October 9th

Psalm 121

A Psalm for Travellers

It is one of the most dramatic stories in the OT. 

Then Ahab went to meet Elijah. ¹⁷ When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, the one who troubles Israel?”

¹⁸ Elijah answered, “I haven’t troubled Israel; you and your father’s house have! You did as much when you deserted the Lord’s commands and followed the Baals. ¹⁹ Now send a message and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel. Gather the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

²⁰ Ahab sent the message to all the Israelites. He gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. ²¹ Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you hobble back and forth between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow God. If Baal is God, follow Baal.” The people gave no answer.

²² Elijah said to the people, “I am the last of the Lord’s prophets, but Baal’s prophets number four hundred fifty. ²³ Give us two bulls. Let Baal’s prophets choose one. Let them cut it apart and set it on the wood, but don’t add fire. I’ll prepare the other bull, put it on the wood, but won’t add fire. ²⁴ Then all of you will call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers with fire—that’s the real God!”

All the people answered, “That’s an excellent idea.”    [1 Kings 18.16-40]

The story goes on to tell how the prophets of Baal pleaded all day with their god but got no response.  However, Yahweh responded to Elijah, the false gods were exposed as frauds, and the people recognized Yahweh as their true God.

Our psalm begins memorably with the psalmist lifting his eyes to the hills.  In Canaanite culture the hills were where the false gods were believed to live and have power.  But asks the psalmist, ‘from where will my help come?’  The ringing affirmation of faith in vs.2 answers that the Creator God (Yahweh) will bring help.

The Canaanite neighbours also worshipped the sun and the moon as gods.  But Israel is assured that neither of these have any spiritual power over the true Creator of the world who never is asleep on the job.

The name Yahweh occurs five times in the psalm, adding to the portrait of an ever-present, covenant God.  Even more telling is this:  The exact center of the psalm is vs. 5a – ‘Yahweh is your keeper.’   ‘Keeping,’ the key verbal idea is repeated six times (v.3,4,5,7 twice) though it may be translated differently in our English translations.   God is constantly vigilant.  These travellers knew, as do we, that hardships will come into our lives, nevertheless they trust Yahweh to keep their lives in His ultimate care.  

Next to Psalm 23, this is probably the best known psalm and most memorized.  People of faith reach for its words of assurance amid the trials and turmoil of their life journey.  Life is full of many dangers. The physical: disease, injury, accident, war, infirmity, or natural disasters. The economic: recession, depression, unemployment, outsourcing, downsizing, insolvency, debt, or theft. The spiritual: doubt, sin, evil, corruption, fundamentalism, extremism, or false teaching.

I have read that it is common for Jewish families to post Psalm 121 in the delivery room, or in baby carriages, or in a child’s room.

Upon leaving for Africa, David Livingstone is said to have read Psalm 121.  It is a psalm for travellers.   

The words of Psalm 121.8 make a great blessing. “The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in, from this time on and forevermore.”   

AMEN

https://youtu.be/KymMxvXn3yQ - Poor Bishop Hooper