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To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! (Psalm 123:1, ESV)
Fifteen. . .
Psalms 120 to 134 are fifteen psalms known as the Psalms of Ascent.
These psalms were sung for over 1,0oo years (from the building of Solomon’s temple to its destruction by the Babylonians) by Jews returning to Jerusalem for annual feasts.
Jerusalem has an altitude of 2,500 feet above sea level, and travel to the temple was ascending or walking up — symbolic of approaching God. . .
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1-2).
Fifteen. . .
YAH, the shortened form of Jehovah, is mostly translated as “LORD” in English versions of the Bible. In Hebrews, every letter has a numerical value, and YAH adds up to fifteen. While reading Psalm 120 to Psalm 134, notice the many times YAH or LORD is used.
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore (Psalm 125:1-2, ESV).
Fifteen. . .
In Solomon’s Temple, there are fifteen steps between the Lower Court (where Gentiles could worship) and the Upper Court (where only cleansed Jewish males could enter). Amazingly, these fifteen steps still exist today, buried beneath steps leading up to the Dome of the Rock.
Note the location of the fifteen steps in this illustration of Solomon’s temple.
Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord! (Psalm 134:1-2, ESV)
Fifteen, Fifteen, and Fifteen: the Psalms of Ascent contain deep imagery for drawing closer to God. Fifteen Psalms of Ascent, plus fifteen steps to God’s inner court, plus fifteen as the number for God.
Wow. But one other thought. . .
The Psalms depict going upward until we find ourselves in God’s Presence. We are pilgrims, along with the ancient Jews, when we travel up to Jerusalem.
As Eugene Peterson writes. . .
The Songs of Ascent combine all the cheerfulness of a travel song with the practicality of a guidebook and map. Their unpretentious brevity is excellently described by William Faulkner. “They are not monuments but footprints. A monument only says, ‘At least I got this far,’ while a footprint says, ‘This is where I was when I moved again.’”
Let’s keep walking. Amen. Peace out!