This psalm has a very national tone, possibly written shortly after the Israelite nation returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. They largely trusted in God to keep His promise of restoration, and the Lord rescued them. Their restoration & return to Jerusalem was just one of many times when the Lord acted mightily on behalf of His people. Israel was the nation of God's chosen people. God set them apart, protected and preserved them throughout history, because they were & are His.
Psalm 125
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!
You and I, along with all Christ-believers remain His. Verse two reminds us how the Lord surrounds us, making us His people. In Deuteronomy 7:6 the Lord tells us: The Lord your God has chosen you to be...His chosen possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. WOW! This is the best possible news! ...and why would God choose you & me? ...it is because the Lord loves you... [v 8a]. God has chosen you to be His treasured possession, simply because He loves you, and promises to ALWAYS love you!
What does this mean to your daily life as a Christ-believer? Like Mount Zion and the mountains surrounding Jerusalem, we are held fast by the Lord. We trust in the Lord and our faith cannot be moved. God does good to us, by keeping His good promises made to us. Many promises are made & kept, like Jesus' death & resurrection to save you and me from sin and death. Many promises are actively being kept, such as the fact that God will never leave us or forsake us. Many promises are made and are going to be kept, like our place in heaven and our bodily resurrection on the Last Day.
All of these blessings give us peace and comfort: the faith God gives us, the trust in His promises, and the forgiveness of our sins. We're forgiven and restored as God's loved child, every single time we confess our sins to Him. Above all, God's forgiveness restores us to being at peace with Him.
Peace be upon Israel, the Lord's people, which includes YOU!
