THE BLESSING TO HAVE GOD AS YOUR GUARD: Part I
PSALM 121
Introduction, History- Many years ago, in Europe, there was a great plague that killed one third of the population. It was called the black plague. Tens of thousands were killed each and every month and the population was terrified by the thought of facing death in their families and homes, and no one knew who would be the next to die. Many Europeans who were able to go to a safer place did that. There was a man in England whose family left the country to go to a better place. They persuaded him to come then, otherwise he would be condemned to die by plague, they said. This man didn’t feel peace to leave like that and he asked them to give him a day to decide. He knew the situation. He knew that if he stayed he would possibly be on death roll. He knew that his decision would be the most important in his life. In a way, he had to decide whether to live or die. After a long time of prayer. He took his bible, and he read few verses as the Bible opened to him. Amazingly enough, the text he read was Psalm 91: “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand: but it shall not come near you.” He took these words by faith and he didn’t leave the country. He continued to minister to the dying around him, and he lived during the plague and after that.
Transition- Is it not a true testimony that the “word of God is a living powerful”, and that “ all God’s promises are Yes and Amen?” Is not our God an awesome God? Who is like him? Who can guard like him? Who is so loving as he is? The whole bible is full of promises that God will protect, will guard, will keep, will send his angels to encamp around those who fear the lord. How important is it to be sure that whatever is going to happen, you are under Gods protection? Human life is short and full of dangers; spiritual life is internal and much more jeopardized by spiritual evil powers. Who is your guard? The author of Psalm 121 demonstrate in a beautiful poetic passage that there is no better guard than God.
(Read Psalm 121 here)
Historical background- Three times a year, every Jewish man was required to attend the sacred worship at the temple in Jerusalem. Larger number of people from all over Palestine, in long caravans of pilgrims, leaving back their homes and places, made the tiresome trip up to Jerusalem. Over the mountain-range, with steep paths, ravines and gorges, the hiding places of wild beasts and robbers, the pilgrims moved toward Jerusalem, the sacred city where Yahweh dwells in his temple. It has been said that Psalm 121 along with the other 14 “Psalms of ascents” were sung in this way to Jerusalem; this particular Psalm was probably sung as an encouragement in this narrow and heavy path, in the expectance of getting close to Gods temple. What strong confidence In God’s protection does this Psalm reveal ?.
Need element- I’m sure you know that we have a long way to travel. We do not have to travel to Jerusalem to meet God there; God is ever present near us, even in our hearts. Our spiritual pilgrimage is directed toward heaven on a way opened by Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Many difficulties, trials, temptations, and dangers, are in our way, since Jesus never promised us to have a smooth path, but one with many troubles.
It may be that as you sit here today you are right now facing deep valleys in your life, difficult times, struggles, and temptations, and you see no solution in your needs. Maybe, as the man in this Psalm, you rise up your ears and look for help in different places. You would like to escape somewhere, you live in fear of your future, you are continuously troubled In your heart. Maybe you try and find someone to rely on, to give you help, to stay with you all the night long and give you protection and comfort. You need someone to guard your body and soul, to stand powerful between you and your enemies, to be able to protect you day and night.
My dear friend, I’ve got news for you today. There is no better Guard than God. Maybe you say; “How can it be/ God is there, in his heaven; I’m here with my struggles. He is too far from me. Maybe he doesn’t care about me. How can I be sure that what you say, or what the Psalmist say is true? Why is God the best guard for me? Listen to the holy spirit of God and he will reveal to you seven reasons by which you may know that, indeed, the best guard for you is God and in him you will find much blessing and comfort for your troubled heart.
Textual idea- The author of this Psalm of Ascents expressed in poetry the blessing of having God as a personal guard.
Sermon idea- The believer enjoys the blessing of having God as a guard.
Interrogative- why it is a blessing to have God as a guard?
Transition sentence- Psalm 121 reveals seven reasons which prove the blessing of having God as a guard.
Body
Division 1 statement- When God is our guard, he protects us incomparably: immediate and powerful.
