Salmos 121
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
Salmos 121
Spurgeon comments on the "ascent" in Psalm 123:1… We are climbing. The first step (Ps 120) saw us lamenting our troublesome surroundings, and the next saw us lifting or eyes to the hills and resting in assured security (Ps 121:1); from this we rose to delight in the house of the Lord; but here we look to the Lord Himself, and this is the highest ascent of all by many degrees. The eyes are now looking above the hills, and above Jehovah's footstool on earth, to His throne in the heavens. Let us know it as "the Psalm of the eyes". Old authors call it Oculus "Sperans" or the eye of hope. It is a short Psalm, written with singular art, containing one thought, and expressing if in a most engaging manner. Doubtless it would be a favourite song among the people of God. It has been conjectured that this brief song, or rather sigh, may have first been heard in the days of Nehemiah, or under the persecutions of Antiochus. It may be so, but there is no evidence of it; it seems to us quite as probable that afflicted ones in all periods after David's time found this psalm ready to their hand If it appears to describe days remote from David, it is all the more evident that the Psalmist was also a prophet, and sang what he saw in vision. Ps 123:1 - Unto thee lift I up mine eyes. It is good to have some one to look up to. The Psalmist looked so high that he could look no higher. Not to the hills, but to the God of the hills he looked. He believed in a personal God, and knew nothing of that modern pantheism which is nothing more than atheism wearing a fig leaf. The uplifted eyes naturally and instinctively represent the state of heart which fixes desire, hope, confidence, and expectation upon the Lord. God is everywhere, and yet it is most natural to think of him as being above us, in that glory land which lies beyond the skies. O Thou that dwells in the heavens, just sets forth ,the unsophisticated idea of a child of God in distress: God is, God is in heaven, God resides in one place, and God is evermore the same, therefore will I look to him. When we cannot look to any helper on a level with us, it is greatly wise to look above us; in fact, if we have a thousand helpers, our eyes should still be toward the Lord. The higher the Lord is the better for our faith, since that height represents power, glory, and excellence, and these will be all engaged on our behalf. We ought to be very thankful for spiritual eyes; the blind men of this world, however much of human learning they may possess, cannot behold our God, for in heavenly matters they are devoid of sight. Yet we must use our eyes with resolution, for they will not go upward to the Lord of themselves, but they incline to look downward, or inward, or anywhere but to the Lord: let it be our firm resolve that the heavenward glance shall not be lacking. If we cannot see God, at least we will look towards him. God is in heaven as a king in his palace; he is here revealed, adored, and glorified: thence he looks down on the world and sends succours to his saints as their needs demand; hence we look up, even when our sorrow is so great that we can do no more. It is a blessed condescension on God's part that he permits us to lift up our eyes to his glorious high throne; yea, more, that he invites and even commands us so to do. When we are looking to the Lord in hope, it is well to tell him so in prayer: the Psalmist uses his voice as well as his eye. We need not speak in prayer; a glance of the eye will do it all; for - - "Prayer is the burden of a sigh, The falling of a tear, The upward glancing of an eye When none but God is near." Still, it is helpful to the heart to use the tongue, and we do well to address ourselves in words and sentences to the God who heareth his people. It is no small joy that our God is always at home: he is not on a journey, like Baal, but he dwells in the heavens. Let us think no hour of the day inopportune for waiting upon the Lord; no watch of the night too dark for us to look to him. When the out-look is bleak Remember the up-look. 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 unseen. (He 11:27- +) (Ask yourself "Why did Moses endure? What enabled him to not be fearful of a tyrannical human magistrate? Observe the text again if unsure.) 🙏 THOUGHT - 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+, Ps 46:2+) 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+, Mic 7:7) Looking to Jesus and experiencing rest in Him is the same idea brought out by Solomon in Proverbs 18:10… The Name of the LORD (Jehovah) is a strong tower. The righteous runs into it and is safe. (see notes on Pr 18:10) Comment: Notice that truth precedes behavior. Belief should always lead to behavior. In other words first we note Who God is - a Strong Tower (metaphorically or figuratively speaking). But it is not just enough to know Who He is. It is not enough as some teach just to "Let go and let God", an approach which absolves us of human responsibility. The righteous man is a wise person, because he or she makes the choice to believe God and to run into the "cleft of the Rock" (cp Ex 33:22), knowing that He is the believer's personal Shield (Ps 18:2) and Defender, our Strong Tower. Acting on the truth about God ("running into" the truth about Him, believing that truth, acting accordingly) brings us safely into His presence. It is notable that the Hebrew word for safe actually pictures one being elevated above the roaring waves of the trial or affliction, just like a coastal home elevated on stilts escapes the surging seas of an on rushing hurricane. ON THE BUS; OFF THE BUS “On the bus; off the bus,” is a common saying in the British army. It means we never know what’s going to happen next—even when we’re given orders. One minute we can be heading off to a warzone, and the next, we’re suddenly on hold, waiting for a call. I remember one time when I was on leave. I was relaxing at home when I got a phone call telling me I was being sent to Bosnia. I grabbed my kit, said goodbye to my wife and daughter and quickly drove to the barracks for the necessary briefings, etc. Just minutes before it was time to go, my sergeant called me: “Stand down. You’re not going today.” I was put on a week’s standby—but it wasn’t until 6 months later that I actually got deployed to Bosnia! On the bus; off the bus—it’s daily life in the armed forces. We can go through this kind of uncertainty in all areas of our lives. We don’t know what this year is going to bring, what decisions we’ll have to make tomorrow or even what the rest of today will throw at us. Not knowing what’s coming can be very stressful! In the midst of this insecurity, we need to think about a God that the Bible says is faithful and unchangeable, meaning He is always the same; Someone we can truly rely on. My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not [sleep]. —Psalm 121:2-3 Get hold of a Bible and read through Psalm 121 (one of the songs in God’s Word) to see what it tells us about God: As the world’s Creator, He is our true help (vv.1-2). He will keep us from stumbling and giving up during difficult times (v.3). He never sleeps or rests from looking after us (vv.4-5). He is our protector from the dangers of this world (vv.6-7). Wherever we go, He is there with us. He will look after us forever (v. 8). Psalm 121 doesn’t promise that we’ll never be sent to a dangerous battlefield or suffer physical harm. These words are a promise of God’s constant faithfulness to us in a changing and uncertain world. His protection means that even though we might get hurt in this world, we will never be beaten by it. No matter what we might face, where we might go, what we might lose or what we might be asked to do, God remains the same. He is a fortress of safety; the One we can always talk to. For [God] Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” —Hebrews 13:5b-6 The best security we have is that He “shall [look after us] . . . forevermore” (Ps. 121:8). When we trust Jesus, we are promised a future in heaven (check out John 14:1-6). There is no ‘on the bus; off the bus’ with God. He remains faithful to keep His promises. I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor [authorities] nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 8:38-39 What do you think? Is God worth looking into? In the middle of our ‘on the bus; off the bus’ world, Jesus Christ is the certainty we need. —Lee, SASRA Scripture Reader DEAR WEARY BELIEVER… REMEMBER TO LOOK UP! J R Smith exhorts believers to "Look up!"… We are entering upon a new year, we 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. But "look up!" Look up to God — He is your Father, your Friend, your Savior. He can help you. He will help you. He says, "Look unto Me, and be delivered — for I am God!" (Isa 45:22KJV) Look up for light to guide you — and He will direct your path. Look up for grace to sanctify you — and the grace of Jesus will be found sufficient for you. Look up for strength to enable you to do and suffer God's will — and His strength will be made perfect in your weakness. Look up for comfort to cheer you — and as one whom his mother comforts, so will the Lord comfort you. Look up for courage to embolden you — and the Lord will give courage to the faint; and to those who have no might — He will increase strength. Look up for endurance to keep you — and the God who preserves you will enable you quietly to bear the heaviest burden, and silently to endure the most painful affliction. Look up for providence to supply you — and the jar of flour will not be used up, and the jug of oil will not run dry; but God shall supply all your needs, according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Look up in faith — exercising confidence in the Word of a faithful God. Look up in prayer — asking for what God has graciously promised. Look up in hope — expecting what you ask in the name of Jesus. Look up with adoration — and adore the sovereignty, righteousness, and wisdom of God. Look up constantly — let nothing daunt or discourage you! Rather say, "Our eyes are on the Lord our God — until He shows us mercy." Look up — for this will keep … the head from swimming, the heart from sinking, the knees from trembling, the feet from slipping, and the hands from hanging down! It is impossible to say what will happen to us, or what will be required of us this year — but "Look up!" This direction, if properly attended to, will … ' procure for us all that we need, secure us against all that we dread, and make us more than a match for all our foes and fears! Fellow-Christian, are you fearful? "Look up" and hear Jesus saying to you, "Do not be afraid — I Myself will help you!" Are you discouraged? "Look up" — and