Songs of Degrees, Part 14

Songs of Degrees: This is a sermon series about Psalms 120 through 134. The Songs of Degrees, or the Songs of Ascents, are meant to teach us about our upward journey toward what God wills for His church. There are 15 of these songs and there were 1,500 years between the ministry of Moses and the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. When God gave Moses the plan for the Tabernacle, it was the beginning of His plan to restore man, to rescue man. This plan, we know, was fulfilled by the death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord and Savior.

The seven feasts of Israel describe seven historical phenomena, events that would change the world and finish the very will of God in His people – the feasts are both historical and spiritual. The first four feasts are allegories defining events in the four Gospels. The remaining three feasts are allegories that reveal things which have and will come to pass in the last days.

Scripture References (Rollover with mouse to view or click here to open Bible in a new window)

Psalm 132

1	A Song of degrees. LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions:
2	How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;
3	Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;
4	I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids,
5	Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
6	Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.
7	We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.
8	Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.
9	Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.
10	For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed.
11	The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.
12	If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.
13	For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.
14	This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
15	I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16	I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
17	There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
18	His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

Psalm 132

Leviticus 23

1	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2	Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
3	Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.
4	These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
5	In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover.
6	And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
7	In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
8	But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
9	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
10	Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
11	And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
12	And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
13	And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.
14	And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
15	And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
16	Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
17	Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.
18	And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.
19	Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
20	And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
21	And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
22	And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
23	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
24	Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
25	Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
26	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
27	Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
28	And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
29	For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
30	And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
31	Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
32	It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
33	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
34	Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
35	On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
36	Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
37	These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:
38	Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.
39	Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.
40	And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
41	And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
42	Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
43	That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
44	And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.

Leviticus 23

Numbers 29

1	And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.
2	And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish:
3	And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram,
4	And one tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs:
5	And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you:
6	Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.
7	And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein:
8	But ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD for a sweet savour; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish:
9	And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals to a bullock, and two tenth deals to one ram,
10	A several tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs:
11	One kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink offerings.
12	And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days:
13	And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish:
14	And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto every bullock of the thirteen bullocks, two tenth deals to each ram of the two rams,
15	And a several tenth deal to each lamb of the fourteen lambs:
16	And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
17	And on the second day ye shall offer twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:
18	And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
19	And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering thereof, and their drink offerings.
20	And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish;
21	And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
22	And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.
23	And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:
24	Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
25	And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
26	And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:
27	And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
28	And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.
29	And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:
30	And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
31	And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
32	And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:
33	And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
34	And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
35	On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no servile work therein:
36	But ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: one bullock, one ram, seven lambs of the first year without blemish:
37	Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
38	And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.
39	These things ye shall do unto the LORD in your set feasts, beside your vows, and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your meat offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.
40	And Moses told the children of Israel according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.

Numbers 29

Isaiah 11

1	And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2	And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
3	And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4	But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5	And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
6	The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7	And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8	And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.
9	They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
10	And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
11	And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
12	And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
13	The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
14	But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
15	And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.
16	And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

Isaiah 11:1-2,10-16

Isaiah 28

1	Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!
2	Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
3	The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:
4	And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
5	In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,
6	And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.
7	But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
8	For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.
9	Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10	For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11	For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12	To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13	But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Isaiah 28:1-13

Isaiah 53

1	Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
2	For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3	He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4	Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5	But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6	All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7	He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8	He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9	And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10	Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11	He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12	Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:7

Isaiah 63

1	Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
2	Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
3	I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
4	For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
5	And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
6	And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
7	I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
8	For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.
9	In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
10	But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
11	Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?
12	That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?
13	That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?
14	As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.
15	Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?
16	Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.
17	O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.
18	The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.
19	We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name.

Isaiah 63