This may be one of the most interesting references in the Psalms when considered in the historical context of the time at which it was composed. In the 650 year span between entering the Promised Land until the final deportation into the Babylonian Captivity, one of the most repeated spiritual issues in Israel had to do with the “high places”. They loved to go out and erect idols and shrines and such on the top of their most prominent hills and mountains, monuments to other gods which could be seen while working and living in the lands and cities below. Try to picture this in order to understand what it truly means when the Psalmist says, “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come?”

I believe what was stated then has been true for every generation of mankind even to this present age. From where we work and live we can most certainly look all around and see that the world has placed in the most visible and elevated positions the largest monuments possible to whatever they have chosen as its replacements for the One True God. In our society I would suggest that our “mountains” are best represented by the media. The idols which once sat so prominently on the high places in Israel presently occupy film, radio, television, and the Internet with a power and effect that only those ancient pieces of stone and timber could envy.

It fascinates me that the Psalmist took a little dig at the false gods by reminding them that the positions they so prominently occupy in order to claim their power and superiority were actually created by the One True God. In fact, the clear implication goes something like, “God not only made the puny positions you occupy down here on earth, but He created everything in the heavens that rule above you.” People seem to be held hostage to their tendency to gravitate towards eye candy without considering who actually made the whole candy store to begin with.

Unfortunately this is not referring to the unsaved in the world but the saved. I see many Christians who seem to be looking at nearly anything and everything except Christ to help them. You can probably measure this quite simply by calculating how much time each week you devote to Christ versus the time you spend with each of these modern high places. On what have you actually fixed your gaze, your hope in this life and the one to come? _††_†

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