The Songs Of Ascent – Part 7 – Psalm 125 – The Unmovable Mountain And The Righteous And The Wicked Series

THE SONGS OF ASCENT – PART 7 – PSALM 125 – THE UNMOVABLE MOUNTAIN AND THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED

Psalm 125 A Song of Ascents

[A]. THE GREAT SIMILE – THE MIGHTY COMPARISON

{{Psalm 125:1 “Those who trust in the LORD are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.”}}

We take up our next Psalm of Ascent, these Psalms that were sung by the pilgrims who wended their way to Jerusalem on three occasions each year. As they rose the heights to the holy city they sang these 15 Psalms, songs for the ascent. As the pilgrim feet made their way to the sanctuary, their pilgrim eyes look upon the mountainous terrain. Jerusalem is altogether surrounded by mountains – and there is MOUNT ZION!

Our Psalm for today is a shorter one but it contains a lot of teaching. In verse 1 the comparison is that the trusting ones are as Mount Zion. Mt Zion is in the mountain range on which Jerusalem is built and Zion is the most prominent peak. These peaks are small when the great mountain ranges of the world are considered but many of them are important in scripture. There are several of these mountains in scripture but let us look briefly at only one.

[1a]. MOUNT OF OLIVES. Firstly it is the place of prayer – {{Luke 21:37 “Now during the day He was teaching in the temple, but at evening He would go out and spend the night on the mount that is called Olivet.”}} Although we are not told in the scripture we can certainly conclude the Lord spent the night in prayer as he did on other occasions. It was a place of quietness and privacy for Him.

[1b]. MOUNT OF OLIVES. Secondly it is the place of reality. After leaving the upper room on the Passover night the 11 disciples and the Lord went to Olivet where Jesus told Peter he would betray Him three times – {{Matthew 26:34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a cock crows, you shall deny Me three times.”}} Peter would never forget that place.

[1c]. MOUNT OF OLIVES. Thirdly it is the place of greatest revelation – {{Matthew 24:3 “As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”}} It was there Jesus taught the whole truth of the coming Tribulation and His Second Coming to end it.

[1d]. MOUNT OF OLIVES. It is the place of the ascension. {{Acts 1:12 “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.”}} It was on Olivet that Jesus ascended to heaven and then the disciples returned to Jerusalem.

[1e]. MOUNT OF OLIVES. It is the place to which the Lord will descend when He comes again – {{Zechariah 14:4 “And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.” Acts 1:11 and they also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”}} Yes, He departed from Olivet and will return to Olivet at the Second Coming.

WHAT DOES THIS COMPARISON WITH ZION MEAN?

Those who trust in the Lord cannot be moved, but in what way? Well it means their faith will not be moved but will remain steadfast. Their purpose will remain unshakable also. Mt Zion was chosen because it is an established and secure peak. Those who are trusting in the Lord are as Mt Zion – because it is a solid, unmovable rock. There was nothing more solid than Zion. No way would it be taken out of its place or tremble with uncertainty.

Believers are fixed to the Mighty Rock, the Rock of Ages forever. They will never be moved. The Israelites knew Mt Zion. We know of great rocks even bigger, the great monoliths such as Ayers Rock in Australia and the Rock of Gibraltar. We can stand on the solid foundation and not be moved ever. “On Christ the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.”

Christian, you don’t make the Rock. Some think their own efforts are needed to establish the rock and then battle to maintain it. No, not in any way. Jesus is our Rock and all that is required of us is to plant our feet securely on that Rock. He will keep us forever, not we ourselves.