Who Will Care For My Needs?

Mark 6:30-44

Some animals are solitary, and do very well on their own.  Others, though, don’t do well on their own, and need a lot of care.  Sheep are one animal that needs someone looking after them, and thus we have the job of a shepherd.  Sheep and some other animals aren’t the only ones that need special care, protection, and guidance.  People also need proper guidance and care, and often don’t get that.  In our Scripture today from the Gospel of St. Mark, we see a group of people who needed just such care.

Shortly before our Scripture began, Jesus had been rejected in His hometown of Nazareth, the disciples had been sent out on brief mission trips to preach Jesus’ message of salvation, and John the Baptist had been executed.  Now when the disciples returned to Jesus, and reported to Him all that had happened, the crowds started to gather around Him again, making any rest for them impossible (vs. 30-33).   What might a lot of people do in such circumstances?  They might be likely to send the crowds away, telling them to go home and let them get some rest.

However, we do not see this with the Savior.  As the Lord Jesus looked out at the crowd, He didn’t see them as annoying, selfish, and demanding.  Instead, Jesus saw them as being like sheep without a shepherd, and had compassion on them (vs. 34).  A sheep left on its own can be in danger.  They are prone to wander off on their own, away from the flock, and put themselves in danger from predatory animals.  They can injure themselves, and away from the safe fields they can eat dangerous plants that make them sick.

Just like sheep that might be left on their own, the people were helpless and hungry.  They needed someone to care for them, both physically and spiritually.  These crowds were lacking in spiritual guidance and protection, leaving them exposed to the perils of sin and spiritual destruction.  Sheep are easily scattered without a shepherd, and will be in grave danger.  When the shepherd arrives, though, they will be safe.  Jesus is the Shepherd who could teach them what they needed to know, and keep them from straying from God.

After spending the day in preaching and ministering to the crowds' spiritual needs, it was getting late, and the disciples told Jesus that He needed to send the people away so that they could get some food in the villages and start heading home (vs. 35-36).  Again the compassionate Jesus cared for them, and didn’t want the people to have to leave and travel home while hungry, so He told the disciples to give them some food.  What?!  This was a crowd of around 5,000 men, not counting women and children, so it could easily be three to four times that amount.  How many of us could afford to feed that many hungry people?  None of the disciples were wealthy men, and they told the Lord that just to get bread for this crowd would cost a fortune (vs. 37).  It would take over 200 denarii to just get them enough for a bite.  One denarii was equal to the wage of a working man for one day.

Jesus wanted to show the disciples, the crowd, and us today as well, that if we trust Him, He can provide for all of our needs, including our everyday provisions such as food for our daily meals.  Jesus asked for them to bring them what they had, and all they could come up with was five small dinner rolls and two fish, maybe enough for two people to have a small meal (vs. 38).  However, once Jesus got a hold of that meager meal there was no limit to what He could do with it!

The disciples went through the crowd, dividing them up into smaller groups.  Then the Lord Jesus took the food, and gave thanks to God for the meal the people were about to receive (vs. 39-41).  How many times do we just sit ourselves down and start eating, neglecting to thank the One who provided the meal for us?  Jesus consciously and openly gave thanks to God for the provision of food.  As believers, we need to follow our Lord’s example so clearly given here.

The disciples then took the food, and passed it out to the people, and everyone in the crowd was completely satisfied (vs. 42).  They didn’t just get one or two small bites, just enough to prevent light-headedness or a hunger headache.  Instead, each man, woman, and child there were filled.  Jesus does not do things in half-measure.  He is not a skimpy God!

Are you faced with some pressing need?  Maybe your finances and daily provisions just aren’t enough for your needs.  When we put what little we have into Jesus’ hands, and trust in Him, He can multiply that to more than will meet the need at hand.  Do you feel like a sheep that is just wandering all alone, with no one to watch out for you?  Come to the Lord Jesus, as He, and He alone, is the Good Shepherd, and He has compassion on the sheep of His flock.

The Wall Is Torn Down

Ephesians 2:11-22

We build walls in order to keep people, and sometimes animals out, or to keep them in.  Neighbors put up a wall or a fence in order to mark off their property and to keep their neighbors, and especially their neighbor’s children, from just randomly walking into their yard.  The wall or fence around a yard also keeps our children safe when playing outside, and keeps the dog within the property.  We put walls around prison property to keep the prisoners in and the local population safe.  Countries put walls along the border in order to regulate who comes in, and also to keep their country safe.  At one time God had a figurative wall that blocked access to Himself.  Let’s look into the Scripture and see what that is about.

