Psalm 120 is the first of 15 “Songs of Ascent” in the Psalms. The exact meaning of this term is unclear, but many believe this group of Psalms were recited by Jews as they “went up” to the temple for the various festivals. In some respects they are “pilgrim” Psalms in the sense that they express something of what it means to be a stranger in this world, journeying through it with a persistent desire for God’s eternal kingdom and presence.
That they are placed immediately after the anthemic celebration of God’s word in Psalm 119 could be significant. God’s word ought to compel us to live for him and motivate us to walk with him. God’s word lights our way and helps us to see the futility of living only with this world’s interest in view. God’s word gives us hope beyond the here and now, freeing us from being governed by the limitations and frustrations of this world. When God’s word penetrates our heart and minds like this, we are transformed from people who are trying to find a place in this world, to people who are merely passing through it.
And perhaps the most immediate and fitting response for a person exposed so thoroughly to God’s word is to cry out to him. Psalm 120 does just that. The world and its inhabitants are so often characterised by deception, distorition and lies which, when held up against the purity and perfection of God’s word, is hideous. Power is all to easily gained (and abused) through the abandonment of truth.
Amid the disarray and distress of deception, we, like the Psalmist, can cry to our God. The joy of Psalm 120 is not simply that he hears, but that he answers. In a world saturated with lies, God has a response to those who hunger for righteousness. His truth pierces the darkness. And while lies may exert influence for a time, they will not endure. They can never carry the weight of their own hypocrisy. Truth on the other hand will prevail.
Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life”. He is the pilgrim’s hope. Those who thirst and hunger for righteousness will find perfect satisfaction in his faithfulness. The authorities of his day thought that their lies and deception could silence him. They thought putting him to death would end him. But truth can’t be destroyed, and in his resurrection Jesus is vindicated, glorified and exalted to a place that ascends beyond all earthly expectations. In Christ, and in the gospel, we have the ultimate Psalm of ascent. In him, God’s truth is both revealed and offered to us as an unshakeable pillar for unending blessing. In Christ, God answers.