"The eternal God is thy dwelling-place, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27). Jacob came to Egypt to find his son alive — the son he had grieved for twenty-two years — and beneath the whole impossible reunion were the everlasting arms, the permanent divine support that had been there all along (Genesis 37:1).
Moses arrived, centuries later, to ask a question the rabbis found worth pursuing: which came first — the dwelling place or God? Moses's prayer supplies the answer: "O Lord, You have been our refuge in every generation" (Psalm 90:1). Not "You will be" or "You became" — You have been. Before the world had dwelling places, before the patriarchs settled their tents, before the first generation needed refuge, God was already there. God never preceded creation because God preceded everything, including time itself.
Jacob "dwelt" in Egypt — the same Hebrew word used for dwelling securely, for settling in peace. But Egypt was not the Promised Land. The security Jacob found there was temporary, a grace period before the long slavery. The rabbis read this dwelling as a warning: when Israel dwells too securely in exile, it forgets where its real home is. The everlasting arms are always beneath you. That doesn't mean you've arrived at the right place.
Chapter (56) 57: Writings [1] A song of ascents. I will lift up my eyes (Psalms 121:1). The verse "And the spirit clothed Amasai, the chief of the captains, and he said" (1 Chronicles 12:19) - Rabbi Berachiah said: It refers to the prince of Edom, as Zechariah saw him, as it is said, "I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse...and he said" (Zechariah 1:8). He sought to imitate those who are called stars, as it is said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars...so shall thy seed be" (Genesis 15:5), referring to Israel, who are established in a fortress. Similarly, it is written, "Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down" (Obadiah 1:4), referring to Edom, who sought to imitate the stars, as it is said, "Look now toward heaven." After this, "red horses, which walked among the myrtle trees" (Zechariah 1:8), these are the kings who stood against him. [They are called] Edom, who loves gold; "sorrel horses," who trample on the vineyards of Israel and take their money; "white horses," to atone for the sins of Israel. He then saw horns, as it is said, "And I lifted up mine eyes and saw, and behold four horns" (Zechariah 2:1). These are the four kingdoms. He said to him, as long as these horns are visible, the horn of Israel does not rise, as it is said, "These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head" (Zechariah 1:21). When will Israel lift up their heads? When I cut off the horns, as it is said, "All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted" (Psalms 75:11). "The righteous" refers to Israel, as it is said, "And all thy people shall be righteous" (Isaiah 60:21). At that time, "I will lift up my eyes" (Psalms 121:1), "My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." (Psalms 121:2)
