What Does Pilgrimage Mean in the Bible? | Hearing Jesus
Episode Summary
Why would anyone travel across the world to meet with God when He's already right there with them? It's a fair question, and one Rachael has heard for years.
In this bonus episode, Rachael opens up a six week series taking you behind the scenes of her Bible study live trips to Rome. Before she gets into the details of the trip itself, she wants you to understand something the modern church has mostly set down: the spiritual practice of pilgrimage.
Pilgrimage isn't tourism with a religious theme. It's a journey taken on purpose, with the specific intention of meeting God, and scripture is full of it. Rachael walks through Abraham's call to "go," the three pilgrimage feasts God built into Israel's calendar, the Songs of Ascent that pilgrims sang on their way up to Jerusalem, and the way Jesus himself walked that same road every year of his childhood. She lands in Psalm 84, where God calls blessed the people whose hearts are set on pilgrimage, even before they arrive.
This episode isn't really about travel. It's about what happens in us when we set our hearts to seek God on purpose, with our whole selves, not just our schedules.
What the word pilgrimage actually means in scripture, and why it's connected to the Hebrew word for foot
Why Abraham's entire walk of faith began with one word: go
The three pilgrimage feasts God commanded in Deuteronomy 16, and what each one remembered
What the Songs of Ascent (Psalm 120 through 134) reveal about the emotional journey of a pilgrim
Why Psalm 84 says the valley of Baca, a valley of weeping, can become a place of springs
How Jesus himself was a pilgrim, traveling to Jerusalem every year for Passover
Why a spiritual practice involving your body can shape something in your heart that nothing else reaches
Genesis 12:1-3
Deuteronomy 16:16
Psalm 120:1
Psalm 121:1-2
Psalm 122:1
Psalm 84:1-2, 5-7
Luke 2:41-42
Hebrews 11:13
Hebrews 13:14
1 Peter 2:11
"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage." That's not just describing people who have arrived. God calls blessed the people who are still on the way.
What does pilgrimage mean in the Bible?
In scripture, pilgrimage is a journey taken on purpose, with the specific goal of meeting God. It's not the same as tourism. The Hebrew word for pilgrimage is connected to the word for foot, because it described a physical journey made with the body, not just a mindset.
What are the Songs of Ascent?
The Songs of Ascent are Psalms 120 through 134. They are the songs Israelite pilgrims sang as they traveled up to Jerusalem for the three pilgrimage feasts. Read in order, they trace the emotional journey of a pilgrim, starting in distress in Psalm 120 and ending in worship.
What is the valley of Baca in Psalm 84?
Baca means weeping. It was a dry, hard valley that pilgrims had to pass through on the road to Jerusalem. Psalm 84 says that people whose hearts are set on pilgrimage walk through that valley and it becomes a place of springs, meaning God transforms the hard parts of the journey instead of removing them.
Why did God command pilgrimage in the Old Testament?
In Deuteronomy 16:16, God commanded Israel's men to appear before Him three times a year at the festivals of Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles. Each feast remembered something God had done. The rhythm was built into the calendar because God knew the human heart tends to drift and forget.
Was Jesus a pilgrim?
Yes. Luke 2:41-42 says Jesus' family traveled to Jerusalem every year for Passover, which is the trip where 12 year old Jesus stayed behind in the temple. Jesus grew up walking the pilgrimage road and very likely sang the Songs of Ascent with his family.
If God is everywhere, why go on a physical pilgrimage?
Pilgrimage was never about earning God's presence or finding a place where He is more present than another. It's a spiritual practice, similar to kneeling to pray or fasting. What we do with our bodies shapes what happens in our hearts, and setting aside comfort to seek God on purpose creates space that daily life rarely reaches.
This November, Rachael is leading a Bible Study Live trip to Rome, walking the same roads Paul and Peter walked. Spots are limited and doors close at the end of July. Learn more and reserve your spot at BibleStudyLive.org.
Rachael takes you to two places visited on the same day in Rome: one of the most ornate sites in the world, and a dark, nearly unknown room with a dirt floor. The contrast says everything about what we're really after.
What You'll Learn in This EpisodeScripture ReferencedA Quote from This EpisodeFrequently Asked QuestionsJoin Us in RomeNext Week on Hearing Jesus
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