Chapel – Dr. Ken Michell
Good morning, Tyndale community. My name is Dr. Ken Michell and I teach in the Music & Worship Arts department in undergraduate studies.
I’d like to share a few reflections on a relatively familiar psalm – Psalm 121. And we’ll read it together – and let me encourage you to open your Bibles (or Bible apps) to read along with me. In fact, let me also encourage you to say the words out loud (in whatever translation you’re reading, and wherever you are). The psalms, in particular, are words to be placed upon our lips – in prayer, and in song, and in worship. These are the very worship words God has given us – they are the Word of God that we receive and as such we listen as God speaks TO us. But they are also very much the words that we offer and as such they speak FOR us.
Worship indeed has this delightful rhythm of holy conversation between God and his people – where God speaks and God listens – where God makes himself known through his self-revelation and we become known (that is, we come to know who we are in relationship to God) through our faithful and obedient response. This dialogue (or dialogical rhythm) is fundamental to our encounter with God. And you’ll notice in Psalm 121 that we hear two distinct voices – a conversation of sorts. The first voice is the psalmist who is a traveller – a pilgrim who is about to take a journey, expecting to face danger as they travel. And so they ask a question, and then answer it.
And then the second voice is the pastoral presence – the reassuring voice that comforts the traveller, acknowledging that even though there will be danger on the journey, God will guard and guide. God will protect and provide for God watches over them – or, as a number of translations put it: the Lord is their keeper.
Let’s read from Psalm 121 (I’ll be reading from the New Revised Standard Version):
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills — from where will my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 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.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and for evermore.
This is the Word of the Lord, Thanks be to God.
Lord, with the psalmist, we pray (that you would): Show us your ways, and teach us your paths. 5 Guide us in your truth and teach us, for you are God, our Savior, and our hope is in you all day long. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be pleasing to you, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Have you ever prepared for a journey knowing that you will likely face danger along the way? Maybe you have visited parts of the world where there is ongoing unrest? We just had a missionary family staying with us from Colombia and, without going into detail, he confided to us that there are many parts of the country where it is not safe to travel, even for Colombians! Living in the relative comfort and safety of Canada, I know that I can quickly forget how difficult it is for many people in other parts of the world.
Since Christmas, I have, on occasion, had breakfast with Bono (lead singer of U2 – in case you weren’t sure who that is) – reading excerpts from his autobiography. And a few months ago, I read the section where he and the guitarist from U2 (The Edge), took an underground train from Poland into Ukraine at the beginning of the conflict there (sadly, well over a year ago). They went to perform an impromptu concert in the subway stations below the city of Kiev – and to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. And, of course, he describes how they had to take all kinds of precautions to get there.
And within a few days of reading that section of Bono’s autobiography, I read about US President Joe Biden’s secret journey into Kiev to meet with President Zelensky. And, of course, the considerable safeguards that were put in place to protect him and his entourage so that the meeting could take place.
Now, maybe you haven’t had to prepare for that level of danger on your literal travels, but metaphorically, the journeys of our lives bring us face-to-face with struggles and challenges; we come up against adversity and trouble.
And I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that, at some point or another, you have found yourself in a situation where you had a pretty good idea that around the corner; around that corner, there’s something brewing – you’re heading into a storm.
And perhaps you paused – if you had a chance to pause (the calm before the storm) – to ask the same question the psalmist does in verse 1: “from where will my help come?” Or in the plain language of the NIV translation: “where does my help come from?” Maybe you don’t ask it in a moment of calm but more in a panicked flash, anticipating the worst; or an overwhelming anxiety because you are gripped by fear. Where does my help come from??? (in text form, that’s all caps with nine question marks and exclamation points, face screaming in fear emoji, face with cold sweat emoji!!).
I know for me, at least some of my fear when even just asking that question – is that I might not hear an answer – certainly not right away. But the writer of psalm 121 is quick – not flippant or dismissive – but quick to respond to the aching question, “where does my help come from?” “My help comes from the Lord – the maker of heaven and earth.”
Now, before we reflect on what happens next in the psalm, let’s back up a step just to get a bit more context. In Psalm 121, the writer, as we’ve pointed out, is a traveller – a pilgrim – making preparation for what appears to be a return journey from having worshiped together with God’s people. There are a few ways to read the narrative here but I’m going with the notion that the writer has already been to Jerusalem and worshiped with God’s people. And is now making the return journey where he anticipates some trouble.