your youth shall be renewed like the eagle's, and fresh light, comfort, and courage shall be given to you! Are you desponding? "Look up" for Jesus never breaks the bruised reed, nor quenches the smoking flax. Do not look too much at your sin — but look at the infinitely meritorious blood of God's dear Son! Do not look too much at self — but look at Jesus, who ever lives to make intercession for you in Heaven. Are you stripped of your comforts, your props, and your goods? Then look up! He who stripped you — loves you! He will be more than all these to you! He will bind up your broken heart, calm your perturbed spirit, cheer your drooping mind, and fill you with His own peace and happiness. Look up … for all that you need; from all that you fear; through all that would obstruct your way. Look up every day, saying with David, "In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You — and will look up!" Psalm 5:3 Look up in every trial, saying "I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from whence comes my help: my help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and earth!" Do not look at your sin — it will discourage you! Do not look at your self — it will distress you! Do not look at Satan — he will bewilder you! Do not look to men — they will deceive, or disappoint you! Do not look at your trials — they will deject you! "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us — looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith!" Hebrews 12:1-2 Look only, look always, look intently — to Jesus! Run looking, work looking, fight looking, suffer looking, live looking, and die looking — to Jesus, who is at God's right hand in glory. Oh, look, look, look to Jesus! Although the psalmist can see the mountains (or has a memory of actually having seen them) surrounding Jerusalem, here he sees with the eye of faith. As one sage has asked Are, to us, the things unseen the solid things, and the things visible the shadows and the phantoms? We see with the bodily eyes the shadows on the wall, as it were, but we have to turn round and see with the eyes of our minds the light that flings the shadows. (Author unknown) Mountains - Which mountains? Where? Although I feel the mountains have some allusion to Jerusalem, one source rightly notes that there is no certainty about the location of these hills. Anderson thinks they are the mountains on the route from Jerusalem to the psalmist’s home, and Taylor takes the journey to be the reverse of this. Some believe that these are the hills of or near Jerusalem, while others see an allusion to the “high places” where the pagan gods were believed to live. (Ed note: and where idolatry was practiced by many of the Israelites)" (Bratcher, R. G., & Reyburn, W. D. A Translator's Handbook on the Book of Psalms. Page 1051. New York: United Bible Societies) In another Psalm of Ascent we read that As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people from this time forth and forever. (Ps 125:2+) Comment: Observe that mountain is a term of comparison, specifically a simile, a comparison which is always introduced by either "like" or "as." Beloved, whenever you encounter a term of comparison, pause and ponder what the Spirit is revealing by asking the 5W/H questions. A S Algen - The meaning of the Prophet is abundantly obvious, which is, that although all the helps of the world, even the mightiest, should offer themselves to us, yet we ought not to seek safety anywhere but in God; yea, rather, that when men shall have long wearied themselves in hunting after remedies, now in one quarter and now in another, they will at length find from experience, that there is no assured help but in God alone. By the mountains, the Prophet means whatever is great or excellent in the world; and the lesson he teaches is, that we ought to account all such favor as nothing. (Commentary on Psalms - Volume 5 - Christian Classics Ethereal Library) If by the mountains the psalmist was referring to places of false worship, Jehovah's warning in Jeremiah would apply: Surely, the hills are a deception, a tumult on the mountains. Surely, in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. (Jer 3:23) Spurgeon has an applicational note on the "mountains" writing… The purposes of God; the divine attributes; the immutable promises; the covenant, ordered in all things and sure; the providence, predestination, and proved faithfulness of the Lord—these are the hills to which we must lift up our eyes, and from these our help must come. (Treasury of David) James Montgomery
Salmos 121
Spurgeon comments: "Heart trust is never disappointed. Faith must come before help, but help will never be long behindhand. Divine help is 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) Help Greek = Boetheia The Septuagint (LXX) has the Greek word boetheia (word study) which is used only twice in the NT, once in a well known passage in Hebrews 4:16+ "Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help (boetheia) in time of need." The second use of boetheia by Luke gives us a great word picture of "help", describing the storm tossed ship in (Acts 27:17), writing that after they had hoisted (the lifeboat) up, they used supporting cables (boetheia) in undergirding the ship and fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor, and so let themselves be driven along. This procedure of passing supporting cables under the ship to hold it together and keep the beams from separating is known as frapping, (frap is a nautical term that means to draw tight, to lash down or together). So in the midst of the storm the sailors wrapped cables around the ship’s hull and winched them tight. Thus supported, the ship would be better able to withstand the severe pounding of wind and sea. Beloved, do you see the word picture inherent in the Biblical use of (boetheia) in Psalm 121? From time to time all of saints encounter unexpected storms and are in need of the Captain of the vessel to batten down the hatches, sending His help that we might be able to endure the stormy trial or temptation. Here in Psalm 121 the psalmist is seeking help… he doesn't give us his name nor the reason he is seeking help (unless Psalm 120 can be taken as the immediate context). Alexander
Salmos 121
Spurgeon reminds us that No help comes from anywhere else but from the eternal hills. Let us lift up our eyes, therefore, hopefully expecting help from the hills; it is on the road, it "cometh." The psalmist with the eye of faith could see it coming, so he watched its approach. Yesterday’s promise secured strength for what we have to do today, but this promise guarantees help when we cannot act alone. The Lord says, “I will help you.” Strength within is supplemented by help from without. God can raise up allies in our warfare if it seems good in His sight. Even if He doesn’t send human assistance, He Himself will be at our side, and this is even better. “Our august Ally” is superior to thousands of human helpers. His help is timely, for He is a very present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1+). His help is wise, for He knows how to give what is good for us. His help is effective, though futile is the help of friends. His help is more than help, for He carries all the burdens and supplies, all the needs. “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Heb 13:6+). Because He has already been our help, we feel confidence in Him for the present and the future. Our prayer is, “Lord, be my helper” (Psalm 30:10+). Our experience is, “The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses” (Romans 8:26+). Our expectation is, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 121:1). Our song will be, “You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me” (Psalm 86:17+). Guaranteed security by J O Keen (Biblical Illustrator)… I. The godly man’s need. “Help.” Can never outgrow this: dependence the characteristic of the creature: “help” must be had in the conflict or it will end in defeat, in the toil or it will issue in failure, in the pilgrim-march or we faint and fail by the way, etc. II. The godly man’s attitude: Looking for help--“I will lift up my eyes,” etc. He waits--he expects--he obtains. The truest vision is soul-vision. Looking up in solicitation, contemplation, expectation. “Up,” from the mud and mire of earth, and the sins and sorrows of self. “The hills” expressive of strength, “the strength of the hills is His”: of majesty--of stability, “the everlasting hills”: of veneration, “the silence of the hills breathes veneration” (Mrs. Hemans); striking and suitable emblem of Him to whom all might, and majesty, and duration, and reverence belong. III. The godly man’s confidence: “My help cometh from the Lord,” etc. He is assured that He who made the heavens and made the earth would rather let the sky fall and the earth perish from the want of His support, than that he should suffer injury from the withholding of His help. Help alone cometh from God: help does and ever will be vouchsafed, etc. IV. The godly man’s safety: “He will not suffer,” etc. 1. Safety guaranteed from the highest source: “the Lord is thy Keeper” (verse 5). His wisdom, power, love, all His attributes a royal battalion--bodyguard around him, unceasingly around him (verses 3, 4). 2. Safety guaranteed to the whole man, under all circumstances, through all time, from all evil (verses 7, 8). The good in time of need I. His attitude. 1. God is the only true help of the soul. He alone can raise it from its fallen condition, break its fetters, heal its wounds, energize its faculties, and set it on a course safe and prosperous. 2. To Him the godly soul instinctively looks in trial. The worldly man in trial looks to earthly things for succour and support, to social sympathies, to human friendships, to Church officers, but the good man turns at once to God, feels that from Him alone the necessary help can come. II. His protector. 1. The universal Creator. 2. A sleepless Guardian. 3. The all-sufficient. III. His confidence (verse 7). (Homilist.) A W
Salmos 121
