Psalm 121

This may have been used as an antiphonal psalm that the pilgrims sang as they journeyed to Jerusalem to celebrate a feast. The leader of the company opened with verses 1-2, which are in the first person, and different people or groups answered him with verses 3-4 and so on, which are in the second person. The theme is God’s protection over His people; the word keeps (watches over) is used six times. Safety is something about which the pilgrims would be especially concerned as they journeyed on the roads through the hill country. A pilgrim could stumble and hurt himself, or someone might suffer sunstroke, or a chilly night of camping out might result in somebody getting a bad cold. There was always the possibility of robbers swooping down. But the message of the psalm applies to God’s pilgrims today and gives us the assurances we need as we journey in this life.