“Well, Well”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Psalm 125 (Forward, p. 73) CEV p. 635
There is a problem with taking figures of speech too woodenly or too literally. For instance, the English idiom, ‘keeping your nose to the grindstone’, if taken literally, would totally negate the entire idea of the phrase, namely, to diligently work and keep at your task. And, in like manner, calling God our ‘rock of refuge’ certainly cannot be taken in any literal or physical sense.
In today’s psalm we have a couple more examples of this. Verses one and two say, “Everyone who trusts the Lord is like Mount Zion that cannot be shaken and will stand forever. Just as Jerusalem is protected by mountains on every side, the Lord protects his people by holding them in his arms now and forever”.
The image of Mount Zion, if taken literally, fails on two counts. Firstly, on the physical realm, there just ‘happens’ to be a major earthquake fault that runs just to one side of Mount Zion, just below Jerusalem’s eastern hills. And, indeed, Scripture itself suggests that Jerusalem itself will indeed be impacted by a future earthquake, as happened in the Eighth Century BC, on April 3, 33 AD and again in 1927. And, on the political or social level, Mount Zion/ Jerusalem has indeed been shaken by numerous assaults and invasions. And, as for the ‘mountains on every side’, that too has failed to protect Jerusalem from its numerous enemies over the years!
However, these two images still have a compelling, evocative appeal to our senses, and furthermore central premise of these verses still holds true, namely that God is there for us, cares for us, protects us, and holds us in His arms. There may well be ‘momentary’ afflictions, momentary problems, but God is still there and has not deserted us. And so, we can indeed trust Him no matter what.
And certainly, given the present situation in the Holy Land, we can join in the psalmist’s final prayer, “Pray for peace in Israel!”, and pray that the Lord will intervene speedily and bring peace and justice to that troubled land.
Forward notes: “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but stands fast forever” (verse 1).
“Living in Southern California, I find that the mountains are an anchor for me. I can sometimes be a ‘directionally challenged’ person, but I can reorient myself by figuring out where the mountains are.
“Mountains are majestic and a symbol of permanence. As the psalm says, they cannot be moved. When I go into the mountains, I marvel that the natural beauty. A favourite family vacation spot is Lake Tahoe. The drive in requires a winding road, and I eagerly await the curve when the lake comes into view, and I can take in the beauty of the scenery.
“For me, the drive through the mountains is a ‘thin place,’ a reminder that sometimes the distance between heaven and earth is much closer than we realize. It is often in places of natural beauty where I most sense the presence of God. This psalm encourages us to trust and have faith. Just like the mountains, trust in the Lord abides forever.”
Moving Forward: “What places help you reorient yourself? Plan to visit one of them this month.”