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Response
The city of Jerusalem, the focal point of ancient Jewish worship, is situated atop a hill. When worshippers journeyed there for one of the three major annual Jewish festivals, they customarily sang the “Songs of Ascent” while ascending the road into the city. It is believed that the Jewish priests may have sung these Songs of Ascent (also known as Pilgrim Songs) as they climbed the temple steps in Jerusalem. One of these psalms declares, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2;ESV).
As the pilgrim approached Jerusalem, he proclaimed, “I lift my eyes to the hills,” recognizing it as the dwelling place of God. Similar to Isaiah’s vision of the Lord “sitting on a throne, high and lifted up” «In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. », (Isaiah 6:1, NKJV), the psalmist gazed at the mountains of Jerusalem and beheld God, the Creator of heaven and earth, enthroned in His heavenly abode on Mount Zion.
Throughout Scripture, the heights of Jerusalem are often referred to as the sacred “Mountain of the Lord,” where God resides (Zechariah 8:3;Isaiah 27:13). A psalmist vividly describes Jerusalem as “the city of our God, which sits on his holy mountain! It is lofty and majestic; the whole earth is glad to see it! Mount Zion, the holy mountain, is the city of the great King!” (Psalm 48:1-2;NLT). In Psalm 87:2, the same writer affirms that God “loves the city of Jerusalem more than any other city in Israel.”
“I lift”My eyes to the hills” was the worshiper’s declaration of trust and dependence upon God for help. He was going to meet with the Lord and offer sacrifices of praise because the Lord his God, Creator of the universe, was his singular source of help. From the elevated place of His holy presence, God would grant assistance and deliverance: “I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain” (Psalm 3:4;see also Psalm 20:2;see also Psalm 134:3). From His sacred dwelling place, the Lord would offer everlasting security: “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore” « As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, So the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. », (Psalm 125:2).
In another song of ascent, the psalmist makes a similar pronouncement of trust and reliance on God for help: “To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us” (Psalm 123:1-2;ESV). This time God is not perceived as dwelling in the hills of Jerusalem but enthroned in the heavens, and it is His mercy the psalmist seeks.
Directing our eyes toward God symbolizes our complete trust and reliance on Him for help: “But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!” «But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: In thee is my trust; leave noTo my soul destitute.” (Psalm 141:8, ESV). “My eyes are always on the Lord, for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies,” acknowledged King David “Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; For he shall pluck my feet out of the net.” (Psalm 25:15, NLT). The writer of Hebrews taught us to stay the course and finish the race of the Christian life by “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2).
Lifting our eyes toward God is a biblical image of prayer. As a great multitude of enemies came against Jehoshaphat, he prayed to the Lord, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” “O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.” (2 Chronicles 20:12). At his stoning, Stephen prayed and “looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:55). Even Jesus Himself “lifted up his eyes to heaven” when He prayed to His Father “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.”
When we declare, “I raise my eyes to the hills,” we express a reliance on God that can uphold us through any peril, difficulty, and obstacle on life’s path until we reach our secure destination in God’s everlasting realm.
