Living Stream Ministry

II. THE PRAISE OF THE SAINT
IN HIS GOING UP TO ZION CONCERNING
JEHOVAH’S KEEPING OF HIM FROM EVIL

Psalm 121 is the praise of the saint in his going up to Zion concerning Jehovah’s keeping of him from all evil, disasters.

A. Jehovah as the Keeper of Hezekiah

Verse 5 says, "Jehovah is your Keeper;/Jehovah is your shade at your right hand." According to history, the "Keeper" here refers to Jehovah as the Keeper of Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:14-19). Apart from Jehovah’s protection, Hezekiah surely would have been slain by the Assyrians.

B. "To the Hills" Referring to Jehovah,
Who Created the Heaven and Earth

Psalm 121:1 and 2 say, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills. /From where will my help come?/My help comes from Jehovah, / Who made heaven and earth." "To the hills" in verse 1 refers to Jehovah, who created the heaven and earth, including the hills (2 Kings 19:15).

C. The Sun and the Moon
Becoming the Instruments of God’s Keeping

In Psalm 121:6 the psalmist says, "The sun will not strike you by day,/Nor the moon by night." Here "sun" and "moon" refer to God’s creation, and both became the instruments of God’s keeping.

I experienced a particular fulfillment of this verse during the Japanese invasion of China in 1937. I had been asked by the co-workers to return from Hangkow in central China to my home town of Chefoo, on the tip of the Shantung Peninsula. This involved a long, complicated trip by train. The country was in confusion, and because of the threat of attack by Japanese airplanes, it was a fearful thing to travel by train. When the sky was clear, the airplanes could attack either during the day or at night. Whenever the alarm sounded, we had to leave the train and hide in the field. The passengers were relieved that the sky was cloudy during the day. However, at night the sky was clear, the moon was bright, and the people were afraid. At that very time, I happened to be reading Psalm 121, and I praised the Lord for His word in verse 6. Then I testified to the other passengers, saying, "I am a Christian and I have just read in the Bible, the Word of God, that the sun will not strike you by day nor the moon by night. I believe that God will keep me safe. All those who are traveling with me will also be safe. Be at peace." Some of them laughed at me. But after we safely made the long trip to the capital of Shantung Province without any alarms, I asked them about what I had said, and they admitted that it was true. In that situation I, like Hezekiah, experienced God as my Keeper.

(Life-Study of Psalms, Chapter 41, by Witness Lee)