From Whence Cometh My Help

From Whence Cometh My

Help?

Psalm 121

Psalm 121

Part of the “Songs of Ascent.”

Psalm 121

Part of the “Songs of Ascent.”

• “Songs of Ascent” were sang as the Israelites journeyed to

Jerusalem.

Psalm 121

Part of the “Songs of Ascent.”

• “Songs of Ascent” were sang as the Israelites journeyed to

Jerusalem.

• The Israelites‟ singing this psalm as they went to Jerusalem

plays an important role in the interpretation of the psalm.

Psalm 121 (ESV)

“I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth.

“He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

Psalm 121 (ESV)

“The LORD is your keeper;

the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

“The LORD will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

The LORD will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.”

From Whence Cometh My Help?

AN ASSURANCE OF HELP.

AN ASSURANCE OF WAKEFULNESS.

AN ASSURANCE OF PROTECTION.

An Assurance of Help

“I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth” (vv 1-2, ESV).

I Will Lift up my Eyes to the Hills

The psalmist lifted up his eyes to the hills.

I Will Lift up my Eyes to the Hills

The psalmist lifted up his eyes to the hills.

• Travelers in the hills needed protection. Robbers and wild

beasts were a serious threat.

I Will Lift up my Eyes to the Hills

The psalmist lifted up his eyes to the hills.

• Travelers in the hills needed protection. Robbers and wild

beasts were a serious threat.

• Jerusalem was built on a hill.

I Will Lift up my Eyes to the Hills

The psalmist lifted up his eyes to the hills.

• Travelers in the hills needed protection. Robbers and wild

beasts were a serious threat.

• Jerusalem was built on a hill. Thus, the travelers would

start on their journey, looking to the hills and wondering

from whence they would find protection.

I Will Lift up my Eyes to the Hills

The psalmist lifted up his eyes to the hills.

• Travelers in the hills needed protection. Robbers and wild

beasts were a serious threat.

• Jerusalem was built on a hill. Thus, the travelers would

start on their journey, looking to the hills and wondering

from whence they would find protection.

The question is rhetorical—the psalmist knows his

help comes from God.

The Lord is a Helper

He is often referred to as Israel‟s helper.

The Lord is a Helper

He is often referred to as Israel‟s helper:

• “May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you

support from Zion!” (Ps 20:2, ESV).

The Lord is a Helper

He is often referred to as Israel‟s helper:

• “May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you

support from Zion!” (Ps 20:2, ESV).

• “O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their

shield” (Ps 115:9, ESV).

The Lord is a Helper

He is often referred to as Israel‟s helper:

• “May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you

support from Zion!” (Ps 20:2, ESV).

• “O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their

shield” (Ps 115:9, ESV).

He is our help, too!

The Lord is a Helper

He is often referred to as Israel‟s helper:

• “May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you

support from Zion!” (Ps 20:2, ESV).

• “O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their

shield” (Ps 115:9, ESV).

He is our help, too!

• “We can confidently say, „The Lord is my helper; I will not

fear; what can man do to me?‟” (Heb 13:6, ESV).

The Lord is a Helper

He is often referred to as Israel‟s helper:

• “May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you

support from Zion!” (Ps 20:2, ESV).

• “O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their

shield” (Ps 115:9, ESV).

He is our help, too!

• “We can confidently say, „The Lord is my helper; I will not

fear; what can man do to me?‟” (Heb 13:6, ESV).

• We do not go through life alone!

Our Helper is the Creator

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the

earth” (Gn 1:1, ESV).

Our Helper is the Creator

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the

earth” (Gn 1:1, ESV).

Universe shows God‟s power.

Our Helper is the Creator

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the

earth” (Gn 1:1, ESV).

Universe shows God‟s power.

• Milky Way:

100 to 200 billion stars.

Our Helper is the Creator

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the

earth” (Gn 1:1, ESV).

Universe shows God‟s power.

• Milky Way:

100 to 200 billion stars.

Roughly 100,000 light-years from end to end.

Our Helper is the Creator

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the

earth” (Gn 1:1, ESV).

Universe shows God‟s power.

• Milky Way:

100 to 200 billion stars.

Roughly 100,000 light-years from end to end.

We are about 2/3 from the center.

Our Helper is the Creator

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the

earth” (Gn 1:1, ESV).

Universe shows God‟s power.

• Milky Way.

• Andromeda (nearest large galaxy to us).

Our Helper is the Creator

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the

earth” (Gn 1:1, ESV).

Universe shows God‟s power.

• Milky Way.

• Andromeda (nearest large galaxy to us).

200 to 300 billion stars.

Our Helper is the Creator

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the

earth” (Gn 1:1, ESV).

Universe shows God‟s power.

• Milky Way.

• Andromeda (nearest large galaxy to us).

200 to 300 billion stars.

2 million light years away (what astronomers see is light sent from

Andromeda 2 million years ago).

THAT’S THE POWER WE HAVE

TO HELP US!

An Assurance of

Wakefulness

“He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep” (v 3, ESV).

Relevant for these Jews

God would not allow their feet to be moved.

Relevant for these Jews

God would not allow their feet to be moved.

They would be traveling to Jerusalem over the course of many

days.

Relevant for these Jews

God would not allow their feet to be moved.

They would be traveling to Jerusalem over the course of many

days.

God wouldn‟t allow their feet to be moved on the difficult

terrain.

God Doesn‟t Slumber or

Sleep

For the Mesopotamians, a sleeping god was one who was

unresponsive to the needs of his people.

God Doesn‟t Slumber or

Sleep

For the Mesopotamians, a sleeping god was one who was

unresponsive to the needs of his people.

