Look Up

Text: Ps 121 (v.1)

Psalm 121:1

Classification fits into “A Song of degrees” or “ascents” which are 15 in total (Pss. 120–134), probably sung as pilgrims “went up” to Jerusalem at the time of the annual festivals (feasts of unleavened bread in the spring commemorating the Exodus; feast of harvest/weeks in the early summer, which is also known as Pentecost for the provision of grain; the feast of tabernacles, thanksgiving for the final harvest, in autumn time) - (Ps. 122:4 “Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.”, God speaks of nations that do not keep the feasts and celebrations that Israel would keep in Zech. 14:19, “19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.”). They are also sometimes called “Pilgrim Psalms.”

It is also very possible that these psalms of ascent were among those sung by the returning exiles from Babylon as they ascended the mountains to Jerusalem and home (Ezra 2:1; 7:7).

Who is the Author - This Psalm is anonymous humanly speaking but we can be certain that the author was, as Peter puts it in 2Pet 1:21, the author “spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

The circumstances that led to this psalm and specifically which cause the psalmist to look to the mountains are not clearly stated. The implication of his looking for help is that he may have been in a state of anxiety or distress. On a more personal level, aren't we all in need of the LORD's help to one degree or another every day? As Paul reminds us in Acts, God " 27 … be not far from every one of us:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being…" (Acts 17:27-28) We need His help every moment of every day!

It is about the peace that is to be on God’s house, by God’s care and protection over His people, who are His true temple.

Notice that this psalm can be "subdivided" in to

(1) The Anticipation or Expectation of Divine Help (Psalm 121:1-2) in which the psalmist speaks in the first person ("I," "my," Psalm 121:1-2) and

(2) The Assurance of Divine Help (Psalm 121:3-8), which is written in the second/thirst person singular ("thee," "thy", “He”), which answers to the first 2 verses.

v.1 is given in a statement, or as the margin puts it, the Hebrew words could be in a question form – “Shall I lift up mine eyes to the hills? whence should my help come?”

our divisions would be:

I. A definite decision—"I will."

I will - This signifies that the psalmist makes a choice of his will (a volitional choice) to look up to God. How often when faced with a test, trial or affliction, I choose to look down in self-pity or around at adverse circumstances, rather than gazing upward to my Omnipotent Father!

I will also indicates the psalmist recognises that the godly man stands in continual need of and dependence upon help. So, he waits — he expects — he obtains.

Psalm 121:1 (JFB): 1. I will lift up mine eyes—expresses desire (compare Ps 25:1), mingled with expectation. The last clause, read as a question, is answered, in v.2.

Do you intend, have you made up your mind to look to the Lord? Spurgeon said…

Nelson could not See the signal for suspending battle because he placed the glass to his blind eye, and man cannot See the truth as it is in Jesus because he has no mind to do so. Ungodly men are, as the country people say, “like the hogs in a harvest field,” who come not out for all your shouting; they cannot hear because they have no will to hear. Want of will causes paralysis of every faculty. In spiritual things man is utterly unable because resolvedly unwilling.

II. A CLEAR RESOLVE—"I will lift up my eyes."

Lift up my eyes to the mountains - This Hebrew phrase ("lift up my eyes") is the Hebrew words nasa (lift) and 'ayin (eyes). This phrase frequently indicates a looking and seeing with anticipation of or disposition toward the object one is looking at.

As discussed above, lifting one's eyes involves a choice of one's will. What or where one lifts one's eyes to look therefore reflects one's heart disposition (keeping in mind that the heart figuratively is like our "control tower" constantly monitoring and controlling what enters our "eye gate!").

Genesis, the book of beginnings, uses the phrase lift eyes 13 times (Gen 13:10, 13:14, 18:2, 22:4, 22:13, 24:63, 24:64, 31:10, 33:1, 33:5, 37:25, 39:7, 43:29) The first two uses are notable as they reflect two choices which in turn determine two destinies of two men, Lot and Abram…

Gen 13:10 – “10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.”

Gen 13:14-15 “14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.”

In short, where we choose to "lift our eyes" can have significant consequences, either good or bad! Be careful where you "lift your eyes!" In another "Song of Ascents" we see a good example to imitate… Psalm 123:1 “Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.”

Difficulties surround you, look up. Prayers: Of A Father. Philip James Spener (Evangelical German preacher and theologian ) had a son of eminent talents, but perverse and extremely vicious. All means of love and persuasion were without success. The father could only pray , which he continued to do, that the Lord might yet be pleased to save his son at any time and in any way. The son fell sick; and while lying on his bed in great distress of mind, nearly past the power of speech or motion, he suddenly started up, clasped his hands, and exclaimed: “My father’s prayers, like mountains, surround me!” Soon after his anxiety ceased a sweet peace spread over his face, his malady came to a crisis, and the son was saved in body and soul. He became another man. Spener lived to See his son a respectable man, in public office, and happily married. Such was the change of his life after his conversion. Look up.

Comment: The best place to lift our eyes is to fix our eyes on the best Person, Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). If our eyes are fixed on Him, our wills are more likely to be surrendered to His Spirit (Who enables our holy walk) and our feet are more likely to follow Him. Then, our behaviour is more likely to be like Jesus (See 1 Corinthians 4:16 “Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.” , 1 Peter 2:21 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:” , 1 John 2:6 “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” , John 13:15, “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” 1Peter 2:21, 1 Cor 11:1, 4:16).

THOUGHT - So let me ask again, in our technologically entranced, visually oriented world, where are you "lifting your eyes?" May God grant us grace to lift our eyes to the mountains, especially to the God Who created those mountains.

