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A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalms 121:1-2 NIV) On the surface, this second of fifteen in the progression of the "songs of ascent" is simply a reassurance of the Lord's continual care of His people. However, when viewed within the sequence of the songs, it takes on greater significance. Remember that the first song, Psalm 120, was Israel's cry for deliverance, asking Him to provide relief from the warlike and deceitful people around them. Verse 1 of Psalm 121 hints at this again. When the Psalmist lifts his eyes up to the hills, what does he see? On my recent trip to Israel, the meaning of this was vividly demonstrated. If one stands on the outskirts of Jerusalem, and looks at the surrounding hillsides, everywhere one looks there are hostile Palestinian villages dotting the hills. This is why the Psalmist, seeing the future, asks where his help comes from after assessing the situation on the surrounding hills.
The remainder of the Psalm consists entirely of the reassurance that God indeed is the helper of Israel. He is watching, He is not inattentive, and He will do what is necessary to protect Israel from harm. In this Psalm, Yahweh's credentials are asserted in verse 2: He is "the Maker of heaven and earth." Who better to watch over and help Israel? Who better to keep the promises of His covenant with Abraham and his descendants? The Lord will not let their "foot be moved," regardless of how many belligerent Arabs attempt to dislodge them from the land.
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