Psalm 121 Commentary
The mountain of verse 1 may represent stability, solidness, an imposing fixture, or an immovable fortress. It could be an asset that stands taller than the rest. Your success seems to spring from there. The psalmist looks at this, the mountain, and knows his help doesn’t come from there.
The biggest danger up any serious mountain is slipping. The LORD will not let your foot slip.
From the vantage point of the mountain, the military could see the enemy approaching. Even then, the guards on duty needed to be awake and alert. The LORD on the other hand doesn’t sleep. The saint shouldn’t worry about a moment of slumber. It never just happens.
Having perfection itself as your guard, you probably shouldn’t worry at all. You easily understand when the psalmist declares that the LORD will keep you from all harm.
How does this psalm compare with some realities on the ground? Suffering is real but it cannot harm the saint. Whatever happens to the saint cannot cause harm – and things happen. They are harmless because this word remains true at all times.
Even persecution that causes intense pain and suffering, even one that leads to physical death has not caused any harm at all. Even when the LORD allows an attack on the saint, there is no harm of any kind caused because of this psalm. No one can declare anything dead which the Creator God has declared living. John 11 and verses 25 and 26 seem to ponder this thought.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”
Do you believe this? This question is actually part of the two verses above.
This psalm provokes the thought that our understanding of harm may be wrong. We are all trying to beat the brevity of life but the wrong way. We are trying to achieve all we can within what we feel is the available time but again from the wrong position. The mountain isn’t our source of help.
The resurrection is one huge statement from the LORD that even the most feared harm isn’t harm at all to the saved. The saint can repeat this psalm: The LORD will keep you from all harm. Yes, all harm.
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