III. A DEFINITE OBJECT —"unto the hills" (the Lord).

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills - Not to the hills and mountains in Judea, looking about to see if the inhabitants of them, or any bodies of men, appeared upon them to his help in distress; rather to the hills of Moriah and Zion, where the ark of God, the symbol of his presence, was, and to whom he looked for assistance and deliverance: or to heaven, the holy hill of the Lord, and to him that dwelleth there.

Faith is to the soul—what the eye is to the body—namely, that which enables its possessor to look outside of himself and steadfastly fix his gaze on an external object. And hence it is that the exercise and act of faith is so often referred to in the Word under the figure of "lifting up the eyes" and "looking unto the LORD."

Look upward! Was not that the very first thing which the blessed Spirit taught you, dear friend, after He had revealed to you your lost condition and made you realize that you were a guilty, polluted, and undone sinner? As the serpent-bitten Israelites were bidden to look up to the brazen serpent upon the pole—so you were taught to look upon the crucified Saviour as the One who was willing and able to meet your dire need! "Look unto me—and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth" (Isa 45:22).

Now, as you commenced, so you must continue (Col 2:6 “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:”). Christ enthroned in glory is henceforth to be the grand Object of your contemplation and adoration. Look up to Him daily and view Him by faith—as the eternal Lover of your soul, as the Lord of your righteousness, as the Bread of life to feed upon.

Contemplate Him as "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). However cold, dull, and corrupt you feel to be in yourself, let your very consciousness of the same, serve to drive you more and more out of yourself, to rest wholly on what He did and suffered for you, and what He now is to you. Since He is your Saviour, who loved you and gave Himself for you—make use of Him. Live by faith upon Him, and thereby you will please and honour Him. Look by faith within the veil, by that i mean heaven, and take a view of what your great High Priest is there doing for you: He has all your concerns before Him, and is making all things work together for your good (Rom. 8:28). Let that encourage you to cast all your care upon Him and entrust all your concerns to Him.

The psalmist looks first at what he can see but recognizes shortly that his real help comes from the One Who is unseen. And so he looks with eyes of faith, even as did Moses who

by faith… left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing Him Who is invisible/unseen. (Heb. 11:27 - note) (Ask yourself "Why did Moses endure? What enabled him to not be fearful of a tyrannical human magistrate? Observe the text again if unsure.)

IV. AN EXPECTATION OF HELP—"from whence cometh my help [not "possibly may come"]."

It was the look of faith and hope; and such a look is never put to confusion. It was the opposite of slothful inertia or fatalistic apathy. He did not say, "I will wait until I feel moved by the Spirit," but determined upon discharging his own responsibility. He had no right to expect it, unless he sought it—sought it definitely, resolutely, earnestly, believingly. "Therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you" (Isa. 30:18); and He often waits for our importunate waiting upon Him, for only then do we really value His gracious supplies.

from whence shall my help come? {h} not from hills and mountains; not from men, for vain is the help of man; not from kings and princes, the great men of the earth, nor from the most powerful nations; but from the Lord, as in Ps 121:2, which may be an answer to this.

What storm are you in now, dear child of the Living God? Where are your eyes - on the storm or on Jehovah, the One Who is in control of the storm and Who is described as your Helper in this Psalm? From television pop psychologists to the unbelievable proliferation of "self-help" books, the world is screaming at us to seek help from deep within ourselves, when all the time (Psalm 121:6 "by day… by night") we have access to Jehovah Ezer, our Helper. Let us not neglect His help as did Judah. Jehovah, speaking to faithless Judah, declared

My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. (Jer 2:13)

Beloved, are you at this very present time in need of help? Then lift your eyes not to the creation but unto your Creator, Who stands ready to run to your cry for help (cp Ps 46:1-note, Ps 46:2-note)

Corrie Ten Boom once said…

Look around and be distressed. Look inside and be depressed. Look at Jesus and be at rest. (cp Hebrews 12:2-note, Mic 7:7)

"Look up!"…

We always shall have …

new toils,

new trials,

new temptations,

new troubles.

In whatever state, in whatever place, into whatever condition we may be brought this year — let us seek grace to follow our Lord's loving advice, and "look up!"

Do not look back — as Lot's wife did.

Do not look within — as too many do.

Do not look around — as David did.

Jesus sees you. Christ: His Eye Our Stimulus. There is a touching fact related in a history of a Highland chief, of the noble house of M'Gregor, who fell wounded by two balls, at the battle of Prestonpans. Seeing their chief fall, the clan wavered, and gave the enemy an advantage. The old chieftain, beholding the effect of his disaster, raised himself up on his elbow, while the blood gushed in streams from his wounds, and cried aloud, “I am not dead, my children; I am looking at you to See you do your duty." These words revived the sinking course of his brave Highlanders. There was a charm in the fact that they still fought under the eye of their chief. It roused them to put forth their mightiest energies, and they did all that human strength could do to turn and stem the dreadful tide of battle.

And is there not a charm to thee, O believer, in the fact that you contend in the battle-field of life under the eye of your Savior? Wherever you are, however you are oppressed by foes, however exhausted by the stem strife with evil, the eye of Christ is fixed most lovingly upon thee. Nor is Jesus the only observer of your conduct. You are also "a spectacle unto angels." You are "compassed about by a cloud of witnesses." Human and angelic minds, animated, the good by love, and the evil by hate, are the spectators of your deeds. Thus is the theatre of your life made sublime; and you contend for salvation under circumstances sufficiently grand, and with results before you sufficiently awful, to arouse your latent powers, and to stimulate you to strive bravely, vigorously, and perseveringly even unto victory.

Spurgeon comments: "Heart trust is never disappointed. Faith must come before help, but help will never be long behindhand. Divine helpis given us every moment, or we would go back into perdition; when clearer help is needed, we have only to put faith into exercise, and it will be given us." (Bolding and underlining added. Treasury of David)

AMEN

May God bless his Word.