Spurgeon writes that… He would sooner unmake them than desert his people. He that made heaven and earth could certainly find shelter for us either in heaven or in earth. He cannot, he will not leave us, he will make room for us in heaven when there is no room for us here. What a blessed thing it is to look right away from the creature to the Creator! The creature may fail you; but the Creator is an ever-springing well of all-sufficient grace Expositor's Bible Commentary notes that "This confession (Yahweh is "the Maker of heaven and earth.") goes beyond the modern controversy of evolution and creationism. The creedal statement, also taken up in the Apostles' Creed, originally signified an apologetic statement on Yahweh's sovereignty over all realms: heaven and earth, thereby excluding any claims by pagan deities. Yahweh Alone is God (cf. Ps 115:4+, Ps 115:5+; Ps 115:6+; Ps 115:7+; Ps 124:8+; Ps 134:3+; Ps 146:6+; Jer 10:11)! The sole source of "help" comes from Yahweh, Who, as Creator, has unlimited power." (See Psalms) Meditate on the truth that the same awesome, majestic God takes a personal interest in His children, so that you too will be led to proclaim Him in your experience as Jehovah "my help" ("I Am your help")! Then take a moment to worship Him by singing the familiar words of Martin Luther's hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God… A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; Our Helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing: For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal. Spurgeon comments What we need is help, -- help powerful, efficient, constant: we need a very present help in trouble (Ps 46:1). What a mercy that we have it in our God. Our hope (not "hope so" but absolute assurance that He will do us good) is in Jehovah, for our help comes from Him (the God of Hope Ro 15:13). Help is on the road, and will not fail to reach us in due time, for He Who sends it to us was never known to be too late. Jehovah Who created all things is equal to every emergency; heaven and earth are at the disposal of Him who made them, therefore let us be very joyful in our infinite Helper. He will sooner destroy heaven and earth than permit His people to be destroyed (cp 2Pe 2:5, 6, 7), and the perpetual hills themselves shall bow rather than He shall fail Whose ways are everlasting (Ge 21:33, Isa 40:28). We are bound to look beyond heaven and earth to Him Who made them both: it is vain to trust the creatures (Ro 1:25ff): it is wise to trust the Creator. (Treasury of David Psalm 121:2) Warren
Salmos 121
Spurgeon wrote that "You may expect that between here and heaven, if you have not met with it yet, you will have enough trouble to destroy you unless the Lord is your Helper."…Though the paths of life are dangerous and difficult—yet we shall stand fast, for Jehovah will not permit our feet to slide; and if He will not allow it—we shall never be moved! If our foot will is thus kept—we may be sure that our head and heart will be preserved also! Those who have God for their keeper—shall be safe from all the perils of the way. Among the hills and ravines of Palestine, the keeping of the feet is a great mercy. But in the slippery paths of a tempted, tried and afflicted believer, the blessing of upholding is of priceless value—for a single false step might cause us a fall fraught with awful danger! To stand 'steadfast' and pursue our holy way—is a blessing which only God can give. It is worthy of His divine hand—and worthy also of our perennial gratitude. Our feet shall move in heavenly progress—and we shall never be overthrown! The psalmist writes "Bless our God, O peoples, and sound His praise abroad, Who keeps us in life, and does not allow our feet to slip." (Psalm 66:8+, Ps 66:9+) When the verb ‘slip’ is used with ‘foot’ or ‘feet’, it denotes slipping in a time of trouble. The Lord is the one who is immovable (Ps 30:6+; Ps 62:2+; Ps 112:6+) and he holds his children so that their feet do not slip (Ps 17:5+). One of the other psalms of ascent helps understand "their foot shall not slip", the psalmist writing that Those who trust in Jehovah are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. (Ps 125:1+) Spurgeon writes that Zion was the image of eternal steadfastness—this hill which, according to the Hebrew, “sits to eternity,” neither bowing down nor moving to and fro. Thus doth the trusting worshiper of Jehovah enjoy a restfulness which is the mirror of tranquility; his hope is sure. As the LORD sitteth as King forever, so do His people sit enthroned in perfect peace when their trust in Him is firm. We are, we have been, we shall be as steadfast as the hill of God. Zion cannot be removed, and does not move; so the people of God can neither be moved by force from without or fickleness from within. (The Treasury of David) Commenting on Psalm 121:3 (he will not allow your foot to slip) Spurgeon writes that "Though the paths of life are dangerous and difficult, yet we shall stand fast, for Jehovah will not permit our feet to slide; and if He will not suffer it we shall not suffer it. If our feet will be thus kept we may be sure that our head and heart will be preserved also. In the original the words express a wish or prayer—“May He not suffer thy foot to be moved.” Promised preservation should be the subject of perpetual prayer; and we may pray believingly, for those who have God for their Keeper will be safe from all the perils of the way. Among the hills and ravines of Palestine the literal keeping of the feet is a great mercy; but in the slippery ways of a tried and afflicted life, the boon (timely benefit especially one given in answer to a request) of upholding is of priceless value, for a single false step might cause us a fall fraught with awful danger. To stand erect and pursue the even tenor of our way is a blessing which only God can give, which is worthy of the divine hand, and worthy also of perennial gratitude. Our feet will move in progress, but they will not be moved to their overthrow." (Bolding added. The Treasury of David Psalm 121:3) David echoes this true adding in (Psalm 37:23, 24) that The steps of a man are established by the LORD and He delights in his way. When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong; because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. Spurgeon comments that "Disasters and reverses may lay him low; he may, like Job, be stripped of everything; like Joseph, be put in prison; like Jonah, be cast into the deep. He shall not be utterly cast down. He will be brought on his knees, but not on his face; or, if laid prone for a moment he shall be up again ere long. No saint will fall finally or fatally. Sorrow may bring us to the earth, and death may bring us to the grave, but lower we cannot sink, and out of the lowest of all we shall arise to the highest of all. For the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. He does not leave his saints to mere delegated agency; He affords personal assistance. Where grace does not keep us from going down, it will save from keeping down. Job had double wealth at last, Joseph reigned over Egypt, Jonah was safely landed. It is not that the saints are strong, or wise, or meritorious, that therefore they rise after every fall, but because God is their Helper and therefore none can prevail against them." (Spurgeon, C. H: The Treasury of David) The slipping of one's foot is a frequent description of misfortune, for example, Psalm 38:16; 66:9, and would be especially meaningful in the rocky, treacherous terrain of the mountains surrounding Jerusalem, where a single slip of the foot could bring quick slippage and great injury. He Who keeps (protects, guards) you will not slumber (GWT: "Your guardian will not fall asleep") Jehovah your Helper will not sleep lightly or doze and (figuratively) will not be in a torpid, slothful or negligent state. How sure can we be? Look at Ps 121:4. Matthew
Salmos 121
Spurgeon comments that…Behold (hinneh)…is meant to attract the readers' attention. In some books, which are intended to be sensational, you are asked to behold, and when you look, there is nothing to see; but when God's Word bids you behold what it has to say, you may be sure that the exclamation is not superfluous or misleading. It would be a marring of the Word of God to leave out even one of its smallest expressions; and, therefore, when we see this word "Behold" placed at the beginning of the text, we may rest assured that there is… something worth noting, worth examining and considering, and worth remembering and carrying away. A very useful series of discourses might be preached upon the "Beholds" of the Old and New Testaments, which culminate in John the Baptist's "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world;" (Jn 1:29) and Pilate's "Behold the man;" and still more in our Lord's own message to John, "Behold, I come quickly." (Rev 22:12) (Behold in Psalm 121) tells us about God's eyes: "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." His eyes are never closed; no feeling of weariness or need of slumber ever causes them to be heavy and to shut. He Who keeps (shamar) Israel - If God has kept Israel as a distinct people group and nation for over 4000 years, surely He is able to keep your foot from slipping. God was faithful to His promise that the Hebrew people would not disappear from the face of the earth, and is just as faithful to keep you dear believer. The same Divine Guardian of Israel is the Guardian of every believer who has entered into covenant with Him by placing their faith in Jesus Christ. Study the history of this tiny country Israel which today is in some areas as narrow as 20 miles across, is surrounded by inveterate enemies, is far from being consistently obedient to Jehovah, and yet He continually keeps and watches over them. Why? Not because of their goodness or greatness but because of His faithfulness, for He is Jehovah, the covenant keeping God, Who remains faithful to His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (cf Ge 12:1, 2; Ge 15:5, 18; Ge 17:7,17:8). This same covenant binds Him to faithfully, continually watch over all who have entered by faith into the New Covenant in Messiah's blood (Jer 31:31, Lk 22:30). 