In the Old Testament days, access to the Lord and to the Holy of Holies, where the Lord Yahweh dwelt, was strictly regulated.  In the Tabernacle, and later in the Temple, certain areas were cordoned off, restricting who was allowed where.  Gentiles were allowed only in the very outer perimeters.  Women were allowed a bit further, but not much.  There were areas where only the Levites could enter, and some only the priests.  Then there was the Holy of Holies, the place where the Ark of the Covenant was kept.  Here only the High Priest could enter, and no one else.  There was even a thick, heavy curtain hanging to block access.  Ordinary folks could not just go anywhere.  Neither could they offer their own sacrifices for the forgiveness of their sins, or even in thanksgiving.  There were even figurative walls built between the Jewish people and Gentiles, who they felt were unclean, and many felt could never, ever have a part with Yahweh.  There were walls, barriers to prohibit people from coming any further.

However, all this changed when the Lord Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God, came and paid the penalty for our sins with the shedding of His sinless Blood.  At the moment that Jesus died, the curtain, or veil in the Temple, was miraculously torn in two (Matthew 27:51).  It is through the Precious Blood of Jesus that all who accept Him as Savior now have access to God (vs 11-13).  There is now no longer a need for some other intermediary.  This includes any Gentiles (non-Jews), who accept Jesus as Savior, those who were formerly prohibited access to God unless they had been circumcised.  Jesus tore down the wall that separated mankind and God.  He opened the way for Gentiles to come to God, and now both Jew and Gentile have been brought near, and can enjoy fellowship with Him.

Not only was the vertical separation between mankind and God overcome by the Blood of Jesus, but also the horizontal one between Jews and Gentiles (vs. 14-18).  Both of these barriers were overcome through the Blood of Jesus.  The ground is level at the foot of the Cross.  Both Jews and Gentiles are equal, not one being first class and the other second class, but as equal members of the family of God, made one in Christ.

In Jesus, the Law was fulfilled, and our sin was forgiven.  All who believe have been forgiven.  We also have peace through Him (vs. 17).  Jesus is the Prince of Peace, in Hebrew Sar Shalom.  He will sustain us through every trial and through every battle we face. When we are troubled on every side, distressed, and cast down, those who are believers in Jesus are able to rest in the peace of God.  The Lord Jesus will be our peace, and He will bring us through to victory.

Access to God is open to all who believe and accept Jesus as Savior (vs. 18-19).  Through the Holy Spirit we have the right to talk to God directly without a human intermediary..  When we were saved, we went from being foreigners and aliens to being children of God.  He is now our Father.  He hears our prayers because we have been made family through redemption of His Son, Jesus Christ.  The presence of the Holy Spirit proves we are one of His own.  Believers have direct and immediate access to God.  Princes are admitted to royalty when common people must stand far off.  The child of God has free access to the inner courts of heaven.

The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 to surround the City of West Berlin, in order to keep all East Berliners and other people in East Germany from fleeing into freedom in West Berlin.  On June 12, 1987, U.S. President Ronald Reagan gave a speech at the Wall, and challenged the Soviet Union’s Premier Mikhail Gorbachev, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!”  About 2 ½ years later, on the night of November 9, 1989, crowds started to tear down the wall.  The destruction of that wall brought the people on both sides together once again.  This is what the Lord Jesus did for us, tearing down the wall that separated us from God.

He Hears Our Desperate Prayers

Psalm 22:22-31

We have seen this scenario many times, frequently in movies, but some of us may have lived through such an event.  The situation that I am referring to is when everything looks completely dark, and there seems to be no hope at all for success and everything is bleak, then suddenly things turn around and victory is there.  Like in an old-time Western movie, the cavalry has arrived!  Or the underdog in a boxing match, who has repeatedly gotten knocked down to the mat, suddenly gets a second wind and comes up swinging powerfully.  We see this in our psalm for this week, a portion of Psalm 22.  Let’s take a look.

Psalm 22, a psalm written by King David, is a familiar one to many people, and generally the focus is on the first half, verses 1 - 21.  That first half of the psalm is very Messianic, and has many verses which were prophecies that were fulfilled during the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, showing the suffering Messiah.  However, in the second half of that psalm, verses 22-31, everything takes a turn, and we read of the exultation and glory of the Messiah.

