Psalm 121
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A song of ascents. 1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; 8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
A Psalm of Ascents
Recited by pilgrims going to Jerusalem.
Three times a year they would go to Jerusalem to celebrate the 3 feasts mandated by God.
16 “Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the Lord without a gift for him.
As they would ascend to Jerusalem, and sometimes the steps leading up to the temple they would recite the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134).
They were Possibly call - response psalms.
Someone would say the first line, and the other pilgrims would recite the next line.
For Example someone would say Psalm 121:1
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
And another worshiper, or the entire group of pilgrims would respond with verse 2
2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
But, ultimately Psalm 122 is a Psalm that reminded the people of God's help, strength, presence and care
And, because of that, it is a great psalm for us to ponder in our uncertain times.
Ancients believed that the gods dwelled on the mountain tops.
They would go up to the mountains to be close to their gods and to find help and to find someone willing to listen.
Think back to pictures of ancient cities… If there was no mountain nearby they would build pyramids (man made mountains) and place temples and ziggurats on top of those pyramids.
Yesterday I went with your new District Superintendent Rev. Kingsley to Qutub Minar. There’s a GIANT tower in the middle, reaching to the heavens (that in and of itself reminds me of another story). On the way out of the complex, to my left, I looked and there was a pyramid, a man made mountain.
Even Jerusalem is on an elevated place. It is not necessarily the highest place in Israel, but it is elevated. It sits 754 m (2,474 ft) above sea level. Compared to Jericho, where many pilgrims would be coming from it would be impressive.
Jericho is −258 m (−846 ft) BELOW SEA LEVEL! In the 18 mile journey from Jericho to Jerusalem a pilgrim would gain an elevation of 1, 012 m or 3, 320 feet. That’s quite a hike!!!
And, while on that hike, pilgrims would be look for strength to keep going!!
Quickly the Psalmist declares that his help doesn't come from the mountains!
Unlike the religions of the world around them, the followers of YHWH are different. The Psalmist declares that his help doesn’t come from the mountains, or anything else in the created world.
His help comes from the Lord God who CREATED the mountains.
And, if He created them, by definition, He is GREATER than the mountains!!
And it is help that doesn’t disappoint as the God who created the mountains is declared in this Psalm to be the God who intimately cares about the details of the Psalmist’s life
Maybe today we don't look to the mountains for help - but we do turn to other places or things for help
Money
Jobs
Government Policies and political candidates
A new girlfriend or boyfriend
A new phone
A new place to live
A different church to worship in
Yet time and time again ALL these things fail us.
They really are NO HELP AT ALL!
Who,or what, are we to turn to and look to for real help?
The answer this psalm gives us is the reminder that we look to the Lord God
He leads us like a shepherd (Psalm 23)
He has promises that he works all things for the good
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Ultimately, those who gather together for worship, and those who live their lives following Jesus Christ, declare that their ultimate helper is the Lord God!
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
We do not have to be like the world around us that is searching for help.
And, it is very true that our world is SEARCHING for someone to help, someone to bring them hope, someone to encourage them.
And we have the answer - God is our helper. Jesus Christ became flesh to pilgrim with us and lead us to God, but also to be the strength from God we need.
How can this be? How can God truly help us?
The word help can also be translated “strength.” What this means is that God is not only our helper, HE IS THE STRENGTH THAT GETS US THROUGH! He helps us by being strength when we are weak!
In our weaknesses there is a HELPER!
In our weaknesses there is a strength!
The Apostle Paul Reminds us when he was BEGGING many times for God to take away his problem, his thorn in the flesh. He was weak and he needed HELP! But, the Lord did not take away the problem. Instead the Lord promised to be a strength in the midst of the weakness...
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
God our helper does not promise to take all the unsettling things in life away, BUT, He does promise to give us a strength, better yet - TO BE OUR STRENGTH, enabling us to make it through the unsettling time!
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
When we journey through life and we find huge battles in front of us we are promised a STRENGTH AND A HELP to see us through.
One who journeys with us. One who watches over us and keeps us. One who is ALWAYS present with us.
But there is more. God journeys with us, but he also guards us on that journey!
