Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

• Psalm 121:1-8

Type of Psalm

Didactic psalms: These psalms are psalms that are intended to teach.  In most cases the psalm instructs us in moral principles.

Psalms of thanksgiving for God’s goodness to good people:  Giving God thanks as noted.

Matthew Henry’s Summary

“Some call this the soldier’s psalm, and think it was penned in the camp, when David was hazarding his life in the high places of the field, and thus trusted God to cover his head in the day of battle. Others call it the traveller’s psalm (for there is nothing in it of military dangers) and think David penned it when he was going abroad, and designed it pro vehiculo—for the carriage, for a good man’s convoy and companion in a journey or voyage. But we need not thus appropriate it; wherever we are, at home or abroad, we are exposed to danger more than we are aware of; and this psalm directs and encourages us to repose ourselves and our confidence in God, and by faith to put ourselves under his protection and commit ourselves to his care, which we must do, with an entire resignation and satisfaction, in singing this psalm. I. David here assures himself of help from God, ver. 1, 2. II. He assures others of it, ver. 3-8.”

• Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

Psalm 121 “The moment we say no to the world and yes to God, all our problems are solved, all our questions answered, all our troubles over. Nothing can disturb the tranquility of the soul at peace with God. Nothing can interfere with the blessed assurance that all is well between me and my Savior. Nothing and no one can upset the enjoyable relationship that has been established by faith in Jesus Christ. We Christians are among that privileged company of persons who don’t have accidents, who don’t have arguments with our spouses, who aren’t misunderstood by our peers, whose children do not disobey us. If any of those things should happen-a crushing doubt, a squall of anger, a desperate loneliness, an accident that puts us in the hospital, an argument that puts us in the doghouse, a rebel-lion that puts us on the defensive, a misunderstanding that puts us in the wrong-it is a sign that something is wrong with our relationship with God. We have, consciously or unconsciously, retracted our yes to God; and God, impatient with our fickle faith, has gone off to take care of someone more deserving of his attention.”

• Eugene H. Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

My Thoughts

This psalm is not attributed to any author.

This continues the songs of ascent, where the people make their pilgrimage up the mountain to Jerusalem.

This psalm starts with looking up a mountain to see God.  God made all things, but God is often associated with up in the heavens.  I like what a few theologians like N.T. Wright talk and write about that God is behind a veil.  He is not way off in the heavens.  He is close enough to touch us, but we are separated from Him by a veil.

But Abraham went up Mount Moriah with Isaac, and he found a ram that God had left there for him.  Moses climbed Mount Sinai to get the Ten Commandments and the rest of the Law.  Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.  So, there were instances that people found God on the mountains of life.  We might wish those mountains, but we grow in our faith when we see God in the valleys.

The next couple of verses talk about God not allowing you to slip.  When ascending, that is an important thing.  If you slip and fall, you could get hurt, but even if not hurt, you must ascend that section of the mountain again.

But God keeps us safe.

Psalm 122

I rejoiced with those who said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Our feet are standing
    in your gates, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built like a city
    that is closely compacted together.
That is where the tribes go up—
    the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
    according to the statute given to Israel.
There stand the thrones for judgment,
    the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
    “May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
    and security within your citadels.”
For the sake of my family and friends,
    I will say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your prosperity.

• Psalm 122:1-9

Type of Psalm

Intercessional psalms:  These are psalms where the psalmist intercedes with God for others.

Matthew Henry’s Summary

“This psalm seems to have been penned by David for the use of the people of Israel, when they came up to Jerusalem to worship at the three solemn feasts. It was in David’s time that Jerusalem was first chosen to be the city where God would record his name. It being a new thing, this, among other means, was used to bring the people to be in love with Jerusalem, as the holy city, though it was but the other day in the hands of the Jebusites. Observe, I. The joy with which they were to go up to Jerusalem, ver. 1, 2. II. The great esteem they were to have of Jerusalem, ver. 3-5. III. The great concern they were to have for Jerusalem, and the prayers they were to put up for its welfare, ver. 6-9. In singing this psalm we must have an eye to the gospel church, which is called the ‘Jerusalem that is from above.’ ”

• Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

Psalm 122 One of the afflictions of pastoral work has been to listen, with a straight face, to all the reasons people give for not going to church:
“My mother made me when I was little.”
“There are too many hypocrites in the church.”
“It’s the only day I have to sleep in.”
“There was a time when I responded to such statements with simple arguments that exposed them as flimsy excuses. Then I noticed that it didn’t make any difference. If I showed the inadequacy of one excuse, three more would pop up in its place. So I don’t respond anymore. I listen (with a straight face) and go home and pray that person will one day find the one sufficient reason for going to church, which is God. I go about my work hoping that what I do and say will be usable by the Holy Spirit to create in that person a determination to worship God in a Christian community.”

• Eugene H. Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

My Thoughts

This psalm is attributed to David.

This continues the songs of ascent, where the people make their pilgrimage up the mountain to Jerusalem.

This song of ascent focuses on Jerusalem, but it also focuses on our focus of worship.

Jerusalem represents the house of David and the promises of a king who will reign forever.  Jerusalem promises peace.  Jerusalem provides unity among the tribes.

These thing fell apart when the people turned their eyes from God, but they will one day be restored.

Psalm 123

I lift up my eyes to you,
    to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
    till he shows us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
    for we have endured no end of contempt.
We have endured no end
    of ridicule from the arrogant,
    of contempt from the proud.

• Psalm 123:1-4

Type of Psalm

Psalms of Affliction: Psalms where the psalmist is crying out in pain or distress, asking God where He is in the psalmist’s time of need.  But no matter how dire the circumstances or how long the lament, there seems to always be a word of praise.  Otherwise, why do we go to God in such times, other than to recognize Him as the only one who can help us?

Matthew Henry’s Summary

“This psalm was penned at a time then the church of God was brought low and trampled upon; some think it was when the Jews were captives in Babylon, though that was not the only time that they were insulted over by the proud. The psalmist begins as if he spoke for himself only (ver. 1), but presently speaks in the name of the church. Here is, I. Their expectation of mercy from God, ver. 1, 2. II. Their plea for mercy with God, ver. 3, 4. In singing it we must have our eye up to God’s favour with a holy concern, and then an eye down to men’s reproach with a holy contempt.”

• Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

Psalm 123 “As a person grows and matures in the Christian way, it is necessary to acquire certain skills. One is service. The skill is so difficult to acquire and liable to so many misunderstandings that it is necessary to single it out for special attention from time to time.
“Psalm 123 is an instance of service. In this, as so often in the psalms, we are not instructed in what to do, we are provided an instance of what is done. A psalm is not a lecture; it is a song. In a psalm we have the observable evidence of what happens when a person of faith goes about the business of believing and loving and following God. We don’t have a rule book defining the action, we have a snapshot of players playing the game. In Psalm 123 we observe that aspect of the life of discipleship that takes place under the form of servanthood.”

• Eugene H. Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

My Thoughts

This psalm is not attributed to any author.

This continues the songs of ascent, where the people make their pilgrimage up the mountain to Jerusalem.

This time the psalmist lifts his eyes to heaven, just as the slave lifts its eyes to the master.

Have mercy on us, oh Lord.

The arrogant Lord it over us, but you are to be glorified.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

Psalm 121

“1. Do you like to travel or dread it? What dangers lie on the road on inward journeys?
“2. Does God protect you? Do you feel invincible? What form has God’s protection taken for you?
“3. When do you feel most vulnerable? How do you protect yourself?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

Psalm 122

“1. What is the mood or atmosphere prior to worship in the church? In the parking lot? The hall? What do you like or dislike about it?
“2. How can you seek the prosperity of all who suffer war and oppression? Can the group help people of special interest to you?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

Psalm 123

“1. What task did you finish despite the doomsaying of observers?
“2. Has God shown mercy when you’ve said ‘I’ve had it’?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

There is one set of questions for each of these psalms.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.