Throughout the first half we read verses that indicate that the Messiah has been taken by His enemies, beaten, mocked and ridiculed, and seemingly defeated.  He is crying out to the Lord for help and deliverance, but that help doesn’t seem to be coming.  The last verses of that first half are cries to God for deliverance from the sword, from the power of the dog, the lion's mouth, and the horns of a wild oxen (Psalm 22:20-21).  Along with the physical afflictions, these are not something someone would likely be able to conquer and come out fine.

All of a sudden the tone and tenor of the psalm makes a sudden and dramatic change.  The Lord sends deliverance!  Though the psalmist, King David, was in some sort of trouble for which he wrote this psalm, the Lord delivered him from that situation, and also from every other one, as he died an old man in his bed.  However, since this psalm is very heavily a Messianic psalm, we need to look at it from the perspective of the Lord Jesus.  From a human perspective, it would look like He was totally defeated, as He was shamefully treated, tortured, and died upon the cross.  Yet Yahweh delivered Him, as well, when He raised Jesus from the dead on the third day.  Early that morning, when no one was around,      the stone was rolled away from the grave, and the Risen Savior came forth.  God wonderfully delivers us in the quiet moments when we are hurting.  We must be prepared to offer public praise for His care (vs. 22).  We need to declare Jesus’ Name all over the world, and give Him the praise.

All throughout David’s life, and he found himself in many trials, he knew that God was there when he cried out for help.  This also definitely was the case with the Messiah, Jesus (vs. 24).  Despite how desperately dark and grim the situation seemed with the Lord Jesus during the last hours of His life, He knew that Yahweh heard His prayers (Luke 23:34, 46).  Jesus knew that triumph was ahead for all who would believe in Him (Hebrews 12:2).

As this portion of Scripture continues we read that all of the world will turn to the Lord and worship Him (vs. 27).  Many of the devout Jewish people throughout the Old Testament, and also into the New Testament, as well, felt that Yahweh was specifically their God.  Though they believed He was the only true God, they felt that Gentiles had no part in Him, as He was their God.  They believed that He hated the Gentiles.  However, there are many verses throughout the Old Testament, particularly in the books of the prophets, and in psalms, where we read that other nations, the Gentiles, the people of the world, will turn to Yahweh in worship.  Jesus died, not only for the Jews, but also for all mankind.

Some people have thought or implied that the things that happened to Jesus, His betrayal, phony trial, and crucifixion, were all a big mistake, something that God hadn’t planned, but which He had to quickly remedy.  However as we read in verse 28, Yahweh rules over all of the nations.  Everything is in His hands.  God has a purpose for everything He does or permits.  The Lord is sovereign, and nothing catches Him by surprise.  He is in absolute control of the universe, the natural, and the political climate of this earth and in our lives.

As our psalm closes, King David reminds us of how important it is to be telling the future generations about the Lord, sharing His salvation message with those who follow us (vs. 30-31).  Unborn generations depend on our faithfulness as we teach our children about the Lord, so they will teach their children, and their children’s children.  If we fail to instruct our children about the Lord Jesus, it not only affects their  eternal destination, but also the generations to come.  If we are faithful, we will also affect future generations, as well.  If we want our children to be saved (which all of us most definitely should), and to serve the Lord, they must hear about Him from us.

The Backslider Returns

Isaiah 57:14-21

I am thinking of a certain type of person that many of us might have had the occasion to deal with, one that can be frustrating, and even hurtful.  I am referring to people who hold a grudge, people who will not forgive no matter how many times you sincerely and genuinely apologize, telling them you’re sorry.  Someone like that can put a deep wedge into a family.  They can quickly destroy a marriage.  That kind of behavior can tear apart a friendship.  Some of you might have been hurt by someone who refused to forgive, or who held a grudge against you for something wrong you said or did, no matter how contrite you are now.  What about God?  Does He always forgive, or does He have a difficult time with that, holding a grudge against us to “teach us a lesson”?  Let’s take a quick look into a portion of Scripture from the prophet Isaiah today.

