Psalm 125
Notes
Transcript
Shortly before going to the cross, our Savior prayed for His disciples and for all who would believe in Him through the word they preached.
Ultimately, our Lord’s prayer was for us as well.
Noting that we are not of the world, Jesus prayed specifically that God would not take us out of the world.
Instead, He asked the Father to keep us from the evil that is in the world.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
His desire was that we be in the world to witness for Him, but not of the world.
As long as we are in this world, we can’t escape from the evil and the evildoers that surround us.
Nor can we escape temptation.
The world will always appeal to the sinful desires of our human nature.
In his first epistle, the Apostle John described “all that is in the world” (1 Jn. 2:16):
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The lust of the flesh—the desire for pleasure, to do those things that God does not want us to do.
The lust of the eyes—the desire for possessions, to have those things that God does not want us to have.
The pride of life—the desire for position, prestige, or power, to be the kind of person that God does not want us to be.
The world is teeming with public figures—celebrities, athletes, politicians, and so on—who live wickedly but who prosper in spite of, or perhaps because of, the way they live.
Their influence causes many to want to be like them.
Even more, our communities, workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods abound with people who live for and like this world.
Even in the church, many who profess Christ live worldly lifestyles.
The pressure to conform to wicked ways is tremendous, and the temptation to live as the worldly live is always before and around us.
On a different note, we need to be constantly alert to those who wish to harm us.
Thieves, drug addicts, and financial and sexual predators are among the many who lurk in every community, waiting for an opportunity to pounce on the innocent.
God’s people sang Psalm 125 while facing constant temptation and surrounded by evildoers.
Many commentators feel that it was composed during Nehemiah’s time.
Among the evildoers faced by those who returned to rebuild Jerusalem were outsiders who threatened them relentlessly (Neh. 6).
In addition, all who resettled in Jerusalem were not godly.
Some greedy Israelites oppressed their fellow Jews financially (Neh. 5).
Even though the faithful Christian is mingled in this world with the ungodly and are exposed to all of the sin and ills of this world like all the others around them, we still have a strong protector in the Lord.
When we remember this we can know God’s peace, even in this troubled world.
So first...
I. Trust in the Lord
I. Trust in the Lord
God’s people marched fearlessly to Zion because they trusted in the Lord.
To trust (batach) means to be confident, to be without care or concern.
“It expresses the feeling of safety and security that is felt when one can rely on someone or something else.”
In unstable times, God’s people found stability in Him.
A. You are Eternally Secure
A. You are Eternally Secure
You are as secure as Mt. Zion—immovable and enduring forever (v. 1).
1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, Which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.
As the people drew ever nearer to Jerusalem, their excitement grew.
They rejoiced that they were as secure as Mount Zion itself.
This holy hill was unshakeable because God’s powerful presence rested there.
To this day, it holds great significance in the hearts of the Jews.
As the Expositor’s Bible Commentary explains, “Mount Zion is more than a hill. It symbolizes God’s help (cf. Psalm 121:1–2; 124:8),
1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, From whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, Which made heaven and earth.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
It symbolizes His presence in blessing and protecting His people (Psalm 76:6–9; 132:13–16),
6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, Both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.
7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared: And who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?
8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; The earth feared, and was still,
9 When God arose to judgment, To save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
13 For the Lord hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for his habitation.
14 This is my rest for ever: Here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation: And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
It represents the privileges of the covenantal relationship.”
When this psalm was composed and first sung, the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylonian invaders was in the past.
The city that sat on Mount Zion had once been reduced to shambles, and in coming years it would be destroyed again.
But the holy mountain—the foundation—endured.
In the same way, the people of God are immovable and will remain forever, because they trust in the Lord.
B. Eternally Surrounded
B. Eternally Surrounded
Because the Lord’s presence surrounds and protects you, just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem (v. 2).
2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, So the Lord is round about his people From henceforth even for ever.
The geography of the area surrounding Jerusalem send forth a continuous, reassuring message.
The Holy City is encircled by mountains, all of which are higher than Mount Zion.
Not only did these peaks shelter Zion from the view of opposing armies, but they also had to be climbed before invaders could approach Jerusalem.
A.F. Kirkpatrick, in his book The Book of Psalms says, “This girdle of mountains is an ever-present symbol to the dweller in Jerusalem of Jehovah’s guardianship of His people.”
Like Mount Zion, the circle of mountains testify to the security of God’s people.
The Lord’s mighty presence surrounds and protects us, just like the surrounding mountains protect Zion.
Those who trust in the Lord are the people who genuinely believe in Him.
They have entered into a covenant relationship with God through saving faith in Jesus Christ.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
As a result, they are secure in Him; they are guarded and kept by God’s supreme power.
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
When we repent of our sin and truly believe in Jesus Christ, God’s presence comes into us by His Holy Spirit.
He lives in us, just as His presence was in Mount Zion.
We belong to Him.
Evildoers may surround us and attack us, but they cannot destroy us.
Nothing can separate us from God’s love, not even death.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
These are perilous times for God’s people.
Persecution is spreading at an alarming rate across the earth, and it will continue to increase as we approach the return of Christ.
Jesus taught us to be fearless when facing persecution.
He reminded us that evildoers can kill our bodies, but they cannot destroy our souls.
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
This sense of security belongs only to those who trust in the Lord—those who have committed themselves to Him, the saved.