🙏 THOUGHT - Dear reader, perhaps you are reading this, longing for the watch care of the Almighty, omnipotent God. If you have never truly confessed with you mouth Jesus as your Lord and believed in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (cf Ro 10:9, 10+), then please enter into His eternal New Covenant today by placing your faith wholeheartedly in Jesus, Who longs to be your Helper and Protector today and throughout eternity, "for the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." (Ro 10:11+) THE UNFAILING WATCH In Faith's Checkbook, Spurgeon has the following devotional thoughts on this Ps 121:4… The Unfailing Watch - Jehovah is "the Keeper of Israel." No form of unconsciousness ever steals over Him, neither the deeper slumber nor the slighter sleep. He never fails to watch the house and the heart of His people. This is a sufficient reason for our resting in perfect peace. Alexander said that he slept because his friend Parmenio watched; much more may we sleep because our God is our guard. "Behold" is here set up to call our attention to the cheering truth. Israel, when he had a stone for his pillow, fell asleep; but His God was awake and came in vision to His servant. When we lie defenseless, Jehovah Himself will cover our head. The LORD keeps His people as a rich man keeps his treasure, as a captain keeps a city with a garrison, as a sentry keeps watch over his sovereign. None can harm those who are in such keeping. Let me put my soul into His dear hands. He never forgets us, never ceases actively to care for us, never finds Himself unable to preserve us. O my LORD, keep me, lest I wander and fall and perish. Keep me, that I may keep Thy commandments. By Thine unslumbering care prevent my sleeping like the sluggard and perishing like those who sleep the sleep of death. C H Spurgeon comments on He that keeps Israel noting that… By this expression we understand that the Lord keeps his people as a shepherd keeps his flock. There is a great depth of meaning in that word "keep" as it is thus used; for a shepherd keeps the sheep by feeding them, by supplying all their needs, and also by guarding them from all their adversaries. He keeps the flock with vigilance so that it is not diminished either by the ravaging of the wolf or by the straying of the sheep. Both by night and by day, even an ordinary shepherd takes great pains and the utmost care to preserve his sheep; while "our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep," who was brought again from the dead, uses his omnipotence, his omniscience, and all his divine attributes in the keeping of his sheep. O beloved, if you are indeed his people, and the sheep of his pasture, rest assured that he will preserve you! You are in good keeping, for he is the good Shepherd, and the great Shepherd, and the chief Shepherd; and he will perform all the duties of his office well and faithfully, that he may keep securely all whom his Father has committed unto him. Another figure may equally well illustrate the meaning of this expression. The Lord keeps his people, not only as a shepherd keeps his sheep, but as a king keeps his jewels. These are rare and precious things which are his peculiar treasure, and he will not lose them if he can help it. He will go to war sooner than be deprived of them. He will put them in the securest casket that he has in his strong room, and set his most faithful servants to guard the place wherein they are stored. He will charge those who have the custody of his crown jewels to take a full and accurate account of them, and to be careful to examine them from time to time to see that they are all there, for he greatly prizes them, and is not willing for one of them to be lost. They probably cost him a great price; or, if not, they are part of his royal heritage, and of the glory and honor of his kingdom, so he desires to keep them all. Even so does the Lord Jesus keep his people, far they are his jewels. He delights in them, they are his honor and his glory. They cost him a greater price than they can ever realize. He hides them away in the casket of his power, and protects them with all his wisdom and strength. Concerning those who feared the Lord, and thought upon his name, it is written, "They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels." It is God's work to keep his own jewels; he does not commit them even to the custody of the tall archangel who stands nearest to his throne, but the Lord himself keepeth them, and none shall be able to pluck them out of his hands. This is not all, for we might multiply figures to almost any extent, and still not exhaust the meaning of the text. The Lord keeps his people as a governor keeps the city committed to his charge. He places his guards around the walls, he has his cannon on the battlements, to defend the place against those who besiege it, and he is himself constantly on the watch. Early in the morning, and late at night, he is on the walls; and through the night the watchmen keep their continual round, for the city must be preserved from scaling ladders and from assaults of every sort. The Lord will not let even the suburbs of the New Jerusalem be conquered by the foe. He will preserve the holy city, his own Church, until the day when his Son shall come to reign in her forever. I find that, in all probability, the figure here used is an allusion to the common custom of having guards to watch the tents of travelers passing through the desert. At this very time, if you were journeying through the Holy Land, you would find that, when you came to your camping ground, and nightfall drew on, there would be certain persons employed to watch over the different tents; for, otherwise, the wandering robbers of the desert would soon enter, and take away your valuables, or even your life. I have noticed, in the books of two or three travelers, this observation, "We found it exceedingly difficult to obtain a tant keeper who could keep awake all night." One gentleman speaks of discovering a thief in his tent, and when he went outside to call the watchman, he found that the man had gone so soundly to sleep that he could only be aroused by one or two gentle kicks. When a man has been travelling with you all day, it is unreasonable to expect him to keep awake through the night to take care of you. Hence, see the beauty of the expression used by the psalmist: "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." There shall be no deep sleep falling upon him; nay, there shall not even be a brief period of slumber, not even a wink of sleep shall ever overcome him. A man may say, "I am so tired that I cannot keep my eyes open;" but God says not so. Will neither slumber nor sleep - Simply put "God is never caught off guard." This should encourage you, beloved. You need not fear with such a divine sentry watching over your soul. God never sleeps, and there is no danger that the psalmist will be forgotten. Isaiah records a similar truth regarding God's continual watch care… “I, the LORD, am its keeper; I water it every moment. Lest anyone damage it, I guard it night and day. (Isa 27:3) Boice records a secular example of a vigilant watchman… When a person asked the Greek general Alexander the Great how he could sleep soundly when he was surrounded by so much personal danger, he replied that Parmenio, his faithful guard, was watching. How much more soundly should we sleep when God, who never slumbers nor sleeps, is guarding us! (Psalms Volume 3 Psalms 107-150 Expositional Commentary). William MacDonald records a related story noting that…Alexander the Great told his soldiers, “I wake that you may sleep.” Throughout the night hours, when we are no longer conscious of the world around us, there is One greater than Alexander who watches over us with constant, unwearied care. (Borrow Believer's Bible Commentary) Albert Barnes rightly reminds us that…His eyes are upon us by day, and in the darkness of the night (cp Pr 15:3) - the night literally; and also the night of calamity, woe, and sorrow… Never slumbers, never ceases to be watchful. Man sleeps; a sentinel may slumber on his post, by inattention, by long-continued wakefulness, or by weariness; a pilot may slumber at the helm; even a mother may fall asleep by the side of the sick child; but God is never exhausted, is never weary, is never inattentive. He never closes his eyes on the condition of his people, on the needs of the world. In stark contrast are the so-called gods of men's vain imagination. Elijah ridiculed the prophets of Baal by sarcastically suggesting their god was asleep and telling them to Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened." (1Ki 18:27). Pagans permitted their gods to sleep, but the God of Israel is not like any god--he does not need to sleep and so is always there to help. This image of sleeplessness (and watchfulness) brings to mind the image of Jehovah, our Good Shepherd (Jehovah Roi [Raah, Rohi]), Who unceasingly watches over His "flocks" by night (cf Luke 2:8)! Dear saint, with such a Good Shepherd, instead of counting sheep, you should be able to experience comfortable sleep! "In Mesopotamian literature a sleeping god is one who is unresponsive to the prayers of the person who is calling out for help… In a Babylonian prayer the worshiper wonders how long the deity is going to sleep." (Matthews, V, et al: The IVP Bible background commentary : Old Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press) Spurgeon - We could not stand a moment—if our Divine Keeper were to sleep! We need Him by day and by night. Not a single step can be safely taken—except under His guardian eye. God is the convoy and body-guard of His people. When dangers are all around us—we are safe, for our Preserver is awake, and will not permit us to be moved. No fatigue of exhaustion can cast our God into sleep—His watchful eyes are never closed. Sleepless In Heaven He who keeps you will not slumber. —Psalm 121 One of the most dangerous aspects of flying is the landing. As the aircraft gets closer to land, the air traffic is more congested, the weather on the ground may be far worse than the weather at 30,000 feet, and the runways may not be clear of other planes. So pilots rely on the air-traffic controller to coordinate all the details so that every plane can arrive without incident. Without the air-traffic controller, chaos would be certain. Imagine, then, the panic when the pilot of an airliner full of passengers radioed the tower and got no answer. It was eventually discovered that the air-traffic controller was in fact there but sound asleep, putting pilot, passengers, and plane in great jeopardy. The good news is that the plane landed safely. Even better news is that God, the ultimate traffic controller, neither slumbers nor sleeps. From His heavenly vantage point, He knows all that is going on in and around your life. As the psalmist notes, “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber” (121:2-3). When trouble stalks the path we tread, We need assurance, Lord, to know That all our steps are being led— That You, our God, are in control. —D. De Haan He's Up Anyway! - Linus Mandy wrote, "A friend was telling me she helped out at a kid's summer camp a few years ago. After rounding up the troops for the night, she told them, 'Let's go to sleep and put our cares in God's hands.' 