Babylonian prayer: How long is my god going to sleep?

God Doesn‟t Slumber or

Sleep

For the Mesopotamians, a sleeping god was one who was

unresponsive to the needs of his people.

Babylonian prayer: How long is my god going to sleep?

Our God isn‟t like those gods—he never sleeps.

God Always Hears Us

“Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint

and moan, and he hears my voice” (Ps 55:17, ESV).

God Always Hears Us

“Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint

and moan, and he hears my voice” (Ps 55:17, ESV).

“Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark,

he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he

prayed” (Mk 1:35, ESV).

God Always Hears Us

“Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint

and moan, and he hears my voice” (Ps 55:17, ESV).

“Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark,

he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he

prayed” (Mk 1:35, ESV).

“In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and

all night he continued in prayer to God” (Lk 6:12, ESV).

An Assurance of Protection

“The LORD is your keeper; the

LORD is your shade on your right

hand” (v 5, ESV).

An Assurance of Protection

“The LORD is your keeper; the

LORD is your shade on your right

hand” (v 5, ESV).

Heb word for “keeper” comes from

the verb which means “to hedge

about,” “to guard,” or “to protect.”

An Assurance of Protection

“The LORD is your keeper; the

LORD is your shade on your right

hand” (v 5, ESV).

Heb word for “keeper” comes from

the verb which means “to hedge

about,” “to guard,” or “to protect.”

The Lord was a shade—protection

from the sun was quite important in

the Ancient Near East.

An Assurance of Protection

“The LORD is your keeper; the

LORD is your shade on your right

hand” (v 5, ESV).

Heb word for “keeper” comes from

the verb which means “to hedge

about,” “to guard,” or “to protect.”

The Lord was a shade—protection

from the sun was quite important in

the Ancient Near East.

The Lord was their right hand.

On the Right Hand

The Lord‟s being on someone‟s

right hand was a sign of

protection.

On the Right Hand

The Lord‟s being on someone‟s

right hand was a sign of

protection.

“I have set the LORD always before

me; because he is at my right hand, I

shall not be shaken” (Ps 16:8, ESV).

On the Right Hand

The Lord‟s being on someone‟s

right hand was a sign of

protection.

“I have set the LORD always before

me; because he is at my right hand, I

shall not be shaken” (Ps 16:8, ESV).

“The Lord is at your right hand; he

will shatter kings on the day of his

wrath” (Ps 110:5, ESV).

Neither Sun nor Moon

Many of the roads to Jerusalem

upon which the pilgrims would be

traveling were exposed to

excessive heat.

Neither Sun nor Moon

Many of the roads to Jerusalem

upon which the pilgrims would be

traveling were exposed to

excessive heat.

Protection from the moon:

People believed too much exposure to

the moon was dangerous.

Neither Sun nor Moon

Many of the roads to Jerusalem

upon which the pilgrims would be

traveling were exposed to

excessive heat.

Protection from the moon:

People believed too much exposure to

the moon was dangerous.

Babylonian and Mesopotamian

medical texts refer to illness as the

work of Sin, the moon god—

especially epilepsy.

Neither Sun nor Moon

Many of the roads to Jerusalem

upon which the pilgrims would be

traveling were exposed to

excessive heat.

Protection from the moon:

People believed too much exposure to

the moon was dangerous.

Babylonian and Mesopotamian

medical texts refer to illness as the

work of Sin, the moon god—

especially epilepsy.

“Lunatic” and “Moonstruck.”

Keep Us from Evil & Keep

Our Life

“Evil” should likely be understood

as sorrow & distress, particularly

death.

Keep Us from Evil & Keep

Our Life

“Evil” should likely be understood

as sorrow & distress, particularly

death.

Synonymous parallelism.

Keep Us from Evil & Keep

Our Life

“Evil” should likely be understood

as sorrow & distress, particularly

death.

Synonymous parallelism.

The Lord‟s keeping one from evil

appears to be the same as keeping his

life.

Hebrews Lacked Info on

Afterlife

“If a man dies, shall he live

again?” (Job 14:14, ESV).

Hebrews Lacked Info on

Afterlife

“If a man dies, shall he live

again?” (Job 14:14, ESV).

The Hebrews seem to have had the

idea of annihilation after death.

Hebrews Lacked Info on

Afterlife

“If a man dies, shall he live

again?” (Job 14:14, ESV).

The Hebrews seem to have had the

idea of annihilation after death;

this may be a way of saying that

God will provide eternity for his

people.

Hebrews Lacked Info on

Afterlife

“If a man dies, shall he live

again?” (Job 14:14, ESV).

The Hebrews seem to have had the

idea of annihilation after death.

“I am the resurrection and the life.

Whoever believes in me, though

he die, yet shall he live, and

everyone who lives and believes in

me shall never die” (Jn 11:25-26,

ESV).

Keep Your Going Out &

Your Coming In

“Your going out and your coming

in” was military language (going

to battle & coming back home)

and language for one‟s coming

and going throughout the course

of the day.

Keep Your Going Out &

Your Coming In

“Your going out and your coming

in” was military language (going

to battle & coming back home)

and language for one‟s coming

and going throughout the course

of the day.

Phraseology likely has special

significance concerning the trip to

and from Jerusalem.

Keep Your Going Out &

Your Coming In

“Your going out and your coming

in” was military language (going

to battle & coming back home)

and language for one‟s coming

and going throughout the course

of the day.

Phraseology likely has special

significance concerning the trip to

and from Jerusalem.

“From this time forth and

forevermore”=“duration of life.”

Do you have God‟s protection?