And to step back a little farther, psalm 121 is part of a collection of 14 psalms (120 – 134) that are known as the ‘songs of ascent’ – they are a group of travel psalms – as the people ‘ascend’ to the place where God calls them to worship. In many of these psalms, Jerusalem or Zion is the destination to which the community ascends – the place where the temple is. And God is the one to whom the community ascends as the temple is the place where God makes his dwelling among his people; the place where sacrifices are made to atone for sin and restore right relationship between God and his people; the place where Israel’s identity as God’s people is affirmed and where God blesses his people – placing his name upon them.
Three times a year, God called his people to gather in Jerusalem (to come to the temple) and worship together at the time of the major festivals. Each of the festivals commemorated different parts of God’s redemptive story reminding the people of their special relationship with God – who was their God even as they were his people.
And three times a year, God’s people would uproot their daily rhythms and routines – to remember that time wasn’t their own; that they operated on God’s time and in his timing. If they had become comfortable fitting God into their schedule, they were reminded that, in the big picture, it’s really the other way around – they fit – they find their true place and their true identity – in God – and in his story. We fit, we find our true place and our true identity – in God – and in his story. Maybe that’s part of why the writer is so quick to answer the question – he is certain, that in God’s time and timing, God will keep him. God will watch over him. His help will come from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
And I don’t think it’s a stretch to presume that the immediacy of his response is also a function of where he has just come from – gathered in worship in the community of God’s people. The writer seems to have the words of the priestly blessing (The Lord bless you and keep you) – which undoubtedly would have been pronounced in the gathering – ringing in his ears as he confronts his fear and answers his own question with a certain boldness. Armed with the assurance he has been gifted in worship; he faces the challenge before him with confidence.
He is quick to profess his faith that he will be helped by the God who has shown himself to be his helper – the God who he has encountered in worship – the God who has received his offering and affirmed his love to him and for him. Even as the traveller sets his eyes upon the hills, he sees beyond them to the one who has created the hills – the hills don’t have power in and of themselves but the one who made them is all-powerful. The pilgrim looks beyond the creation to the Creator: “My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.”
When we are gathered in worship, we are gathered by God who has called us to know him and be known by him. We receive God’s blessing even as we offer ourselves to bless God in worship. And in our encounter with him, he deposits faith in us to respond to the hills and mountains we face with assurance that ‘our help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.
And maybe it helps to name those hills or mountains – to set our eyes upon them and call them out. To bring to our awareness (not that we need much help there) the fact that we face challenges and adversity – even danger – and we need help. And maybe when we face those challenges and acknowledge our need for help, we are closer to this faithful affirmation; closer to the Creator who has made heaven and earth and who is the one who helps us!
When you and I face challenges, where do we look? What do your eyes lock onto when you experience overwhelming stress or debilitating apprehension? Do you look down? So consumed by fear that you can’t even lift your head, let alone your eyes? Do you look around? Scanning the surroundings for someone who can come to your aid – or maybe pointedly looking for the person you think is at fault? Do you look within? Only you can resolve the issue, so you better pull up your socks, work the problem, and find a solution? Do you just simply tell yourself to ‘do better?’
I don’t think it’s a coincidence here that the traveller in Psalm 121 looks up – and even though he sees the hills and mountains that loom before him – he ultimately looks beyond them to God who is sovereign and who will help him in the challenges and through the challenges. This is one of the gifts of gathering in worship – that we practice the art of ‘looking up’ – looking to God – who restores and redeems us. And we learn to look beyond – the power of creation is no match for the power of the Creator – a theme found in many of the psalms. There is no one like our God!
And I suppose there’s another side to this conversation that we might consider – and that is that we may look and not see any danger at all – not because we are ignoring the danger but maybe because we’ve charted a path that is very safe; we retreat into the security of a routine that is, well, comfortable. And perhaps God is sending us to go from the community gathered in worship – where we have received his blessing – and extend that blessing to others – particularly those who are at the margins – the ones who are calling out for help. Seeing danger on the road ahead doesn’t automatically mean we should not take that path.
