|















| |
|
COLLECTIONS
Commentaries, Word
Studies, Devotionals, Sermons, Illustrations
Old and New Testament. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Psalm
121
Inductive Bible Study
Devotional
& Expositional Commentary |
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. |
|
INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY EXERCISE
BEFORE YOU CONSULT
THE COMMENTARY ON PSALM 121 |
|
Before you read
the notes on Psalm 121, consider performing
a simple
Inductive Study on this great Psalm, so that you might experience
the joy of personal discovery of its rich treasures. If you take time to do this before you
read the comments, you will be pleasantly surprised how much
illumination your Teacher, the Holy Spirit will provide (and you will
be better able to assess the accuracy of the commentary! cp Acts
17:11-note). In the
instructions below note that all underlined words/phrases represent
links to an explanation.
a) Print out an Observation Worksheet of Psalm 121 --
this is simply a copy of the words on a piece of paper to allow you to
mark and color the text. Copy and paste the
text above to your word processor so you won't have to mark in your
Bible. The NAS is selected because it is
the most literal and least interpretative (see
explanation and chart
comparing different Bible versions).
b)
Prayerfully
read (Go to the Author
before you go to His Word)
through the entire Psalm without interruptions for an overview.
c)
Read prayerfully
once again but this time
observing for the truth or facts that
are
obvious. As you focus on those things that are obvious, you will
gathering be
establishing the
context (see
here also for context). As you read, be alert for the
obvious
key words (usually repeated words
but
click here for more detail. Remember "God" is
always is a key word). Each time you encounter a
key
word pause...
+ Pause and ponder (in a sense you are beginning
to learning the art of
Biblical Meditation or
click here)
+ Place a unique
mark
over the
key
word (remember to
mark
synonyms) and
+ Interrogate the
key
word with the
5W's & H
questions.
d) Then read through a third time, marking and interrogating
other
key words.
e) Re-read once again observing for additional
key words.
(Click example of key words in Psalm 121 marked with color and
shading)
f) For each
key
word make a list of truths in the margin of your
"Observation Worksheet".
g) Re-read (Yes, again!) pausing, marking and interrogating
any
time phrases
(always ask "When?").
h) Re-read once more noting any
terms of comparison (eg
metaphor).
+ Ask what is being compared and how does this help your understanding
of the "picture"? + Although you could have simply read Psalm 121
four-five
times, in this simple inductive study you have read each time with a
specific purpose which actively engages your mind. In other words,
instead of being a tourist (simple re-reading without purpose),
you have become an explorer seeking priceless, inexhaustible
hidden treasures that ultimately will enrich your soul. The tourist
may remember he visited in Psalm 121 but weeks and even months later, the
explorer will remember the truths discovered by personal involvement
with the text. i)
If you have time, let's perform a Word Study to help mine the
treasures of this rich Psalm. Now don't check out on me but I want you
to check the meaning of the following two words, first in Hebrew and
then in the Greek word the Septuagint uses to translate the Hebrew
word. The word picture you are about to see is profound so its worth
the effort.
+ "HELP" is a
key
word even though found only twice but if we removed it,
the Psalm would lose much of its meaning and purpose.
Click here for the definition of the
Hebrew word 'ezer
Click
here for the definition of the Greek word
boetheia
+ "KEEP"
(keeper, protect, guard = all same Hebrew & Greek words). Click here for the
definition of the Hebrew word shamar and Greek word phulasso + Now take the definitions you learned and insert them
into the verse to see it this expands the meaning of the passage. Keep
in mind that many Greek and Hebrew words may have more than one
meaning which is dictated by the context. Therefore you have to be
careful not to take a meaning that is totally unrelated to the context
of the passage you are studying. Greek and Hebrew word studies do take
some practice but can be extremely helpful in expanding the meaning in
a given verse.
j) Write a title for Psalm 121 based on what you have
gleaned in your study and use the actual (living and active)
words of Scripture as much as is possible in the title. What is the
theme
(unifying idea repeated
or developed throughout a work) of this Psalm? Remember that the key
words point to the main subject(s) which in turn give you the theme.
k) How could you
apply the truth in Psalm 121? Is
there a promise to believe? Is the a change of attitude you need to
make? Is there a verse to
memorize? Are there some
truths about God that should
meditate upon? Is their an example to
follow? Is there something
to thank or praise God for? |
|
|
Psalm
121
Devotional
&
Expositional Commentary |
|
Related Resources: Make a joyful
noise to Jehovah -
Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir's version "My
Help" ("My
Help - solo")
Psalm 121 instrumental video with Psalm
121 in background
I Lift Up My Eyes
Lift Up My Eyes - More mellow version)
I To The Hills Will Lift My Eyes - cyberhymnal
Mine Eyes Look Toward the Mountains - cyberhymnal
This psalm is anonymous humanly speaking
but 2Peter 1:21 (note) (cp Lk 1:70, Ac 1:16, 3:18, 28:25, 2Sa 23:2, He 3:7, 8-note,
He 9:8-note,
He 10:15-note)
still applies of course. The circumstances that led to this psalm and
specifically which cause the psalmist to look to the mountains are not
clearly stated. The implication of his looking for help is that he may have
been in a state of anxiety or distress. On a more pragmatic level, aren't we
all in need of the LORD's help to one degree or another every day? As Paul
reminds us in Acts God "is not far from each one of us for in Him we live
and move and exist." (Acts 17:27, 28 - see also God's
Omnipresence) We need His help every moment of every day.
