Psa 121:6 | KingComments | STEP | In these verses we hear, as it were from the sanctuary, the response to the faith confidence expressed by the faithful in . The faithful is assured that the Keeper will not allow his foot to slip ( ). In this verse there is the word “not” twice. It is a double underlining that what is written in this verse will never, ever be allowed by the Keeper. He will support him in every step he takes ( ). God the Creator is mighty to keep from wavering and stumbling ( ). The Keeper will not slumber, He will not slacken in His vigilance for him for a moment. This is very different from what happened with the idols. Elijah at the time scoffed at the Baal: “Perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened” (cf. ). This Keeper will not lose sight of him, nor will He watch him indifferently as he makes his way to Jerusalem, a way fraught with dangers. He will accompany him with the utmost personal attention and be closely involved with him. His Keeper has even counted the hairs of his head and not one of them will be lost ( ; ). With the call “behold” ( ) the attention of the faithful is emphatically drawn to the Keeper as the One “who keeps Israel”, His people. There is no slackening in His keeping. There is no dozing and therefore no falling asleep. He will neither slumber nor sleep, but will watch over His property, His chosen people, without interruption. His people are His “personal property” ( ; ). In it is not yet entirely clear Who the Keeper is, at least His Name is not yet explicitly mentioned. Only in is His identity revealed: it is the LORD. It could have been, for example, an (arch)angel. What does someone need on a very dangerous journey? A keeper or a personal bodyguard. And who is this bodyguard? What can he do? He must always be vigilant. There must not be even a moment of slumber. Slumbering is an expression for a soldier who is not vigilant during his service ( ). If the keeper of Israel was an (arch)angel (cf. ; ), a demonic angel prince might have been able to stop him ( ). Now that the LORD Himself has taken on the task of bringing Israel safely to Jerusalem, what seemed impossible before is now possible. Yes, everything is possible for those who believe. If the LORD is with us, who can be against us? He promises a safe arrival. As He is the Keeper of His people ( ), so He is of the believing remnant. He is to them “your shade on your right hand”. He is as close to them as a shadow is to a person. He is also as inseparable from them as a shadow is from a person. They may walk in His shadow, which means that He keeps and protects them ( ; ), in contrast to earthly powers (cf. ). That He is on their right hand means that He supports them with His strength. It is the place where the defender stands ( ). His care for them is there day and night, when the sun shines and when the moon shines ( ). He shields His people from the dangers of the day and from the dangers of the night (cf. ; ). All the circumstances in which His people may be on their journey to Jerusalem are in His hand. He will provide them with everything they need ( ). Even the evil that surrounds them, their enemies, is in His hand ( ). He will “preserve them from all evil”. That is the evil of sin and the evil of tribulation. He will also keep their soul, which is under pressure by the opposition of the wicked, in His hand, so that they will not succumb in their soul (cf. ; ). The LORD takes full responsibility for their entire journey ( ). He guards them when they are “going out” to travel. He guards them up to and including their “coming in” the promised land, when they have arrived at their final destination (cf. ). “Going out and … coming in” is an expression that summarizes the whole of life ( ). And even there, in the place of blessing where they are then, He continues to guard them. He will guard them when they are “going out” of their house, for example to go to the temple, and He will keep them when they go back and are “coming in” their house again. He does it “from this time forth and forever”. This means, that now the LORD Himself is going along ( ), the psalmist starts his long, dangerous journey with confidence. The application for us: Having seen ourselves in the light of God and also having seen the world in its true character in that light, we set out on a journey to the Father’s house, the dwelling place of God. On our pilgrimage we may count on His constant nearness and care and may we come to know Him as our Keeper.

‏ Psalms 121:6

The Keeper

In these verses we hear, as it were from the sanctuary, the response to the faith confidence expressed by the faithful in Psa 121:1-2. The faithful is assured that the Keeper will not allow his foot to slip (Psa 121:3). In this verse there is the word “not” twice. It is a double underlining that what is written in this verse will never, ever be allowed by the Keeper. He will support him in every step he takes (Job 31:4). God the Creator is mighty to keep from wavering and stumbling (Jude 1:24).

