Psalm 125:2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from now on even for ever. The 125th Psalm is of the returning exiles. They are only about fifty thousand. They have made the difficult journey across the desert sands. They have reached Jerusalem. It is an utter ruin — walls levelled, Temple destroyed, everything in confusion. There are Samaritan enemies, too, and all sorts of obstacles, as they set about the enormous task of rebuilding, reorganizing. How unable, defence-less, they seem to themselves! But if, to-day, one stands in what was the Temple area at Jerusalem and looks about him, he will see, rising above him and around him, on the east the Mount of Olives; on the south, the Hill of Evil Counsel; on the west, the ridge beyond the valley of Jehoshaphat; on the north, the high ground about Scopas — all these loftier than Jerusalem. Well, one day the singer of this psalm did stand there amid the ruined Jerusalem, did feel his own helplessness and shetterlessness; but, seeing how Jerusalem was girded by the higher hills, he saw the only real refuge for helpless and shelterless man anywhere, viz. in God; and, getting figure for his trust in what he saw, he bravely sang: "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even for ever." Think, then, of the Divine protection of man, helpless and shelterless in himself. I. God stands about His people, as the mountains do about Jerusalem, with PROTECTING ATONEMENT OF SIN. II. God stands about His people, as the mountains do about Jerusalem, with the protection of DISCIPLINE ADMINISTERED WITH INFINITE AND LOVING WISDOM. For a forgiven man is by no means a perfect man. III. God stands about His people, as the mountains do about Jerusalem, with the protection of PROFFERED HELP FOR THE DAILY DUTY. IV. God stands about His people, as the mountains do about Jerusalem, with the protection of A FINAL AND TRIUMPHANT DELIVERANCE. (W. Hoyt, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. |
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