Psalm 121

A Song of Ascents.

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 a famous psalm. The paraphrase “Unto the hills around” was written by John, Duke of Argyll, who was Governor-General of Canada from 1878-1883. The paraphrase was first published the year before he came to Canada. The paraphrase has become a signature song of those with Scottish or Presbyterian roots.

The psalm makes perfect sense in the mouths of pilgrims who are walking to Jerusalem. Out there in the open air, if trouble came where would help come form (vs. 1,2). Walking on paths up hills and along drop offs, the promise that their foot would not slip (vs. 3) was powerful. That be they travelling in the heat of the day or in the dark of night, they would be kept safe (vs. 6). God would keep them safe as they left on their journey (going out) and all the way until their return (coming in) (vs. 8).

Now while we may not be on physical pilgrimage (although walking the Camino or similar pilgrim routes is making a revival) this psalm speaks to seeing life as a journey. A journey in which there are threats of trouble (God is our help – vs. 1,2), times when it feels like our feet may slip (God will keep us secure – vs. 3), times when we are exhausted and need rest (God who does not sleep will keep us – vs. 3,4). From the time we are born going out into the world until the day when we come home to God – we know that God is with us, holding us safe until we are home with him.

PRAYER: 

O Lord, we rejoice in your promise to be with us through all the journey of life. We thank you for your steadying presence and your help in times of trouble. Bring us safely in the end to your home. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 120

A Song of Ascents.

1 In my distress I cry to the Lord, that he may answer me:
2 ‘Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.’

3 What shall be given to you?
    And what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue?
4 A warrior’s sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree!

5 Woe is me, that I am an alien in Meshech,
    that I must live among the tents of Kedar.
6 Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.

The Songs of Ascents, Psalms 120-134, were sung by pilgrims as they made their way from wherever in Israel or other parts of the world they lived to Jerusalem to attend holy feasts and festivals at the temple. The pilgrims were on a double upward journey – towards Jerusalem which was built on a hill, and the spiritual journey is described as a upward journey.

We are not sure exactly how these songs were used. Were they sung in order? Were some sung at particular points on the journey? Some seem to reference particular moments in the journey. However they were used, in reflecting on these psalms we are listening in on songs the people of Israel sang when they were on pilgrimage. That in itself marks it worthwhile to give these psalms a look, which we will do over the next 5 weeks—reading three per week. 

The song opens with a cry to God for help – to be delivered from lying lips. The question arises how do we get from lying lips in vs. 1 to the struggle between war and peace in vs. 6,7. There is a saying, “The first casualty of war is the truth.” Lies are told about the enemy/opponent/adversary to create the pretext for war. Rumours, which very frequently are untrue, circulate to raise up ire against the group or individual the rumours are about.

As the pilgrims journeyed together the opportunity to rumours and lies would be very high. In any group the opportunity to spread rumours is very high. Here the cry is for God to help those who sing this song as they travel to Jerusalem, as they travel to bring their worship to God, to be people who live for peace even in the words they speak about others. This cry for God to help us be people of peace even in the words we say about others applies as much today as some 3,000 years ago.

PRAYER:

O Lord, guard our mouths that we do not spread rumours and lies. O Lord, protect our ears that we would not be swayed by the rumours and lies we hear or are told. O Lord by the action of the Holy Spirit, give us the strength to remain committed to peace when all around people encourage conflict and war. In Jesus’ name. Amen.