Psalm 125
1 A song of ascents.
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures for ever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and for evermore.
3 The sceptre of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.
4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart.
5a But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers.
5b Peace be upon Israel.
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Psalm 125 – Mountainous blessings!
(Verses 1-2) As the Jewish pilgrims go to Mount Zion to worship God in the temple there, they will see the mountains around Jerusalem and ascend Mount Zion itself. Now the psalmist uses that mountainous background to illustrate his song of ascent.
Mount Zion is solid, stable and enduring. Spiritually, so is everyone whose personal faith is in the LORD. If you put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord, you will know God and build a solid relationship with Him that cannot be shaken or destroyed. You receive eternal life the instant that you receive Christ in your life. Like a ‘river’ of blessing, that eternal life will flow into God’s fathomless ocean of salvation in Heaven forever. To deepen and build up that relationship on earth, read your Bible and pray to God each day, and have regular fellowship with other Christians, and enjoy good teaching and preaching from the Bible, each week. Be encouraged that God’s presence, grace, help, strength and love surround you like the mountains around Jerusalem. That will never change either! And this is all by the amazing grace and love of God. Jesus died for you on the cross. He bore your sins and was punished in your place, so you need never face eternal judgment in Hell. He literally went through Hell for you on the cross so you can be in Heaven with Him. What a Saviour! It is vital to trust in Him.
(Verse 3) A ‘sceptre’ is an ornamental rod carried by the person with authority and power. It is used here as a picture of that authority and power. God will not allow the ‘sceptre’ of wickedness to ‘remain over the land allotted to the righteous.’ He will act to ensure that ongoing evil will not ‘remain’ over His people. This is gloriously true in Heaven: no sin or impurity is there. (Revelation 21:27). Every true Christian will see the same truth increasing in his life because Romans 6:14 says, ‘sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.’ If God allowed Israel to remain under wicked authority, His people would become wicked. If a Christian permitted sin to be his master, instead of Christ, he would go sadly astray. And Heaven with any sin there is no longer Heaven. God hates any sin of any kind from anyone, anywhere.
(Verse 4) ‘Upright’ refers to people who are made righteous in God’s sight by trusting in the Lord. God continues to ‘do good’ to them every day. He is at work in the hearts of every sinner who repents and receives Christ as his living Saviour. Philippians 1:6 says, ‘He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.’
(Verse 5a) Here is a warning to anyone who fails to repent of his sins and will not trust and follow Christ but chooses the ‘crooked ways’ of sin and selfishness. God will ‘banish’ him ‘with the evildoers.’ Hell awaits him. Heaven welcomes those who turn from sin, trust in Christ, and so read, believe, and follow the Bible’s teachings.
(Verse 5b) Pray for peace for and from Israel. Have peace with God and the peace of God by knowing the Lord Jesus Christ.
