Message Notes

SSS 4 12 July 2026
Text: Psalm 121

A Song of Ascents.

1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?

2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.

8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Psalm 121

THE HILLS OF JERUSALEM

1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?

2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

1. Jerusalem was strategically situated

a) It had natural defences

b) It was on a hill surrounded by other hills

2. The Pilgrim’s Focus and Hope

a) He will look to the hills (Jerusalem in mind)

b) Jerusalem was always an inspiration

c) It represented so much

i) The Temple was there

ii) Worship was offered there

iii) This was the capital of the nation

iv) The rulers and the priests were there

v) Many devout pilgrims would gather for special worship

d) He would find Help

i) But the help is not from Jerusalem

ii) His hope for help comes from the LORD Himself

iii) His faith was pinned on the LORD as the Mighty Creator

THE LORD AS THE DIVINE KEEPER

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

Psalm 121:3-5

1. The word “Keeper” is mentioned three times in as many verses

2. The word in Hebrew is “sharma”

3. Expressions of how God would keep His people

a) He will not allow the foot to be moved (stumbling, faltering)

b) He will not slumber (He is the Divine Watchman-Keeper)

c) He will keep Israel without having to fall asleep due to tiredness

d) The Lord is the Divine Keeper

e) He will also provide shade (relief from the hot sunshine)

DIVINE PROTECTION

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.

8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Psalm 121:6-8

1. The Lord will faithfully protect His own

2. The word “preserve” is the same as the word “keep”

3. Keeper and Preserver are synonymously used

4. The word “sharma” is used 6 times in Psalm 121

5. This is to reinforce the fact that God will especially keep the faithful

a) Day

b) Night

6. Preservation/ keeping of the soul

a) From evil

b) From unseen spiritual powers

7. Going out and coming in

a) Expression of daily movements

b) Work place to home