Psalms 125

We're still ascending towards Jerusalem.

They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion (Psalms 125:1),

The mount upon which Jerusalem was built.

which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever (Psalms 125:1).

Now the Mount of Olives won't abide forever. Zion will, but the Mount of Olives is soon going to be split by a tremendous earthquake. Right in the middle, a new valley will be formed out of Jerusalem. Now you have the valley of Hinnom, in which the valley of Kidron, and the Tyropean and the Hinnom valley merged in the valley of Hinnom, goes on out of Jerusalem. But there's going to be a new valley going out of Jerusalem when the Mount of Olives splits right in the middle and a new valley forms out of the city. This, of course, will take place when Jesus returns and puts His foot upon the top of the Mount of Olives.
The geologists have discovered a major earth fault right through the center of the Mount of Olives. It doesn't really mean anything to me. The Lord can split it without an earth fault. It shall be split. Actually, it will open up a hole, it will open up an underground river and a new river will come gushing forth out of Jerusalem, flowing into this valley and going clear on down to the Dead Sea. And the fresh waters of this new river that is formed will actually heal the waters of the Dead Sea so that they'll be able to have fish living in the Dead Sea. And it will become a center of the fishing industry. The mount of Zion abides.

As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people (Psalms 125:2)

So you stand there in Jerusalem, you look and you see the Mount Zion on the south. You see Scopus over towards the north. You see the Mount of Olives on towards the east. Golgotha, Calvary towards the west. As the mountains surround the little city of Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people.

from henceforth even for ever (Psalms 125:2).

Surrounded by God. Paul the apostle, when he was talking to the Epicurean philosophers there at the Areopagus on Mars Hill in Greece, in Athens, he said, "I perceive you men are very spiritual." He said, "As I've been going through your city, I've observed the number of idols that you have. Your places of worship. All of the different gods." For the Greeks had deified everything they could think of. You know, the sun, the moon, the planets, they were all deities. And then having run out of stars and planets and constellations to deify, they began to deify even emotions. So they had the god of love, the god of hate, the god of fear, the god of joy, the god of sorrow, the god of grief, and the various gods. They had deified just about anything you could think of.
Now one fellow got an idea, "Maybe we're missing a god. Maybe we haven't thought of him." So he built an altar and he put the inscription over, "To the Unknown God." "Whoever you may be, wherever you might be. We don't want you to feel offended and that you've been slighted. So here, we've got an altar to worship the unknown God."

So Paul said, "I perceive you're very religious. I've seen all of your altars as I've walked through your city." He said, "And one caught my attention. For it was inscribed, 'To the Unknown God.'" He said, "I'd like to tell you about this God. He's the One who made the heaven and the earth and everything that is in them. And in Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28) In other words, I am surrounded by Him. I am living in His midst. I live, I move, I have my being in Him.

When Daniel was brought before Belshazzar at this feast, after the writing appeared on the walls, he said, "Belshazzar, God gave to your grandfather this glorious kingdom of Babylon. But he was lifted up with pride. And so God allowed him a period of madness until he realized that it was God who ruled and reigned." And he said, "But this God, the very God in whose hand your breath is, you have not glorified." Surrounded by God. My very breath depended upon Him.

So as the mountains are around about Jerusalem, so God is around about His people. You're surrounded by God. He encompasses us. As the one-hundred-and-thirty-ninth psalm said, "O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. You know every time I sit down, every time I stand up." He said, "You have gone before me. You're behind me, and Your hand is upon me." "Thou has beset me before and behind, and Thine hand is upon me" (Psalms 139:5). Surrounded by God.

I never come to any place in my life but God has not preceded me there. I can look back and see the hand of God, as He was on my life even in the past, even when I wasn't interested. Surrounded by God. Your life is encompassed by Him.

For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts. As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel (Psalms 125:3-5).

So, again, the remembrance of the troubles from the cities from whence they were coming. Looking forward again to that time of coming into the consciousness of God's presence "