Salmos 121
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Salmos 121
Wiersbe writes that "This psalm is special to my family. When our children were young and we were all in the car ready to leave on a trip or a vacation, we often read Psalm 121 and then prayed. The children became accustomed to hearing the words, "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" (v1,2). God is our Helper. You don't have to go on a vacation or drive on a busy highway to know that. Where does your help come from? The psalmist lifted his eyes to the hills. The most stable, secure thing the Jews knew were the mountains around Jerusalem. Then the psalmist lifted his eyes higher and said, "No, I don't get my help from the hills. I get my help from the heavens. God is my Helper." Whatever your need or task is today, your help will come from the Lord, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. A God big enough to make this world and keep it going is big enough to help you with your problems today." (Wiersbe, W in his devotional: Prayer, Praise and Promises) "I requite to remember that my, help cometh from the LORD, not only when seemingly there is no outward help from men or otherwise, but also and especially when all seems to go well with me, -- when abundance of friends and help are at hand. For then, surely, I am most in danger of making an arm of flesh my trust, and thus reaping its curse; or else of saying to my soul, "Take thine ease", and finding the destruction which attends such folly." (Alfred Edersheim) "God’s strongest saints realize their weaknesses, and appeal to Him for strength. One Sunday morning, as Charles H. Spurgeon passed through the door back of the pulpit in the Tabernacle, and saw the great crowd of people, he was overheard saying, “O God, help!” Strong as he was, he realized that he was insufficient for so great a task as preaching the Gospel in power, unless God should be his Helper." (from Tan, P. L. Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations) Perhaps you might pause for a moment and sing the following hymn as your prayer… Abide with Me Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me. This beloved hymn of comfort and trust was written in 1847 by Henry F. Lyte a man of delicate health most of his life who served tirelessly as a pastor in a seashore church in Devonshire, England where he ministered to the rough sailors and uncultured villagers who loved him. Health finally forced Lyte to retreat to the milder climate of sunny southern France, and he prepared to sail. On his last Sunday after 24 years of faithful service, despite being too weak to stand and preach, somehow he was able feebly stand and preach his parting message to his weeping flock. That evening, as he walked down to the ocean and watched the sun setting, he took out a piece of paper and penned the poem that was later put to music in this beautiful hymn. The next day he left for France. Reaching Nice, he had a seizure and passed away with the words, “Joy! Peace!” on his lips. In his going out and coming in, Lyte experienced help for the helpless from Jehovah, the Helper of all our souls. The British Press Association reported the following incident related to the hymn Abide with Me: A British submarine lay disabled on the ocean floor. After two days, hope of raising her was abandoned. The crew on orders of the commanding officer began singing the words of the first verse of Abide with Me (the verse above). The officer explained to the men that they did not have long to live. There was no hope of outside aid, he said, because the surface searchers did not know the vessel’s position. Sedatives were distributed to the men to quiet their nerves. One sailor was affected more quickly than the others, and he swooned. He fell against a piece of equipment and set in motion the submarine’s jammed surfacing mechanism. The submarine went to the surface and made port safely! (Adapted from Tan, P. L. Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations) Look Up! My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. —Psalm 121 In a park near our home there’s a trail I enjoy walking on. Along one section there’s a panoramic view of red sandstone rocks in the Garden of the Gods with the majestic 14,115-foot Pikes Peak behind them. From time to time, though, I find myself walking that section occupied with some problem and looking down at the wide, smooth trail. If no one is around, I may stop and say aloud, “David, look up!” The psalms known as “Songs of Ascents” (Ps. 120–134) were sung by the people of Israel as they walked the road up to Jerusalem to attend the three annual pilgrim festivals. Psalm 121 begins, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence comes my help?” (v. 1). The answer follows, “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (v. 2). The Creator is not an aloof being, but a companion who is always with us, always awake to our circumstances (vv. 3-7), guiding and guarding our journey through life “from this time forth, and even forevermore” (v. 8). Today's Reflection - I look up to You, Father, for You are the One who can help me. Thank You for the joys and trials in my life right now. I’m grateful that I never walk alone. Peace in the Chaos [Our] help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2 TODAY'S SCRIPTURE Psalm 121 Something that sounded like firecrackers roused Joanne from sleep. Glass shattered. Wishing she didn’t live alone, she got up to see what was going on. The dark streets were empty and the house seemed to be okay—then she saw the broken mirror. Investigators found a bullet only a half-inch from the gas line. If it had struck the line, she probably wouldn’t have made it out alive. Later they discovered it was a stray bullet from nearby apartments, but Joanne was afraid to be at home. She prayed for peace, and once the glass was cleaned up, her heart calmed. Psalm 121 is a reminder for us to look to God in times of trouble. Here, we see that we can have peace and calm because our “help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (v. 2). The God who created the universe helps and watches over us (v. 3)—even while we sleep—but He Himself never sleeps (v. 4). He watches over us day and night (v. 6), “both now and forevermore” (v. 8). Reflect & Pray When have you experienced God’s peace in a troubling situation? How have you seen Him help others? Loving God, thank You for Your peace. Please continue to calm my heart in the areas of my life that feel chaotic. Today's Insights Three times a year, all male Israelites were to come to the temple in Jerusalem to observe the three annual national feasts (Deuteronomy 16:16): Passover (Unleavened Bread), Pentecost (Weeks), and Tabernacles. As the pilgrims walked the mountain paths to Jerusalem, they sang from an anthology of fifteen songs known as the “Pilgrim Psalms,” characteristically titled “A song of ascents” in the superscription. Psalm 121, known as “The Traveler’s Psalm,” is a prayer for journeying mercies, addressing safety and security concerns as we journey through life. This psalm is dominated by the Hebrew verb šāmar, rendered watches/watch (vv. 3, 4, 5, 7, 8) or keep (v. 7), meaning “to preserve, to guard, to watch carefully over.” Even as the psalmist speaks of unknown dangers, he confidently affirms that God—our Helper (vv. 1–3) and Keeper (vv. 4–8)—will continually watch over us. Hope Passing Through Today’s Reading: Psalm 121 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. -Isaiah 43:2 Have you ever felt as though you were life’s punching bag? Enduring the blows of repeated tough circumstances and wondering how to avoid troubles, what defense you could put up, and how to overcome? We will have challenges in life, but we have a God who promises that as we step into and go through challenges, they will not overtake us if our hope is in Him. Trusting God makes us stronger, and He will not let adversity conquer those who hope in Him. Just as we may feel captive to adversity, the Israelites faced captivity in Babylon decade after decade. They and their leaders had abandoned God, turned to idol worship, and departed from God’s commands and promises. But God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, reminding them how He had protected them and loved Israel throughout their history. Isaiah recounted how God had always delivered them because of His character. “For I am the Lord, your God . . . your Savior” (Isaiah 43:3). Think of a difficult circumstance you have been dealt recently (family difficulties, work, sickness, etc.). How did you turn to God, or separate from Him? Dear Lord, thank You for helping me to pause daily to reflect on Your comfort amid the stressors of life, and for Your protection in every circumstance. Amen. My Help! My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2 Today's Scripture & Insight : Psalm 121 For decades the renowned Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir has blessed multitudes through their soul-refreshing gospel songs. One example is their recording from Psalm 121 titled “My Help.” (PLAY MY HELP AND BE BLESSED!) Psalm 121 begins with a personal confession of faith in the Lord who brought all things into existence, and He was the source of the psalmist’s help (vv. 1–2). Just what did this mean? Stability (v. 3), around-the-clock care (vv. 3–4), constant presence and protection (vv. 5–6), and preservation from all kinds of evil for time and eternity (vv. 7–8). Taking their cues from Scripture, God’s people through the ages have identified the Lord as their source of “help” through their songs. My own worship experience includes lifting my voice with others who sang a soulful rendition of Charles Wesley’s, “Father, I stretch my hands to Thee, no other help I know; if Thou withdraw Thyself from me, ah! whither shall I go.” The great reformer Martin Luther got it right when he penned the words, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.” Father, how grateful we are that Scripture and song remind us that You are our source of help. Help me to not forget that this day. The Maker of the universe is the helper of God’s people! Psalm 121:3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. (NASB: Lockman) Septuagint (LXX):me dos (2SAAS) eis salon (rolling or tossing motion, especially the restless movement of the sea in its tidal rise and fall) ton poda (foot) sou mede nustaxe (3SAAS: become drowsy, dose) o phulasson (PAPMSN: phulasso: continually acting as watchman, guarding, protecting, watching over) se English Translation of the Septuagint - Let not thy foot be moved; and let not thy keeper slumber. Ps 91:12 1Sa 2:9 Pr 2:8 3:23,26 1Pe 1:5 In the original Hebrew, verse 3 can also be rendered as a prayer. And so it could read be read "May he not allow your foot to slip. May your keeper not slumber." The 1899 Douay-Rheims version for example translates this verse as "May he not suffer thy foot to be moved: neither let him slumber