The Short and Long of It

Psalms 117-119 is a passage of extremes. Psalm 117 is the shortest psalm; Psalm 119 is the longest. The 3 psalms encourage praise from all the nations, call for hope in the sovreign Lord, and tell the Hebrew equivalent of the ABC's of devotion to God's law.

God is to be praised and obeyed -- He more than deserves both from us. Let us rejoice that His mercy does endure forever, and that we can seek His forgiveness every time we fail.

Pilgrimage

Psalms 120-127 are the first 8 of 15 "Songs of Ascents," sung by people making a trip to Jerusalem for annual feasts. God is extolled as Israel's help and the people sing of the joy of worshiping Him. He is the one who brings back the captives and restores dignity to His people, and whose faithfulness continues from generation to generation.

Journey's End

Psalms 128-134 are the last 7 of the "Songs of Ascents", sung by those traveling to Jerusalem to worship. Looking forward to the end of a long physical journey, the people who sang these psalms looked forward to a time when God's peace would prevail, when the people would be united in humility, and when God would rule over all and receive the praise of His people.