Click here for sermon on Psalm 121 entitled
The Traveler's Psalm by Robert Morgan.
Ascents = The Songs (Psalms) of Ascent comprised
Psalm 120-134
which together appears to have formed a "hymn book" used by pilgrims going
up to Jerusalem (which is elevated). Most interpreters feel that these 15
psalms were sung in the context of the great pilgrimage feasts in which the
nation of Israel was called to Jerusalem three times a year to celebrate:
(1) the Feast of Unleavened Bread
(commemorating the Exodus) in the Spring,
(2) the Feast of the Harvest or Weeks
(Pentecost - the expression of gratitude for the provision of grain) in the
early Summer and
(3) the Feast of Booths or Ingathering
(Tabernacles - expression of thanksgiving for the final harvest) in the
Fall. (Ex 23:14, 15, 16, 17; Isa 30:29).
It is also very possible that these
psalms of ascent were among those sung by the returning exiles from Babylon
as they ascended the mountains to Jerusalem and home (Ezra 2:1; 7:7).
Notice that this psalm can be
"subdivided" in to
(1) The Anticipation of Divine Help (Psalm
121:1-2) in
which the psalmist speaks in the first person ("I," "my,"
Psalm 121:1-2) and
(2) The Assurance of
Divine Help (Psalm 121:3-8), which is written in the second person singular
("you," "your"), which might
have been to allow this segment to be sung antiphonally.
Looking
at this psalm another way, the second six verses explain the Divine help mentioned in the first two verses.
The explanation in the second could represent a dialogue between two parties
(some commentaries suggest the psalmist and a priest). Alternatively the
psalmist could be "preaching" or dialoguing with himself (between the godly
man and his inner self) as we see in
Psalms 42 and
43. where David is also seeking "help"
I will - This
signifies that the psalmist makes a choice of his will (a volitional choice)
to look up to God. How often when faced with a test, trial or affliction, I
choose to look down in self-pity or around at adverse circumstances, rather
than gazing upward to my
Omnipotent
God!
This phrase I will
also indicates the
psalmist recognizes that the godly man stands in continual need of and
dependence upon Jehovah's help. Keen writes that 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. (Keen, J O: Biblical Illustrator)
Lift up my eyes to the mountains-This Hebrew phrase ("lift up my eyes") frequently indicates a looking
and seeing with anticipation of or disposition toward the object
specifically the mountains. Compare first a
bad example Ge 39:7,
Here is a good example Ps 123:1
"To Thee I lift up my eyes, O Thou who
art enthroned in the heavens!
Commenting on Psalm 123:1 C H Spurgeon
writes...
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-
note) (Ask yourself "Why did Moses endure? What enabled him to
not be fearful of a tyrannical human magistrate? Observe the text
again if unsure.)
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 our Helper.
Let us not neglect His help as did Judah. Jehovah, speaking to faithless Judah, declared
My people
have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living
waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no
water. (Jer 2:13)
Beloved, are you at this very present
time in need of help?
Then lift your eyes not to the creation
but unto your Creator, Who stands ready to run to your cry for help (cp Ps
46:1-note,
Ps 46:2-note)
Corrie Ten Boom would say to us...
|
Look around
and be distressed.
Look inside and be depressed.
Look at Jesus and be at rest.
(cp He 12:2-note) |
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)
Comment: Notice that truth
precedes 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 falsely teach just to "Let go and let
God", which absolves us of any 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", knowing that He is the believer's personal
Shield 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.
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.
Mountains - 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-note)
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)
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)
><>><>><>
Lift Up
Your Eyes - A woman whose work demanded
constant reading began to have difficulty with her eyes, so she
consulted a physician. After an examination he said, "Your eyes are
just tired; you need to rest them."
"But," she replied, "that is
impossible in my type of work."
After a few moments the doctor
asked, "Do you have windows at your workplace?"
"Oh, yes," she answered with
enthusiasm. "From the front windows I can see the noble peaks of the
Blue Ridge Mountains, and from the rear windows I can look out at the
glorious Allegheny foothills."
The physician replied, "That is
exactly what you need. When your eyes feel tired, go look at your
mountains for 10 minutes—20 would be better—and the far look will rest
your eyes!"
What is true in the physical
realm is true in the spiritual realm. The eyes of the soul are often
tired and weary from focusing on our problems and difficulties. The
upward look—the far look—will restore our spiritual perspective. At
times we feel overwhelmed by life's troubles. If we look to the Lord
in His Word and in prayer, however, He will put our problems in
perspective and renew our strength. Let's lift up our eyes! (Psalm
121:1). —Henry G. Bosch (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Lift up your eyes,
discouraged one,
The Lord your help will be;
New strength will come from Him who said,
"For rest, come unto Me." —Anon.
