As The Mountains Surround Jerusalem
Psalm 125
It is impossible for us to fully grasp how much God loves us. His love is higher than the heavens, reaching to the sky
This past week I had someone ask me about a portion of scripture I had directed them to read. They said, “It seems to have contradictions.” This concept of us knowing how much God loves us falls into that category. It is way beyond our ability to comprehend and yet Paul, the apostle, prays for the Ephesian Church:
I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3.17-19)
So while it beyond us Paul prays we might grasp it. His prayer is that God’s love may become our own in possession and understanding.
God gave us His Word to help us understand His love for us. This Psalm illustrates a facet of the magnitude of the love of God for us.
He uses a very common well known picture, one that all Jews in Old Testament times would grasp. At least once a year the people of Israel would make their way to Jerusalem for one of the feasts. To this day they end their Passover Seder with the words, “Next year in Jerusalem.” So the picture and layout of Jerusalem was embedded in their minds. They knew it well, second only to their own hometown.
Psalm 125 is part of the collection of the “Psalms of the Goings Up” or “The Psalms of Ascents”, sung as the people would journey to Jerusalem to worship the LORD and as they approached entering the temple once they arrived. The picture of the mountains surrounding Jerusalem was on their minds. They would see them in the distance and they had to climb over some of them to get there and once there The Temple Mount, Mount Moriah was among many other mountains including the Mount of Olives, Ophel and Mt. Scopus.
1. Jerusalem as surrounded by mountains on every side, so the LORD surrounds us
The mountains encompass, encircle, envelop Jerusalem. It is an incredible situation. Jerusalem is a city surrounded by mountains. You cannot get to it without having climb over some mountain
One of the ways to come to the city is to come over the Mount of Olives from the little village of Bethany like Jesus did on Psalm Sunday. As you come over Mount Olivet, you expect to see more mountains and instead you see the city of Jerusalem. It is built in the mountains, on a mountain.
The LORD surrounds us. He has us enveloped in His Presence and Love. The blessings of following Jesus are beyond our ability to count. As we look at them they are just continue. One of these blessings is the promise and reality of His Presence with us.
I am sure you have had people tell you, “I’ll be there for you. You can depend on me. If you need anything just let me know.” Then when you go to test those words, not willingly, but to take them up eventually on what they said, you find they are no where to be found or they express regret at the inability to come to your aid. I am finding out it is much better to do something than to promise one day you will. Better to be there and encourage the person than to promise to be there only to let them down.
This is not the way it is with Jesus. What He promised He will do. He has promised to be with His followers right up to the end of the age. He will be and is. As the mountains surround Jerusalem so the LORD surrounds His people both now and forevermore.
He is before us, leading.
He is behind us, protecting.
He is on our side, companionship.
He is above the earth, all powerful, all knowing, eternal, exalted.
Underneath are His Everlasting Arms.
I like to think that as they sang these songs on the way to Jerusalem each time they went they would from time to time give examples of personal experiences after each Psalm. They would tell of their lives and how God’s Word proved true in it.
Last Sunday we spoke of how if the LORD had not been on our side we would have been swept away. If it had not been for Him surrounding us we would have been destroyed.
2. In some valleys you cannot see the mountains but they are still there.
This is true in Jerusalem as well as in life
One evening when I was there a number of years ago a friend and I climbed among ruins. There were stairs that led way down several levels. We were just outside the southern wall of the old city of Jerusalem. Even though the sun had not set, we were close to darkness at times. It was quite an experience.
To think that 2,000 years before worshipers, walking up the steps leading into the temple were reciting this verse we are looking at this morning is wonderful. They were admiring the view while we were down in some ruins from their time and before and after unable to see the mountains. Even though the LORD has us surrounded there will be times when as we sing often “though the darkness hides Him...” When darkness seems to hide His face I rest on His unchanging grace Don’t base your life on experiences, base it on the unchangeable unalterable Word of the Living Eternal God
I believe one of the reasons that we are told by David that the LORD will be with us in the Valley of the Shadow of Death is that there are times in that valley when it may be difficult to see Him. This is particularly true if it has been a person we have been praying for to be healed. Don’t say to a person who lost a loved one, “God did heal him.” That may be your view but I have not found it to be theirs. That goes with any mystery God allows to come- let Job’s comforters be your example.How much better to keep our mouths shut and just be there.
Other valleys such as loneliness, depression, illness, stress may obstruct our ability for a time to see that the LORD is surrounding us but He is both now and forevermore.
3. The mountains surrounding Jerusalem raise the issue of protection.
Psalm 121.1-2 I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Since the mountains were all around the city it was easy to begin to trust in them. It is easy but very wrong to trust in our situations. That is probably why every time we do God disciplines us by changing it
Why are you afraid? The LORD is with you. He is your Help. He is the Maker of heaven and earth. He watches over you. He will be with you now and forevermore.
We must be careful as the LORD blesses us as we walk with Him not to turn our hearts to trusting in natural things like the mountains surrounding Jerusalem. The people could looks at them and have the feeling of safety and security. They could look out and say, “I’ll sleep well tonight. The mountains surround the city, the walls the surround the city and there are watchmen on the wall. I’m safe.” The LORD corrects all of this. Unless the LORD watches over the city , the watchman watches in vain. Look at the hills- your help comes from the LORD
Spiritual protection comes from Him not some natural fortification or the strength of an army He will watch over your life and your soul.
