Psalm 125

A Song of Ascents.

1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
    which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
    so the Lord surrounds his people,
    from this time forth and forevermore.
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
    on the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous stretch out
    their hands to do wrong.
4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
    and to those who are upright in their hearts!
5 But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
    the Lord will lead away with evildoers!
    Peace be upon Israel!

This is my first time writing Psalms commentary in over a month—I’m glad to be back!  Kevin Watson filled in for me over the summer, which was a huge help.

Jerusalem is located in the hill country of Judea; Mount Zion is the name of the little mountain (more accurately, a hill) in Jerusalem on which the Temple was built.  There are other higher hills around Jerusalem—like the Mount of Olives, e.g.—but in the biblical imagination Zion is the highest mountain in the world, because it was a place where heaven met earth, just like Eden.  So, Mount Zion is more than just a topographical feature—it has theological and eternal significance.

This simple little psalm imagines that choosing to trust God makes you as immovable as a mountain.

Now, how can that be?  Does choosing to trust somehow protect you from harm, like some kind of magic amulet that will ward off trouble?  No, trusting God makes you immovable not because nothing bad will befall you but because God will always vindicate those who trust in him and prove that they were ultimately wise to do so.  I hope this doesn’t sound crass, but God is a sure bet—he always wins.

What anxiety do you feel today?  How is it related to a lack of trust in God?