One thing that anyone who is familiar with God’s Word can attest is that the Lord willingly and eagerly forgives those who repent and turn away from their sins.  As our Scripture passage for today opens, we read how the Lord wants to open up a way for people who have fallen away from Him to be able to return.  He calls out to prepare the way for the backslider, the repentant sinner to return to Him, and to take all stumbling blocks out of the way (vs. 14).  Too often some religious leaders and other, self-righteous Christians put all sorts of rules and regulations in the way for a sinner to perform before they say that God will forgive.  If a believer has sinned and backslides away from the Lord, they put all sorts of stumbling blocks in the way for them to return to Him.  God says to get those out of the way and let the sinner return to Him.

If a sinner wants to return to the Lord, all they must do is acknowledge their sin, feel genuine sorrow for what they did against Him, confess, and then forsake that sin, turn away from it and return to the Lord.  There are no special religious hoops they must jump through.  The Lord said that He dwells with the one who has a contrite and humble spirit, with one who is sincerely sorry for their sins (vs. 15).  The One who has lived in all eternity past, before the ages of time, condescends to dwell with those who are humble and have a contrite spirit.

As we continue reading, God promises that He will not hold on to His anger forever against a sinner who repents (vs. 16).  Unlike so many humans, God does not hold grudges.  If He did, our spirits would fail within us, as there would be nowhere to turn.  God’s anger quickly recedes.  If this were not so, none of us could endure it.  Man, unable to justify himself, would faint and fade away before God’s fury.

This does not mean that God never gets angry with sin.  He does, and our sin puts a barrier between us and Him (vs. 17-18).  However, the Lord desires that His children be restored and brought back into a right relationship with Him, which the Holy Spirit will bring to pass.  Once a believer who has backslidden is restored into a right fellowship, the Lord heals their relationship and blesses them with His peace (vs. 19).

The “fruit of the lips” that Isaiah speaks of is the praise and thanksgiving that we bring to the Lord when we know that our sins have been forgiven, and we have our relationship and peace restored.  It can also refer to the words that we say when we call and urge the backslidden to return to the Lord.

The prophet Isaiah closes this passage of Scripture with a warning to the unsaved, to those who have never confessed and repented of their sins (vs. 20-21).  He describes the wicked, the unsaved, as being like a troubled sea, waves crashing to and fro that cast up nothing but mire and dirt.  They have no peace.  When trouble comes to the lives of the unsaved, where do they turn to?  Many to drugs, alcohol, and sinful relationships.  One cannot find help from other unsaved people, and they can’t find it within themselves, either.  As God says, there is no peace for the wicked.

Sent Two By Two

Mark 6:7-13

Things are often easier if you have a partner.  A chore, such as pulling weeds in the garden or shoveling the walkways, gets done quicker when there’s two.  That assignment from the boss is easier with another co-worker helping.  That is frequently the reason why some people go into business together, two attorneys or two doctors starting a partnership.  The Lord Jesus knew this, which is why He paired up the disciples before sending them on an assignment, as we will see in our Gospel reading for today.

Shortly before our Scripture for today took place, Jesus had visited His hometown of Nazareth, where the community rejected Him and basically ran Him out of town.  Now, with only a limited time left in His ministry, Jesus wanted to reach the greatest number of people with His message.  Now was the time to put His disciples to work.  The Lord’s plan was to send the disciples out, two by two, into the various cities and villages throughout Galilee and Judea (vs. 7).

We might wonder why send them out in pairs?  Couldn’t the disciples reach more villages if they went on their own?  This was done for their own safety.  Look at how Jesus was treated in His own hometown!  Bullies know that it is much easier to gang up on one person than it is with two people.  Going out with two to share the Gospel message would give each of them mutual help and encouragement.  A pair of witnesses also met the Old Testament legal requirement for an authentic testimony (Deuteronomy 19:15).

Jesus had some instructions that He gave to the disciples before He sent them out, instructions about what they should and shouldn’t take with, and also for how they act when they reach the village they will be witnessing to.  First, they could take a staff or a walking stick with them (vs. 8).  This would not only aid in the travel made completely on foot, but also provide a bit of protection from criminals along the way and wild animals.  They were also instructed not to carry the usual leather traveling bag, a food supply, or extra money with them.  This was so that they would learn to completely trust in the Lord for their provisions, and not their own selves or resources.

There were further instructions about what to wear and not wear.  They were to wear the standard sandals that most people wore (vs. 9).  The disciples were also not to wear two tunics.  The tunic was the standard garment of clothing.  Men who had some degree of wealth would often wear two to show off to others their fancy wardrobe.  Jesus wanted His disciples to identify with the common folk more than with the wealthy, and to travel with the minimum of clothing, again to show trust in God to provide, and to avoid any ostentatious display of wealth.

