Nougat 1

As I read one of my favorite psalms this morning, I was struck anew by what it could imply. Before I get thinking with you any further, allow me to share my psalm with you as Today’s Holy Nougat.

Psalms 121:1-2 NIV

[1] 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.

Where is our Help 1?

Perhaps you think that the theme should have been ‘Who is our help‘, rather than ‘Where is our help‘. But this isn’t just about semantics (i.e., which word sounds better), there are two different questions before us, even though the answers are the same. Both questions address matters of source, but ‘who ‘is more concerned with the person, and ‘where‘, with the location. Both are important, as knowing Who our Source is confirms we’ve found our Source when we get to the location of our Source.

I might have complicated it a bit. So let’s use a practical example. If we order a cab online – e.g., Uber, Bolt, or Lyft – the Who is the driver. On the app, we receive specific details, pic, name and their license number. We know Who our help is. But if we’re out shopping, or at the airport, that may not be enough for us to quickly find our help, or for our help to find us. A Where affords both of us an exact location to be picked up.

David’s reflection invites a quick self check

Self-Check

Where do we turn to when we need help?

Deeper Dive

When I first encountered this psalm, it was from the KJV, which uses phrases in ways that often lead creative minds astray. What I heard in those two lines was that David found his help when he looked to the hills. So, for me, his Where was the hills, while his Who was the Lord. But that can be misleading, especially in a time when idol worship included hills, rivers, and other aspects of nature. Furthermore, that’s not what David actually said.

We know however, that in Jewish tradition, as with many others, hills and mountains were often the highest points in a context (that would be pre-skyscrapers and mobile towers). Thus, temples were built at the highest points to maximise the connection with God Who dwells in the heavenlies. Moreover, it was not uncommon for God to meet with God’s people on mountains (e.g. Exodus 3 when God initiated the encounter with Moses). His looking to the hills could also be about an encounter with God.

Given that this psalm is a hymn of ascent, it may not be far from the reality, since the Temple would later be built in Jerusalem, i.e. Mt Zion. Thus, when David beheld the majesty of the hills, David could have been struck by God’s might and power.

The psalm is very clear that David was contemplating some kind of help when he looked to the hills. David had no doubt that God was his Ezer. His experiences with God assured him of that. It left me thinking – today – that the issue of help might have been in relation to something more specific. Like war, which in those days necessitated the placement of sentries in strategic places in the hills, so that they would have adequate time to prepare against potential invasion.

Isaiah 52:7 tells us that the sight of the sentries coming from the hills with news that victory is won, was a beautiful sight. David, a warrior- king would have been very aware of that principle. Because the sentry who brought news was a help to the nation. Could it be that David had an encounter with God preparing him (David) for battle while on the mountains? Or that, as he awaited news from the sentries, he was struck by the reality that with God as his help, he needed no other?

Siblings, David didn’t only encounter God in the hills. As a shepherd, he also had God encounters in the valleys. And in Psalm 139, David notes that God is everywhere. In any given moment when we need help therefore, let us not wait until the hills are in sight. We can cry out to our God for help, knowing that God is already prepared to rescue us.

Point to Ponder

As we consider where we turn to for help, let’s ensure that our first Source of help is actually God, and not some other substance or person.

Praise Break

(It’s in multiple languages)

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May all we seek be found in Christ