Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

PSALM 121: MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD The Watcher of My Soul

This Psalm describes the protective hand of God upon a pilgrim as they journey to and from the gates of the favored city of Jerusalem. The first two verses are the prayer of the individual while the re- maining verses of the Psalm seem to be a blessing pronounced by a priest over the traveler. 1 God’s lov- ing protection is the dominant theme of the psalm as the Hebrew word for ‘guard’ is used six times and is translated ‘watches over’, ‘keeps’ and ‘preserves’. Verses 3-8 have the quality of a prophetic prayer spoken by the Holy Spirit through the priest or prophet. The whole psalm represents God’s protection over the believer as we journey through life to the heavenly Jerusalem.

If the same author wrote Psalm 120 they have decided to leave Meshech and Kedar and make the long, perilous trek to the mountainous ‘City of the Great King.’ It is outlined in these two, simple sections:

I MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD - v. 1-2: The Pilgrim Prays II THE LORD HIMSELF WATCHES OVER YOU - v. 3-8: The Priest Pronounces

I

MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD - v. 1-2

“I look up to the mountains. Does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord who made the heavens and the earth.” (1, 2)

If the psalm is a pronouncement by the priest then the pilgrim has already reached Jerusalem and is about to return to their home. They are looking at the mountains around Jerusalem as they make the 1st statement. This second psalm of ascent teaches us that every mountain that God has made is a mon- ument to his willingness to help us. Jesus loved mountains and many of the most significant events of his life took place there. We can always look up to these mountains where Jesus provided help for our journey: • The Mountain of Worship- Jesus repelled the devil’s temptation on the mountain of worship. “Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the nations of the world and all their glory. ‘I will give it all to you’ he said, ‘if you will only kneel down and worship me.’ “’Get out of here, Satan,’ Jesus told him. For the scriptures say; You must worship the Lord your God; serve only him. Then the devil went away and angels came and cared for Jesus.” (Mt. 4:8-11) • The Sermon on the Mount- We can find help and answers for life’s situations on the mountain of Jesus’ teaching. “One day as the crowds were gathering, Jesus went up to the mountainside with is disciples and set down to teach them.” (Mt. 5:1) • The Mountain of Prayer- Jesus found his help from the Lord on the mountain of prayer. “After- ward he went up into the hills by himself to pray.” (Mrk. 6:46) • The Mountain of Transfiguration- Jesus found help for his upcoming crucifixion upon the moun- tain of God’s glory. “About eight days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of this face changed, and his clothing became dazzling white. Then two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. They were glorious to see. And they were speaking of how he was about to fulfill God’s plan by dying Jerusalem.” (Lk. 9:28-31) • Mount Calvary- Jesus provided the ultimate help for humanity when he died for our sins upon Mount Calvary. “So they took Jesus and led him away. Carrying the cross by himself, Jesus went to the place called Skull Hill. (In Hebrew, Golgotha.) (John 19:16,17) • The Ascension Mount- The disciples worshiped him on the mountain of his ascension into heaven. “Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him…” (Mt. 28:16,17)

II

HE WILL NOT LET …vs. 3, 4

The Priest at the gate of the city begins to pronounce a blessing over the pilgrim reminding them that the Lord is our ‘guard’ the one who watches over every aspect of our life. The Priest explains this with a prophetic quality:

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