psalm 121

Haystack bible commentary

"Stacks and stacks of commentary...."

==psalm 121:1-2:

I will lift up my eyes to the hills--
From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

We must avoid mistakes frequently made by poets who have sought to personify nature and  find it in a reponse to the varying moods of life, and by theologians who have found it an analogy of the ways of God. Nature is not like God. Her laws disclose no moral standards. When these are introduced she appears full not only of contradictions but of cruelties.

In verse 1, the psalmist looks to the hills. Looking to the hills can have negative or positive connotations depending on the translation. Negative in the anticipation of an ambush while traveling. Robbers and thieves can use the rocks and crevices in the hills, plus the tactical advantage of the high ground, against the sojourner. This is still true in many areas of the world.
The connotation can be positive if the hills are at Jerusalem, seeing one’s goal. What a joy to have one’s destination finally in sight! Or perhaps, as the hills point to the heavens and Yahweh, our covenant-keeping God. Either way, the real emphasis of verse 1 is the question at the end: From where does my help come? Is that not our question today in our fallen world?
  The psalmist immediately answers this critical question in verse 2. The eternal God who created the heavens and the earth and everything in them is our help. Who can stay his hand? Isaiah 43:1-13 which Bart read earlier addressed that very well. Who can oppose him? Who can thwart his purposes? If our covenant-keeping God is for us, who can possibly succeed against us? Romans 8:31-35 gives the answer – nothing or no one in the universe can separate God’s elect from Christ’s love.       --Reformed Musings

==psalm 121:3:

He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.

"He will not suffer thy foot to be moved" is a metaphor for spiritual stability and perseverance. While it doesn't promise a life free from hardship, it assures that those who trust in God will not fall away completely or ultimately fail in their faith. It is God who provides the strength to stand firm, even in the face of adversity. 
The second part of the verse, "he that keepeth thee will not slumber," emphasizes God's constant, round-the-clock vigilance.  Unlike human beings or man-made idols that need rest, the true Keeper of Israel never tires or sleeps. This is confirmed in the next verse (121:4), "Behold, he who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." For the ancient pilgrims on a treacherous journey to Jerusalem, this imagery was a tremendous comfort, reassuring them that they had a divine guardian who was always awake and aware of their needs. 
    This verse is part of a "Song of Ascents," sung by pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. It comes after a call to look to the Lord for 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" (121:1–2). This establishes a foundation of faith, which verse 3 reinforces with the promise of divine protection throughout the journey and beyond. 

==psalm 121:4:

​Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

​This verse from the Book of Psalms reassures believers of God's constant and vigilant protection, emphasizing that He is always watching over His people, never growing tired or inattentive, unlike human guardians. It highlights the unending care God provides day and night, according to various translations of the Bible.  
"God's watchfulness" emphasizes that God is always alert and vigilant, providing a sense of constant security for those who trust in Him. Unlike humans who need rest, God remains ever-present and actively involved in protecting His people, a promise found throughout Psalm 121. This message offers comfort in times of danger or difficulty by assuring believers of God's unwavering and eternal care. 

November 13, 2023: Providence reported: A few days ago, a Facebook friend posted in all caps, “A MUST SEE!!”  The focus of my friend’s enthusiasm was a YouTube video of a prominent evangelical dispensationalist explaining “what’s next” in Israel’s war against Hamas.  My friend concluded his post repeating the video presenter’s closing Bible verse from Psalm 121:4: “He who watches over Israel, neither slumbers nor sleeps.” George Marsden, the premier historian of American evangelicalism, has written extensively about the important role that dispensationalism played in shaping American Protestant fundamentalism, the precursor of contemporary American evangelicalism.  Central to dispensational theology is the belief that the 20th century return of Jews to Palestine, and the birth of the modern state of Israel in 1948, was a key prophetic marker pointing to the Second Coming of Christ.

==psalm 121:5-6:

The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

==psalm 121:7-8:

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

​“The Lord will keep you from ALL harm,” it says. But then you look at someone like Job, or people who go through hard times. It’s kind of hard to practically apply it to everyday life here on planet earth. So, I would have to suspect the verse is direct application to our soul and eternity. Things may get pretty rough, but hang on, because then there is “forevermore.”