I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?
A traveler's song with a steady answer.
The episode in a glance.
- 01Psalm 121 was sung by pilgrims going up to Jerusalem.
- 02The hills could mean danger or could mean help.
- 03Help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.
- 04The God who made everything is the God who keeps you.
Read along.
Psalm 121 was one of the songs Israelites sang as they walked up to Jerusalem for the festivals — a pilgrimage song. The opening line is a question: 'I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?'
The hills around Jerusalem could mean two things to a traveler. They could mean danger — bandits hid in them. Or they could mean the place where God's temple was, on a hill itself. The question is open.
And the answer comes back firm: 'My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.'
Notice the resume. Maker of heaven and earth. The same God who set the stars in place is the one your help comes from. He's not over-extended. He's not too busy. Galaxies don't strain him.
The rest of the psalm hammers it home: he won't let your foot be moved, he won't slumber, he keeps your going out and coming in. The Maker is the Keeper too.