Psalm 120
The psalm begins with distress (v. 1), concludes with war (v. 7), and in between deals with deception and slander. It hardly seems a fit hymn for a group of pilgrims to sing as they made their way to the sanctuary of God. However, it appears that the author of this psalm was in the same situation as the writer of Psalm 42: circumstances prevented him from attending the feast, so he had to stay home among people who made life difficult for him (see 42:3, 9–10). The singing of this psalm would remind the pilgrims that they were indeed privileged to be able to go to Jerusalem and that others would have liked to go with them. It also reminded the travelers that when they returned home, they needed to carry some of the blessing to those who stayed behind and to help make life easier for them. The psalm reminds believers today that worship is a privilege and the blessings we receive must be shared. When we find ourselves experiencing distress and disappointment, we have three responsibilities to fulfill if our burdens are to become blessings.
The Pilgrim Psalms (Ps. 120—134) Each of these fifteen psalms is called "A Song of Degrees." The Hebrew word translated "degrees"25 or "ascents" comes from a root that means "to go up," as ascending a stairway. Ten of the psalms are anonymous, four are attributed to David (122, 124, 131, 133), and one to Solomon (127). These psalms were selected to form a "hymnal" to be used by the people who went to Jerusalem for the three annual feasts (Ex. 23:14—19)—Passover in spring, Pentecost in early summer, and Tabernacles in the autumn. The pilgrims sang these songs together as they journeyed in family groups to Jerusalem (Luke 2:41–52), and this helped to focus their minds on what the Lord had done for their nation. The sanctuary is mentioned in 122:1, 9; 132:7–8; and 134:1–2; and Mount Zion and Jerusalem are mentioned in 122:2–3, 6; 125:1–2; 126:1; 128:5; 129:5; 132:13; 133:3; and 134:3. Three special themes are repeated: (1) the afflictions that Israel experienced at the hands of the other nations, (2) the gracious way God cared for and protected His chosen people, and (3) the blessing of being in Jerusalem. Israel had suffered contempt and scorn (123:3–4), near extinction (124:1–5; 130:1), traps (124:6–7), bondage (126:1, 4), and affliction (129:1–3), yet she is still here!
We Must Pray (vv. 1–2) The opening phrase can be translated "I cried" or "I cry," because the past and the present are combined in the tense of the verb. (Compare NASB and niv.) The writer had prayed in a previous time of trouble, and the Lord had answered him, so now he had confidence to pray again. Instead of complaining about his situation, he shared it with the Lord and, in this psalm, shared it with us. His problem was that people were lying about him and slandering his name. (See 5:9, 12:1–8; 26:24; 31:18; 52:3ff.; Prov. 10:18; 26:24.) It's possible that he was involved in some kind of litigation and the opposition had bribed false witnesses to testify against him. He did not dare go to Jerusalem for fear his enemies would take advantage of his absence and do even more damage.
Under the leadership of Moses, the Israelites were a nomadic people for forty years. But after they settled in Canaan, the Lord required them to go to Jerusalem