Psalm 125:2 Surrounded and Protected

In last week’s post, we looked at the illustration given in Psalm 125:1, of those who trust in the Lord being like Mount Zion, securely rooted, immovable except by an act of God. Now in verse 2, our focus is widened, and our attention is drawn away from the security of Mount Zion to its wider geographical position.

“As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even for ever.”

 Surrounded

The ancient city of Jerusalem was surrounded by seven mountains. From what I have read, the psalmist would have been able to stand in Jerusalem and see mountains surrounding the city in all directions. Everywhere he looked, there would be a mountain.

Why is this important? Look at the verse again and notice what the psalmist is using this geographical fact to illustrate. Just as the mountains surrounded Jerusalem, so we who trust in the Lord are surrounded by His encircling presence.  As another psalm states,

“Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee.” (Psalm 139:7-12)

No matter where you and I may be, we can look around and “see” God in all directions. This is the joy of His omnipresence.

But the picture of being encircled by mountains has another facet: from ancient times, it has been acknowledged that there is a great tactical advantage to controlling the “high ground.”

The mountains surrounding Jerusalem weren’t just there to be looked at: they provided a barrier of protection around the city. In order to get to the city, an invading army would have to figure out how to get through the mountains.

This would limit their approach to only those places where an army could pass through, giving those in the city the advantage of knowing what routes an army was likely to take.

But this is where the illustration breaks down, because while God does provide an encircling presence of protection on all sides as Jerusalem’s mountain range provided, in our Divine mountain range the enemy will find no way through.

Nothing can get through that circle without His assent. This is why we can take the promise of Romans 8:28 to heart with such certainty:

“But we know that all things work together for good to those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose.”

We who trust in the Lord know that not only can nothing separate us from Him and His love, but also that nothing can get past the perimeter of His protection.

In His love and wisdom, God may allow things to happen to us we do not like. He may allow the natural consequences of our sin, He may allow disease, injury, or loss—He may even allow us to be sinned against. But even in the deepest of trials, we can trust that even this has not caught Him by surprise. It was allowed past the circle of His protection for our ultimate good.

To the believers scattered throughout the Roman Empire, to whom imprisonment, torture, and death for the sake of Christ had become a part of everyday life, Peter (through the Holy Spirit) wrote:

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” (1 Peter 4:12-13)

God allows trials now—even the excruciating “fiery” ones—in order to bring us exceeding joy later. Just a few chapters earlier, we find this passage:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3-7)

That was a lengthy quote, and if you’re at all like me, you probably skimmed past it. But it’s important, so go back and read it slowly.

In this passage we see the love of God in preparing an inheritance in heaven for us and His protection in keeping us by His power, so that the day of inheritance will not come in vain. But we see also His wise and purposeful allowing of trials into our lives, so that the trial of our faith would be found “unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” 

Similarly, James 1 tells us,

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (v.2-4)

God has a definite purpose in anything He allows into our lives, and we who trust in Him can count on His encircling protection to keep out anything He does not plan to use for our good and His glory.

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knoweth them that trust in Him.” (Nahum 1:7)