We have bound our souls to a sure foundation that cannot be moved, the foundation of Jesus Christ.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
True believers are secure forever, not just in this life, but throughout eternity.
Whatever may come, we can proclaim confidently with Paul,
18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
We can proclaim the truth of God with boldness!
12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
II. Keep Doing Right
II. Keep Doing Right
And we can be assured of the Lord’s victory over evil
The people of Israel were forced to deal with the evildoers who surrounded them.
But they found encouragement by remembering that this would not always be the case.
The day would come when the Lord would triumph over evil.
The wicked and the temptations they cast before the righteous would no longer have a place in the land.
A. The Wicked’s Time Is Coming
A. The Wicked’s Time Is Coming
3a For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous
Referring to the rod or scepter of the wicked, the psalmist declared that the Lord would not allow the wicked to rule over the land forever.
The scepter represents power and dominion.
At times during her history, Israel had been ruled by wicked kings from within the nation.
The pagan nations of Babylon and Persia had governed the land during and after the Captivity, and foreign powers posed an ongoing threat.
In addition, there were wicked Israelites running rampant throughout the land.
One example of this was greedy individuals who disobeyed God’s laws and took advantage of the people.
This was true during Nehemiah’s day (Neh. 5:1–5), but the day would come, the psalmist prophesied, when wickedness would no longer prevail in the land.
B. Soon Temptation Will Be Gone
B. Soon Temptation Will Be Gone
3b Lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.
Now the temptation is still here, but one day He will remove all temptation.
When wickedness controls a society, the righteous are tempted to fall away from God’s truth.
The wicked pressure the righteous to compromise the principles of God’s Word.
They try to persuade the godly to join the progressive march of society as it moves downward.
Plus the presence of sin all around us can powerfully entice God’s people to forsake holiness and conform to the immoral, lawless, and even violent ways of the world.
But when the Lord triumphs over evil in the end, all temptation will be eliminated.
The saved will no longer have to battle the pressures and enticements of a wicked world.
The prophecy of this verse will be fulfilled when Jesus Christ raptures us.
We will then be with Christ when returns to earth, defeats all evildoers, and rules the earth from David’s throne.
Then, Christ’s righteous rule will continue forever in His coming eternal kingdom in a new heaven and new earth.
We also need to understand that the sceptre (rod) of the wicked speaks of a far greater power than human rulers and evildoers.
Behind the wicked is the authority of Satan, to whom Jesus referred as the “prince of this world”.
30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
He is the true enemy of God and the righteous.
Wicked people are just pawns in his vile, murderous hand.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Today, we live within a world system dominated by Satan and his evil forces, both human and demonic.
As a result, we have to constantly battle their influence and resist the temptations they hurl at us.
But when Jesus conquers the earth and sets up His kingdom, Satan will be bound for 1,000 years.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Then, after being released for a short time, he will be cast into the lake of fire forever and ever.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
All evildoers will then be judged and cast into the lake of fire.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
This heaven and earth corrupted by sin will pass away, and the Lord will create a new heaven and new earth.
From that point forward, evil will exist no more.
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Until then, we will continue to be surrounded by evildoers, and we will continue to face temptation.
Yet we can still be victorious through Jesus Christ.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
God’s Spirit within us is more powerful than Satan.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
He has armed us with His Word and clothed us with His armor (Ep. 6:10–17).
If we will resist the devil, the Lord promises that the devil will flee from us.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
III. Pray for God's Justice
III. Pray for God's Justice
Psalm 125 ends with a prayer for God to execute justice in Israel.
The psalmist asked the Lord to reward the righteous with good and to remove the apostates from Israel so that peace would prevail throughout the land.
A. Do Good Unto Those Who Are Saved
A. Do Good Unto Those Who Are Saved
4 Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good, And to them that are upright in their hearts.
Just as He said He would do.
The psalmist prayed, first, for the righteous in the land.
These are the people who trust the Lord(v. 1).
1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, Which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.
Their upright hearts stir them to do good, this shows that their faith is genuine.
In return, the psalmist asked God to do good to them by protecting them and delivering them from evildoers.
B. Banish Those Who Reject Him
B. Banish Those Who Reject Him
5a As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, The Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity...
The psalmist proceeded to call on God to judge those who turn away from His truth and compromise with evildoers.
In contrast to the upright in heart, their faith is not genuine, they have rejected the truth.
The psalmist prayed that, when God removed the wicked from the land, He would lead them forth (yalak) as well—banish or take them away.
C. Give Peace to His People
C. Give Peace to His People
5b ...But peace shall be upon Israel.
Finally, the psalmist prayed for the peace(shalom) of Israel.
He asked God to grant the righteous rest, wholeness, and happiness in the land.
Rather than fretting over the evil that surrounds us, we need to trust the Lord to do what is just and right.
Again and again, Scripture declares that God will reward the righteous.
Scripture likewise states repeatedly that He will judge all evildoers.
When we truly believe that God will do what He says, we can have peace in troubled times.
In regard to evil and evildoers, we need to be strong in the Lord and stand steadfastly against all wickedness.
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Then we should pray and give thanks to God for His presence and faithfulness.
When we do, the Lord promises that His peace—a peace beyond our understanding—will sweep over our hearts and minds.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
And we need to be faithful to tell everyone who will hear our voice about the Good News of the Gospel.
Those who once were antagonistic, can become reconciled with God and with us.
But this will only be done as they yield to the Power of the Gospel!
But we must be faithful to tell!