There is a way that seems right to a pilgrim, but its end is death. That's the final stop described by Luke and many other biblical authors, including the divine author, Jesus Himself. Hell is the literal place of conscious, eternal torment where sinners apart from the saving grace of God will know misery forevermore. The reality of Hell should drive the believer to faithfulness in witness, seeking to rescue many from the coming day of wrath.

The feasts have concluded as the pilgrims’ Journey to Joy come to an end. Knowing the trek home is long and arduous, they set out early to return to their routines and rhythm of life. Passing the temple, they pronounce a blessing upon the priests, who return the favor. Revealed in this exchange is the ultimate, eternal and sacrificial aroma that God has offered up for sinners through His own Son, Jesus. Embracing the Eternal Aroma causes the ancient and modern day people of God to offer their lives as temporal aromas

God is on mission to bring renewal to his creation. While he has taken this work upon himself, he calls out worshipers of all stripes to be his agents of redemption. As in Christ God bridged the gap between heaven and earth, so, too, Christians are to bridge the gap between these two worlds as Christ's representatives. The ministry of Wycliffe Bible Translators is one example of how that gap is being bridged today by enabling access to God's word in the language that serves communities best. How will you bridge the gap?

As a result of man's sinful inclinations, the delight of unity appears to be out of reach. For ancient Israel under the reign of King David, and for Christians today under the reign of King Jesus, this is not only obtainable but sustainable. Through the atoning work of Jesus, God not only rectified the fractured relationship between God and man, but He paved the path for unity for His people today. As Christians humbly lay aside preference, cultural ideals and reputations and instead unify around the gospel, they are like those covered by a pleasing aroma that captures the attention of the lost around them

In their plea for God’s provisional presence, ancient Israel reached back into their history as they prayerfully leveraged the person and work of King David, who had gone to great lengths in hopes to secure Zion as the dwelling place of God. As the pilgrims reminded God of David’s oath, God reminded them of an even greater oath: his promise to secure an eternal throne through the line of David. Ushering in a new kingdom established not upon social, governmental or political constructs, Jesus would fulfill this oath as the “horn to sprout for David” and would be the one to don the divine, eternal crown of glory.

Our prideful hearts direct our eyes and lead our hands to clamor about, seeking to lay hold of any thing that might fulfill our fleeting desires. The souls of these ancient pilgrims were calm as they rested in their God-ordained boundaries and limitations. When sinners forsake vain pursuits and place their faith in Christ, they too know the joys of a quiet and calm soul which stem from the assurance of their eternal hope.

During their travels to Jerusalem for the feasts, the ancient pilgrims saturated the air with a melodious reminder of all the blessings they had in their Redeemer. Faced with the depths of their own depravity, their song reflects God's great mercy as He saved them from the depths of His holy wrath. They reveal themselves as a people of watching and waiting, as they, by faith, looked ahead to the promised Messiah to come. Saints today sing a similar song: guilty before God, but not condemned. Christ Jesus took our punishment that we may know the mercy of God. We, too, watch and wait, but not for the Messiah's first arrival. We watch and wait, with strained eyes of faith, for his second coming when He will bring his children to a place He now prepares for us: Heaven.

From ancient Israel to the modern church, the people of God have been set apart from the peoples of the world, and many foes have arisen as a result of our peculiarity. Israel’s history is fraught with affliction and strife from the surrounding pagan nations and the church today is afflicted on every side, but not crushed; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. Psalm 129 reveals the painful preservation of a people delivered by the righteous reliever, Jesus.

Each blessed step of the Journey to Joy is one rooted in the Fear of the LORD. This reverential-awe of God leads pilgrims to fear sin and long for holiness, thus propelling them on a path of his ways. This fear saturates the Christian soul and influences every aspect of life: work, family and even their future. While the fear of man is a snare, the fear of the LORD gives life, and life abundantly! It would be from Zion, the home of God’s earthly dwelling, where these blessings flowed to the ancient pilgrims. Christ, through his finished work on the cross, split the curtain of the temple, thus giving sinners access to God through his own blood. Saints of today know the freely flowing blessings of God; not from Zion, but from the Holy Spirit, who dwells within them.

What may at first appear to be a strange song for traveling pilgrims turns to be quite the fitting one, as they reflect on their joyful dependence upon the LORD. The beloved of God will excuse themselves from the table of worry when the blessed reality sets in: all things are built by, given from and watched over by God. All of life’s pursuits are in vain when not first submitted to the watchful and strong hand of God Almighty, and a life neglecting this reality will never know the rest that’s been offered up through the person and work of Jesus.