A Song of Ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore. – Psalm 121:1-8 ESV
This psalm, the second in the songs of ascent, celebrates Yahweh’s undeniable and unfailing intervention in the lives of His chosen people. The author begins with a personal testimony to Yahweh’s faithfulness in his own life.
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth! – Psalm 121:2 NLT
He lifts his eyes to the hills surrounding Jerusalem, where the city sits on the heights of Mount Zion. That is where his help comes from because that is where the God of Israel chose to dwell in the Temple built by Solomon.
“I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.” – 1 Kings 9:3 ESV
When Solomon finished his prayer of dedication for the newly opened Temple, Yahweh gave His new home His Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval in a dramatic and jaw-dropping fashion.
As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD‘s house. When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” – 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 ESV
The psalmist viewed the Temple as God’s dwelling place on earth, and Jerusalem was the city honored to contain this glory-filled residence of the Almighty. As he made his way to Jerusalem, he could see the Temple in all its glorious splendor, a fitting reminder of Yahweh’s persistent presence and power. Poised on the precipice of Mount Zion, the Temple overlooked the Kidron Valley and stood as a symbol of hope and help to all who gazed upon it.
But the psalmist wanted his audience to know that the Temple’s “royal resident” was more impressive than the building that housed His glory. Without Yahweh’s glory, the Temple was just another building. Its elaborate design and fixtures of gold and silver made it a sight to behold, but it was Yahweh who set the Temple apart. It was His presence that made the Temple holy and worthy of reverence. The occupant of their place of worship was not an idol made by human hands. He was not fashioned from clay, stone, or precious metal, but He was the one “who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2 ESV).
The psalmist notes that Yahweh isn’t a God who needs sleep or takes vacations. He doesn’t require assistance or periodic rest periods to regain His strength. This declaration by the psalmist echoes the words of the prophet Elijah, spoken to the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. As they cried out to their false god in a hopeless attempt to elicit his aid, Elijah mocked their futile efforts.
“You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!” – 1 Kings 18:27 NLT
The psalmist knew that Yahweh could be counted on. He reassuringly states, “He will not let you stumble” (Psalm 121:3 NLT). This somewhat obvious statement seems to point to the idiocy of idolatry. The Israelites didn’t worship a false god fashioned from wood that must be transported from one place to another by human hands. The God of Israel was a living being who was independent, transcendent, and all-powerful. He was unlike the gods of the pagans that the prophet Isaiah ridiculed mercilessly.
How foolish are those who manufacture idols.
These prized objects are really worthless.
The people who worship idols don’t know this,
so they are all put to shame.
Who but a fool would make his own god—
an idol that cannot help him one bit?
All who worship idols will be disgraced
along with all these craftsmen—mere humans—
who claim they can make a god.
They may all stand together,
but they will stand in terror and shame.
The blacksmith stands at his forge to make a sharp tool,
pounding and shaping it with all his might.
His work makes him hungry and weak.
It makes him thirsty and faint.
13 Then the wood-carver measures a block of wood
and draws a pattern on it.
He works with chisel and plane
and carves it into a human figure.
He gives it human beauty
and puts it in a little shrine.
He cuts down cedars;
he selects the cypress and the oak;
he plants the pine in the forest
to be nourished by the rain.
Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire.
With it he warms himself and bakes his bread.
Then—yes, it’s true—he takes the rest of it
and makes himself a god to worship!
He makes an idol
and bows down in front of it!
He burns part of the tree to roast his meat
and to keep himself warm.
He says, “Ah, that fire feels good.”
Then he takes what’s left
and makes his god: a carved idol!
He falls down in front of it,
worshiping and praying to it.
“Rescue me!” he says.
“You are my god!” – Isaiah 44:9-17 NLT
Yahweh is reliable and fully capable of rescuing His children at all times. He watches over them constantly, protecting them from harm and providing all they need to survive in a dangerous world. In a harsh environment where the heat of the sun could kill a man, Yahweh served as a source of shade and comfort. He stood between His children and anything that could harm them.
The LORD himself watches over you!
The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night. – Psalm 121:5-6 NLT
Day and night, Yahweh stood like a sleepless sentinel, watching over His chosen people. This imagery conjures up His appearance before the Israelites during their escape from Egypt and their journey to the promised land.
The LORD went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. And the LORD did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people. – Exodus 13:21-22 NLT
Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night. – Exodus 14:19-20 NLT
The same God who delivered the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt was still watching over His people centuries later. His glory and power had not diminished, and His presence was just as palpable and reliable as ever. This truth led the psalmist to end his song with an uplifting stanza that celebrates Yahweh’s unwavering capacity to care for His people.
The LORD keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever. – Psalm 121:7-8 NLT
“The spirit of the psalm is to evoke trust in Yahweh, the Keeper of the pilgrim, and the Keeper of Israel, the Maker of heaven and earth. Often things that happen in the life of the pilgrim would not be his or her choice. But the psalm is not pointing in this direction. The direction is upward, toward God. The believer must recognize that life is a gift from God, the Giver of life. The pilgrim can rest confidently, knowing that God’s glory will prevail, and that justice . . . and righteousness . . . will ultimately rule.” – David G. Barker, “‘The Lord Watches over You’: A Pilgrimage Reading of Psalm 121, Bibliotheca Sacra 152:606 (April-June 1995):180-81.
The psalmist does not promise a trouble-free, blessing-filled life where all difficulties are eliminated. He does not promote a heaven-on-earth theology that guarantees your best life now. He simply reminds his audience that their God is trustworthy, powerful, and fully present. He isn’t a lifeless, sightless, powerless idol but the God of the universe. He is alive, alert, and prepared to intervene at a moment’s notice. Nothing escapes His attention. No circumstance proves too difficult for Him to handle. Trials will come. Suffering will still be a regular occurrence. But God’s children can count on Him to be with them day and night through thick or thin. Help is always on the way because Yahweh is always close at hand.
Father, You are my help at all times. Yet, so often I turn elsewhere when facing difficulties. I tend to forget all that You have done for me in the past and allow panic to set in at the first sign of trouble. But I want to learn to embrace the words of the psalmist and turn my eyes to the hills, where my hope comes from. You have not gone anywhere. You have not abandoned me. You are always there and You are always powerful. Give me the strength to trust You because You are trustworthy. When tough times come, help me focus on You and not my problem. Let me remember that You will keep me from harm and watch over my life. Always, and forever. Amen
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.