Delight in the Journey

INTRO

Psalms 120—134 contain the Psalms of Ascent. These were similar to road-trip songs Jewish people sang on their way up the mountain to Jerusalem. David wrote four Psalms of Ascent (122; 124; 131; 133), Solomon wrote one (127), and the remaining ten were written anonymously. Psalm 121 was written anonymously.¹ Psalm 120:5 suggests this group of travelers might have had to go a long way to reach Jerusalem.

Any references in the Psalms of Ascent to "looking up" should be understood as an expression of expectation to see the temple (Psalm 134:1–2). The Israelites were required to go to Jerusalem three times a year for festivals: “Celebrate a festival in My honor three times a year. Observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you are to eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib because you came out of Egypt in that month. No one is to appear before Me empty-handed. Also observe the Festival of the Harvest with the firstfruits of your produce from what you sow in the field and observe the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather your produce from the field. Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord God” (Exodus 23:14–17). This psalm conveys a sense of assurance that God will keep both individual worshippers and Israel, as a whole, safe.

TEACHING

Psalm 121:1-2: MacArthur noted these verses described God as helper.² The psalmist had absolute confidence that God would help them should any need arise on their long journey to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. God had all power to help them regardless of their circumstances because they knew Him to be the Maker of the heavens and the earth. Psalm 89:11–13 says, “The heavens are Yours; the earth also is Yours. The world and everything in it—You founded them. North and south—You created them. Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name. You have a mighty arm; Your hand is powerful; Your right hand is lifted high.”

Psalm 121:3–4: MacArthur observed the psalmist viewed God as His keeper.³ Psalm 91:11–13 expressed a similar idea: “For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways. They will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the young lion and the serpent.” Psalm 31:8b says, “You have set my feet in a spacious place.”

Psalm 121:5–6: MacArthur saw God described as protector.⁴ Isaiah 25:4 says, “For You have been a stronghold for the poor, a stronghold for the needy person in his distress, a refuge from the rain, a shade from the heat. When the breath of the violent is like rain against a wall.” Isaiah 49:2 says, “He made my words like a sharp sword; He hid me in the shadow of His hand. He made me like a sharpened arrow; He hid me in His quiver.” The Lord will protect His people all day, in all climates. He will never take a day off. He will protect you.

Psalm 121:7–8: MacArthur described God as our preserver.⁵ The Lord would be with His people on their journey to Jerusalem, but He also promised to be with them all the time in their “coming and going, both now and forever” (v. 8). Houses in Jerusalem have mezuzahs, little scrolls of Scripture, attached to the doorposts of homes in obedience to Deuteronomy 6:9–12: “Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. When the Lord your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would give you—a land with large and beautiful cities that you did not build, houses full of every good thing that you did not fill them with, wells dug that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied, be careful not to forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.” God would sustain Israel, but they were to intentionally remind themselves of all God had done for them. Deuteronomy 11:20-21 says, “Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, your days and those of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give to your fathers.” The Word of God was everything His people needed.

CLOSING

Steven Cole outlined four practical realities of God’s protective hand.⁶

1. If we have a clear conscience, then we can know that God is for us in spite of the slander or opposition of others.“What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare His own Son but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the One who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us” (Romans 8:31–34). To understand God’s protection, we have to come to God with a clean slate.
2. If we know the sovereign God, then we can trust Him to defend and protect us according to His purpose.
3. If we have personally received mercy at the cross, then we should view every circumstance, no matter how frustrating, as an opportunity to proclaim God’s mercy to others. “Consider it great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2–4). When we know God’s protecting us, we understand God allows us to experience things to make us look more like Him.
4. If we follow the Savior who laid down His life for us, then we should be ready and willing to pay the price of our commitment to Him.

I need to come to the table with a clean conscience, a pure mind realizing that God is sovereign; God is in control. Even if the situation isn't the greatest, everything is an opportunity to make me look more like Him. Am I willing to sacrifice my life so that others will see Him? It's a road trip, sing along the way realizing God has got your back no matter what.