Psalm 121 - The Lord is My Keeper : Help When Facing Mountains

Title - "The Lord Is Our Keeper: Help When Facing Mountains"
Psalm 121
Introduction
• Songs of Ascent
• Three major pilgrimage festivals
Psalm 121 Overview
• Hebrew Text of Psalm 121
מִזְמוֹר לַמַּעֲלוֹת
שִׁיר לַמַּעֲלוֹת אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי אֶל־הֶהָרִים מֵאַיִן יָבֹא עֶזְרִי׃
עֶזְרִי מֵעִם יְהוָה עֹשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ׃
אַל־יִתֵּן לַמּוֹט רַגְלֶךָ אַל־יָנוּם שֹׁמְרֶךָ׃
הִנֵּה לֹא־יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
יְהוָה שֹׁמְרֶךָ יְהוָה צִלְּךָ עַל־יַד יְמִינֶךָ׃
יוֹמָם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לֹא־יַכֶּכָּה וְיָרֵחַ בַּלָּיְלָה׃
יְהוָה יִשְׁמָרְךָ מִכָּל־רָע יִשְׁמֹר אֶת־נַפְשֶׁךָ׃
יְהוָה יִשְׁמָר־צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד־עוֹלָם׃
• Key theme: God as protector and keeper
• Hebrew word "shomer" (keep/watch/guard) used 6 times
God's Comprehensive Protection
• All situations: "The Lord will protect you from all evil" (v.7)
• All seasons: "The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night" (v.6)
• All transitions: "The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in" (v.8)
• All times: "From this time forth and forever" (v.8)
Specific Examples of God's Protection
• Stability: "He will not allow your foot to slip" (v.3)
• Relief: "The Lord is your shade on your right hand" (v.5)
More Key Hebrew Words
• "Ra'" - evil/disaster/calamity (not just harm)
• "Nephesh" - soul/life essence (not just physical life)
Christological Interpretation
Jesus' three "mountains":
1. Temple Mount - place of praise
2. Mount of Olives - place of prayer
3. Golgotha - place of pain
Personal Application
• God keeps us through storms, not always from them
• Our experiences of God's keeping power
Making the Psalms Your Own
• Example: Dan Wilt's prayer based on Psalm 121
Conclusion
• God is our constant, all-encompassing protector
• "My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth"