Daily Meditations

Psalm 125:1 Those who trust in the Lord This short Psalm highlights the relationship between the Lord God and His people. Those who trust in Him are safe and secure forever, He will never abandon them, but the wicked will be banished. This is a song of encouragement directed primarily at Israel but equally comforting and reassuring for God’s people today. The song starts with a testimony to God’s faithfulness. V1-3. There follows a prayer and a very short benediction – “ Peace be on Israel.”  V4-5.  It is believed that this was written and sung at the Temple after the Jews had returned to their land from Babylon.   V1        We have noted, from previous Psalms, that Mount Zion was, and is, regarded as a symbol of stability and permanence in the Psalms. It is barely a mountain in geographical terms but spiritually it is greater than Everest! Indeed, there are hints that it will be elevated both in significance and also in statur...

Psalm 124:8 What a Name! What a confession this is! It should be spoken out at the end of every prayer that is ever prayed,  “Our help is in the Name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” There is much made of names today, I’ve been around for a few years and can recall many influential “names” that have come and gone. Politicians, Presidents, Kings and Queens, prominent musicians and scientists, war heroes, celebrities, sports stars – the list is a long one. Each of these individuals has prospered in his or her day but, surprise, surprise, they come, and they go. Many who live in our memories are dead, their influence is gone, their name is assigned to the past, to a different era. Imagine therefore having a name or an influence that never diminishes, that never ends, that does not die. Imagine bearing a name that surpasses all others, in all generations. Imagine having a name that stands for absolute truth, absolute justice, absolute power and absolute hope, a name that is...

Psalm 124:7 The snare has been broken and we have escaped According to the books of Ezra–Nehemiah, after 70 years in captivity to the Babylonian Empire, in 538 BC the Jews in Babylon were allowed to return to the Land of Judah,  due to Cyrus’s decree.  Cyrus was the King of Persia, and the Persian Empire now superseded the Babylonians. After establishing his empire, King Cyrus allowed all subjects to participate in governance. He borrowed the good deeds of other cultures, and some say that this was a sign of his commitment to diversity through culture! What is abundantly clear is that He set the Jews free from their Babylonian Captivity that had taken place all those decades before. Many commentators believe that these events are what are being referred to here  although if that is true, this Psalm could not have been written by David who died in around 970 BC!  Let’s stay with David but take note that even though God works in mysterious ways, there is always an unde...

Psalm 124:6 Torn by their teeth The picture here is, of course, of a wild animal attacking and devouring its prey. The sole aim of ferocious predators is to capture their quarry, kill and then eat the spoils. In the world of marauding beasts, birds or sea creatures there is no place for mercy or kindness, or polite manners.   David sees the onslaught of his human enemies in a similar light. They come with one intent, to hunt him down and to hunt down the Israelite forces. They come to murder and to kill their prey. They might not have wanted to eat their quarry, but they certainly intend to carry off the spoils of war, anything from valuable objects and clothing to potential slaves, and the women for self-gratifying pleasure. Any of those outcomes was as bad as being eaten in David’s mind, he saw the consequences of defeat as being “torn by their teeth.” No wonder he praised the Lord who had obstructed the enemy and saved Israel from ignominious destruction.  Many believers wo...

Psalm 124:4-5 Devastation by the enemy David now uses powerful imagery to demonstrate the deadly nature of the forces against him and his people. The enemy hordes are like a flood that sweeps across the land carrying all before it. They are like the mighty torrent of a tsunami that crashes over everything in its path and causes untold damage and devastation. The enemy army’s pound over their victims like breaking waves that are sent to sweep away everything that stands in their path. These pictures are meant to convey the horror of complete annihilation, of catastrophic destruction, of the removal of Israel from the face of the earth. Chants of a similar nature have been heard across the world since October 7 th , 2023, when the Palestinians invaded Israel from Gaza. The same old grievances and historic enemies are still rampant today, and the land remains surrounded by armies and threats of overwhelming violence, conceived to extinguish the Jewish nation from the face of the earth....

Psalm 124:2-3  Swallowed alive! In Psalm 123 we discovered that the author’s main protagonists were the arrogant and proud. This Psalm suggests that David is speaking on behalf of the nation of Israel, and that he may be referring to the attempts, by hostile forces, to take over his country. There were numerous occasions when large armies advanced on the land and warrior kings from Canaanite nations joined forces to crush the Israelites. In fact, David spent much of the earlier years of his reign seeking to turn them back, to guard his borders and to establish some kind of peace in a land that was constantly at war. You may have noticed that little has changed! You and I may also be the objects of hostile forces, be it other people or be it other factors that appear to be bent on our destruction. We also have to fight against an unseen enemy for it is clear that the Satan never leaves us alone, he is a master tactician and will turn any situation against us. That is why we have to ...

