“The Lord is my Keeper”

“The Lord is my Keeper”
It's wonderful for us to know that “The Lord is my Shepherd”--especially since it's 'MY' shepherd—so personal and real. But what does it mean to say “the Lord is my Keeper”? The Hebrew word is shamar meaning “to keep, guard, watch over, attend to carefully., to preserve.” We see God “keeping watch o'er His own” throughout the Bible concluding with this wonderful benediction and doxology, “Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, [25] To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” Jude 1.24-25
Let's browse through this beautiful little Psalm together Psalm 121 ESV “A Song of Ascents” which means it was sung on the way to Jerusalem and during the three annual feasts of Israel: Passover, Pentecost, and the Harvest Feast of Tabernacles. Verse 1: “I lift up my eyes to the hills” as we draw closer to Jerusalem and the road becomes steeper and I see the beauty of the mountains in front of me. And he asks, “From where does my help come?” And his response makes the whole pilgrimage a parable for his life, “[2] My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Where else are we to look for help but to the Lord and in His providence He will send you people and circumstances that will help you while He Himself sustains your spirit. He who created the heavens and the earth and preserves it is quite able to preserve, protect, and care for you as well.
“[3] He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.” It matters not what time of the day or night, God is there watching over you. It's personal: He's watching over “you” individally. And then His watchcare is for all of us so it's inclusive: “[4] Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.” There is an interesting play on words here. Shamar comes from shemuroth meaning the eyelids, i.e. “keepers of the eye” as God is called shomer Ishrael, “the keeper of Israel” (and by extension, the keeper of the Church, the body of Christ.)
Then it's individual and personal again, “[5] The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. [6] The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.” How can you be “smitten” by the sun? In that hot arid land of Palestine sunstroke and dehydration were frequent dangers. The hot sun withers the plants and can blind the eyes. How wonderful shade is on a hot summer day. And what about the moon at night? [Some of the commentators suggest that if you sleep out on a clear moonlit night you need to cover your eyes or face to protect from “moonstroke” (whatever that is, I'm not sure.) Click on Comment and let me know. I couldn't locate it in my reference books. Maybe the Psalmist mentions the moon simply to show God's comprehensive care by night as well as by day. Another Psalm mentions, “You will not fear the terror of the night” 91:5 “The day is thine, the night also is thine. . . .”. Ps. 74:16]
“[7] The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.” Surely you are aware of God's providential protection in your life. From the time God formed us in our mother's womb and protected us and gave us birth and life [Ps.139] so has God often protected and preserved us and kept us from danger. But what about those Christians who were killed or martyred or simply “died in an accident”? Were they not protected? The answer is clearly seen in the life of Jesus. Jesus was obviously preserved and protected throughout His life, in His birth and protected from the murderous hands of King Herod when He was less that two years old and was directed by the angel to flee into Egypt. And later when they sought to kill Him, they could not so much as lay a hand on Him even in the confines of the Temple where his enemies controlled the Temple police and when they were sent, they returned empty handed. Earlier in Nazareth they tried to push Him off a cliff, but He simply “passed throug their midst” without anyone being able to stop Him or grab Him. Why was this protection given Him? Scripture tells us: “because His hour was not yet come.'
Then in the last week of His sojourn here on earth, Jesus told His disciples, “My hour has come.” And then the events of the Passion Week unfolded just as prophesied in the Old Testament.
At the time of His transfiguration Jesus told Peter James and John, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.” Luke 9:22 And He gave all of His disciple more details just days before He was arrested by His enemies,. “And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise." Luke 18:31-33 ESV
Why didn't God protect Him from those things the way He had protected and preserved Him all His life here on earth? The answer is simple: His death was in the Plan of God to provide redemption and eternal life to all who would turn to Him in repentance and faith. Peter on the Day of Pentecost after Jesus' resurrection and ascension 40 days later told the Jews, “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” Acts 2:23 Their actions were done by their “wicked hands,” but God had determined “before the foundation of the world” that Jesus would lay down His life so that we might be saved.
Jesus' death was “foreordained before the foundation of the world.” 1 Peter 1:20 Jesus was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Rev. 13:8
Jesus is our example in so many things. We, too, are protected by God (not from our own foolish folly and we will reap the results of our actions--”whatever a person sows, that shall he also reap.” Gal. 6:7) until His purposes have been accomplished in our lives and then He comes to take us home to be with Him. “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:16 NIV
Now back to this wonderful little Psalm and the last verse, “[8] The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” God is not only all-powerful and all-wise and the Good Shepherd who cares for His sheep and loves them, He is also our Great Protector and Preserver, ever-watchful even of the small details of our lives. God feeds and cares for the birds, shall He not also take care of you? “Be of good cheer, Little Flock, you are of much more value than many sparrows!”
“Your going out and your coming in.” That speaks of all your actions, does it not? “None are so safe as those whom God keeps; none so much in danger as the self-secure.” (Spurgeon) We should be aware of our weakness and vulnerability so that we will depend on the Lord. “But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” 2 Cor. 1:9 NIV 2 Cor. 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Cor. 4:7
God protects and preserves us “from this time forth and forevermore.” He who has taken care of us all of our lives is certainly not going to abandon us when we get sick or old and weak and unable to take care of ourselves. “The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life” and then take you home to be with Him. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” Psalm 23:6
--Pastor Burnside