'Yeah,' said one of the kids, 'He's up all night anyway!'" We all battle with the problem of worry. Fears about the future gradually creep in. Then they get stronger and stronger, and can eventually become overwhelming. This happens when we begin to replace our faith with anxiety, shifting the burden from God's strong shoulders to our frail ones. We fret. We're afraid. We can't sleep. At times like this we need to remind ourselves that God is always on the alert. He never sleeps (Psalm 121:4). He knows everything, including what we fear (Ps 44:21+). He is everywhere (Psalm 139:7+, Ps 139:8+; Ps 139:9+; Ps 139:10+). He is in charge of our world (Ep 1:11+). Therefore, we do not need to be afraid. When fear and worry test your faith And anxious thoughts assail, Remember God is in control And He will never fail. --Sper Worry is a burden God never meant for us to bear. Spurgeon - "As a shepherd keeps his sheep — by feeding them, by supplying all their needs, and also by guarding them from all their adversaries. He keeps the flock with vigilance so that it is not diminished either by the ravaging of the wolf or by the straying of the sheep. As a king keeps his jewels. God hides His people in the casket of His power, and protects them with all His wisdom and strength… Think of God’s eyes as never wearying of His people. Infinite patience! God is never forgetful of His people for a single moment. God is always ready to show Himself strong on behalf of those who trust Him. God is never asleep in the sense that He ceases to consider us. You and I, in thinking of one thing, often forget another; but it is not so with God. He is so great that His centre is everywhere, and His circumference is nowhere; and you, dear brother or sister, may be the very centre of God’s thoughts, and so may I; and all His redeemed may at the same moment have His thoughts fixed upon each one of them." Spurgeon writes that "The consoling truth must be repeated: it is too rich to be dismissed in a single line. It were well if we always imitated the sweet singer, and would dwell a little upon a choice doctrine, sucking the honey from it. What a glorious title is in the Hebrew -- "The keeper of Israel," and how delightful to think that no form of unconsciousness ever steals over him, neither the deep slumber nor the lighter sleep. He will never suffer the house to be broken up by the silent thief; he is ever on the watch, and speedily perceives every intruder. This is a subject of wonder, a theme for attentive consideration, therefore the word "Behold" is set up as a way mark. Israel fell asleep, but his God was awake. Jacob had neither walls, nor curtains, nor body guard around him; but the Lord was in that place though Jacob knew it not, and therefore the defenseless man was safe as in a castle. In after days he mentioned God under this enchanting name -- "The God that led me all my life long": perhaps David alludes to that passage in this expression. The word "keepeth" is also full of meaning: he keeps us as a rich man keeps his treasures, as a captain keeps a city with a garrison, as a royal guard keeps his monarch's head. If the former verse is in strict accuracy a prayer, this is the answer to it; it affirms the matter thus, "Lo, he shall not slumber nor sleep -- the Keeper of Israel". It may also be worthy of mention that in verse three the Lord is spoken of as the personal keeper of one individual, and here of all those who are in his chosen nation, described as Israel: mercy to one saint is the pledge of blessing to them all. Happy are the pilgrims to whom this psalm is a safe conduct; they may journey all the way to the celestial city without fear." (The Treasury of David Psalm 121:4) He Never Sleeps - Giraffes have the shortest sleep cycle of any mammal. They sleep only between 10 minutes and 2 hours in a 24-hour period and average just 1.9 hours of sleep per day. Seemingly always awake, the giraffe has nothing much in common with most humans in that regard. If we had so little sleep, it would probably mean we had some form of insomnia. But for giraffes, it’s not a sleep disorder that keeps them awake. It’s just the way God has made them. If you think 1.9 hours a day is not much sleep, consider this fact about the Creator of our tall animal friends: Our heavenly Father never sleeps. Describing God’s continual concern for us, the psalmist declares, “He who keeps you will not slumber” (Ps. 121:3). In the context of this psalm, the writer makes it clear that God’s sleepless vigilance is for our good. Verse 5 says, “The Lord is your keeper.” God keeps us, protects us, and cares for us—with no need for refreshing. Our Protector is constantly seeking our good. As one song puts it: “He never sleeps, He never slumbers. He watches me both night and day.” The Rock of Ages stands secure, He always will be there; He watches over all His own To calm their anxious care. —Keith The One who upholds the universe will never let you down. The Eye That Never Sleeps- Detective Allan Pinkerton became famous in the mid-1800s by solving a series of train robberies and foiling a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln as he traveled to his first inauguration. As one of the first agencies of its kind in the US, the Pinkerton National Detective Agency gained even more prominence because of its logo of a wide-open eye with the caption, “We Never Sleep.” There is no better feeling than knowing you are protected and secure. You feel peaceful when the doors are locked and all is quiet as you drift off to sleep at night. You feel safe. But many lie awake in their beds with fearful thoughts of the present or dread of the future. Some are afraid of commotion outside or of a spouse who has been violent. Some cannot rest because of worry over a rebellious child. Others are anxiously listening to make sure a seriously ill child is still breathing. These are the times when our loving God encourages us to cry out to Him, to the One who will neither “slumber nor sleep” (Ps. 121:4). Psalm 34:15 reminds us that “the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.” Before you sleep, just gently lay Every troubled thought away; Drop your burden and your care In the quiet arms of prayer. —Anon. We can sleep in peace when we remember that God is awake. Psalm 121:5 The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. (NASB: Lockman) NET The LORD is your protector; the LORD is the shade at your right hand. BGT κύριος φυλάξει σε κύριος σκέπη σου ἐπὶ χεῖρα δεξιάν σου LXE The Lord shall keep thee: the Lord is thy shelter upon thy right hand. CSB The LORD protects you; the LORD is a shelter right by your side. NIV The LORD watches over you-- the LORD is your shade at your right hand; NLT The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. Septuagint (LXX): kurios phulaxei (3SFAI: shall keep you) se kurios skepe (shade as suggesting protection or security) sou epi cheira (hand) dexian (right) sou English Translation of the Septuagint - The Lord shall keep thee: the Lord is thy shelter upon thy right hand. Shade: Ex 13:21 Isa 4:5,6 25:4 32:2 Mt 23:37; On right hand: Ps 16:8 109:31 YOUR KEEPER: PERSONAL AND PRESENT Jehovah is your (personal) Keeper (shamar; Lxx = phulasso - watch, guard, defend, protect) - He Himself is your Guardian, Preserver, Defender. See also Ps 121:7 where "LORD will protect" and Ps 121:8 where "LORD will guard" both = Jehovah shamar. As Albert
Salmos 121
Spurgeon: Around the wall the sentinels pace with constant step; but yet the city is betrayed unless the alert Watcher is with them. We are not safe because of watchmen if Jehovah refuses to watch over us. Even if the guards are wakeful, and do their duty, still the place may be surprised if God be not there. "I, the Lord, do keep it", is better than an army of sleepless guards. Note that the Psalmist does not bid the builder cease from laboring, nor suggest that watchmen should neglect their duty (MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY - which refutes the specious teaching of "Let go, let God"), nor that men should show their trust in God by doing nothing: nay, he supposes that they will do all that they can do, and then he forbids their fixing their trust in what they have done, and assures them that all creature effort will be in vain unless the Creator puts forth His power (GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY), to render second causes effectual. Holy Scripture endorses the order of Cromwell -- "Trust in God, and keep your powder dry": only here the sense is varied, and we are told that the dried powder will not win the victory unless we trust in God. Happy is the man who hits the golden mean by so working as to believe in God, and so believing in God as to work without fear. The LORD keeps (Jehovah shamar) all who love Him; But all the wicked, He will destroy. (Ps 145:20) Comment: Who "loves" Him? Only those who have believed love God, having been justified (declared in right standing before God by grace through faith) and had the love of God poured out within their hearts (Ro 5:5). Because of this spiritual transaction, they are able to lovingly obey God's laws (note: not legalistically, but lovingly, as motivated and enabled by the indwelling Spirit), such obedience itself even being a mark that one loves God and belongs to God's family. (Jn 14:15, 21, 23, 1Jn 5:2) The LORD protects (Jehovah shamar) the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow; But He thwarts the way of the wicked. (Ps 146:9) Consider pausing a moment to offer up the following hymn as a prayer and doing so without any doubting beloved, because our Great Father Who art in heaven is faithful to His Word… KEEP THOU MY WAY Keep Thou my way, O Lord, be Thou ever nigh; Strong is Thy mighty arm, weak and frail am I; Then, my unchanging Friend, on Thee, my hopes depend, Till life’s brief day shall end, be Thou ever nigh. Keep Thou my heart, O Lord, ever close to Thee; Safe in Thine arms of love, shall my refuge be; Then, over a tranquil tide, my bark shall safely glide; I shall be satisfied, ever close to Thee. Keep Thou my all, O Lord, hide my life in Thine; O let Thy sacred light over my pathway shine; Kept by Thy tender care, gladly the cross I’ll bear; Hear Thou and grant my prayer, hide my life in Thine. Spurgeon notes that "Here the preserving One, Who had been spoken of by pronouns in the two previous verses, is distinctly named -- Jehovah is thy keeper. What a mint of meaning lies here: the sentence is a mass of bullion (Ed note: uncoined gold or silver in bars - the precious metals are called bullion, when smelted and not perfectly refined), and when coined and stamped with the king's name it will bear all our expenses between our birthplace on earth and our rest in heaven. Here is a glorious person -- Jehovah, assuming a gracious office and fulfilling it in Person, -- Jehovah is thy keeper, in behalf of a favoured individual -- thy, and a firm assurance of revelation that it is even so at this hour -- Jehovah is thy keeper. Can we appropriate the divine declaration? If so, we may journey onward to Jerusalem and know no fear; yea, we may journey through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil." (Treasury of David Psalm 121:5)
Salmos 121