  Psalm 124:1 If the Lord had not been on our side - Psalm 123 had an author begging for the Lord to show mercy in the face of the threats and the arrogant ridicule of his enemies, probably the enemies of the whole nation of Israel. Thus, it is a wonderful antidote to the woes of that Psalm to now be able to read Psalm 124 which turns into an anthem of praise to the Lord who has delivered His people! This is David again, writing after a glorious victory over his enemies, although many scholars attribute these words to another writer who borrowed from David! Who cares about the author or the precise moment that is being described? The truth is, the Lord intervened for His people once again and He will do the same for us just as He did (and does) for Israel. Let’s rejoice with the writer and praise God for our deliverance.   V1           “If the Lord had not been on our side”.   That is such a powerful statement, and it is worthy of a...

Psalm 123:4 Ridicule and contempt Psalm 10:1-11 lists the characteristics of the proud and the arrogant. It will be useful to summarise them here: - ·        They hunt down the weak and use devious schemes to trap them ·        They boast about their cravings, and bless those who are greedy ·        They revile the Lord and do not seek Him; they have no room for God in their thoughts ·        Their aim is material prosperity, and they ignore God’s laws ·        They sneer at their enemies and consider themselves above any kind of harm ·        They constantly tell lies and issue threats, their tongues are evil ·        They scheme and plot and murder the innocent ·        They are devious and predatory ·        They captu...

Psalm 123:3 All about mercy As we know, God is a merciful God, but what does that mean? Jesus said in the Beatitudes,  “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”  Matthew 5:7. What did He mean?  One of the best known and most powerful illustrations of mercy in the Bible, is the story of the Prodigal Son. As we know, the youngest of two sons left his home with his share of the family inheritance and went off and squandered it all, self-indulgently, until he was destitute. He ended up a broken man and also very hungry! At the very bottom of his pit of despair, the son decides to go back home and to get on his knees and beg to be a servant of his family. He has no expectation of restoration or acceptance, just deep regret for his foolishness. But his waiting father sees him a long way off, runs and embraces him, clothes him in fine clothes and throws a feast in his honour. That is mercy! Clearly, this is a picture of our God who welcomes us with loving arms ba...

Psalm 123:2 No longer slaves! The psalmist draws on two similes from life at the time; slavery was well-known in the culture, but it was not like the violent, callous treatment of black slaves that polluted our world in more recent centuries. There were strict rules about servants and slaves amongst the Hebrews, some of these are set out in Exodus 21:1-11. No doubt, there were slaves and servants who were badly treated but in general, they were well cared for, and many developed an affection for the masters or mistresses and voluntarily stayed in service. They looked up to their owners for protection and provision, and in many cases, it was an honour to represent the family. Slaves had no other means of looking after themselves, they often were grateful to their owners for the security of their employment. Frankly, our God is so much bigger and greater than any slave master, He is the supreme Being in the universe so employment under Him is about as high up the ladder that any human ca...

Psalm 123:1 I lift up my eyes to You This is a very short Psalm and is simply a plea for the Lord God to show mercy to His people. The perpetrators of their troubles are the proud and arrogant and, clearly, the writer and his contemporaries have had enough!    V1        The author of this Psalm is representing a group of people, not just himself; it is most likely that he speaks for the whole nation of Israel. The same tactics and principles apply when the arrogant trample on others, be it in the school playground, or in conflicts between nations, or when tyrants use threats in the home, and anything else in between. Some of us can remember being trampled on by bullies at school; boys, and girls, who were stronger, bigger and who had attitude. It was a bit of a surprise to me, as a young man, when I met the same arrogance in a London office or even in the church! In truth, the proud and arrogant are everywhere and they always use intimid...

Psalm 122:9 Peace, prosperity and security This Psalm begins with the words, “ I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Today’s verse, the final verse of Psalm 122, involves the house of the Lord too. But this time David reveals his true longing, by this time Jerusalem did house the Tabernacle but the house that he longed for was yet to be built, a glorious Temple that would dominate the skyline and draw pilgrims from every corner of the land and beyond. Because Jerusalem had become the heart of the worship of the Israelites of course David prayed for its safety and its preservation for generations to come, that is why he involves his friends and family (v8). And now he prays that God’s house may be protected too. Peace, prosperity, security – these are big words in this Psalm. As we have commented, the city of Jerusalem has rarely been at peace, it has only occasionally prospered, and it has rarely been secure. Endless invasions and bloodthirsty conf...

