St Louis UBF UBF Bible Study : Psalms 121

Bible Study Materials

Psalms 121

by Paul Choi 11/17/2013

Question

Where Does My Help Come From?

Psalm 121:1-8

Key Verse: 121:1,2

Analyze this psalm verse by verse. How do some of the themes show progression? What does “lift up my eyes to the hills” mean? (Ps 18:6, Is 2:2, Ac 3:4)

Read verses 1 & 2 again. What situation may the psalmist have been in? (Ps 18:4,5) Where does he find the answer? (2, Ps 18:2, 42:5)

Read verses 3,4. How did God protect his people, the Israelites? (Ex 13:21, 14:30, 31; 16:35, Deut 8:2, Jos 1:8, 10:13) Read verses 5 & 6. How does the psalmist find certainty in God’s protection over his own life? (Ps 13:5, 18:25, 23:4,6; 73:26)

Read verses 7,8. How far does the psalmist extend God’s supervision over his life? (Ps 113:2, 136:1, Lk 21:18) How can we apply this passage to our practical life in this thanksgiving season? (Ps 126:6, Mt 6:33)

Attachment

Where does my help come from-questions_rev1.doc

Message

WHERE DOES MY HELP COME FROM

Psalm 121

Key Verses 1,2: “I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Last week the super typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines. More than 5,000 people were killed and millions of people lost family members, homes, and living spaces. Even though aid and assistance for them continues to arrive from all over the world, most of the victims are still in great need. Our church will help them through a reputable relief group. During our lifetime, we encounter many such inescapable and uncontrollable disasters, whether big or small, such as the loss of heath, job, properties, or loved ones, or failures in relationships and academic achievement, and so on. In these times, from where do you seek your help? Where does your help come from? The Psalmist in today’s passage teaches us from where we receive our help.

Psalm 121 is one of the fifteen songs of ascents. Songs of ascents (Ps 120-134) were sung by the pilgrims who were climbing up to the temple of the Lord. These days some Jews put a copy of Psalm 121 in the delivery or labor room, asking God’s help and mercy for an easy labor. Others put it in the baby’s carriage and in his room for God’s protection from all danger and harm. Let us study the meaning and purpose of this song so that we may experience help from our God.

First, our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (1,2) Look at verses 1,2. “I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” The worshipers who climbed up to the temple of the Lord were travelers who came to celebrate Jewish feasts. They were climbing up to the hill of God for various reasons and with various emotions. Some might have been going through a family tragedy. Others might have confronted life difficulties. Still others might have struggled with their relationship with God. Even though they gathered from all around the world from different places and for different reasons, they had one common point which was that they all needed help. While they were climbing up on the steps of the temple, they lifted up their eyes and sang, “I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” When they lifted their eyes to the hills, they saw heaven beyond the hills. When they saw heaven, they remembered God, who is the Maker of heaven and earth. They found help from the Lord God, the Creator of the universe. They found an answer from the Lord.

Here, the word ‘Lord’ is YHWH, which means “I AM WHO I AM.” (Ex 3:14) He exists in and of himself. He is self-existent and self-sufficient. He is the Maker of heaven and earth. The God who created the heavens and earth is the Almighty God. He is omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipresent (all-present). Our help comes from this Almighty Creator God. How wonderful it is when our help comes from the Creator God! He is all-powerful. Some of us may be stuck in the middle of trouble like the Israelites, who were between the Red Sea and the chasing Egyptian armies. But God will open the Red Sea in front of our eyes so that we might cross the Red Sea as on dry land. Some may struggle with financial matters, worrying about what to eat and how to pay bills. But God will provide for his people with all necessary things as he provided manna for the Israelites for forty years in the desert. Some may confront tough exams or school study which appears like the wall of Jericho. But our help will comes from the Lord so that the wall of Jericho will collapse in front of our eyes and we will pass through the flattened Jericho. Above all, our God has power to raise the dead as he raised Jesus from the tomb. Those who live under the shadow of death will be made alive as Christ was made alive (1 Co 15:22). Those who suffer from depression, sorrow, and sense of failure will rise again and be made alive in Christ Jesus. Our God is all powerful. Nothing is impossible with him. Last Friday I asked Shepherd Ben West to write a skit for our Christmas worship service. Nothing is impossible with the Lord. Jesus said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” (Lk 18:27) I pray and believe that God will provide inspiration and creativity for Ben to write a heart-moving skit. Amen.

Our God is all- knowing and all-wise. He created the universe with his wisdom and power. He knows our past, present, and future. He knows how to make all things work for good for his glory.(Ro 8:28) Most of our church members are students who struggle with their school study. I believe that our help comes from the Lord, who created and started the heavens and the earth. What is science? Is it not a study of what God created? What is biology? Is it not a study of organisms and metabolism in nature and all bodies which God had created? If you lack wisdom, ask God who created and started biology and anatomy. Missionary Isaiah Lim studies physics. What is physics? Is it not the research of relations between matter and space, which God created with his divine wisdom? What is mathematics? The word “mathematics” comes from “mathema” in Greek, which means “learn.” Mathematics is to ‘learn’ what God had made about numbers, structures, quantity, change and so on. What else I can share about? Astrology? Geology? Philosophy? Epistemology? Even theology? All human study and research are learning what God has done for us. My point is that when we lack wisdom, when we need help for our school study, ask God who is willing to provide all necessary wisdom. Peter Pei said that he prayed in the middle of an exam for God’s help. He said that he felt sorry because he thought that his prayer might be selfish. No! That was not a selfish prayer. God is our Father in heaven. He wants to bless us and help us whatever our situation might be. Asking for God’s help is our prayer. Lifting up our eyes to the hills is our act of prayer. God wants us to lift up our eyes to pray. God does not want his children just looking down in despair. He wants us to come to him and humbly ask for his help whatever we need. As a father I like to answer my children’s requests whether they are big or small, if they are not harmful or from wrong motives. I help them because I love them. I want them to come to me more often for help because I want to have more fellowship with them. I want to be a good father to them. In the same way our God wants to hear our requests. He wants to answer our prayers. He wants to help us.

