).

Psalm 125 focuses on the geography of Jerusalem to show that G-d’s people are as secure in the Lord as the city upon the hill, Jerusalem.

Psalm 125 states three simple but profound truths. 1) Those who trust in the Lord are safe and secure. 2) Those who trust in the Lord have a secure inheritance. 3) Those who trust in the Lord have a secure future. We are safe and secure from the Devil’s clutches, for Jesus has defeated all evil and death — we trust that through Jesus, our eternal inheritance is secured and will be delivered when we cross the threshold of death to enter into our future life with G-d.

These promises should bring you and I immense peace.

Let us Pray:

Almighty God, surround your people with your presence. Let your justice rule, that we may not put our hands to evil nor turn aside to crooked ways, but that we may stand fast in your word and pursue the ways of peace; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.