Ps 125 Trusting God
Relax. Is the theme of this Psalm We are secure. God is running the show.” (Peterson). Also, the word “confidence” might best reflect the tone of these verses. Confidence in the midst of challenges to the people of God is what is pictured here—and the ability to relax reflects confidence in God. If the people of God are confident in God, then they can indeed relax in the midst of difficulties. (Van Meter)
Basics of Trusting God 1 Those who trust in the LORD
Occupants who trusts Those who
This is true believers who completely trust in the Lord with their life. (Lawson) Christians are not immune to troubles. The presence of trials in our life is not evidence that we don’t believe; it may, in fact, be evidence that we do believe. God allows trials in order for us to be tested, so that we can see who it is in whom we really trust. (Van Meter)
Outline of Trust trust
Heb Batach means to attach one’s self too, to cling to, to feel secure, to rely on, and to be confident in. It describes those that cling to the Lord and his promises. Watching the Tide It is not like one whose life is like the tide: it’s in, it’s our, it’s in, it’s out. Those who put their trust in the Lord, do so no matter what the circumstances. Those who trust God are confident in him, that He will do them right and lead them right. He will do perfectly by their life and is committed to their best. (Lawson)
Object of Trust in the Lord
Can you trust The Lord? The question has two possible answers. Can you trust Lord, is he dependable in times of adversity? Then second, can you trust Lord? Do you have such a relationship with God and such a confidence in Him that you believe He is with you in your difficulty even though you do not see any evidence of His presence and His power? It is just as important to trust God as to obey Hm. When we disobey God we defy his authority and despise his holiness. But when we fail to trust God we doubt His sovereignty and question his goodness. God views our mistrust of him as seriously as He views our disobedience. When we trust God we are trusting his complete sovereignty, his infinite wisdom and his perfect love (Bridges).
Benefits of Trusting God v. 1-5
Stability 1 are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. W. “Some people are like the sand – ever shifting and treacherous (Matt 7:26). Some are like the sea – restless and unsettled. (Is 57:20; James 1:6) Some are like the wind – uncertain and inconstant. (Eph 4:14) Believers who trust the Lord are like a mountain – strong, stable and secure.” (HJ Page) There is no instability in those who trust God. Mount Zion was the “rock” on which the city of Jerusalem was built. It was not built on the variable farm lands, or the shifting sands of the desert, but on the immovable solid rock of Mount Zion. When we trust in God we are “like” Mt Zion. We don’t fall apart in tough times. We don’t collapse when things are not working out. We do not implode inside in difficulty, because we have attached ourselves to him that is immovable. The ones that do not trust in God are like the waves of the sea tossed back and forth in every direction. They are like tumbleweed in which the slightest movement of the wind blows it in another direction. But, the one who trusts in God has steadfastness and stability (Lawson). Trusters in Jehovah shall be as fixed, firm, and stable as the mount where David dwelt. To move mount Zion was impossible: the mere supposition was absurd (Spurgeon)
Security 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. Seven mountains surround Jerusalem. The city was impenetrable. The mountains were like a wall of protection around the believers. God is like that, He is the protection surrounding those who trust him. Just like nothing comes into Jerusalem unless it passed though the mountains, so nothing comes into your life unless it “passes” through God.(Lawson) “To get at Jerusalem an enemy had to get past the mountains. To get at God’s people, an enemy must first get past God. (John Phillips). He is teaching that our security can never be in ourselves or in circumstances. It must always be in God. (Boice). “God’s people are like a mountain surrounded by mountains, both immovable and impregnable.” (John Stott) What a double security the two verses set before us! First, we are established, and then entrenched; settled, and then sentinelled: made like a mount, and then protected as if by mountains (Spurgeon)
Sufficiency 4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts! Here is a prayer for God to do good to his people. Those defined as good here are those who trust in God (v1 Those who trust in God). (Lawson). God will do good to those who are good (trust in Him). The word translated “upright” means “straight” – to have a straight heart with God. (Van Meter) There trust in God transforms them to walk “uprightly” with the Lord. The upright are those rightly trusting the Lord. It is not the good action which makes the good man: it is the good man who does the good action. The merit of an action depends entirely upon the motives which have prompted its performance; When the heart is wrong, all is wrong. When the heart is right, all is right.—(N. M'Michael.) When your heart is right your actions will be “upright” There is no need to trust anyone or anything to satisfy you. We need to trust the one who is good and satisfies, rather than look for what we think is good and will satisfy. His goodness will satisfy you with His goodness. (Lawson).
Serenity 5 Peace be upon Israel! Here is petition for perfect peace with God, with others and with yourself.
THREE things about this peace:
1 it is from above, and is higher than all the disturbances of the world; it rests upon him, and makes him calm and peaceful, and lifts him above the world: for upon him rests the Holy Spirit, who is the Comforter; who is essential love and uncreated peace. 2) It is internal for it is sent down from heaven upon his head, flows into his heart, and dwells there, and stills all agitations of mind. It is divine: for chiefly, it maintains peace with God. . . . This peace is not disturbed by devils, the world, and the flesh. . . . 3) Finally, it is peace eternal and never interrupted; for it flows from an eternal and exhaustless fountain, even from God himself.— (Le Blanc). This is the peace that passes all of our understanding (Phil 4:7-8). It is an internal peace and contentment that is not swayed by circumstances. It is a peace with God that has been permanently and eternal secured through our relationship with Jesus. (Rom 5:1) It is a perfect peace for those whose mind is stayed on the Lord because of their trust in him. (Is 26:3-4) Those who trust in God in the midst of life’s difficulties are at peace. Those who don’t are always in conflict with God. Pray that you might trust God not matter what and have the peaceful serenity that comes from him. Bind the first and last verses together: Israel trusts in the Lord Ps 125:1, and Israel has peace Ps 125:5. (Spurgeon).
Banishment of those who do not trust God 5 But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the LORD will lead away with evildoers! God is protecting those who are righteous and leading the evil doers away, it is clear there is no fence on which Christians can sit; there is a clear choice: we must stand with either the righteous or the evil doers. The Lord will lead away many of the ‘fence-sitters’ with the evil doers. (Evans) God will do good to those who are good, and God will banish those who do evil. “Crooked” here is a word that means “crooked, winding or devious.” This is in direct contrast to the “straight” or upright heart in verse four. (Van Meter) Those who turn to crooked ways, the Lord will banish with the evildoers .If you turn away, then the Lord will let you go in that direction (Lawson) How sad that men who once walked in the right way should turn aside from it! Observe the course of the false hearted: first, they look out for crooked ways; next, they choose them and make them "their crooked ways"; and then they turn aside into them. They never intend to go back unto perdition, but only to make a curve and drop into the right road again. The straight way becomes a little difficult, and so they make a turn, which all along aims at coming out right, though it may a little deviate from the path. These people are neither upright in heart, nor good, nor trusters in Jehovah, and therefore the Lord will deal otherwise with them than with his own people (Spurgeon). Sometimes God takes away a barren believer by permitting him to fall into open profaneness. He has professed the worthy name of the Lord Jesus Christ, but his profession is only a cloak; he secretly practice wickedness; he is a glutton, or a drunkard, or covetous, or unclean. Well, God says, I will loosen the reins of this believer, I will give him up to his vile affections. I will loosen the reins of his sins before him, he shall be entangled with his filthy lusts, he shall be overcome of ungodly company. Thus they that turn aside to their own crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity.—(John Bunyan).
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