Next, Jesus gave instructions on when they arrived at the village they were going to minister in (vs. 10).  When the disciples came to a village, they were to carefully select where they would stay, but once there they were to be content with the host and his provisions and accommodations, and not move to another place that might have better cooking or lodging.  Instead they were to focus on ministry, not physical comfort.

Then followed a warning that Jesus told the disciples to give if they were not well-received, and their message was rejected.  He told them that they were to leave, and when leaving, to shake the dust off their feet as a testimony against them (vs. 11).  To “shake the dust off one’s feet” was a symbolic act, signifying complete renunciation of further fellowship with those who rejected them.  If the people of the village did not accept the Gospel message the disciples brought, they were rejecting not just these disciples, but also Jesus, His ministry, and the Gospel of salvation.  Devout Jews would shake the dust of their feet after having passed through Gentile territory to show their separation from them and their pagan practices.  This was then a vivid sign that the disciples wanted to be separate from those who had rejected Jesus.

When we bring the Gospel message to someone, we too might experience resistance and rejection.  That is to be expected, and is not a fault of ours.  People are responsible for what they do with the Gospel.  We are not to blame for their rejection of the Gospel if we are faithful to present it.

The disciples obeyed the Lord Jesus, and went out bringing the Gospel.  Their message was one of repentance, not a fluffy, “feel good” one (vs. 12). Too many preachers today do not want to even whisper the words sin and repent.  Congregations do not want to hear that, but it is what Jesus and His disciples preached throughout the land.  Repentance requires that we line up our lives according to God’s Word, the Bible.  Repent, because God means what He says, because our sin is a matter of life and death, because in repenting we will receive forgiveness, life, and salvation.

Spiritual Blessings In Heavenly Places

Ephesians 1:3-7

Have you ever heard about someone who was living in poverty, yet they actually had a great deal of money?  They either didn’t know about their wealth, or know how to access the money.  I’ve heard the tale, whether genuine and true, or just a tall tale, about an impoverished farmer in western Oklahoma.  After years of drought and poor crops, the farmer and his family were so behind on their mortgage, the bank had to repossess the house.  As one of the bank employees came out to put a for sale sign in the yard, oil gushed from the hole he made!  This poor family had been sitting upon a multi-million dollar fortune that whole time, and didn’t know it.  Someone else may inherit a fortune, but just don’t know how to access the money in some special accounts.  Until they learn, they live as though they don’t have the money.  You may think that would never happen to you, that if you had a multi-million or billion dollar fortune, you would know it and figure out how to get at it!  How about the spiritual fortune that you, as a believer, have?   Some Christians might ask, “What spiritual fortune?”  Let’s look into today’s Scripture.

As Paul wrote this letter to the Christian church in Ephesus, the first thing he did was tell them about the spiritual blessings that God has for them, for us, stored up in heaven (vs. 3).  As we think about heaven and God, we would never think of it as a poor place.  It’s not like the poor, depressed neighborhoods of a big city, or that poor, run-down community in the backwoods.   God never has to tell us that He can’t help us today because He’s running short on anything, that His account is overdrawn!  God’s Word tells us that we have every spiritual blessing which is retained in heaven for us.

So, who are the ones who have this magnificent inheritance?  How can we know whether we are eligible for these spiritual blessings?  These are for all those who have put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and are saved and born-again.  Before the foundation of the world, God set a plan in motion for us to be born into His family, that plan being the sacrificial death of His only-begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 4).   God chose us, not due to anything good in ourselves, but due solely to His kindness (vs 5).

We can feel special and wanted, because the Sovereign of the universe loved us so much that He set this plan for our salvation before the foundation of the world.  As the Apostle Paul stated, we are “accepted in the Beloved” (vs. 6).   Some people have never really felt accepted by others.  Their friends are few and far between, co-workers never really accept them, and their family members brush them off.  Perhaps even in some churches they never feel accepted by the popular cliques.  We might feel completely alone, even rejected by many people.  However, we are accepted by Jesus!  He loves us so much that He died for us, and now shares with us all of His riches in glory.

