Messianic Musings ~ Which Way is Up?

Let's say you were  taking a trip to our capital city, Washington D.C. and you lived in Florida. You might say something like  'I am going up to D.C.'   What about if you lived in NYC? Then, of course, you would say something like 'I am going down to D.C.'  Have you ever noticed in the Bible that whenever anyone was going to Jerusalem they would always be going up to Jerusalem? If you were to look at a map of Israel you would see that Jerusalem is very close to being in the middle of the county. Has this ever struck you as odd?

In Matthew 20:18 Jesus tells the apostles "We are going up to Jerusalem..". In this verse Jesus is using a common Hebrew idiom of making aliyah (pilgrimage) by going up to the Holy City.  In the Jewish calendar there were three great Holy Days. At these times, the Jews living outside of Jerusalem would make a pilgrimage up to the Holy City to worship the LORD.  They would not always be traveling physically north but they would be making a spiritual aliyah, of drawing close to God's presence. Prior to the time when believers were indwelt with God's Holy Spirit, the only way they could encounter Him was within the walls of the temple where the Ark of the Covenant resided.

In your Bible if you were to look at Psalm's 120 to 134 you would notice that these Psalm's are labeled 'Songs of Ascent'.  In Hebrew the word for ascent is ma'aloth. This word means 'to go up'.  These songs were sung as the pilgrims made their way to worship the Lord at the place where His presence dwelt in the Holy city of Jerusalem. Imagine what it would have been like for them, with each mile they walked they drew closer to the presence of the Lord!!  

Here are some of the words they would have worshiped with:

"I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1-2)

"I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go up to the house of the LORD."  That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel." (Psalm 122:1,4)

"Let us go to His dwelling place; let us worship at His footstool - arise O LORD, and come to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might." (Psalm 132:7-8)

"Praise the LORD all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD." (Psalm 134:1-2)

As I read the words of these Psalms my heart filled with thankfulness and joy. We no longer need to make a physical aliyah to draw near to God. How very blessed we are that God is always present in our day.  Are we really aware how special this is? Each one of us is on a spiritual aliyah. There is truly nothing that can keep us from Him - the choice is ours.  I pray that you would take time away from the business of the day to purposely draw near to God and rejoice in His presence.

"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage." Psalm 84:5