Expository - Songs of Degrees

Psalm 121

In Psalm 120 we discover the believer looking around and finding himself dwelling in the wrong places. He saw distress on all sides; when he spoke in peace, those around him wanted war. However, in Psalm 121 he looks up. It is there, and there alone, that he can find help. Do you have problems? Don't look around. Oh, the world may be ready to offer advice and counselling, but your only help is going to come from above, from the Lord. Look and live!

In Isaiah 45 v 22, the Lord speaks to all, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God and there is none else."   When we respond to God's word in faith, that first response of looking is what the Lord wants. He wants our gaze to be directed solely to Him.

Of course, in the Song of Solomon, we have the same idea of moving upward, to know full communion with the Lord: ch 2 v 8 "The voice of my Beloved! behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills." So where is the sight of the soul drawn to here? It is upward to the mountains and hills, to where our Beloved is. It was not very long before the bride heard the voice of her beloved (v10) saying "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away." And so we climb up to the second step. When the Israelites sang these songs of old, perhaps on their pilgrimage journey to Jerusalem for one of the great feasts, were there eyes not directed upward, to keep always in view Mount Zion, their final destination? They were marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God. On their way to Jerusalem, the Israelites of old kept Mount Zion in view. They looked up. It encouraged and strengthened them on the journey. Let us look to the Lord as it instructs us in Hebrews 12: "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."

The Psalmist said, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills." In Psalm 133 he says, "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore." Looking up brings us to the place where the Lord has commanded the blessing.

Even on a Sunday morning, we look to the hill of Calvary, Golgotha, where our Saviour shed his precious life blood to purchase our redemption and our eternal salvation. We might also look to the hill called the Mount of Olives from where Jesus ascended into heaven and to where he is returning. And now we look to heaven itself, for we have not come to mount Sinai but to the heavenly Mount Zion where there is blessing and joy for evermore. Hebrews 12 v 22. That is where our help comes from.

As the Psalmist lifted his eyes to the hills, he then asked the question, "From whence comes my help?" The answer follows immediately, "My help comes from the Lord." We really ought to change the A.V. punctuation here. Jeremiah 3 v 23 makes this quite clear: "Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel."

Nevertheless, hills and mountains draw our attention upward. There are such heights in our spiritual experience, which, as we ponder them and share them with one another, they draw our gaze upward, in expectancy, to the Lord Himself.

As we look to the hills our gaze is drawn to the Lord Himself, the one who is the great Creator of all things. The Lord delights to draw our attention to Himself. Indeed Jesus pointed out that no one could come to Him unless the Father draw Him. (John 6 v 44). In the Song of songs, the bride cries, "Draw me, we will run after Thee." God does the work but we must respond in faith. As He draws us we respond by climbing up those ascents which are the subject of these Psalms. It is possible to know God drawing us to Him and yet to resist and refuse to respond. However God would have us to respond and to run after Him.

In Hebrews 12 we also get encouragement to run after God: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking (away) unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." As God draws us, we respond by laying aside everything that would hinder, and by running along that pathway set before us by the Lord, looking away and upward to Jesus. The analogy is clear. There are clothes which, though in the world they are quite acceptable, for running would be most unsuitable. Similarly, there are many things which, whilst in the world they are quite normal, for the believer they are a definite hindrance to spiritual progress. We can see that the sin which does so easily beset us must be put out, but so must those seemingly harmless things which get in the way.

Then, in I Corinthians 7 v 29, where Paul has been speaking about marriage, he gives us a valid point: "But this I say brethren, the time is short...but I would have you free from carefulness" (i.e. free from worry and anxiety). That is how we can be if we are looking upward. With the Psalmist we can say, "My help is from the Lord." As we receive the promise that there is the possibility of full communion with the Lord, let us not be daunted by the greatness of the possibility; let us not be beset by doubt and unbelief. Look to the Lord and be strong in faith. Then we shall take that next step up.

Our help is from the Lord who is our keeper. He is the Creator who made all things; He is able also to keep. From Psalm 120 to Psalm 121, the soul is encouraged to leave the places where it should not be (Mesech and the tents of Kedar) and to go on with God, for God is our help and keeper. We have the same exhortation in Hebrews 4 v 16 where it says, "Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Surely the Lord will help us as we respond and step out.

Here, in Psalm 121, is the way in which He helps us. He will not suffer your foot to be moved. He will not allow it to slip. As you climb upwards in your spiritual experience, you may be tempted to think that you are going to slip. Be assured: the Lord will keep your steps. He will be there with you, for He wants you to get to the top.

In Psalm 18 v 33, the Psalmist says, "He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places." In other words, the Lord makes us to be sure-footed in our ascent to the heavenlies. Psalm 116 vv 7-9 is also interesting: "Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with thee. For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living."

Now we find also that the Lord will be a shade or a defence to us on our right side. The right side has less protection than the left, for one holds the shield with the left arm and the sword with the right. However, the Lord is our sure defence. If we have left ourselves momentarily unguarded, the Lord is there to make sure that the enemy does not get the slightest advantage. Hallelujah!

Even in the heat of the day, when things seem to be getting unbearable, the Lord will be with you so that the sun does not weary you; neither will the moon affect you by night. The Lord will keep you from the terrors of the night. By day and night the Lord will keep you from ALL evil.

The promise to the believer who moves on in the Lord, is that the Lord will keep from ALL evil. He will preserve your going out and your coming in. As you move out in faith, out of your current circumstances, the Lord will be there. It may be a big step of faith for you, but the Lord will keep you. Furthermore, He will bring you safe to the place where He wants you to be: He will preserve your coming in.

II Peter 1 vv 3-11 reminds us that we have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust - that is a moving out. There are exceeding great and precious promises given by which we are made partakers of the Divine nature. There is much that can be added to faith and if these things are in us and abound we shall not be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, " ...you shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." He will preserve your coming in.

We are being encouraged to go up. The pathway may not be smooth but what this Psalm teaches us is that the Lord is always there, in every circumstance. The more you want God, the more you want to be there at the top in full communion with God, the more difficulties you will encounter, the more temptations will seem to come your way, the more opportunities to go back to the world and the more enemy attacks there may be. It is taking up daily the cross to follow Jesus. However, no matter how difficult the way, the Lord keeps and preserves.

"I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." (Psalm 40 vv 1-2)

How long will it last? Can I fall from this? Listen to the Psalmist (121 v 8): "..from this time forth, and even for evermore." He is able to keep you from falling (Jude 24).