that keepeth thee." The English translation of the Septuagint (LXX) has "Let not thy foot be moved; and let not thy keeper slumber." The recently released, scholarly NET Bible also has "May He not allow your foot to slip! May your Protector not sleep!" So all of these versions would be read as a prayer. Then verse 4 would read like a response, the NET Version reading "Look! Israel's protector does not sleep or slumber!" JEHOVAH, GOD, THY GRACIOUS POWER Jehovah, God, Thy gracious power, On every hand we see; Oh, may the blessings of each hour Lead all our thoughts to Thee. Thy power is in the ocean deeps, And reaches to the skies; Thine eye of mercy never sleeps, Thy goodness never dies. From morn till noon, till latest eve, Thy hand, O God, we see; And all the blessings we receive, Proceed alone from Thee. In all the varying scenes of time, On Thee our hopes depend; Through every age, in every clime, Our Father, and our Friend. He will not allow your foot to slip - The psalmist then describes Jehovah's help, first in negative terms (Psalm 121:3-4) and then in positive terms (Psalm 121:5, 7-8). If He does not allow our foot to slip, the idea is that He will enable us to stand. Like little children, we are safe when our Father "holds our hand!" Remember that in Ps 121:1 the psalmist ask where would his help come from and here see it is as if he is speaking to his own soul, imparting confidence in Jehovah's keeping ability. Jude echoes the truth of Ps 121:3 writing… Now to Him Who is able (dunamai which is in the present tense = continually has the inherent power) to keep (phulasso - same verb used in Lxx of Ps 121:3,4,5,7,8) you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:24, 25) Comment: Note the phrase "keep you from stumbling" implies that in our Christian journey, there are many obstacles and situations which could indeed cause us to stumble in our spiritual walk. And indeed sometimes we do fall, but David writes that "When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong; because the LORD is the One who holds his hand." (Psalm 37:24). Jude encourages us that in spite of our tendency to fail, God's promise is that He will bring us through it all and one day will make us stand in His very presence. He is able! Do you believe that truth? You can because as Paul writes "Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass." (1Thes 5:24+, cp Php 1:6+) Mike Gilbart-Smith says…If you slip, you can fall, and on the pilgrimage to Jerusalem if you tumbled down a mountainside that could mean death. This is a powerful image. God will not let your foot slip – He constantly watches and keeps us. Have you ever thought your concerns or temptations were too small to take to God? He is not like us; He doesn’t get tired or bored. There is no time when we cannot turn to Him, yet sometimes we are slow to turn to God for help. As you begin to stumble, your instinct should be to turn to God. (Psalm 121 brief transcript - I would also encourage you to listen to the excellent, much more in depth and very practical 54 minute mp3 on Psalm 121) James Smith… is right when he notes that… The Christian is always on dangerous ground! We may fall into sin — even when we cannot fall into hell. We may break our bones — when we cannot break our neck. We may make sad work for repentance — when we do not incur a sentence of final condemnation. We are liable to fall by error — which is specious and powerful. We are liable to fall by Satan — who is crafty and malicious. We are liable to fall by our weakness — which is very great. We are liable to fall by sinful pleasures — in which the flesh takes delight. We are liable to fall by our unhallowed tempers — which need constant watchfulness and incessant prayer. We are liable to fall by erroneous people — who may, like Satan, lie in wait to deceive us. We therefore need keeping — constant keeping, divine keeping! Our path is often slippery — and we are apt to be incautious. But it is our unspeakable mercy, that God has promised to keep us. "He keeps the feet of His saints." But He will have us feel our weakness, and need of His keeping — and plead with Him to keep us: "Hold me up — and I shall be safe!" Psalm 119:117 Slip (mot) is a Hebrew verb indicating to be moved, removed, to fall. Mot is used of a wavering, wobbling action, response, or condition in various situations: and occurs as figure of speech referring to great insecurity. It is used figuratively of a foot slipping and in Deuteronomy speaks of failure of God's people, Moses recording "Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, in due time their foot will slip (mot); for the day of their calamity is near, and the impending things are hastening upon them." (Dt 32:35) David echoes this truth exhorting saints to "Cast your burden (Hebrew = yehab = an interesting Hebrew word which literally means "what is given" lot, burden, what is given as a gift (the implication being that it is a gift given in & by the Providence of God! The Greek word in the (LXX) = merimna from merizo = draw in different directions = word picture of the effect that "cares" can have. Note that the related word "worry" conveys a powerful word picture: English word "worry" is derived from Old High German "wurgen" = to strangle and in British dialect means "choke" or "strangle" - what can "cares" and "worries" do? Draw you in different directions! Strangle you, so to speak!) upon Jehovah (Whose name means "I Am… " I Am able to sustain you in all