“They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts. As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.”
God has His hand upon Israel. They answered the call to be His people, nation, and representatives. Though they failed the Lord many times and in harsh ways His love for them has remained. This psalm is a reminder of God’s love for not only the nation of Israel but for all of His people. The Lord will protect them that are His.
Two types of people are compared in this psalm. The good and the wicked. God will establish the good as a mountain, ” No storms of trial could shake it” (Smith, 1996), and God will protect them as the mountains around Jerusalem offers it protection. The wicked though will not find rest and will be turned to remain in their wicked ways.
This psalms is best seen as a “corporate psalm of confidence” (Barry, 2012). Webster’s dictionary defines confidence as “the feeling of being certain that something will happen or that something is true.” Do you have the feeling that God’s protection is true? That He will be there for you? This is the confidence of Israel. This is our confidence. The Lord will be around us as the mountains are around Jerusalem offering us protection from the wicked.
References
Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
Smith, J. E. (1996). The wisdom literature and Psalms. Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co.
Jeremy Kamer Ministries 