Songs from the Heart Day 49 Psalms 133 & 134

Meditate on the Psalms

On this Easter Sunday, we close out our study of the Psalms of Ascent. The Jews sang these songs to prepare their hearts for worship on their way to the temple—and we have studied them to prepare our hearts for worship on this holy day. 

The Jews sang these songs looking forward to the Messiah’s arrival, with hearts that longed for the redemption and rescue they knew the Messiah would bring. We sing them knowing exactly how he has set us free—through his life, death and resurrection—and done all that is necessary to rescue us from sin and redeem us from death. On this Easter Sunday, we celebrate his resurrection, and we sing our praises looking forward to when he comes again. 

As people of the risen King, then, we are called to devote our lives to pursuing harmony (Ps. 133) and living a life characterized by worship (Ps. 134). In music, harmony is defined as “multiple notes played or sung simultaneously.” It’s the same song in different voices and tones, all working together to create something beautiful and good. In fact, the word translated “good” in Psalm 133:1 is the same word God used in Genesis 1 to describe his creation. The people of God living together in harmony, then, is beautiful music to God’s ears. Like the oil that consecrated Aaron for the priesthood, living in harmony is a holy act, a divine gift God blessed us with so we may in turn bless him. 

As people who have experienced the bountiful beauty of God’s blessing, we have much to praise him for, as Psalm 134 attests. We can praise him for the ways he has worked in the past and proved himself faithful, as Psalm 132 reminded us, and the ways he will continue to work in the future. Let us praise him day and night with every facet of our lives, both seen and unseen, when it’s difficult and when praise easily flows from our lips, when we can joyously lift our hands in prayer and when we can only bow our heads in the depths of despair. 

God indeed has blessed us from Jerusalem in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God’s one and only son, the Messiah, the source of our hope and the center of our worship. May praise and worship become the melody that characterizes our lives!