Spurgeon comments that on this figurative description (see Figurative language page 68), noting that A shade gives protection from burning heat and glaring light. We cannot bear too much blessing; even divine goodness, which is a right hand dispensation, must be toned down and shaded to suit our infirmity, and this the Lord will do for us. He will bear a shield before us, and guard the right arm with which we fight the foe. That member which has the most of labour shall have the most of protection. When a blazing sun pours down its burning beams upon our heads the Lord Jehovah Himself will interpose to shade us, and that in the most honourable manner, acting as our right hand Attendant, and placing us in comfort and safety. "The Lord at thy right hand shall smite through kings". How different this from the portion of the ungodly ones who have Satan standing at their right hand, and of those of whom Moses said, "their defence has departed from them". God is as near us as our shadow, and we are as safe as angels. (Treasury of David Psalm 121:5) We see a similar picture of God's perpetual protective presence over His people in Israel's exodus, Moses recording that Jehovah was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. (Exodus 13:21+) And just as Jehovah had sheltered Israel's "going out" with a pillar of cloud (Shekinah), so too in the future there be a similar covering. The prophet Isaiah records that in the one thousand year (Millennium) reign of the Messiah on earth, "the LORD will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. And there will be a shelter to give shade (shadow = same Hebrew word tsel as here in Psalm 121:5) from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain." (Isaiah 4:5, 6) Comment: Isaiah's description recalls Ezekiel’s prophecy of the return of the Shekinah glory cloud to the rebuilt Millennial temple on Mt Zion (Ezek 43:2, 3, 4, 5). David emphasizes the effect of an awareness of Jehovah's presence at his right hand writing… I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken (Hebrew = mot = same word used in Psalm 121:3 for "slip". (Psalm 16:8+) Comment: Setting the LORD continually before him was a conscious, intentional choice David had made, one we should all strive to imitate as the Spirit enables us. In Acts 2:25 this psalm is rendered "I WAS ALWAYS BEHOLDING THE LORD IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, THAT I MAY NOT BE SHAKEN." Spurgeon comments that Peter applies Psalm 16:8 to Jesus: The eye of Jesus' faith could discern beforehand the continuance of divine support to his suffering Son, in such a degree that he should never be moved from the accomplishment of his purpose of redeeming his people. By the power of God at his right hand he foresaw that he should smite through all who rose up against him, and on that power he placed the firmest reliance. Thomas Brooks has some very practical thoughts: I have set the Lord always before me. David did not by fits and starts set the Lord before him; but he "always" set the Lord before him in his course; he had his eye upon the Lord, and so much the Hebrew word imports: I have equally set the Lord before me; that is the force of the original word, that is, I have set the Lord before me, at one time as well as another, without any irregular affections or passions, etc. In every place, in every condition, in every company, in every employment, and in every enjoyment, I have set the Lord equally before me; and this raised him, and this will raise any Christian, by degrees, to a very great height of holiness. Three Keys To Peace Read: Psalm 121 Happy are the people whose God is the Lord. —Psalm 144:15 When W. B. Davidson was a young boy, he walked with his father 3 miles from his rural home to his grandmother’s house. While they were visiting, the sun set. Davidson writes, “Between our home and grandmother’s house was a swamp. That night the croaking of the frogs, the chirping of the crickets, and the shadows of the trees frightened me. I asked my father if there was any danger of something catching us, but he assured me that there was nothing to dread. And so, taking me by the hand, he said, ‘I will not allow anything to harm you.’ Immediately my fears passed away and I was ready to face the world.” Someone has said that the three keys to real peace are: fret not, faint not, fear not. 1. Fret not—because God loves you (1 Jn. 4:16). 2. Faint not—because God holds you (Ps. 139:10). 3. Fear not—because God keeps you (Ps. 121:5). As we rest in the love of Christ and recognize that God holds our hand, we too shall be at peace and unafraid. The “three keys to real peace”—fret not, faint not, fear not—can open our prison of worry and discouragement. Let’s step out into the full joy and liberty of the children of God! The perfect antidote for fear is trust in God. Relief from the Scorching Sun The Lord is your shade at your right hand. Psalm 121:5 Today's Scripture & Insight : Psalm 121 Living in Britain, I don’t usually worry about sunburn. After all, the sun is often blocked by a thick cover of clouds. But recently I spent some time in Spain, and I quickly realized that with my pale skin, I could only be out in the sunshine for ten minutes before I needed to scurry back under the umbrella. As I considered the scorching nature of the Mediterranean sun, I began to understand more deeply the meaning of the image of the Lord God as His people’s shade at their right hand. Residents of the Middle East knew unrelenting heat, and they needed to find shelter from the sun’s burning rays. The psalmist uses this picture of the Lord as shade in Psalm 121, which can be understood as a conversation on a heart level—a dialogue with oneself about the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness. When we use this psalm in prayer, we reassure ourselves that the Lord will never leave us, for He forms a protective covering over us. And just as we take shelter from the sun underneath umbrellas, so too can we find a safe place in the Lord. Reflect & Pray Heavenly Father, You protect me. Shield me from anything that would take my focus away from You. We find refuge in the Lord. Our Place of Safety The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand. Psalm 121:5 TODAY'S SCRIPTURE Psalm 121 Retired teacher Debbie Stephens Browder is on a mission to convince as many people as possible to plant trees. The reason? Heat. Extreme heat in the United States is the number one weather-related cause of death. In response, she says, “I’m starting with trees.” The canopy of heat protection that trees provide is one significant way to protect communities. “It’s life or death. It’s not just about beautifying the community.” The fact that shade isn’t just refreshing but potentially lifesaving would have been well known to the psalmist who wrote Psalm 121; in the Middle East, the risk of sunstroke is constant. This reality adds depth to the psalm’s vivid description of God as our surest place of safety, the One in whose care “the sun will not harm [us] by day, nor the moon by night” (v. 6). Reflect & Pray How have you experienced life-saving shade in God’s care? How does remembering you’re always held in His care give you courage? Loving God, thank You for being my place of shade and safety. Help me to find rest and courage as I grow in trusting You. Today's Insights Psalm 121 is one of the “Songs of Ascents” (Psalms 120–134) set aside as a “mini-hymnal” within the overall psalter to give Jewish pilgrims songs to sing as they traveled three times a year to Jerusalem for the primary feast times (Passover and Firstfruits in the spring; Tabernacles in the fall). This particular psalm speaks directly to that pilgrimage—discussing the wrong (v. 1) and right places (v. 2) to look for assistance on the journey and offering promises of the specific areas of protection they can expect from God along the way (vv. 3–8). Psalm 121 is filled with confidence in God’s protection and provision. It’s an appropriate song of preparation for the worship they’d experience once they arrived in Jerusalem. Psalm 121:6 The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. Septuagint (LXX): hemeras o helios (sun and so the heat of the sun) ou (absolute negation) sugkausei (2SFAI: set on fire or burn up) se oude (absolute negation) e selene (moon) ten nukta (night) English Translation of the Septuagint - The sun shall not burn thee by day, neither the moon by night. The sun: Ps 91:5-10 Isa 49:10 Rev 7:16 Sun… by day… moon by night - Notice that day and night the Lord is our protector, clearly implying that we are continually in need of His watch care, which He continually provides. Sun… by day - If you've ever visited Israel, you know that "sunstroke" is constant threat to travelers who are under hydrated and over exposed! Here the psalmist is using figurative language to remind us that Jehovah is our Helper and Protector in all the dangers, afflictions and adversities that we will ever encounter, whether by day or by night. Smite (strike, hit, beat, slay, kill, first use Ge 4:15, Ps 78:20 of striking the rock) - Strike as with a rod or staff or with plague or pestilence, and then to kill or slay. Not smite parallels shade as a picture of protection. A sun "smite" alludes to a sun stroke. Moon by night - The reference to the moon may simply lend poetic balance to the verse, but it is likely a reference to the primitive belief that the moon was dangerous and could have adverse effects one's mind. They believed that the rays of the moon had an abnormal effect on the eyes and could cause brain damage. We've all heard the familiar English expression “moonstruck” (mentally unbalanced, romantically sentimental, lost in fantasy) which apparently reflects this strange ancient belief. The etymology (study of the linguistic development of words) of the English word "lunatic" is from the Latin word lunaticus, which is derived from the Latin word luna reflecting the belief that lunacy fluctuated with the phases of the moon. (Merriam-Webster) Whether the psalmist meant to address such pagan beliefs is uncertain. John
Salmos 121
Spurgeon adds that The psalmist… assures people who dwell in God that they will be secure. Though faith claims no merit of its own, yet the Lord rewards it wherever he sees it. He who makes God his refuge will find him a refuge; he who dwells in God will find his dwelling protected. We must make the Lord our habitation by choosing him for our trust and rest, and then we shall receive immunity from harm. (Treasury of David Psalm 121:7) Eliphaz ,in trying to convince Job to repent, spoke of the blessing of penitence, declaring that from six troubles He will deliver you, even in seven evil will not touch you. (Job 5:19) Solomon reminds us in the proverb that "no harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble." (Proverb 12:21, cp 1Pe 3:13+; Ps 91:10+) The verse is also true when one considers what happens to people after death as well as before. Matthew
Salmos 121
