When reading through the songs of ascent, Psalm 131 especially stood out to me. It did not stand out to me in length or plot, but stood out to me in the simplistic and beautiful way it was written. The simple Psalm reads: Lord, my heart has not been haughty, nor have my eyes looked too high,
not have I striven for great things, nor for things too wondrous for me.
But I have calmed and contented myself like a weaned babe on its mother--like a weaned babe I am with myself.
Wait, O Israel, for the Lord, now and forevermore 
But this psalm is different. The poet is completely content. They express how they are like a weaned babe when alone. There is still a sense of waiting for God, but it is expressed in the line, "Wait, O Israel, for the Lord, now and forevermore." The "now and forevermore" illustrates the stasis of the psalm. It makes it seem as though the poet, or anyone reading or singing it, will remain content and calm for eternity. There is still a sense of waiting for God, like in many other poems, but this is not an agitated waiting, it is a serene waiting. In many of the psalms we read, there is always talk of opposing forces, or those who are haughty non-believers that are always persecuting or hurting the Israelites. The victimization that the Israelites faced throughout history is reflected in these psalms, but this psalm makes no mention of that. Instead it is just a personal reaffirmation that what they are doing is right and that they are content and happy. I really liked this psalm just because it was simple, sweet and calming.
This psalm is just so beautiful! I think what is most striking is how content and static it is. Many of these songs of ascent have a strong emphasis on motion, pilgrimage, journey, etc. These songs were written about the long journeys the Israelites had to take to Jerusalem multiple times a year, and many of the psalms deal with hardships, danger, seeking protection from God, climbing the mountain to Jerusalem. But this psalm has no sense of motion and there is no looking back on a journey or anticipating a journey. I would imagine this would be something said before bed. We all must personally calm ourselves in order to fall asleep, and this psalm is reflecting the calm that one achieves with God. Many of the psalms we studied in class have been about hardships. Some psalms reflect how the Israelites believed God abandoned them and they are just pleading for him to come back and save them. There is a sense of unrest and wanting and dissatisfaction with their current states.
But this psalm is different. The poet is completely content. They express how they are like a weaned babe when alone. There is still a sense of waiting for God, but it is expressed in the line, "Wait, O Israel, for the Lord, now and forevermore." The "now and forevermore" illustrates the stasis of the psalm. It makes it seem as though the poet, or anyone reading or singing it, will remain content and calm for eternity. There is still a sense of waiting for God, like in many other poems, but this is not an agitated waiting, it is a serene waiting. In many of the psalms we read, there is always talk of opposing forces, or those who are haughty non-believers that are always persecuting or hurting the Israelites. The victimization that the Israelites faced throughout history is reflected in these psalms, but this psalm makes no mention of that. Instead it is just a personal reaffirmation that what they are doing is right and that they are content and happy. I really liked this psalm just because it was simple, sweet and calming.  |
| Wait, O Israel, for the Lord, now and forevermore |
Thank you for your blog-post! What a pleasure to read. :) I think in all our attempts to tear apart the (debatable) misunderstandings we have about what a religion is, we almost forget to enjoy the poetry for its own sake. And this is indeed a beautiful Psalm.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Benny that this was a very nice appreciation for a beautiful psalm..
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