THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: God's Nurture Of The Inner Man In The Life Of Faith

CXXV: God's Gracious Long-Term Stability For Those Who Trust In Him

(Psalm 125:1-5)

I. Introduction

A. Insecurity is a colossal problem in today's individuals and human institutions of marriage, family, church and government, for individuals struggle to reach a level of peace and prosperity in their lives.

B. Pilgrim Psalm 125:1-5 presents in a short, but meaningful way the pathway to real long-term stability for God's people. We view the psalm for our insight and edification (as follows):

II. God's Gracioius Long-Term Stability For Those Who Trust In Him, Psalm 125:1-5.

A. The introductory remarks are part of the first verse, so the numbering system in the Hebrew text matches that of the English Bible (Kittel, Biblia Hebraica, p. 1088), so we stay with the English Bible's numbering system.

B. We thus translate Psalm 125:1-5 (as follows):

1. "A song of ascents. They who rely securely (batah, Ibid.; H. A. W., Theo. Wrdbk. O. T., 1980, v. I, p. 101-102) on Jahweh will be like Mount Zion (siyon, = "fortress"; Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., H. A. W., v. II, p. 764-765) which cannot be shaken, but remains forever," Psalm 125:1.

2. "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so Jahweh surrounds His people, from now unto eternity," v. 2.

3. "For the scepter of the wicked will not rest on the land that is allotted to the righteous lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do evil," Psalm 125:3.

4. "Do good, O Jahweh, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart," Psalm 125:4.

5. "But those who turn aside to crooked ways, Jahweh will lead away with evildoers! Peace be upon Israel!" (Psalm 125:5)

C. We note significant observations regarding this psalm (as follows):

1. The psalmist revealed that long-term stability is the product of one's relying securely on Jahweh, v. 1a. There is a great application in this claim: no person has the strength within himself to be stable long-term, nor will he find such stability by relying on other false crutches. For lasting stability, all believers must rely securely on Jahweh, the I AM of Exodus 3 who miraculously rescued helpless Israel from Egypt.

2. Mount Zion carries the meaning of "fortress," the initial Jebusite stronghold that David defeated to make into his capital, so the picture of one being like Mount Zion that cannot be shaken, but remains forever, signifies the long-term stability of the one who trusts securely in the Lord, v. 1b.

3. Broadening the application from individuals who trust the Lord to the people of Israel as a nation, the psalmist changed the illustration to show that as the mountains surround the city of Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds Israel as a people, from now to eternity, v. 2. The concept of God's protecting His people Israel for eternity doubtless refers to the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3) that has yet to be completely fulfilled in the Messianic Kingdom and the following Eternal State, Isaiah 66:7-24.

4. Drawing hope from God's Abrahamic Covenant, the psalmist claimed that the rule of the wicked will not permanently rest on the Promised Land that God allotted to the righteous lest the righteous be influenced to copy their wicked rulers who stretch out their scepters to do evil in turn themselves to stretch out their hands as subjects of the throne to do evil, v. 3 [with Esther 5:2]. In application to our era, we can trust that God will not allow the secular rulers of our world's nations to function in ways that unalterably leave God's people influenced to copy such rulers' sins so that they also do evil, that there of necessity must be a "platform" or a "clearing" where those who trust in God can live righteously regardless of their evil rulers!

5. The psalmist asked the Lord to do good to those who were upright, for he was confident that God would lead those who turn aside after crooked ways to be led away in judgment along with the evil rulers of the land, v. 4-5a. In the end, there will be peace on the nation Israel, v. 5b.

Lesson: Real long-term stability for the individual believer or for believers as a group results from the believer(s) involved coming to rely securely upon the Lord -- there is no other way towards such stability. Only GOD can and will deliver His people from wicked rulers and their negative influences on His people, so his people must not try to establish their own stability by their own means regardless what they face, but always fully rely totally on the Lord.

Application: To gain real, long-term stability in our personal life, marriage, family, church, society, nation or world, and that regardless what we face in our experience to the contrary, may we rely securely upon God alone.