Spurgeon notes that "God not only keeps His own in all evil times but from all evil influences and operations, yea, from evils themselves. This is a far reaching word of covering: it includes everything and excludes nothing: the wings of Jehovah amply guard His own from evils great and small, temporary and eternal. There is a most delightful double personality in this verse: Jehovah keeps the believer, not by agents, but by Himself; and the person protected is definitely pointed out by the word "thee", -- it is not our estate or name which is shielded, but the proper personal man. To make this even more intensely real and personal another sentence is added, "The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:" he shall preserve thy soul, -- or Jehovah will keep thy soul. Soul keeping is the soul of keeping. If the soul be kept all is kept. The preservation of the greater includes that of the less so far as it is essential to the main design: the kernel shall be preserved, and in order thereto the shell shall be preserved also. God is the sole keeper of the soul. Our soul is kept from the dominion of sin, the infection of error, the crush of despondency, the puffing up of pride; kept from the world, the flesh, and the devil; kept for holier and greater things; kept in the love of God; kept unto the eternal kingdom and glory. What can harm a soul that is kept of the Lord?" (Bolding added. Treasury of David Psalm 121:7) In summary, Jehovah your Helper is your personal Protector. Jesus' encouragement to His twelve disciples before sending them out was do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Mt 10:28+. cp Lk 12:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Is 8:12, 13, 51:7, Ac 20:23, 24, 21:13) You may lose all your earthly possessions like Job but you will never lose your soul for Jehovah is the Keeper of your soul. When Jesus promised His disciples that "not a hair of your head will perish" (Lk 21:18) He was not promising the preservation of their physical lives (In Lk 21:16 He had just clearly stated that "they will put some of you to death"), but was promising that they would suffer no eternal loss because God Himself keeps the soul of all those who belong to Him. Paul affirms the psalmist's thoughts, writing that "I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Ro 8:38, 39+) Psalm 121:8 The LORD will guard (keep) your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever *. (NASB: Lockman) Septuagint (LXX): kurios phulaxei (3SFAI: guard, protect, watch over) ten eisodon (coming in, entrance) sou kai ten exodon (exodos: going out, departure, euphemistically can refer to the end of earthly life) sou apo tou nun kai eos tou aionos English Translation of the Septuagint - The Lord shall keep thy coming in, and thy going out, from henceforth and even for ever. your going out: Dt 28:6,19 2Sa 5:2 Ezra 8:21,31 Pr 2:8 3:6 Jas 4:13-16; from this time: Ps 113:2 Ps 115:18 The LORD will guard - Jehovah shamar - (Torrey's topic "protection") Your going out and your coming in - This verse serves a figure of speech to encompass "everything you do." Everywhere you go, you are guarded by omnipotence! Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. (Deut 28:6+) D S Mackay writes… The Religion of the Threshold - Psalm 121:8 - Between these two things—the exits and the entrances of the day—lie the whole problem and struggle of existence. I. Get into the habit each morning and evening of meeting God for a moment on the threshold as you go out and come in, and though you may not see it, others will begin to see a new element of strength and tenderness in your character. The man and the woman who keep tryst with God at the threshold for just a moment each day as they go out and come in are ready for every contingency. II. Of course, to offer that kind of prayer means that you and I are determined to live a certain kind of life. There are three definite blessings on which we may surely count every day as we go out and come in, if we live this religion of the threshold. (a) It will redeem the monotony of the day, and will sweeten its drudgery. (b) It will make us ready for the unexpected things in life. (c) It will hallow our evenings and sanctify our moments of rest. A simple religion, this religion of the doorstep, but death will be sweeter if we have learned to keep tryst with God as we go out and in. —D. S. Mackay, The Religion of the Threshold, p. 25. (The Expositor's Dictionary of Texts) A LIFETIME GUARANTEE! From this time forth and forever - Jesus promised His disciples (then and now) that He would give them "another (Gk = allos = another of the same kind) Helper (paraclete), that He might be with (us) forever." (Jn 14:16) The Divine Helper's protection is promised not only for the ascent (whether that ascent was to the Temple in Jerusalem or elsewhere) but for the entire pilgrimage of one's life and thereafter in eternity! God watches over the believer all the time, in every circumstance, and forever. In 1719 Isaac Watts expressed God's ever present help this way… Our God, Our Help in Ages Past Our God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home. Our God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Be Thou our guard while troubles last, And our eternal home. Jesus Who has all authority… in heaven and on earth" (that should take care of your home address, beloved) said "lo, I am with you always (He sent us His Helper Who will indwell us forever), even to the end of the age." (Mt 28:18, 20) Our personal Protector promises to perpetually preserve our passage from morning until evening, from infancy until old age and from old age throughout the ages to come… in short, forever! Adoniram Judson said God has not led me so tenderly thus far to forsake me at the very gate of heaven. (see Adoniram Judson: Missionary to Burma) The going out and the coming in refer to all of the believer's undertakings and occupations. Perhaps too these words refer specifically to the pilgrims journey to Jerusalem. The watch care of the believer's guardian starts the moment he looks toward the hills of Zion, and it continues into the uncharted future. “My Help Comes from the Lord” (Inspired by Psalm 121) I lift my eyes to hills above, And ask, “From where shall rescue come?” Not from the heights, nor earthly throne— My help comes from the Holy One. The Lord who shaped both sky and stone, Who carved the valleys, set the stars— He watches me, both night and day, No shadow dims His gaze afar. He does not sleep, nor turns away, His hand is firm, His eyes are kind. While I may stumble on this path, He keeps my soul with peace of mind. The sun shall not consume my strength, The moon shall not disturb my rest. For in the heat or hush of night, His presence stands, my constant Guest. He guards my going and my return, He charts the course my feet shall take. From this day forth, through all my days, My Keeper watches for my sake. So when I fear, or feel alone, And hills seem high, and faith feels low— I’ll lift my eyes and find again The Lord who never lets me go. Safe In God’s Care Read: Acts 27:27-44 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. —Psalm 121:8 President Franklin D. Roosevelt loved the song we call the Navy Hymn. It was sung at his funeral in Hyde Park, New York, on April 14, 1945. The words of the hymn were written in 1860 by William Whiting, who taught and directed a 16-voice boys choir. He penned them for a student who was about to set sail for America and who was apprehensive about the journey. The beautiful tune was written by John B. Dykes and first published in 1861. He named the hymn tune Melita, the Roman name for Malta, the island where Paul was shipwrecked. The hymn is a simple prayer based on the profound truth that the eternal God who created the universe controls all the elements of nature and can protect His own no matter how great the peril. Wind and wave are subject to His command. The first verse reads: Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose arm doth bind the restless wave, Who bidd’st the mighty ocean deep Its own appointed limits keep; O hear us when we cry to Thee For those in peril on the sea. When we or loved ones take a journey to some far-off destination, or if we only travel to and from work, we can be sure of His protection and care. We need not fear shipwreck with Jesus at the helm. I See You TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Psalm 121 The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. -Psalm 121:8 When my son was two, he darted into one aisle after another in a small shoe store. Hiding behind stacks of shoeboxes, he giggled when my husband, Alan, said, “I see you.” Moments later, I saw Alan dash frantically from aisle to aisle, calling his name. We raced to the front of the store. Our child, still laughing, ran toward the open door leading to the busy street outside. Within seconds, Alan scooped him up. He embraced us as I thanked God, sobbed, and kissed our toddler’s chubby cheeks. A year before I became pregnant with our son, I’d lost our first child during the pregnancy. When God blessed us with our son, I became a fearful parent. Our shoe store experience proved I wouldn’t always be able to see or protect our child. But I discovered peace, as I learned to turn to my only sure source of help—God—when I struggled with worry and fear. Our heavenly Father never takes His eyes off His children (PSALM 121:1–4). While we can’t prevent trials, heartache, or loss, we can live with confident faith, relying on an ever-present Helper and Protector who will watch over our lives (VV. 5–8). How does God’s presence help you address your worries and fears? What does it mean for you to know that God has His eye on you and your family? Heavenly Father, thank You for watching over me and those I love. God Of The Hills & Streets The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. —Psalm 121 The 121st Psalm was a favorite of my father. The Scottish people called it “The Traveler’s Psalm.” Whenever a family member, a guest, or a friend was leaving on a journey, this psalm was read—or more often sung—at family prayers. When my father left the “old country” alone as a teenager to come to the United States, he was bidden farewell with this psalm. Over the years, my father enjoyed many hearty days and endured others that were dark and grim. He carried this psalm’s words with him into battle during World War I, and then out of it as he lay in a hospital for almost a year recovering from shrapnel wounds. In verse 1, the psalmist looked beyond the hills to the God who made them. My father lived in the toughest section of New York City. Although he seldom saw hills, he held to the assurance that the God of the hills was the God of the dangerous