Lord’s Day, Vol. 2 No. 49

Whence Cometh Your Help? Part 2

Psalm 121:3-4 “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.”

Verses 3-4 teach us that God is our faithful protector. We can safely rely upon Him. Proverbs 3:23, “Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.” When we trust the LORD with all our hearts, His wisdom guides our footsteps. He is our valiant watchman.

Verse 3 begins with the negative particle “not” in the original, a prohibition not objectively based on fact but subjectively as a wish. The word “not” or “al”, expresses strong emotions of the psalmist when he affirmed that his God would not give him over to the whims and fancies of the enemy.

It suggests a sense of urgency. Yet a quiet trust. God’s power guided the footsteps of the psalmist that he might not trip over the stumbling blocks in life’s pathways.

He will not suffer or permit, yield, tolerate, set, put me to be shaken and tottered, to be not stable, to give way, to give up! But He will cause me to take good steps of safety. Verse 3 tells us the LORD is an able protector.

In verse 4, the negative particle “not” is a different word “lo”. It refers to objective denial of a fact. The subject God, is prohibited from doing the action or being in the state described by the verb, that is, to be drowsy, to slumber, to sleep. He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The literal translation of 4 is “He shall not be drowsy or slumber and he shall not go asleep that keeps or watches over Israel.” God does not need any periodic relief from His watch post for our wellbeing. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. He shall not slack and fall asleep in protecting us His children.

God is not like us. His steadfastness in caring for us does not suffer lapses. This is such a wonderful promise from Scripture. Verse 4 tells us He is a consistent, constant protector who is always there for us in our needs.

Remember how single handedly Elijah challenged the 450 Baal prophets at Mount Carmel?

1 Kings 18:21, “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.”

1 Kings 18:26, “And Baal prophets took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.”

1 Kings 18:27, “And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.”

Dear readers, there are times when we are sleepy and tired and worn out from the many cares of life. We cannot care anymore. We are exhausted.

Elijah called upon the LORD.

1 Kings 18:37-39, “Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.”

God never sleeps and is ever alert to deliver His saints from any trouble when He is being called upon in prayer. May we take heart that God answers prayers. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Yours lovingly in Christ,

Ps. Lek Aik Wee