The word watch can also be translated as “Keep.” The word appears 6 times in this short psalm - driving home the point of the Lord’s intimate knowledge of us and our situations.
God watches, but not like a distant watcher, He watches as one who is ACTIVELY KEEPING us. Or, a better term, guarding us.
He does not stand at a distance, but is VERY CLOSE!
Like the Good Shepherd that Psalm 23 declares God to be, this Psalm reminds us that God guides and leads, but he also watches over us and guard us to protect us.
He is CLOSE to us!
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
And because God is close to us, we have a different view and perspective of our situations...
1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Because God is with us in ALL circumstances, we can rest knowing that God is God and God is taking care of us...
And, this helps us to gain an Eternal Perspective of what God is up to!
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
But remember, this Psalm was recited among the community of worshippers...
And, as this Psalm is recited in community, we are reminded that the Lord keeps us, guards us, watches us, strengthens us, and helps us through the community we are a part of...
The strength, power, protection, and encouragement of the Lord is seen again when we gather for worship amidst all the circumstances of life. We give STUBBORN, DETERMINED WITNESS that we are God’s and we will carry on with God’s help, with God’s Strength and with God’s powers.
This is part of being a HOLY, SANCTIFIED PEOPLE. The situations in life, even the things we don’t like, even the things we DON’T LIKE ABOUT OTHERS do NOT keep us from journeying with them as we come together in UNITY to worship God and draw on God for our help and strength.
This is something that is often forgotten. We get upset at something that a fellow worshipper has done and we withdraw from fellowship, we disconnect from the church, we exclude ourselves from the district, we might even try to convince others to withdraw also.
And then, something happens in life and we pray “GOD HELP!”
Then we get mad when God doesn’t do what we THINK God should do. But, we have withdrawn from the people who God would use to give us strength, courage, hope, encouragement, and help…
We withdraw from those who have been in our place and know what it is like and they can surround us and see us through.
Part of being a sanctified, holy people, is being able to journey with each other through difficult times, and also being WILLING to journey with someone in difficult times - even when we don’t FEEL like it (faith and feeling are 2 different things…)
In doing this we give stubborn witness to what God has done and will continue to do in us...
When we went through the difficult times we give testimony to God’s goodness that carried us through. We learn the lessons that we are encouraged to share with others in THEIR difficult times.
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
The lord helps us so we can help others
The Lord strengthens us so that we can be HIS presence to strengthen others
The Lord encourages us so that we can encourage others
The Lord blesses us so that we can bless others
Do you get it?
If God gets you to it, God will get you through it! And, if God gets you through it, that is so you can help someone else through it!!
We can only be this people so long as we remain COMMITTED to journeying with each other.
Closing
I know the situations you face in life are difficult. I know the situations I face in life are difficult.
Psalm 121 is my favorite Psalm as it reminds me of the God who journeys with us and gives us strength, courage, hope, and protection. He is also the God who is familiar with our struggles and who guards, keeps and watches us closely through them.
But, it is also the reminder , the important reminder, that although our faith is personal it is NEVER private. God draws us together into community. We are helped by God in our difficult times, yes indeed, but God uses the COMMUNITY of believers to be the physical embodiment of that help.
May YOU be a HOLY PEOPLE as God draws you closer to himself and each other.
May YOU commit to journeying with each other through the difficult times of life.
May YOU commit to being a sanctified follower of Jesus Christ who KNOWS you need your brother and sister in Christ in order for you to faithfully leave out what it means to be set apart and holy.
When your brother or sister hurts you, offends you, sins against you, may YOU commit to continue to journey with him or her (not brushing the error aside, but discussing it and growing from it). But, do not be tempted to withdraw - you will need him, you will need her, in the days ahead.
And, as God gets you through the difficult times, may YOU be willing to share God’s goodness and the lessons you learned in the midst of difficulty. May YOU share those lessons with those in your community going through struggles and hardships.
May what God has done in you be the encouragement someone else needs to see what God is doing in their life.
Yes, seek God in the difficult times, BUT DO NOT SEEK GOD ALONE - EVER.
If you want God’s hope, courage, strength, help, guardianship, THEN YOU MUST TRAVEL IN COMMUNITY!