There was a little boy who stood in front of a nut store. The store owner was generous and asked the boy to reach out and grab a handful of peanuts. But the boy didn’t move, but just stood staring at the store owner. The owner, thinking that the boy was shy, gave the boy a handful of peanuts. The little boy was not shy but was waiting for the owner to give him his handful of peanuts. The boy knew that the owner’s hand was three times bigger than his. He earned three times more than he would have by himself. If we trust in our own wisdom and ability, we gain only as much as we can afford. But when we trust in God and depend on Him, we receive much more wisdom and power than what we would expect. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Proverbs 3:5,6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Therefore, pray before you study. Pray before you take exams. Pray even in the middle of your exam. Pray after you finish your exam.

Second, our God watches over us day and night. (3-6) Look at verses 3,4. “He will not let your foot slip-he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” There are many rocky hills and mountains in Israel. When people climb up hills and mountains, they should be very careful not to slip. If they slip by accident, they fall. God will watch over us when we climb up our hills and mountains. He will not let our foot slip. If we slip by accident, he will hold us with his right hand. At the beginning of this year, my family was challenged by Ms. Mary’s breast cancer. But God held all our family with his right hand so that we did not fall. Our God watches over us day and night so that we may not fall into temptation. Even when we fall into temptation, he is able to rescue us and restore us.

He who watches over us day and night does not slumber nor sleep. While the Israelites were in the desert, God led them by day with a pillar of cloud and by night with a pillar of fire. (Ex 13:22) There was no day or night in God, who was watching over his people. He is always awake and watches over us even while we are sleeping.

Look at verses 5,6. “The Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.” The Lord being our shade at our right hand means that we are under the umbrella of God’s protection. God protects his people from all harm. Whenever we pray and prepare something important for the work of God, such as for the International Bible Conference or Christmas Worship service or Bible Symposium, something unexpected and unpleasant might happen. From a human point of view this may be an accident or a tragedy. But from God’s point of view it is a chance to strength our faith. We experience that each time God protects us and gives us final victory over Satan’s prank. Nothing and no one can separate us from the love of Christ. (Ro 8:35) When we try to testify about Jesus to our friends or to students, Satan tries to plant fear into our hearts; fear of rejection and fear of persecution. But in America no one has been killed because of their preaching or teaching the word. Jesus promised his fearful disciples in Matthew 10:28-31. “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worthy more than many sparrows.” It is amazing that no one can knock two sparrows to the ground without God’s permission. How much more important and precious we are than millions of sparrows in the sight of God! Amen.

Third, God’s blessing (7,8) Look at verses 7,8. “The Lord will keep you from all harm-he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” The psalmist concludes his song with God’s blessing over his people. The psalmist had confidence in God’s guidance, protection, and blessing while he was seeking God’s help. He had faith in God the Almighty. He was sure of God’s protection, guidance and blessing. When we pray, we must believe that God will answer our prayer. When we pray, we must be sure of God’s help in our daily life. If we don’t believe God’s answer, we are like foolish people who bought a winning lottery ticket, but did not go to pick up the prize. In Luke 18 Jesus taught his disciples to always pray and not give up. There was a widow who needed help from a judge in her town. She visited the judge with her plea, “Grant me justice against my adversary.” At first the judge ignored her plea. But the widow did not give up. She stalked the judge every day and night until the judge surrendered. The judge answered her prayer because she kept bothering him day and night. Jesus said the attitude of our prayer should be like that of the woman. We must bother God day and night through our persistent prayer. Don’t worry about your aggressiveness. God will not be hurt. God does not slumber or sleep.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Heb 11:10) When we believe and pray, it will be done. Faith brings miracles. Jesus said, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea’, and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mk 11:22-24) James 4:2,3 says, “…You do not have, because you do not ask God. When we ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives…” James 1:5 continues, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” God wants to bless us. By blessing us he wants to glorify his name on this earth.

Today we learned where our help comes from. Where does your help come from? Our help comes from the Lord, who is the Maker of heaven and earth. This country needs help spiritually, politically, socially, and economically in all aspects of peoples’ lives. Where does our help come from? Our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. We must go back to the Bible. We need to restore our Biblical faith. We will have Christmas worship service at Wash U next month (Dec 8^th). We pray that God may bring Christmas spirit and joy to campuses in the St. Louis area. I pray and believe that God will be with us, watch over us, protect us and help us while we prepare for the worship service in the midst of our final exams. Where does our help come from? Our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Amen.

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