Day 126 – May 6, 2021
Scriptures: Judges 5-6, Psalm 121 Psalm 121:1–2 “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” The Psalmist looks to the mountains and asks, “Where does my help come from?” There are a few options happening here in the psalm. One, it could be referencing the mountains as a place of hiding for protection. The “help” gained from the mountains is their strategic military advantage. Or it could be that lifting the eyes to the mountains is referencing Zion, the holy mountain of God’s presence. It could also be a reference to foreign gods. I lean towards this interpretation. Foreign gods, Asherah polls and other Ancient Near Eastern idols were commonly positioned on high ground for all to see. So, in this interpretation, it is presumed that the psalmist looks to the skyline and sees all of the available options for whom he might turn for help. Is it the gods of the Canaanites or is it Yahweh? Of course, the rest of the psalm is a declaration that the help he is looking for is from the Lord. He is alive, he is moving, he is caring, he is at work, always. He won’t let your foot slip! In our Judges reading, Gideon is called, “Jerub baal” and its speculated translation is, “Baal Contends.” As if to say, “let Baal contend for himself.” The psalmist looks to the hills and knows that God will contend for himself and contend for his people as well. Baal can’t help himself if he falls over. But Yahweh, well, he can not only take care of himself, he will also take care of all of creation. Psalm 121:7–8 “The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; 8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” He will care for you, Jordan
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorJordan Ickes, Minister of Etna Green Church of Christ. Archives
December 2022
Categories
All
|