Welcome to midweek in the "Pastor's Workshop". It's great to join with you today as we dive deeper into the Word of the week!
This week we're working through Psalm 121. "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord..."
On Monday we "submerged" ourselves in the Scripture. We read, wrote and recorded our initial ideas and impressions. We asked God to inspire us with some "holy imagination". I hope you enjoyed collecting your first thoughts.
Yesterday we studied the structure of the Psalm. How is it designed and written to lead and guide us as the readers and the worshippers into a greater experience of God's grace and truth? Again, I hope you jotted down your ideas in a notebook.
Today we look at the background of this Biblical passage. What is the historical context of this text? What might the world have been like that this word was originally spoken to? What needs are in our world today that this word would address?
Historically this Psalm is referred to as a "Psalm of Ascent" or a "Pilgrim's Song". One interpretation pictures the Psalm as a song or prayer that a pilgrim might have sung or prayed as they set off on a journey to Jerusalem for a religious festival.
Jerusalem was the "holy city" and home to the Temple, the centerpiece of religious life for the Jewish people. Making a regular pilgrimage to observe the high, holy days would have been part of being a person of faith.
Even as this was an expectation, the journey was never easy. Jerusalem was built on a hill in the midst of a whole series of foothills. (vs. 1 - I lift up my eyes to the hills.) The Judean countryside was rugged terrain. The hillsides were very rocky and steep. The pathways were treacherous. (vs. 3 - He will not let your foot be moved - not let your steps slip.) The sun can be blistering hot. Who knows what danger might lurk in the darkness of night? (vs.6 - The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.) To know that the Lord who Created you (vs. 2) and called you to the journey of worship would also keep you along the way (vs. 5 - The Lord is my Keeper) was a reassuring word. To know that God's keeping you meant God would watch over you, guard you, protect and preserve you from all evil as you traveled to and from your home (vs. 8 - The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in...) was a strengthening word of grace.
You can easily see how the Psalm addressed the pilgrim of that day. But how about our day? How about us as we journey through our world?
As we move through this time of the Corona pandemic who has not lifted up their eyes, looked above and wondered, "Where will our help come from?" Who has not needed to hear that the Lord is our Keeper, that God is present to guard and protect. Even as we run our errands and come and go for those essentials of our lives who does not want to do so safely and at the same time have the reassurance that the Lord preserves us, keeps us, in our going out and our coming in!
You can also easily see how the Psalm addresses us and our world in our need today! Jot down additional thoughts you have.
Tomorrow I look forward to being with you and seeing how all our work of this week begins to fit together to tell a "sermon story" for Sunday. In that anticipation I want to join you in a closing word of prayer ...
Prayer: "Gracious God, thank you for our time together today. We are grateful for the ways your Word would speak to us and to all across the ages. We praise you for how its truth would minister a reassurance to us in our hearts. In that blessing we trust you as our Keeper today and forever! In Jesus name we pray. Amen."
In Christ,
Paul