Psalm 122:8 For the sake of family and friends It is a well-known fact that every Israelite tried to arrange a visit to Jerusalem at least once per year but preferably, three times. There were three major festivals: - Pesach             Passover or the Feast of unleavened Bread               March / April Shavuot           The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost)                                 April / May Sukkot             The Feast of booths or Tabernacles                    ...

Psalm 122:7 A prayer for peace Psalm 48:12-13 invite people to “ Walk abut Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation.”  Whilst the ancient spectators may have marvelled at these constructions and felt secure within them, the true strength of Zion lay in the fact that this was the dwelling place of Almighty God. In fact, a visit to the ancient walls of the city today will reveal, in some places, ruins and the broken remains of the ancient structures; the walls did not withstand the brutal Romans or other invaders, but the Lord God is still watching over His people.  The human race is generally a bloodthirsty lot! Even today, in our so-called civilised societies where people are educated and pride themselves on their tolerance, it is necessary to defend ourselves against enemies. The arms and weaponry are sophisticated, extremely powerful, and have the potential to destroy the entire pla...

Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”  I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve heard this heart cry, from Jews, from Christian believers and also from those who know little of the works of God or the significance of the city that dominates Israel. Interestingly, people’s thoughts still follow the same pattern as our ancient predecessors in that Jacob, Joseph, Ephraim were all Biblical terms for the same thing, Israel. Today, the terms “Jews, Jerusalem and Israel” are used generically for one place and for one people. In other words, when we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we pray for the Jews, and we pray for the whole land they occupy in the Middle East.  It's extremely hard to know how to pray for this country and its inhabitants to be at peace. Every day new conflicts emerge; new threats are sounded against it. World leaders are constantly engaged in pondering what to do about Israel, and the population of the entire planet...

Psalm 122:5 The thrones of judgement This is a bit of a puzzling statement! David does not highlight the Market Squares, or the beautiful parks, or the archaeology of the buildings as he describes Jerusalem, for him, one of the most appealing and pleasing aspects of the city is that it contains the thrones of judgement! What does this mean? Firstly, it’s obvious that David, as a king, was delighted that he had chosen this place as his royal city, and there was no reason to doubt that it would remain as the capital city of the land and the chosen dwelling place of future kings and queens of Israel. What also delighted him was that fact that the Lord God had chosen to dwell there and instructed that His Holy Temple would be built within the city walls. In that context, both David and his descendants, and the Lord, would rule and reign from this citadel and from here the whole nation would be governed. This train of thought in the Psalms begins in Psalm 2:6-7.  ““I have installed my k...

Psalm 122:4 For the love of Zion David ruled over a united kingdom. He had been personally responsible for bringing the Israelites together and extending their boundaries so that they entered a time of peace and relative prosperity. He had overseen the journey of the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh in the north of Israel to Jerusalem in Judea. As he surveyed his achievements but also the hand of God in making all this possible, he could hardly be blamed for his sense of satisfaction and fulfilment. It’s here in this verse, we can imagine him gazing proudly over the Holy City, “This is where the 12 tribes go up, this is where the 12 tribes of the Lord come to meet with Him. This is where they will come to praise His Name and fulfil the laws and regulations of worship and remembrance that He has taught us.” David loved Zion, and he loved it most of all because God was there, and all Israel would come to celebrate that fact and to give thanks for His blessings upon the nation.  An exa...

Psalm 122:3 Jerusalem You may recall that Psalm 48 extolled the construction and appearance of the City of Jerusalem. “ Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth …. the city of the Great King. Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation.”  Psalm 48:2, 12-13. Indeed, there is a certain “compactness” about this city, it has no river to divide it and, it is contained by the surrounding mountains / hills. Jerusalem is located roughly in the middle of a range of low mountains running north to south throughout central Israel between the Mediterranean and the Jordan Valley, stretching from the Jezreel Valley in the far north all the way to Beer Sheva in the south. Topographically, Jerusalem is not built ON a mountain, rather it is built IN the mountains, and the city is in fact sprawled over seven mountain peaks! That might well add to its “compactness” in David’s mind. In ad...

Psalm 122:2 Standing in the gates It is impossible to describe all the gates of Jerusalem, that were so familiar to David and his contemporaries. The city is entered from several directions and, over the centuries as walls have crumbled or been torn down, so the access points have changed. Let’s just mention some of the more famous of the gates. Firstly, the Golden Gate. This was constructed in 6 th  century and faces east in the northern half of the city walls. Standing on the Mount of Olives and looking across the Kidron Valley, its outline can be clearly seen. But there’s something wrong; in 1541 the Gate was sealed by Muslims because the Jews believe that this is the gate through which Messiah will, one day, enter the city. They have even dug graves in front of the gateway in the belief that the Jewish Messiah would never walk on unsanctified ground!  Another well-known gate is the Damascus Gate; it’s situated in the northern wall of the city and is still in daily use by t...

