Read
(A song for worship.)
The Lord's People Are Safe
1Everyone who trusts the Lord
is like Mount Zion
that cannot be shaken
and will stand forever.
2Just as Jerusalem is protected
by mountains on every side,
the Lord protects his people
by holding them in his arms
now and forever.
3He won't let the wicked
rule his people
or lead them to do wrong.
4Let's ask the Lord to be kind
to everyone who is good
and completely obeys him.
5When the Lord punishes
the wicked,
he will punish everyone else
who lives an evil life.
Pray for peace in Israel!
Reflect
This psalm has been described as a “psalm of confidence” because of the quiet trust it places on our God. The geography of Jerusalem expressed the emotions of the pilgrims graphically. Although Jerusalem is on a hill, it is surrounded on all sides by a ring of higher hills, and as the pilgrims lifted up their eyes they could see their situation in their surroundings. The psalmist sees in the contours of the hills a graphic portrayal of God’s personal care for his people. He embraces them and holds them to himself. Mountains are strong and unshakeable. God is strong and he loves us. Pause for a moment and remember that when we are afraid he takes us in his arms. Psalm 91:4 promises refuge where it is warm and safe, “under his wings.”
The pilgrims would not have been wealthy people with abundant resources. They could easily have been intimidated by the surrounding tribes and large nations like Assyria and Babylon. Their neighbours, as we read in Psalm 123, could be proud and conceited. But the Old Testament has a number of stories of people who trusted in God and were miraculously saved from a powerful enemy (for instance Hezekiah in 2 Kings, chapters 18-19).
And so the psalmist prays for peace – shalom – for Israel. Not just an end to fighting. “Shalom” means much more. English doesn’t have a word that covers all that is included in shalom. Shalom means wholeness, both physical health and social harmony, prosperity and success. It is beautifully described in Leviticus 26:3-9, (yes, Leviticus!) as the lifestyle of freedom for those who keep God’s law. The New Testament writes of the love and joy and peace that the Holy Spirit gives to those who belong to God.
Respond
Thank you, Father, for your warm embrace, for the joy and security of living as a member of your family. Remind me of this psalm when things happen that scare me, and give me confidence in you. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.
Annabel Robinson
Annabel was born in Kew, near London, England. She committed her life to Jesus Christ at a Scripture Union camp when she was 16, and immediately found joy and peace. At Oxford she was active in the Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union, where she met her husband, Reid. They emigrated to Canada in 1965, where she taught Classics at the University of Regina until 2007. She has two children, Heather in Oslo and Alasdair in Calgary.