Explanation, Historical, Cultural- Look in verses 1 and 2. We do not know what problem the writer faces, but we do know that he is helpless. He has no resources to solve his problems, he has no one to help him, and he is looking to find help in the mountains. Like most ancients, the Israelites thought of mountains as being the dwelling place of God, especially Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. Mountains also served as dwelling places for people, places of refuge, fortresses, and hiding places. The author tries to find help in creation, in created things, in matter, in visible things. (How often we too, longing for help, look for help in things that cannot help us, in our possessions, in our abilities, or even in other human beings that are as helpless as we are). But look in the text to see from whence comes the help. “My help comes from the lord, who made heaven and earth.” The One able to help is a person, not a thing, is God, not a hill, is the creator, not a creature, is the lord, not a place. How much greater help can God provide than a lifeless hill?
Look again to those two verbs “comes”. In Swahili Bible the first is in future tense (from whence my help will come?), and the second is in present tense (My help comes from the lord). While your help from God comes, the help from elsewhere is still in the future. God helps you now, when you need him not sometime later.
Our God is incomparable in his power, character, concern, and record: He is the creator of everything.
Illustration- Many years ago in Kenya, a parent of one of my students came to me and told me what God did for their family. His daughter, was born with serious physical problem. Doctors said that she will not be able to give birth in her entire life. Her father and mother began to pray fervently for their little girl and after six months they returned to visit the medical team. It was a big surprise for them to realize that now the girl was completely well, no sickness or infirmity. I do not know how the Doctors interpreted this, but for the parents it was Gods hand who created from nothing the entire reproductive part in the body of their daughter.
Argumentation, Quotation- It is absolutely normal that God, the creator of everything is able to help much more than a piece of creation, a hill, or a man, or anything else. God says that God cannot be compared with anything. He cannot be compared with other gods (Isaiah 40:25: “To whom shall I be equal?”); God cannot be compared with nothing: He is unique In his power, character, knowledge , grace, love, everything .That is why he can help incomparably more than anything.
Application, Descriptive, Exhortation- When you have God as your guard, you will not need another to help like him. Imagine yourself having beside you a guard that is declared the most powerful person in the world. Would you be afraid anymore? Would you try to find help in someone else? God is the most powerful in the whole universe because he is the Creator of the universe. Trust him and do not try to find help in anything else. He is sufficient for you. Do not trust in your friends, people around you, do not trust in your abilities, do not trust in your possessions, in your guns, in your money, but trust in the lord. Let he be your guard, he will provide an incomparable help for you.
Transition- And not only that…
Division 2 statement- When God is our guard, he protects us diligently: in our walk and sleep.
Explanation word study- Look in verse 3. The sliding of the foot is a frequent of description of misfortune, and a very natural fact in mountainous Canaan, where a single slip of foot was often attended with great danger. This expression refers not only to the foot, but to the whole body, the entire being. God is interested in your well being, in your safety, particularly, even in your foot, to be on a safe place. He will not permit any harm to your being. It is not marvelous? And look further, God is watching over you not only when you walk, but when you sleep too .When you sleep during the night hours, you can rest in peace, for God watches over you. He watches not slumbering, but diligently.
Illustration, Personal- I remember, 24 years ago, my friend from Kenya was in the military, and told me he had to watch for three hours during the night some parts of the barracks. After a long day with much work, he told me, it was very difficult to stay awake and to watch carefully. He admitted that sometimes he fell asleep, and hoped that the hour would pass quickly so he could go to bed, it was hard to stay awake. He said, his eyelids were heavy, he felt as though he had sand in his eyes, his mind was slow, his thoughts were confused, his feet were staggering. It was awful.
Argumentation, Quotation, Examples- But this is not true for God. All over the earth, people sleep at different hours, But God watches over them continuously and diligently. God is interested in your sleep. Is it not extraordinary? The bible teaches us that God watched over Paul through three shipwrecks! (2 Cor. 11:25) He kept his loving eyes upon Daniel while in the Lion’s Den, over Jonah in the fish’s belly, over Moses in his basket, over Jeremiah in prison. You are as precious as they are in the sight of the lord, and he promises to be your guard just as he was a guard to them.
Application, Exhortation- Maybe you are passing right now through difficult situation, through a narrow path full of dangers. Do not be afraid: The lord will not allow your foot to be moved; even in the darkest hour he does not sleep, he does not even close his eyes as human beings do. He is God, not man .He can protect you, he will guard you with a father’s diligence. You are precious in his sight. Take courage, do not be afraid to close your eyes to sleep. He will lovingly look upon you while you take your rest, as a mother or father enjoys looking for their children while they sleep. No one can guard you as diligently as God does. Trust him.