Psalm 122:1 A Hymn of Joy This is another of those songs of ascent, sung by joyful pilgrims as they approached the Temple Mount and the glory of the Lord God beckoned them. This time the author is King David, and this beautiful Psalm is his tribute to the great city of Jerusalem, the city he had made his home and the place to which he had brought the Ark of God. His own hands were bloodied by the wars and skirmishes of conquest, but David had been promised peace in the land and had taken charge of the plans for a great Temple, to be built by his son, Solomon. It is clear that David loved this place, he expresses deep joy over it and prays for peace and safety within its walls.  In fact, Jerusalem is a by-word for probably the most fought over and troubled city in the world, it has withstood endless conflicts and battles for its buildings, and for its soul. Even today, it comes regularly to the attention of the whole world and is either a source of irritation or hatred, or the most ...

Psalm 121:8 Now and forevermore We’re already at the conclusion of this beautiful Psalm. The mountainous journey of the past few verses continues, with one final reassurance,  “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” A few of us gathered at the bedside of a dying, Christian man just a few days ago. We sang and prayed and read the Scriptures and my attention was caught by this verse. Those of us who are healthy and well associate these words with the business of life, as we dash from place to place and try to complete all the tasks we have planned to do in a day. My brother had long since passed this point, his “comings and goings” were over in an earthly sense but not in the context of God’s eternal plan. We were all conceived and born at the time God chose, He decided the moment we would enter this world, “ For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb …. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret pl...

Psalm 121:7 He watches over you Most of us probably don’t give it too much thought, but we were chosen by God before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4). We are not here by accident but by design. God oversaw our journey into this world and watched with tenderness as we took our first breath and probably shrieked with confusion and bewilderment at the same time! We were meant to be here, alive on this planet for such a time as this. No doubt, many of us can look back and see countless occasions when someone seemed to be in charge, that our lives took an unexpected turn, and it was for our good. If we think we know all about these things, we are fooling ourselves, the actual number of times when the Lord has intervened or taken control is way beyond our wildest dreams. He watches over us all, all those He has chosen and who believe in Him by faith. He guards and protects us. He provides for us. He arranges events and encounters for our benefit, and He guides us to the right pla...

Psalm 121:6 The sun and the moon We can all agree with the sentiments of the previous verse, there have been many occasions when we have sought shade from the glaring heat of the sun. Obviously, the hotter the climate, the more eagerly shade is sought. But, who on earth fears the moon at night? The moon only offers partial light, produces no heat being a reflection only of the sun, and is not often in its fullest phase or even directly above us. I suspect therefore, that the sun and moon are being used here as representative of those things that distress or threaten us, be it day or night. Isaiah uses a similar analogy when he writes, “ You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled...

Psalm 121:5 The Mountain Rescue Team Insurance companies promise us much in the way of protection, they are an essential part of modern life, but while they gladly take our money when all is going well, it can be a different story when there are claims to be made! Not so with our God, He is our insurance against the judgements of the future and also against the daily obstacles and dangers that are put in our way, sometimes deliberately! The devil fires his arrows but many fall short or pass harmlessly overhead because the Lord watches over us. We should never forget this promise,  “The Lord watches over you.”  It is at once both a deterrent and an encouragement. A deterrent because He sees all that happens in secret, we cannot hide from Him. An encouragement because He is our shield and defender and woe betide anyone, either on earth or in the heavenly places, who tries to harm us.  Psalm 17:8 says,  “Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wi...

Psalm 121:4 He who watches over Israel For 2,000 years, many people will have scorned this verse or at least disputed its integrity. There must have been Jews who have read it, memorised it and pondered if it could be true. To be fair they’ve always believed in the restoration of their nation and the coming of Messiah. Not so many Christians; there have been whole generations who have written off Israel and who have believed that the time of the Jews ended in AD 70 under the destructive powers of the Roman Empire. God is faithful, when He makes a promise, He will keep it. The author of Psalm 121 unquestioningly believed that His God would watch over Israel, and indeed He was right, even though the Jewish people subsequently fled to the four corners of the earth and suffered indescribable persecution for centuries from just about every nation under the sun. Whilst the world despised them and the Satan rubbed his evil hands with glee, the Lord watched on. Despite all the setbacks and dis...