“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills”: Psalm 121, the traveller’s psalm
Many Ghanaian families pray Psalm 121 before someone travels, whether to Kumasi or to London. The psalm was written for the road.
Psalm 121 is one of the Songs of Ascents, Psalms 120 to 134. These short psalms are believed to have been sung by pilgrims going up to Jerusalem for the great festivals. The journey through the hills could be dangerous, with heat by day, cold by night, uneven paths and robbers.
The question and the answer
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help” (Psalm 121:1). The pilgrim looks at the hills ahead. They may be the hills around Jerusalem, where God’s temple stood, or the hills where danger lurked and where people worshipped other gods on high places. “My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” (121:2). The help does not come from the hills themselves but from their Maker.
“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (121:3 to 4). Travellers had to sleep and trust others to keep watch. God does not need to sleep.
Shade and safe keeping
“The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night” (121:5 to 6). In the heat of the Middle East, shade was life. The moon was sometimes blamed for illness at night. The psalm promises protection around the clock. “The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore” (121:7 to 8). The phrase “going out and coming in” covers all of life’s activities, from leaving home to returning.
Praying it today
The Hebrew word translated “keep” and “preserve” appears six times in eight verses. The psalm’s message is concentrated in that one idea: God keeps His people. Pray Psalm 121 before a journey, before an exam or before any day that feels uncertain. Replace “thee” with your own name, or the name of someone you love who is travelling.
The pilgrims walking to Jerusalem could not see what lay beyond the next hill. They sang about the One who could.
