The Psalms of Ascent

June 27, 2009
Stepping Up by Beth Moore
The Psalms of Ascent
Session One



Why should we study the Psalms?

1. Song originated with God and accompanied creation
Job 38: 4 – 7 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone- while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy.”

2. Emotions and experiences can be expressed through songs in ways spoken words can never satisfy. A song can help us voice something that we dare not say otherwise. Think of how difficult it must have been for all the disciples after sharing the Lord’s Supper. They knew their Lord would be sacrificed. In Matthew 26: 30, it says they sang Psalms then went to the Mt. of Olives. It was tradition to sing the Psalms
together once the Passover Meal was completed. They knew, however, that this
would be no ordinary Passover Meal.

3. A song greatly enhances the ability of the human mind to memorize. Memorizing Scripture was an important part of Jewish heritage. At a very young age, young Jewish children would have memorized Scripture to a tune to make them easier to memorize. How many of us can still remember a song we sang in elementary school, but we cannot remember where we put our keys?

4. We can think a song is beautiful and memorize its words yet remain completely unaffected by what it says. Consider the relevance of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 14: 15 in our present context: “I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.”
When you sing praises to God, if you do not mean what you are singing, it is not worship. Ezekiel 33: 31 – 32
“My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice."

5. A song can change our entire perspective.
Acts 16: 24 – 26
“Upon receiving such orders, the guard put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet to their stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake, that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once, all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.”

Can you imagine? We don’t have to literally be behind prison walls for this to speak to you. Everyone has some type of prison that we need to praise God through. He will break the chains of that prison if we just learn to praise Him in the bad times!!!
A song can also greatly affect the heart of God.


6. Revelation 5: 13
“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever!’ “
Robert Mounce describes this scene as “the adoration of the entire created world.” In ways beyond our comprehension, the gift of song is not limited to humans and angels.
Isaiah 55: 12
“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands.”