Now, I’m not suggesting that you throw caution to the wind but if you are never in a situation where you ‘need to ask for help’ you may just forget how to exercise faith in God who is our helper!
Psalm 121 invites us to journey – as God’s people – and pursue the path that God has ordained for us. And where we face challenges – remembering that Jesus said “in this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33) – we trust God’s provision and protection.
The second voice we encounter in Psalm 121 is the pastoral presence that responds to the traveller’s question and answer expanding on how indeed we know that God is our helper!
Each of the next three pairs of verses explore the ways that we know that ‘our help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.’ While verses 1 and 2 focus on the word ‘help,’ verses 3-8 focus on the word, ‘keep’ or ‘keeper’ – in fact, six times in these six verses, the Lord is referred to as the one who keeps us or that the Lord is our keeper.
The concept of ‘keep’ relates to two big ideas in the Scriptures – on one hand, it recalls the image of a shepherd who looks after or tends to the flock. Jeremiah 31:10 says: “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.’ And on the other hand, it portrays an image of the one who stands on guard. Another song of ascent – psalm 127:1 – says: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain.”
God’s provision and protection are clearly in view. You may recall that the English word ‘keep’ refers to a fortified tower that’s typically built within the walls of a castle. It’s usually the strongest part of the castle and the last place of refuge if the castle is under attack. The Lord is our keeper.
Verse 3 and 4 tell us that the God who keeps us will not let your foot slip – a helpful reminder for the traveler. And God is pictured as the one who does not fall asleep on the job – he will neither slumber nor sleep. In the ancient Near East, the Canaanite deity, Baal, was said to sleep during the summer months – but God remains awake – ever watchful over the flock of Israel. And while these verses affirm God as Israel’s keeper, in verses 5 and 6 it gets personal.
At the very centre of the entire psalm is the phrase “The Lord is your keeper” (your keeper) found in the beginning of verse 5. There are, in fact, exactly 58 syllables before and 58 syllables after. In verses 5 and 6, God is pictured as a guardian who is a shade at our right hand. Here the imagery of the right hand is a military reference. In battle, a person would typically hold a shield in their left hand and their sword in their right hand which made them vulnerable on the right side. So, they would depend on the person ‘at their right hand’ to protect them where they are most vulnerable. And here the reference to the sun and moon help us see that there is no time of day when God is not our protector.
In verse 7, the Lord keeps us from all evil and keeps our life. Jesus teaches us to pray that we would not be led into temptation, and that we would be delivered from evil. And in verse 8, the Lord keeps our going out and our coming in from this time on and for evermore. Here, we have a kind of summary statement that pictures typical city life in the ancient Near East. As one commentator describes it, a worker would leave ‘the protective confines of the walled city in the morning to carry out field and pasture work and return in the evening to the shelter of the city walls.’
The idea that God keeps our ‘going out and coming in’ further reinforces the journey motif. In fact, this verse was commonly spoken when a person entered a Jewish home where Scriptures were attached to the doorposts. And in some of the early church traditions (particularly in Eastern Orthodoxy), this verse was inscribed on the doorposts of Christian homes.
The traveler – who charts his path homeward – recalls this priestly and pastoral wisdom to strengthen his faith and pursue the ‘road less travelled.’ In the psalm, we hear echoes of Jesus who reminds us that he is the good Shepherd – who protects and provides – and who ultimately lays down his life for the sheep so that we can be kept by God – secure in our identity as his beloved daughter or son. In John’s gospel, Jesus prays to the Father for his disciples to be protected and 1 Peter reminds us that Jesus is the shepherd and ‘guardian’ of our souls (2:25).
With the pilgrim who expresses his trust in the Lord who made heaven and earth, we place our trust in Jesus with the same confidence and assurance.
As fellow travelers – journeying together in life and faith, let me encourage you, like the Israelites, to embrace the disruption that reminds us that time is not our own and we are not in control. We are called to live in God’s time and find ourselves in his story.
And let me encourage you to regularly heed the call to gather in worship – embracing the rhythm of a faith dialogue that begins with God who speaks and calls us to faithful and obedient response. Embrace worship as a training ground that calls us to look up and look beyond – and not shy away from the path that may have challenges – entrusting our steps into the hands of the Lord your keeper – who keeps your going out and your coming in from this time on and for evermore.
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
