Our security is not rooted in our psychological steadiness but in God’s geological stability. That’s why the psalmist wrote, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.” The assurance of our salvation, therefore, is the discipline of living by the settled science of God, not the ever-changing psychology of our feelings and emotions.
Read: Psalm 125 // Focus: Psalm 125:2
Psalm 125 is in a group of fifteen songs, Psalms 120-134, that were written for pilgrims to sing on the way up to Jerusalem for the three yearly religious festivals held there. Jerusalem was at one of the highest inhabited points in the land, so any traveler would have to “go up” to get there—thus they are called Psalms of Assent.
As they sang along the way, these songs were to remind the traveling worshipers (not only in that day, but since God’s Word is eternal, they are to remind those of us who are on the journey to God today) of their identity—they were God’s people; of their destiny—they were chosen to serve God’s purpose; and of their destination—they were going to God.
When the pilgrims came around that last corner, or over that last hill, and saw Jerusalem, which was also called Mt. Zion, for the first time, perhaps they burst forth in this particular song. Here it is in full:
1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. 3 The scepter 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. 5 But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers. Peace be on Israel.
Verse 5 in the Message Translation is rendered, “God will round up the backsliders, corral them with the incorrigibles.” Backsliding means to fall away from discipleship into a life of sin. The term is not used much today, but in the church where I grew up in the faith, I like to say that we believed in backsliding—and practiced it regularly.
As a result of that teaching, I grew to be insecure about my salvation, namely, that if I wasn’t careful, I could lose it. It wasn’t until I became a young adult and begin to understand salvation, grace and God’s power to preserve me that I let go of my spiritual insecurities. I wish someone had preached this sermon on Psalm 125, because I could have skipped all the needless insecurity and enjoyed grace a lot sooner. (By the way, I would recommend Eugene Peterson’s excellent book on the psalms, Leap Over A Wall, which includes one of those sermons I wish I’d heard on Psalm 125.)
This is a psalm of security. It’s not about the precariousness of the Christian life, but its solidity. Christian living is not walking a tightrope without a safety net high above a breathless crowd secretly spoiling for the morbid thrill in seeing you fall. It’s about sitting safe and secure in God—my rock and my fortress in whom I trust:
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. (Psalm 125:2)
Just as Jerusalem was incredibly safe because the hills surrounding it made it a citadel, so verse 2 says the Lord surrounds us—right now and for all time. He’s got us covered. Other verses throughout Scripture affirm the same:
- Psalm 139:5 says that God is before us—he lead us along the way—and he’s behind us—he’s got our back.
- Psalm 121:5 says that God watches over us from above.
- Deuteronomy 33:27 says that God is even underneath us, upholding with everlasting arms.
God has our back—and our front, along with every other area of vulnerability! Are we not the most secure people on the planet? And whether it was Israel back then or you right now, spiritual insecurity doesn’t make the believer any less of a beloved child of God. God is steadfastly with you—and for you—even when you don’t act like he is.
If you break your leg, you don’t become less of a person; those who love you don’t reject you if you sprain your ankle. Neither does God see you as anything less than his child when doubt cracks your confidence in him. “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.”
Singing Psalm 125 reminds us to live by the facts of who God is—and how he sees us—not by our feelings or fears or failures. That image of his unchanging character is rooted in God’s geology—he is an unmovable mountain—not our psychology.
Discipleship, then, is the discipline of living by the settled science of God, not the ever-changing psychology of our emotions. God is a rock. He is your fortress. He’s got you covered. Even still, you are secure not because you are sure of yourself but because you trust that God is sure of you.
The opening line is about those “who trust in the Lord”—not those who trust in their discipleship. Discipleship is the discipline of deciding that God takes personal responsibility as the beginner and finisher of our faith. That’s what Hebrews 12:2 says: “Jesus is the author and the perfecter of your discipleship.” In light of that, the writer says, “keep your eye on him.”
So we come to the very last sentence of Psalm 125 which says, “Peace be upon Israel!”
In other words, God is running the show. Your salvation is a sure thing—God wants you to be secure in that! It’s on his shoulders—doubt, danger and defection notwithstanding! He’s a step or two ahead of you, and he’ll bring you to the finish!
So relax and let God carry you!
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