4. Sometimes with Mountains as well as with the LORD we just need to enjoy the view and His Presence.
This is tough stuff. This is difficult. With cell phones and Blackberries and e-mail and all we can be going every moment except when we are sleeping This is not good. The LORD sometimes I believe just wants us to enjoy His Presence in our lives. Be still and know (experience, perceive, become acquainted with ) that He is God
Go back to the Garden. Go back to Genesis. Adam and the LORD walked in the Garden in the cool of the day. They had fellowship. They spent time there together. This was before the earth was populated of course.
Now we must break away. Jesus did it and we can too. Stop and give thanks to the LORD for His blessings. Don’t look for everything to be perfect. On this earth it never will be But God’s fingerprints are all over. His handiwork is here and His Presence He has told us we would have now and forevermore
I have been to the White Mountains many times. I have been to the Sierra Madre Mountains on a number of occasions. I lived on the front range of the Colorado Rockies for three years. There were times when I just would stare at the mountains, enjoying the view In New Hampshire recently I spent nearly a day doing that. When visiting Colorado years back I was asked on the other side of Pike’s Peak on the way to Cripple Creek if I had ever been there before as I took pictures. I said yes I lived here for 3 years but I was just enjoying the view.
When I lived in Colorado I would drive up into the mountains just to for sightseeing. One time I drove all the way to Aspen. I came back in the dark. Up there on the Continental Divide where fall is winter, I just took in the beautiful sites God has given us. It is the same with His Presence. We can take a whole day doing nothing but sitting with the LORD. We can do it anywhere because He is everywhere We can do anything because He is there. On the beach, in the yard, in our home just stop once in a while and enjoy his Presence
God had the people come to the feasts in Jerusalem. It was not a drudgery it was an enjoyable journey. Our lives can be a crescendo of glory with our walk with God. Our lives can be a journey of joy. We are marching to Zion, the beautiful City of God.
5. He has promised that His Presence would always be there.
Now and forevermore You have said that a lot. We need to hear it a lot because we can easily forget it. God will take care of you. He is with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you.
We are surrounded on every side. Sometimes when we go through the valleys our consciousness of His Presence is diminished but He is still there. Our trust should be in Him alone Enjoy His Presence. Get lost in the wonder of His love and grace .
The LORD’s Day
August 5, 2007
We Worship In Singing
We Worship In Receiving the LORD’s Supper
We Worship In Hearing the Word of God
As the Mountains Surround Jerusalem Psalm 125
*Tithes and Offerings can be placed in the box at the rear of the sanctuary*
Please join us for coffee and bagels downstairs if you are visiting today.
This Week
Bible Reading Psalm 130-134 (The Psalms of Ascents)
Monday Men’s Prayer Meeting 6:30am in the church basement
Wednesday Bible Study -7:30pm at the parsonage
Thursday Bible Study 10:30am in the church basement
Next Lord’s Day
Morning Prayer- 10am in the church basement
Morning Worship- 10:30am(Sunday School for Children)
Spanish Service- 4pm
In Your Prayers For All of God’s People
Remember the men serving in the armed forces: Bradley, Julia Bujold’s grandson with Special Forces in Afghanistan, home on leave right now, Ken Brown, Pastor’s friend’s son on his third tour of Iraq- He will be there until October. Please pray for the whole family. Billy Knapp, Jr. in Iraq with the Marines (neighbor of the church and Pastor- Billy’s sister graduated from Good Shepherd). Matthew Klaus, brother of Good Shepherd parent in Iraq as a firefighter for Haliburton. Pastor’s nephews’ and niece’s cousin Kim’s husband, Jay, in Iraq. Pray for them and the others away from their families. Praise God for keeping David Louis, Jake Morgan and Tom Hindelang safe during their times in Iraq. Christine Frankland, Katharina’s daughter undergoing treatment for leukemia. Kathy, Ziggy and Margot’s daughter-in-law, under the doctor’s care for fibromyalgia. Pray for Eloise Brooks in Sunrise Manor undergoing rehab. They have begun the process of fitting her for the prosthesis. Remember Jean Louis as both he and Eloise are on dialysis. Grace Martin, Edie Raevis’ daughter, seeing a surgeon. Edie’s daughter’s mother-in-law, Millie Espisito undergoing chemotherapy. Reginald Mooney, friend of Terri and John Garry, with a tumor in his kidney. Please remember Pastor’s friend Kim Richardson’s (who is recovering from a heart attack) daughter, Kelly, undergoing chemotherapy. Please remember this whole family in prayer. She had an additional surgery for the chemo port this week and has been had a rough time with side effects. Iola’s results of blood work were good. Jeannie Rocarro recovering from surgery. Pastor Jerry Bonfiglio’s father passed away this week Please remember this family who has been through so much grief this past month... Leah May’s cousin, Joan, respiratory problems. Lucy Mancini under doctor’s care and physical therapy for pain and injuries resulting from the accident.
If you would like to help with the Sunday Morning Bagel ministry see John or Terri Garry.
Notes on Our Time in the Word of God This Morning:
As the Mountains Surround Jerusalem
Psalm 125
Pastor’s messages are now available online:
http://thesundaymorningmessage.blogspot.com/
Church e-mail: bayshorenaz@rock.com
Church Phone: 631-969-1730
1314 Pine Acres Boulevard, Bay Shore, Long Island, NY 11706-5436
Whatever you do, in word or deed, do all for the glory of God
No comments:
Post a Comment