The Serenity of Trust

This sermon was preached on July 25, 2021 based on Psalms 125. It emphasizes the kind of peace and serenity characteristic of those who trust in the Lord. This is a message of encouragement and comfort in times of upheaval, conflict and disturbance. A video recording of the worship service in which this sermon was delivered can be viewed by clicking here. 

Written Excerpts:

I suppose I am speaking to people who have experienced some level of anxiety and concern in recent months and even years over the moral and spiritual conditions in our nation and the world. In addition to those things, we have continued to experience tragic natural disasters in various places around the world. It seems like every newscast brings stories of a new location that is devastated by floods, fires, storms, etc. These conditions often cause us to feel as though it has never been this bad before. Perhaps it is true and maybe it just seems that way.

People have always struggled with these thoughts and feelings. I first preached from Psalm 125 at the church in Ohio where I had pastored many years ago. The date was almost exactly 37 years ago (July 29, 1984). Listen to a portion of the introduction I gave back in 1984. “Our day seems to be characterized by much unrest, turmoil and fear. There is a just cause for all of this, i.e., murders, terrorism, etc. are running rampant.” I didn’t need to change a word to become an accurate description for 2021.

Where do we go when we need uplifted? Where can we receive relief from the anxiety and fears? Sadly, far too many people seek peace, relief and encouragement from all the wrong places. I don’t know about you, but I find that I need to be reminded from time to time regarding the source of hope and encouragement we have in God’s Word. God has provided many passages of Scripture in which we can discover relief and peace.

Psalm 125 is one such place – a source of peace, hope and encouragement. “There is a person who doesn’t seem to be affected by the fear and turmoil of the day. You will notice him rather readily if you are paying attention. He is the one who is described in our Scripture lesson in Ps. 125 – He is the person who trusts in God.”

Let’s look in these verses to notice three observations concerning those who trust in the Lord.

I.          Notice the characteristics of their trust. (v. 1)

Psalm 125:1 ^(NKJV) Those who trust in the LORD Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

A. Their trust was in the LORD.

The Lord was the object of their trust. They weren’t trusting in themselves. They weren’t trusting in their armies. Etc.

Who is the Lord? What does this name LORD mean?

YaHWeH – (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) …the Bible's own explanation in Exodus 3:14 is that it represents the simple (Qal) imperfect of hāwâ "to be," I am [is] what I am. …

Some have gone on to suggest that the Qal meaning of Yahweh must be God's unchangeableness toward his people (Exodus 3:15; G. Vos, Biblical Theology, p. 134). …[and changelessness] (… in the NT Jesus did use Exodus 3:14 to introduce the thought of his eternal divine existence, John 8:58). God's immediately preceding promise to Moses had been, "Certainly I will be with you" (Exodus 3:12). So his assertion in Exodus 3:14 would seem to be saying, "I am present is what I am." Indeed, the fundamental promise of his testament is, "I will be their God, and they will be my people" (Exodus 6:7, etc.; contrast Hosea 1:9); thus "Yahweh," "faithful presence," is God's testamentary nature, or name (Exodus 6:2, 4; Deut. 7:9; Isaiah 26:4).

Exodus 3:14 (NKJV)  And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' "

Exodus 3:15 (NKJV)  Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'

Exodus 3:12 (NKJV)  So He said, "I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."

John 8:58 (NKJV)  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."

Exodus 6:7 (NKJV)  I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

Summarize: the name emphasizes the concept that the LORD is the One who is eternally, faithfully and unchangeably present. If the people referenced in Psalm 125 are trusting in the God who is eternally present and faithfully present and unchangeably present, then they have a solid reason to be confident and unshaken.

B. It was a continuous trust.

“Those who trust…”

(J. Weingreen, Hebrew Grammar) The verb trust in the original Hebrew is in a verb form that denotes continuous activity. This implies that they do not decide to run to the Lord and put their trust in Him only in the bad times, but they are continually trusting in Him. Not only is the Lord continually present, but the people are continually trusting. (Their continual trust is certainly not in the same degree as God’s continual presence.)

