Jerusalem —œ mountains surround her; and Jehovah surrounds His people from now and to eternity.
— Psalm 125:2
The Lord is trustworthy first for Mount Zion’s sake, and then for Jerusalem’s sake. We have seen that Mount Zion is the Lord’s testimony, but it is also the Lord’s habitation. Strictly speaking the entire city of Jerusalem is the Lord’s testimony. Mount Zion as the Lord’s habitation gives Him satisfaction, while Jerusalem as the Lord’s testimony declares and exalts His name.
The Lord’s trustworthiness is like the mountains that surround Jerusalem. When we studied Psalm 122 we saw that Jerusalem was built upon five hills. From the south, as you go up to Jerusalem, it seems that Jerusalem is the high point. But once you arrive at Jerusalem you see that there are mountains surrounding the city. To the north, east, and west there are higher mountains around Jerusalem. This is a picture of our own experience. When we first see the church, we think, “This is the highest point. The church life is so high!” But once we come into the church life we find out that the Lord is surrounding us as His testimony. The Lord is protecting the church life like the high mountains around Jerusalem. He is our protection. He protects us for Jerusalem’s sake. The more we enjoy and partake of the church life, and the more we give ourselves to the church life, the more we realize that we have a marvelous Christ who is protecting the place of His testimony.
Adapted from The Journey of Life, page 51.
Tomorrow: “The Scepter of Wickedness and the Allottment of the Righteous”