A Brief Explication of the Last Fifty Psalms, Psalm 121
PSALME CXXI. A Song of degrees.
The scope of this Psalme is to shew, that howsoever we … ready to seek help any where else, rather then in God, ye … help is to be had, except from God: perfect help, and full de… very is to be had in him undoubtedly, as the Psalmists expe… ence and example of faith do teach: wherein the Psalmist leaving all other confidences beside God, betaketh him to …od Almighty only, v. 1.2. And from his own experience, giveth encouragement to all Gods people to place their confidence in God alone, by six promises, in the six verses following, to the end of the Psalme.
Vers. 1. I Will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help.
2. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
From the Psalmists example and exercise; Learn, 1. The Lord useth to bring such trouble upon his own children, as shall make them sensible of their own weaknesse, and of their need of help; for otherwayes we are ready to encounter with smaller troubles, in our own strength: I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2. Some one earthly power or other, is the first refuge which naturally we do lo…k unto, to see what help may be found there: which our natural inclination the Psalmist taxeth indirectly in the name of lifting the eyes to the hills, to wit, to the powers of the world, rather then to the heavenly hills of Gods omnipotency; I lift up mine eyes unto the hills; not these earthly ones, will he say, which I see cannot help me, but to hills higher▪ then the highest earthly help, as afterward he maketh clear. 3. Nothing can satisfie faith, except the alsufficiency of God, who made heaven and earth of nothing, and can give help where there is no appearance of relief: My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
Vers. 3. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved▪ he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
For the confirmation of his own faith, and the faith of others, that they may rest on God, and depend upon him only for reliefe in their straits, whether they have means of delivery, or not, he bringeth forth six promises of God unto the believer▪ for our faith being weak hath need to have the promises of God branched into small parts, and multiplied in particulars, that so they may be the more easily applied. The first promise is in this verse. Whence learn, 1. Albeit the believer be of himselfe weak and ready to fall, yet the Lord will save him from ruine, and keep him fast in the defence of the truth for which he is put in straits: He will not suffer thy foot to be moved. 2. The providence of God is so vigilant for the safety of the beleever, as the believer needeth not to fear, lest he suffer any inconveniency by Gods oversight; for, He that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Ver. 4. Behold, he that keepeth Israel, shall neither slumber nor sleep.
A second promise made to all Gods people, which also confirmeth the former promise. Whence learn, 1. The Lord is keeper and watchman over his Church, and every member thereof, and this is his Stile and memorial in all ages: Behold, he that keepeth Israel, shall neither slumber nor sleep. 2. The right which particular believers have unto promises, doth belong unto them, because they are made to the Church; over which the Lord taketh such ca…e▪ as he never in no moment of time faileth in his attending the Church, and every particular member thereof: He that keepeth Israel, shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Ver. 5. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The third promise particularly directed to the believer, including the Psalmist himselfe▪ Whence learn, 1. Albeit the believer hath not a promise to be free from trouble and persecution▪ yet he hath a promise of consolation in it, and of defence from the hurt of it: The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy shade. 2. When trouble cometh the Lord is not farre to seek, but is ready to be found, for protection and consolation: The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
Vers. 6. The Sunne shall not smite thee by day: nor the Moon by night.
The fourth promise made with allusion unto, and application of that care which God had over his people, when he brought them out of Egypt through the wilderness, whom he guarded them from the heat of the Sunne, by a cloud by day; and from the cold and moistnesse of the night and Moon, by a pillar of … by night. Whence learn, 1. Albeit the believer be subject to sund…y perils from adversity, and prosperity, from one adversary power at one time, and from another adversary power at another time; yet the Lord so careth for him, and so t…perateth, and moderateth his exercises, that he shall be sure not to be harmed, in order and relation to the carrying on of his felicity: The Sunne shall not smite thee by day, nor the Moon by night. 2. What care the Lord had over his people in the wildernesse, the same hath he still over every believer, as the application of the like mercy doth shew: The Sunne shall not smite thee by day, &c.
Ver. 7. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil, he shall preserve thy soul.
From the fifth promise; Learn, 1. Whatsoever trouble shall befall the believer, he shall be freed from the evil of it, because God shall make all troubles work together for his good: The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil. 2. If the believer lose any thing by trouble, he shall not lose what is most precious; the Lord shall save his soul, and (so long as it is expedient) his bodily life also: He shall preserve thy soul.
Ver. 8. The LORD shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in: from this time forth, and even for evermore.
From the sixth promise; Learn, 1. Albeit all men have need to have their carriage in all their affaires directed of God, yet none hath the promise of direction and successe, save the believer only, to whom it is said here; The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in. 2. The Lord so taketh his own by the hand to care for them, as he doth not leave them nor forsake them afterward, but goeth along with them for ever: The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in: from this time forth, and even for evermore.