The Keeper will not slumber, He will not slacken in His vigilance for him for a moment. This is very different from what happened with the idols. Elijah at the time scoffed at the Baal: “Perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened” (cf. 1Kgs 18:27). This Keeper will not lose sight of him, nor will He watch him indifferently as he makes his way to Jerusalem, a way fraught with dangers. He will accompany him with the utmost personal attention and be closely involved with him. His Keeper has even counted the hairs of his head and not one of them will be lost (Lk 12:7 ; Lk 21:18; Acts 27:34).

With the call “behold” (Psa 121:4) the attention of the faithful is emphatically drawn to the Keeper as the One “who keeps Israel”, His people. There is no slackening in His keeping. There is no dozing and therefore no falling asleep. He will neither slumber nor sleep, but will watch over His property, His chosen people, without interruption. His people are His “personal property” (Exo 19:5; Deu 7:6).

In Psa 121:3-4 it is not yet entirely clear Who the Keeper is, at least His Name is not yet explicitly mentioned. Only in Psa 121:5 is His identity revealed: it is the LORD. It could have been, for example, an (arch)angel. What does someone need on a very dangerous journey? A keeper or a personal bodyguard. And who is this bodyguard? What can he do? He must always be vigilant. There must not be even a moment of slumber. Slumbering is an expression for a soldier who is not vigilant during his service (Isa 5:27).

If the keeper of Israel was an (arch)angel (cf. Exo 32:34; Dan 10:21), a demonic angel prince might have been able to stop him (Dan 10:13). Now that the LORD Himself has taken on the task of bringing Israel safely to Jerusalem, what seemed impossible before is now possible. Yes, everything is possible for those who believe. If the LORD is with us, who can be against us? He promises a safe arrival.

As He is the Keeper of His people (Psa 121:4), so He is of the believing remnant. He is to them “your shade on your right hand”. He is as close to them as a shadow is to a person. He is also as inseparable from them as a shadow is from a person. They may walk in His shadow, which means that He keeps and protects them (Psa 91:1; Isa 25:4 ; Isa 49:2), in contrast to earthly powers (cf. Isa 30:2-3). That He is on their right hand means that He supports them with His strength. It is the place where the defender stands (Psa 109:31).

His care for them is there day and night, when the sun shines and when the moon shines (Psa 121:6). He shields His people from the dangers of the day and from the dangers of the night (cf. Gen 31:40; Psa 91:5-6). All the circumstances in which His people may be on their journey to Jerusalem are in His hand. He will provide them with everything they need (Isa 49:9-10).

Even the evil that surrounds them, their enemies, is in His hand (Psa 121:7). He will “preserve them from all evil”. That is the evil of sin and the evil of tribulation. He will also keep their soul, which is under pressure by the opposition of the wicked, in His hand, so that they will not succumb in their soul (cf. Phil 4:7; Heb 12:3).

The LORD takes full responsibility for their entire journey (Psa 121:8). He guards them when they are “going out” to travel. He guards them up to and including their “coming in” the promised land, when they have arrived at their final destination (cf. Deu 28:6). “Going out and … coming in” is an expression that summarizes the whole of life (Jn 10:9).

And even there, in the place of blessing where they are then, He continues to guard them. He will guard them when they are “going out” of their house, for example to go to the temple, and He will keep them when they go back and are “coming in” their house again. He does it “from this time forth and forever”. This means, that now the LORD Himself is going along (Exo 33:14-17), the psalmist starts his long, dangerous journey with confidence.

The application for us: Having seen ourselves in the light of God and also having seen the world in its true character in that light, we set out on a journey to the Father’s house, the dwelling place of God. On our pilgrimage we may count on His constant nearness and care and may we come to know Him as our Keeper.