your cares and worries!), and He will sustain (Hebrew word "kul" verb = to hold, to contain feed, to supply. It indicates clasping or holding in something. Beloved you are in your Helper's grip and He is able to keep you from slipping irrevocably. The (LXX) has the Greek verb diatrepho = support, maintain, sustain continually, to feed or nourish. One use of diatrepho describes to "keep the patient well nourished"! Now "plug" that thought back into the verse and praise Jehovah, the Great Physician!) you. He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (Amplified adds "made to slip, fall, or fail")." (Psalm 55:22) (Devotional) "What your God lays upon you, lay upon the Lord. His wisdom casts it on you; it is your wisdom to cast it on him. He gives you your portion of suffering; accept it with cheerful resignation, and then take it back to him by your assured confidence. He shall sustain thee. Your bread will be given you; your waters will be sure. Abundant nourishment will fit you to bear all your labors and trials. As your days, so shall your strength be. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. He may move like the boughs of a tree in the tempest, but he will never be moved like a tree torn up by the roots. Many wish to destroy the saints, but God has not suffered it, and never will." (Spurgeon, C. H. The Treasury of David) To reiterate, "never… shaken" is God's promise in the trial, but note that He does not promise the trial won't feel like waves rocking us to and fro but He does promise that we will not slip and fall. Let us cling to His Truth in the midst of the storm so that our souls are firmly anchored. Edward Everett Hale (1822-1909), former US Senate chaplain: "Never attempt to bear more than one kind of trouble at once. Some people bear three kinds--all they have had, all they have now, and all they expect to have." John McNeil writes…Any of you who have tried to climb the hills know that that is just the great danger of it. One slip, and you may go sheer down hundreds of feet, and be dashed to pieces. Do we not use this expression to cover the idea of safety? We talk about the “sure-footed” guide, and the “sure-footed” mountaineer, the man of keen eye and cool nerve, and of muscles like iron all over his body; a man who can be depended on. If he gets a foothold for his foot, he will put his foot there, and keep it there, until he gets another as good. So is the Christian. Why, in one sense, we are engaged in a perilous journey. We are going up. We are climbing. To brace yourself to climb the Matterhorn is a small thing compared with this girding of your mind to be sober and climbing right up from hell to heaven. And that is the climb for every one of us. (Biblical Illustrator)
Salmos 121
Wiersbe writes that "God is also our Keeper. "He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep" (Psalm 121:3,4). This is a dangerous world we live in. Enemies would like to attack and destroy us. But as we walk in the will of God and depend on His power, He is there as our Keeper and Preserver. "The Lord shall preserve you from all evil" (Psalm 121:7). This verse doesn't say we won't have pain. It doesn't say we will never suffer or sorrow. Though we may be hurt, we won't be harmed. "He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore" (Psalm 121:7,8). (Ibid) Someone has said that the three keys to real peace are: fret not, faint not, fear not. 1. Fret not--because God loves you (1Jn 4:16). 2. Faint not--because God holds you (Psalm 139:10+). 3. Fear not--because God keeps you (Psalm 121:5). When the way is dim, and I cannot see Through the mist of His wise design, How my glad heart yearns and my faith returns By the touch of His hand on mine. --Pounds © 1913 Hope Publishing Company The perfect antidote for fear is trust in God. The LORD is your shade or "your shadow" Just as everywhere we go our shadow goes with us, so too God "shadows" us at all times and in all circumstances. The parallel truth is echoed by the writer of Hebrews who reminds us that "we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT SHALL MAN DO TO ME?" (Heb 13:6+) The truth is that Jehovah surrounds His people, and guards them at every point of attack. The foe must be able to pierce the impenetrable and conquer the invincible, before he can touch the feeblest saint who is sheltered by the wings of God. Satan speaking to Jehovah about His servant Job said "Hast Thou not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land." (Job 1:10) Shade (tsel) or shadow, refers to a condition resulting when something is interposed between an object and a light source and is frequently used as a highly expressive symbol of protection or refuge especially in the hot, arid middle east. Shade or shadow refers to that which keeps an object safe from harm or danger, even as shade comes between the light source and an object. Joshua and Caleb in seeking to instill confidence in the Israelites to go up and take the land of Canaan, declared do not rebel against Jehovah and do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection (literally = "their shade" = tsel; Amplified = "shadow of protection") has been removed from them, and Jehovah is with us; do not fear them. (Nu 14:9) Isaiah records a similar great truth about God… For You have been a defense for the helpless, A defense for the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; For the breath of the ruthless Is like a rain storm against a wall. (Isaiah 25:4) Matthew