Have you noticed the number of people in our world and even local area who do not seem to exhibit much of a desire to “trust” in the Lord and follow Him when everything is going well? Many of those same people run to the Lord when things start going badly. And often they wonder why God has allowed such bad things to happen to them.

Perhaps God allowed it to drive them back to Him – just like He did to the people of Israel. They often forgot God until adversity came and enemies defeated them, then they would seek the Lord. The people in this Psalm who experience the kind of results they experienced were constantly trusting in the Lord!

II.        Notice the reason for their trust. (v. 2)

Psalm 125:2 (NKJV) As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.

The reason for their trust is simple. Because God surrounds His people like the mountains surround Jerusalem.

(Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised) – Mount Zion is not the highest peak in the mountain range around Jerusalem. To its east lies the Mount of Olives, to its north Mount Scopus, and to the west and south other hills, all of which are higher than Mount Zion. Surrounded by mountains, Mount Zion was secure because of its natural defensibility. So the psalmist compares the Lord to the hills around Jerusalem and the people to Mount Zion. The hills connote endurance (cf. v.1) and a sense of assurance and protection. God is “around” and present with his people (cf. 34:7; Zec 2:5) “both now and forevermore” ….

Psalm 34:7 (NKJV) The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.

Zechariah 2:5 (NKJV) For I,' says the LORD, 'will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.' "

If you are one who is consistently trusting in God and not in government or people, doesn’t it give you a sense of hope and peace to realize that the Lord surrounds you just like the mountains surround Jerusalem?

III.       Notice the effects of their trust. (v. 1, 3-5)

A. They are immovable. (v. 1)

These trusting ones are compared to Mount Zion which “cannot be moved.”

(Keil and Delitzsch Commentary) Older expositors are of opinion that the heavenly Zion must be understood on account of the Chaldaean and the Roman catastrophes; but these, in fact, only came upon the buildings on the mountain, not upon the mountain itself, which in itself … remained unshaken.

Have you seen people who are immovable? It seems like nothing shakes them or changes them. They have a trust and a confidence in God that gives them a completely different perspective on life than everyone around them.

B. They have deliverance. (v. 3, 5a)

Psalm 125:3 (NKJV) For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous, Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.

Scepter of wickedness (KJV, rod of the wicked) denotes authorities who rule wickedly. If left unchecked, they would inspire iniquity in the righteous, but God will intervene and prevent that from happening.

Psalm 125:5a (NKJV) As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, The LORD shall lead them away With the workers of iniquity.

C. They have tranquility. (v. 5b)

“Peace be upon Israel!”

(Keil and Delitzsch Commentary) Finally, the poet, stretching out his hand over Israel as if pronouncing the benediction of the priest, gathers up all his hopes, prayers, and wishes into the one prayer: "Peace be upon Israel." … Upon this Israel he calls down peace from above. Peace is the end of tyranny, hostility, dismemberment, unrest, and terror; peace is freedom and harmony and unity and security and blessedness.

This sense of tranquility is also actually implied in the Hebrew word for “trust” that is used in verse 1.

(Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) …in Hebrew, baṭaḥa expresses that sense of well-being and security which results from having something or someone in whom to place confidence. It is significant that the LXX [Septuagint] never translates this word with πιοτευω "believe in" but with ελπιξω "to hope,"

… This would seem to indicate that bāṭaḥ does not connote that full-orbed intellectual and [willful] response to revelation which is involved in "faith," [but] rather stress[es] the feeling of being safe or secure.

Conclusion:

Who, what, or where is your source of serenity today?

I certainly get the impression that many people are looking to government entities to provide security and serenity. It would be impossible to list all of the inadequate sources people look to for encouragement, peace and relief from anxiety. The Psalmist clearly and vividly tells us that it can only be found by trusting in the Lord.

I want to close with the hymn, “Under His Wings.” This song is a good reminder of the care and faithfulness of God.