For the right spiritual
focus, fix your eyes on the Lord.
See booklet -
What Can I Do With My Worry?
><>><>><>
From
whence shall my help come?: The question does not express doubt,
despondency or despair, but is simply asked to introduce the answer which
follows. Note that Psalm 121 is often misunderstood especially when read in
the KJV.
Keil & Delitzsch in
their Commentary on the Old Testament write that
"To render “from which my help cometh” (as Luther does) is
inadmissible."
In other words, the KJV renders the verse not an interrogative but as a
statement of fact as follows:
"A Song of degrees. I will
lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help."
Without going into technical details, suffice it to say that the Hebrew word
translated "whence?" or "where?" always conveys the idea of a
question. This section should therefore be read as a question:
"From whence cometh
my help?"
It is rendered in this manner by most of the modern
translations. For example the CSB plainly states
"I look up to the
mountains – does my help come from there?"
Which is answered by the
declaration
"Not from the hills
or the creation, but from the God of creation."
HELP
Hebrew: 'Ezer Help is
the Hebrew noun 'ezer
(root verb = 'azar) (click)
referring to assistance or to the one who provides the assistance
("helper"). 'Ezer (actually the verb form 'azar) is used in the OT to
refer to military assistance such as God’s help in battle (1Chr 12:18).
'Ezer
(actually the verb 'azar) is used of Jehovah’s personal
assistance for those who cannot help themselves (Ps 10:14-note;
Ps 72:12-note).
David declares
Jehovah is
my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.
Therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him. (Ps 28:7-note;cf
Ps 86:17-note).
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
added.
Treasury
of David)
Greek: Boetheia The
Septuagint (LXX) has
the Greek word
boetheia (click
here) which is used only twice in the NT, once in a well known
passage in
Hebrews 4:16-note "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 Maclaren
writes that
There will be no reception of the Divine help unless there is a sense of the
need of the Divine help. God cannot help me before I am brought to despair
of any other help. If we conceit ourselves to be strong we are weak; if we
know ourselves to be impotent, Omnipotence (see
Omnipotent) pours itself into
us. (Biblical Illustrator)
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-note).
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-note).
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-note).
Our experience is, “The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses” (Romans
8:26-note).
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-note). |
|
My help comes from
Jehovah
(note)
(yhwh) - The Helper is none other
than Yahweh, the great "I Am", the unchanging, eternal,
self-existent, living God, the “I am that I am,” the
covenant-keeping
God.
"The meaning of the name yhwh
may best be summarized as “present to act (usually, but not only) in
salvation.” The revelation of the name is given to Moses, “I am who I am”
(Ex 3:14), and later in a self-presentation, “I am the Lord” (Ex 6:2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8).
The name yhwh specifies an immediacy, a presence." (Elwell, W. A:
Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House)
(See related study on the Name
Jehovah)
In NT terms one could just as readily say
"My help comes from Jesus" for He proclaimed Himself identical with Jehovah
when He said to the Jews
Truly, truly, I say to you, before
Abraham was born,
I Am.
(Jn 8:58)
Comment: John uses 7 “I AM's" to
describe Jesus: BREAD (Jn 6:35,41,48, 51), LIGHT (Jn 8:12), DOOR (Jn 10:9),
GOOD SHEPHERD (Jn 10:14), RESURRECTION & LIFE (Jn 11:25), WAY (Jn 14:6),
VINE (Jn 15:1, 5).
Who made heaven and earth - He is able. He has all the
power needed to protect the psalmist. This assurance is repeated in Ps
124:8-note ( "Our help is in the Name of
Jehovah, Who made heaven and earth."). Only the Creator can be the Helper
of His creation. His attributes such as His omnipresence and omnipotence
assure us that He has the ability to follow through on His promise to help us. He Who spoke the heavens is to
be "my" personal Helper! Is this not an awesome, humbling thought?
The next time you are in a tight spot, recall this verse to your mind. The
transcendent
(exceeding usual limits) Creator is also the ever-present Watcher of each of
His children! Ponder this truth.
|
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.
--Charles Wesley |
Psalm 146 echoes this truth about God declaring "How blessed is he whose
help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God; Who
made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, Who keeps faith
forever." (Ps 146:5-note,
Ps 146:6-note)
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-note,
Ps 115:5-note;
Ps 115:6-note;
Ps 115:7-note;
Ps 124:8-note;
Ps 134:3-note;
Ps 146:6-note;
Jer 10:11)! The sole source of "help"
comes from Yahweh, Who, as Creator, has unlimited power."
(Gaebelein,
F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary OT 7 Volume Set: Books: Zondervan
Publishing)
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. What a mercy that we have it in our God. Our
hope is in Jehovah, for our help comes from him. 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, and the perpetual hills themselves shall bow rather than He shall
fail whose ways are everlasting. We are bound to look beyond heaven and
earth to Him Who made them both: it is vain to trust the creatures: it is
wise to trust the Creator. (Treasury
of David
Psalm 121:2)
Warren 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 (click
link) 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) |
|
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 | | |