In Jesus Christ we have all the benefits of knowing God - salvation, adoption into His family, the forgiveness of our sins, the gifts of the Holy Spirit (such as love, joy, and peace), the power to do His will, and the hope of life everlasting.  All of God’s blessings are being progressively dispersed to us on earth in accord with our need and Christian growth.

God’s grace is always with us, though we don’t always know it.  We can be easily distracted by stress in our lives.  When we focus on the mechanics of Christianity instead of a relationship with Jesus, we are more likely to live as spiritual paupers.  However, the more we look for God’s grace, the more we will find it.

Remember that couple I mentioned at the beginning, that didn’t know they were sitting on vast wealth.  Many Christians go through life like that impoverished couple, not knowing what is rightfully theirs.  They are stuck thinking only “I’m saved and someday I’ll go to heaven, but that’s it.”  Jesus offers abundant life now (John 10:10).  We need to tap into the reservoirs of God’s grace now.  We don’t have to wait until heaven to enjoy the Lord’s spiritual blessings that He has for us through the Holy Spirit now.

The Mountains Of Jerusalem

Psalm 125

Most people would agree that mountains are very beautiful to look at and travel through.  Sports enthusiasts enjoy the mountains for skiing in the winter, and hiking throughout the rest of the year.  Mountains have also served another purpose for many millennia, and that is that they have been a source of safety from enemies.  When an enemy army would approach, people who lived close to any mountains would often flee there for safety.  That is one reason why Switzerland has rarely ever been invaded.  The tall mountains of the Alps have kept its population safe.  Our psalm for this week reminds us of how the Lord God can also be a protection like a mountain for His people.  Let’s take a look.

Psalm 125 is another one of the Songs of Ascents, psalms that traditionally were recited or sung by Jewish pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for the Holy Days during Biblical times.  As the pilgrims would approach Jerusalem they would notice many small mountains that the Holy City was situated on or near.  They are Mt. Scopus, Mt. Olivet, Mt. of Corruption, Mt. Ophel, the original Mt. Zion, the new Mt. Zion, and the hill on which the Antonia Fortress was built on.  Mt. Zion, the southwest mount, figuratively represents Jerusalem, and was an emblem of permanence, supported by God’s Covenant promise.

As our psalmist approached Jerusalem, he saw these seven hills surrounding the city, figuratively standing guard and protecting God’s people and the Temple, and he contemplated how that is a picture of how God stands guard and protects believers (vs. 1-2).  God surrounds His people, supporting and standing guard over our souls.  He awaits with strong help, steady hope, and everlasting love.  God shelters us with His loving care.  If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).

Sometimes we think of being surrounded as a bad thing.  If you are a soldier, you definitely don’t want to be left alone and surrounded by enemy soldiers.  Being surrounded by a dangerous storm is not a circumstance we want to be in, either.  However, sometimes being surrounded is not a bad thing.  We like to be surrounded by family and friends, or surrounded in a fragrant garden.  When threatening circumstances surround us, such as bad medical reports, financial troubles, or family problems, we need to remember that the Lord surrounds His people, just like the mountains.  Elisha reminded his servant of that when he panicked after seeing the enemy army all round them (II Kings 6:8-17).

Those who trust in the Lord have put their trust in a secure source.  As believers, sometimes we need to be reminded that God cares about us, and desires our good.  Just as we feel safe and protected in certain places, the one that we should always remember and turn to when problems or enemies surround us, is the safe, supportive, and loving arms of the Savior.  Just like a mountain is strong, secure, and cannot be moved, so is the Lord Jesus.  No one or nothing can remove us from His loving care.  No man can pluck us out of His hand (John 10:28-29).  Just like the mountain, Jesus is always there for us.  And even if one day that mountain which you see every day were suddenly gone, God will always be with us, and surrounding us (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5).

The psalmist wraps up his psalm with a contrast of the righteous saved children of God and the wicked unsaved, and their eternal outcome (vs. 4-5).  Eternal judgment will come to the unsaved.  However, God’s peace will come to His saved children.

As we close, let us take a moment to look at one of the hills among the mountains that surround Jerusalem. It was on one of these hills, called Calvary or Golgotha, that Jesus, having been previously scourged and crowned with thorns, was led out to be crucified.  It was on one of these hills, connected to the mountains that surround the Holy City, that Jesus suffered and died for the sins of the world.  Through faith in Jesus Christ we are like Mt. Zion, immovable and strong, confident that the Lord Himself will surround us from this time forth and forever!