Song of Ascent: Second Step

A Song of Ascents. Psalm 121

1I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

3He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.

On the second step, the Levites sang Psalm 121. It’s has always seemed to me that the first verse is best read as something like, “Even if I looked to the hills. . .” It is like a commander of soldiers who would greatly appreciate help in the heat and fog of battle. But there is neither help upon the hill nor any on the other side. And he knows it. He also knows from where his help will come.

The psalmist exclaims that “My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.”

The psalmist, in verse five, shifts from a personal view to a more universal view of G-D and His Chosen. He proclaims, “The LORD is your keeper.” Here could be inserted Guardian, or certainly Shepherd. The word picture we might have is of our G-D standing watch over us.

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .