The Songs Of Ascent – Part 3 – Psalm 121 – Can You Know The Lord Who Helps, Keeps And Guards? Series

THE SONGS OF ASCENT – PART 3 – PSALM 121 – CAN YOU KNOW THE LORD WHO HELPS, KEEPS AND GUARDS?

[A]. FROM WHERE DO I FIND MY HELP?

{{Psalm 121:1 “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. From whence shall my help come?

Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth.”}}

This is a remarkable Psalm, magnificent in its beauty, its promises and its content. Every part of the Psalm is positive and of the greatest help and encouragement for God’s people in every age.

Remember these Psalms/Songs of Ascent were sung by the pilgrims making the journey three times a year to Jerusalem for the Passover, the Feast of Pentecost, and the Feast of Booths. The psalms encompass the experiences and emotions of these faithful ones as they steadily gathered in small companies or larger ones and wended their way on the climb to Jerusalem when at last they stood before the Temple. These songs were very precious to the pilgrims and should be precious to us also.

Psalm 121 begins with a positive statement that is not made frivolously, but which is based on fact of previous experiences with God. There is too much hot air ascending from churches these days, from ministers and congregations; statements made without understanding. That is hypocritical and shows immense irreverence for the Lord. If you don’t know the truth of an experience then don’t speak it!

The psalmist would echo the experiences of the pilgrims, most of whom had a personal walk with God and could affirm what the psalm was saying. There is such a beautiful truth here and the way it is expressed is so delightful.

The opening sentence is “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains,” and it may sound poetic but it contains real truth. Just looking at the hills and peaks and mountain ranges as an exercise does nothing, but what is behind this does. The psalmist is speaking of the whole Jerusalem area. It is said Mt Zion sits on the mountains forming Jerusalem, as the chief mountain and is often used alone for Jerusalem.

Now we may ask what was the significance of looking “spiritually” at these mountains forming Jerusalem? The answer to that is “what they represent”. It was the Lord who founded Jerusalem which was, and is, and shall be, the chief city in the earth. One day it will be the very place where the Lord’s throne will be in the Millennium when Jesus reigns over the whole world as King of Kings and Lord of Lords,” and righteousness will be throughout His kingdom.

The psalmist was not merely “looking at the mountains” but at what they represent. They meant God’s selection, God’s favour and God’s presence. The psalmist is acknowledging the sovereignty of God and His presence and power. That is why he quickly adds the rest of verse 1 – “From whence shall my help come?” This question had nothing to do with uncertainty but is a device used to focus the answer, which is verse 2. He knew very well where his help came from. His faith and security in God was as solid as a granite mountain.

Verse 2 is the clear fact of his source of help. Of that there is no doubt. The solution is not found in books (except one), or in other people (except one Person), or in government directives; not even with a church minister or pastor. His help comes from the Lord. How did he know that? The reason is the usual one – it comes from experience! In a round about way it confirms the promise, {{Psalm 34:8 “O taste and see that the LORD is good. How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”}}

Once you have proven the faithfulness of the Lord, then you know with certainty He can always be relied upon. Trust rests on confirmation and proof. The Lord will never go back on His promises. He loves to serve His children of faith. A verse in Proverbs is this – {{Proverbs 30:5 “Every word of God is tested. He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”}} Why is God a shield for those who take refuge in Him? The answer is that the word of God has been tested and He is found to be true.

Each afternoon I feed a number of peaceful doves that come to the bottom of my steps. A few years ago there was one dove that sat on the clothes line some distance away and was very tentative as these doves are. I sat near the bottom of the steps and threw some seed out and over time the dove came closer and closer. Now there are a couple of dozen of them and when I sit on the steps they come in quite quickly, still a bit shy, but they come within a metre of me and I toss them seed. They know I can be trusted. That they proved. Now their coming rests on that knowledge.