streets as well. How many “goings out” and “comings in” my father made in his 87 years! And when he went out for the last time, I believe he was singing Psalm 121 as he descended into the valley and traveled home to the other side. How reassuring that the God of the hills and the streets goes before every believer in Christ! By Haddon W. Robinson He will ever keep thy soul, What would harm He will control; In the home and by the way He will keep thee day by day. —Psalter APPLICATION OF PSALM 121 The Holman OT Commentary has a wonderful word on the application of Psalm 121… How can we find the supernatural strength of God that can empower us for life's journey? Several actions are necessary if we are to advance triumphantly in the will of God. Look exclusively to the Lord. This is precisely what the psalmist did. When he said, "I lift up my eyes to the hills" (v. 1), he was looking exclusively to God, the Maker of heaven and earth, from whence his help would come. So must all believers. By looking to God, we look away from ourselves and from all others for strength. In so doing, we must rely completely upon God as the source of spiritual power in Christian living. Faith looks to God, not to man. Listen attentively to the Lord. God's Word is an all-sufficient source of divine grace for pilgrims on life's journey. God's Word is an unlimited reservoir of undeniable spiritual energy for all who will receive his truth. Only by looking into the Scripture can we truly look to the Lord who has spoken to us in the Bible. If we are to know God's strength, we must hear and heed his Word. Lean wholly upon the Lord. We must rely upon the superabundant grace of God's Spirit in every demand of life. Only as we recognize our own weakness does God's power fill and flood our souls. When we trust in ourselves, we are impotent. But in looking to God, we find great strength. Let us learn to cast our burdens upon him and lean upon him. (See Psalms 76-150 - Page 267) Spurgeon comments that "When we go out in the morning to labour, and come home at eventide to rest, Jehovah shall keep us. When we go out in youth to begin life, and come in at the end to die, we shall experience the same keeping. Our exits and our entrances are under one protection. Three times have we the phrase, "Jehovah shall keep", as if the sacred Trinity thus sealed the word to make it sure: ought not all our fears to be slain by such a threefold flight of arrows? What anxiety can survive this triple promise? This keeping is eternal; continuing from this time forth, even for evermore… everlasting security: the final perseverance of the saints (Mt 24:13, Heb 3:6, 14) is thus ensured, and the glorious immortality of believers is guaranteed. Under the aegis of such a promise we may go on pilgrimage without trembling, and venture into battle without dread. None are so safe as those whom God keeps; None so much in danger as the self secure. To goings out and comings in belong peculiar dangers since every change of position turns a fresh quarter to the foe, and it is for these weak points that an especial security is provided: Jehovah will keep the door when it opens and closes, and this He will perseveringly continue to do so long as there is left a single man that trusteth in Him, as long as a danger survives, and, in fact, as long as time endures. Glory be unto the Keeper of Israel, Who is endeared to us under that title, since our growing sense of weakness makes us feel more deeply than ever our need of being kept. Over the reader we would breathe a benediction, couched in the verse of Keble." (Treasury of David Psalm 121:8) Bishop Coup describes a beautiful word picture writing that the word "shamar" (see Hebrew verb shamar and the corresponding Greek verb phulasso) imports a most tender preservation; from it comes "shemurah" (once in Psalm 77:4+), signifying the eyelids, because they are the keepers of the eye, as the LORD is called in the verse preceding -- the keeper of Israel". If the lids of the eye open, it is to let the eye see; if they close, it is to let it rest, at least to defend it; all their motion is for the good of the eye. O, what a comfort is here! The Lord calls (Israel) "the apple of his eye" (Ed note: God "found him [referring to Israel] in a desert land and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of His eye." Deut 32:10 He Who keeps Israel as the apple of His eye will likewise keep, guard, protect and watch over all who are His children by faith). O, how well are they kept whom "the keeper of Israel" keepeth! The LORD was a buckler to Abraham, none of his enemies could harm him; for his buckler covered him thoroughly. The LORD was a hedge unto Job; Satan himself confessed he could not get through it, howsoever many a time he assayed it, to have done evil unto Job… But seeing this same promise of preservation was made before (for from the third verse to the end of the Psalm, six sundry times, is the word of keeping or preserving repeated), why is it now made over again? … for a remedy of our ignorance. Men, if they be in any good estate, are ready to "sacrifice to their own net," or "to cause their mouth to kiss their own hand," as if their own hand had helped them: thus to impute their "deliverance" to their "calf," and therefore often is this resounded, "The LORD," "The LORD." Is thy estate advanced? The LORD hath done it. Hast thou been preserved from desperate dangers? Look up to the LORD, thy help is from on high, and to Him let the praise be returned." (From a Sermon by Bishop Couper, entitled "His Majesties Coming in", 1623.) I See You The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121 When Xavier was two, he darted into one aisle after another in a small shoe store. Hiding behind stacks of shoeboxes, he giggled when my husband, Alan, said, “I see you.” Moments later, I saw Alan dash frantically from aisle to aisle, calling Xavier’s name. We raced to the front of the store. Our child, still laughing, ran toward the open door leading to the busy street outside. Within seconds, Alan scooped him up. We embraced as I thanked God, sobbed, and kissed our toddler’s chubby cheeks. A year before I became pregnant with Xavier, I’d lost our first child during the pregnancy. When God blessed us with our son, I became a fearful parent. Our shoe store experience proved I wouldn’t always be able to see or protect our child. But I discovered peace as I learned to turn to my only sure source of help—God—when I struggled with worry and fear. Our heavenly Father never takes His eyes off His children (Psalm 121:1–4). While we can’t prevent trials, heartache, or loss, we can live with confident faith, relying on an ever-present Helper and Protector who watches over our lives (vv. 5–8). We may encounter days when we feel lost and helpless. We may also feel powerless when we can’t shield loved ones. But we can trust that our all-knowing God never loses sight of us—His precious and beloved children. How does being led by God, our Good Shepherd, empower you to “walk through the darkest valley”? (Psalm 23:4). By Xochitl Dixon Today's Reflection - Thank You for watching over our loved ones and us, Lord. Hills And Streets - Psalm 121:8 - Psalm 121 was a favorite of my father. Scottish people called it "The Traveler's Psalm." Whenever a family member, a guest, or a friend was leaving on a journey, this psalm was read--or more often sung--at family prayers. When my father left the "old country" as a teenager to sail alone to the United States, he was bidden farewell with this psalm. Over the years, my father enjoyed many hearty days but endured others that were dark and grim. In World War I, he carried this psalm's words with him into battle, and then out of it as he lay in a hospital for almost a year recovering from shrapnel wounds. In verse 1, the psalmist looked beyond the hills to the God who made them. My father lived in the toughest section of New York City. Although he seldom saw hills, he held to the assurance that the God of the hills was also the God of the dangerous city streets. In his 87 years, my father experienced many "goings out" and "comings in." And when he went out for the last time, I believe he was singing Psalm 121 as he descended into the valley and traveled home to the other side. He will ever keep thy soul, What would harm He will control; In the home and by the way, He will keep thee day by day. --Psalter Keep your eyes on God He never takes His eyes off you. Charles Wesley's Hymn Psalm 121 1 TO the hills I lift mine eyes, The everlasting hills; Streaming thence in fresh supplies, My soul the Spirit feels. Will he not his help afford? Help, while yet I ask, is given: God comes down; the God and Lord That made both earth and heaven. 2 Faithful soul, pray always; pray, And still in God confide; He thy feeble steps shall stay, Nor suffer thee to slide: Lean on thy Redeemer's breast; He thy quiet spirit keeps; Rest in him, securely rest; Thy watchman never sleeps. 3 Neither sin, nor earth, nor hell Thy Keeper can surprise; Careless slumbers cannot steal On his all-seeing eyes; He is Israel's sure defence; Israel all his care shall prove, Kept by watchful providence, And ever-waking love. 4 See the Lord, thy Keeper, stand Omnipotently near! Lo! he holds thee by thy hand, And banishes thy fear; Shadows with his wings thy head; Guards from all impending harms: Round thee and beneath are spread The everlasting arms. 5 Christ shall bless thy going out, Shall bless thy coming in; Kindly compass thee about, Till thou art saved from sin; Like thy spotless Master, thou, Filled with wisdom, love, and power, Holy, pure, and perfect, now, Henceforth, and evermore. HYMNS ON HELP FROM GOD and PSALM 121 I Lift Up My Eyes - Paul Wilbur Lift Up My Eyes - Brian Doerksen Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir's version "My Help" Across the Sky the Shades of Night Come Lead Me to Some Lofty Shade I to the Hills Will Lift My Eyes Mine Eyes Look Toward the Mountains O God Beyond the Evening Hills To the Hills I Lift Mine Eyes Unto the Hills Around Do I Lift Up God’s Boundless Love He Slumbers Not Jehovah, God, Thy Gracious Power Over All There Is an Eye That Never Sleeps He That Keepeth He Who Safely Keepeth Shepherd of Israel Keep Thou My Way For the Dear Ones Parted from Us Now, the Hour of Worship O’er Thine Eye Can See Way I Go, The Psalm 121 Key words marked with color or shading 1 (A Song of Ascents.) I Will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From whence shall my help come? 2 My help comes from the LORD , Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to slip; 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 will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. 8 The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.