Useful Bible Studies > Songs of Ascent Commentary

Last part: Psalm 124: Something to do

 

Psalm 125

·        To get the maximum benefit from this study, please open your Bible and read Psalm 125 first.

We can learn lessons even from the geography of Jerusalem. And here, the poet sets out to teach us those lessons.

There is real security for the people who trust God. Problems cannot disturb their belief in God. Troubles will not ruin their hope in God. Other people may be afraid, but God’s people can be confident. The mountain called Zion is strong because it is solid rock. And God’s people have their security because of God’s strength and power.

But the poet does not compare their security with the strength of any mountain. He says that they are like the mountain called Zion in particular. That was the mountain in Jerusalem where the temple (God’s house) stood. Zion had security because God had established it as the place for prayer. Zion had security because of the promises that God had made. And Zion had security because God was present there in a special way.

God’s people have security for the same three reasons. God has established them; he has chosen them to be his people. God has promised to help them and to guide them. And God is with them. He is present in their lives.

Of course, God’s people still have many troubles. There may be terrible storms in the mountains. But the mountain stands firm, whatever happens round it. The soil that is on its surface may move. But that is all: the mountain itself remains there. In the same way, troubles may seem to upset God’s people. Those troubles may affect their bodies and their minds. But that is like the soil on the mountain’s surface. Deep inside a person is that person’s spirit. Unlike the body or the mind, the spirit never dies. And if a person trusts God, that person’s troubles cannot affect the spirit. The person’s spirit is safe because God is protecting that person.

Notice that this promise is not for everyone. It is only for the person who trusts God. The person who trusts his own strength or his own skills is trusting something weak. In the end, that person is certain to fail. He cannot always be strong, and his skills have limits. But God is always strong. And there is no limit to the things that God can do.

Next part: God is with his people

See the word list for explanation of words with a *

 

Please use the links at the top of the page to find our other articles in this series. You can download all our articles if you go to the download page for our free 450 page course book.

 

© 2015, Keith Simons.