Christ the King - Psalm 121

Theme: There is no one like your King

1. When you need help

2. When you need protection

3. When you consider eternity

We’ll read the text as we move along in the sermon.

Where do you turn to for help? Do you call upon a close friend or family member? Do you look inward to build your strength and resolve? Do you seek out a professional – perhaps a counselor or a mentor? Do you rely on what you were taught from early on – those memorable sayings from mom, dad, or a grandparent? There are many things in life that can offer us help and where we turn probably depends a lot on the circumstance we are in. But as you think about your options, don’t forget about God.

Today, we consider Jesus as our King, and as such He holds all power and authority. He is the best resource for all our needs in life, and yet He often is not the first one we turn to. In our text today, we are reminded that there is no one like our King. And that is especially true when we are in need.

Our psalm begins today with these words, I lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

For the people of Israel, the mountains were a place of protection and a realm where one could reach God. For us who live in the proximity of beautiful mountain ranges, it’s not hard to understand this notion. In the Bible, hills and mountains were the locations of several significant events.

·       Isaac was offered on Mount Moriah

·       Moses saw the LORD in the burning bush on Mount Horeb (Sinai)

·       Moses received the Law on the same mountain

·       Elijah heard the still small voice of the LORD on Mount Horeb

·       The altars of worship in the OT were called the “high places” – though they weren’t always dedicated to the true God.

·       The Temple was built on Mount Moriah.

·       The city of Jerusalem was built on Mount Zion. This was a universal picture for God’s kingdom, the dwelling place of God with His people.

·       Jesus presented His Sermon on the Mount. Jesus gave His Olivet discourse on the Mount of Olives.

The hills and mountains were sanctuaries in the sense of protection, but also in the spiritual sense of being a place to approach God. The mountains were a visual representation of something that the people could turn to in times of need. They represented the options that the people of Israel had, just like we have.  

And so, it’s eye opening that as the psalmist asks this question, he immediately considers the mountains, since they were the logical choice in his culture, but his focus goes directly to God instead. The point is clear. God is able to help us more than the mountains. God has this quality in part because of what the psalmist expresses. God is the Maker of heaven and earth. The lesson given here is why go to the mountains for help when you have access to the one who made the mountains.

We don’t run to the literal hills today in times of need, but we do seek out metaphorical mountains of aid. Many of the things we mentioned – good blessings that help our lives – can quickly overshadow the Maker of all things. Inward courage and resolve, trusted advocates like counselors and mentors, pastors and teachers, fellow Christians are all blessings God gives to help us in our lives. But they are not to become more important, or trusted more, than God Himself. This applies even to the place we probably turn to the most – family. Jesus Himself said, Matthew 10:37 "Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. That’s a hard saying – but absolutely true and something we need to hear regularly. Take it one step further an insert whatever you’d like into the passage.

“Anyone who loves…” money, wisdom or science, their own heart, their Christian piety, etc.

Don’t put God on the back burner. Don’t see Him as a secondary option. When you need help, look to your Maker first.

There is also no one else like our King because He protects us. The word that consistently is given throughout this psalm to emphasize God’s protection is “watch.” The middle of the psalm reads, He who watches over you will not slumber. 4 Yes, he who watches over Israel will not slumber. He will not sleep. 5 The LORD watches over you. The LORD is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will watch to keep you from all harm. He will watch over your life.  

It’s an interesting coincidence that this is the very word that was the focus of our sermon last weekend. To us, Jesus says to “watch” for the final day of His return – pay attention. As it concerns Himself, however, Jesus is watching in a different way. The watchfulness of our King is one of protection and care. Synonyms for this word are keep, guard, and treasure. Jesus does all these things in your life. Jesus treasures you and will do everything in His power to protect you.  

This watchfulness of Jesus is really the expressed action of the LORD’s blessing. We close each service with the belief that God looks down upon us with favor – that His face shines upon us. This is how God fulfills that promise. Jesus is ever watchful in your life. He knows what you face long before you even know. He promises moments of deliverance from temptation. Just as in our watching, the concern is pictured as falling asleep. God never sleeps. God does not allow your footing to lose support. In His will there is always a purpose to every heartache and stumbling block you experience. This doesn’t mean you should seek out difficulties just to experience your Savior’s work. But no matter what you go through, even the sin of your own devising, Jesus is always watchful to protect.

These blessings are special not just for what they do in our lives now, but because they direct us to the greatest hope of eternal life in heaven. We look beyond the hills and mountains in our lives because we desire a better help and protection that they can’t offer. There is no one like our King because He leads us to His kingdom, where there is no more sorrow, tears, or pain. The psalmist tells us this in verse 8, the final aspect of the LORD’s protection, 8 The LORD will watch over your going and your coming from now to eternity.

Life is often portrayed as a series of seasons. Times come and go. Infancy turns to childhood, childhood to adolescence, adolescence to adulthood. Sorrow and joy surround these moments. Good and bad shift from day to day. When times are bad, we remember that it is only for a season. Likewise, when things are good, we prepare for the time when it will change. This is the reality – life is unstable.

In terms of our text, the psalmist expresses it as going and coming. The point is that whatever season you are in – coming or going, good or bad – the LORD is with you, the LORD supplies your needs, and the LORD protects you. And the LORD is not just with you for life – but for eternity. This is where we see the difference. Whereas life is unstable and constantly changing – eternity is secure and stable. Part of the joy of heaven will be the consistency of being with God. That overwhelming feeling of instability that comes along with life will be done away with. You will feel the way God created you to feel when you are home in heaven.

And certainly, there is much more to eternity. You will be free from sin and all of its disastrous effects. You won’t have to pray, because you’ll be in God’s presence. You won’t have to struggle internally with questions and doubts – or accusations from Satan, because you will have knowledge of God. You won’t feel the sinking loss of death because it will no more.

When you face trouble and need in life – look beyond the hills to your King. Sometimes we allow ourselves to become unnecessarily trapped in the world. We seek out our help based on what we want or how we choose to live our lives – or what others have to say about prosperity or success. But by faith, the goal is to look past all things of this world – good and bad – to trust more fully in that which God accomplished through Christ alone – an absolutely heavenly gift. The world may care little for it. It may seek the latest therapy, or cure, or study paper; or the end that gives me the most control today, or emphasizes human achievement the best. Those are the world’s mountains of deliverance. Your King is able to do far more than that. He has died for your sins and risen again to give you a future past death. Surely, whatever you face – God can and will help. Look for it and hasten after it by faith in Jesus Christ. Look beyond the mountains to your King. Amen.