For the scepter of the wicked will not rest upon the land allotted to the righteous, so that the righteous will not put forth their hands to injustice. Sermons
I. THE ROD OF THE WICKED SHALL NOT REST UPON IT. 1. It may come upon the righteous. Often had done so; but it should not continue. It has been thought that reference is made here to the troubles of the righteous Nehemiah, by reason of the opposition and treachery he had to meet with (see Nehemiah 2:16; Nehemiah 6:10-14, 17). It may be so; but the truth is ever applicable. 2. If it continue outwardly, it will not inwardly. With the wicked, when suffering comes, there is no alleviation, no blessed peace of God, no communion with him, no bright hope, no sustaining Holy Spirit. But these are all in the lot of the righteous. God's saints have ever enjoyed them. Hence it matters but little, if the inward grace be given, whether the outward rod be removed or no. 3. But it generally is removed both outwardly and inwardly. It is not suffered to be permanent. The troubles of the righteous are but as going through a tunnel; it may be very long and very dark and very drear, but it is only a tunnel, and ere long the light is reached again. II. GOD WILL NOT SUFFER THEM TO BE TEMPTED ABOVE THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO BEAR. This is the reason given why "the rod of the wicked shall not rest," etc. 1. There are other reasons. God's love for his people. He has no pleasure in their pain. No, but in their affliction he is afflicted. Hence "he will not always chide," etc. (Psalm 103.). Then, because they are in Christ (cf. Romans 8:1). 2. But there is this reason also. It would defeat the very end God has in view. He desires his people to be perfected in righteousness. But if the "rest of the wicked" always "rested," etc. - that unmitigated, unalleviated rod - it would be more than our poor frail humanity could bear. The righteous would be discouraged, and this would be fatal to them, as it ever is. The condition of fidelity is to be strong and of a good courage. III. THEIR LOT WILL BECOME BRIGHTER AND BRIGHTER. (Ver. 4.) The prayer simply states what is God's perpetual way. He is good to them that are good, adding ever to his grace (Proverbs 4:18). IV. BUT MUST NEVER BE DEPARTED FROM. To turn aside from it is certain misery (ver. 5). The most wretched souls on the face of the earth are those that have turned aside from God to wicked ways, such as are all the ways of sin. - S.C.
Lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. The shepherd would keep his sheep from straggling. His distress is that all in Israel are not true Israelites. Two sorts of people, described by the poet, have ever been in the Church. The second class, instead of being at the trouble to "withstand in the evil day," will "put forth their hands unto iniquity." Rather than feel, they will follow the rod of the wicked. They will "turn aside unto their crooked ways," sooner than risk temporal and material interests. If they do not give themselves fully to the Egyptians or Philistines, Babylonians or Samaritans, they go far in compliance to gain their favour, and sometimes so far as to share in their plunder. Slipping from the King's highway into the tortuous by-paths of selfishness and compromise, they are without excuse. No sufferings in God's service are reasons for unfaithfulness and apostasy. His grace makes us able to drink whatever cup His providence administers. He adapts our trials to our strength, and proportions our strength to our trials (1 Corinthians 10:13). The way of escape is never crookedly parleying with false friends, but always direct obedience to the will of God. At the worst, it is death; and then the worst is best. Whatever may happen from the rod of the wicked, it is of the greatest moment to shun the wickedness of their rod. The treacherous and pliable exchange the lot of the righteous for the portion of evil-doers.(E. J. Robinson.) People PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Allotment, Allotted, Evil, Forth, Hands, Heritage, Iniquity, Lest, Lot, Rest, Resteth, Resting, Righteous, Rod, Scepter, Sceptre, Sinners, Upright, Wicked, Wickedness, Won't, WrongOutline 1. The safety of such as trust in God4. A prayer for the godly, and against the wicked Dictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 125:3 5513 sceptre Library Mountains Round Mount Zion'They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. 2. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth, even for ever.'--PSALM cxxv. 1, 2. The so-called 'Songs of Degrees,' of which this psalm is one, are probably a pilgrim's song-book, and possibly date from the period of the restoration of Israel from the Babylonish captivity. In any case, this little psalm looks very much like a record of the impression … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Security of the Church Letter ii (A. D. 1126) to the Monk Adam Calvin -- Enduring Persecution for Christ The Unchangeableness of God Psalms Links Psalm 125:3 NIVPsalm 125:3 NLT Psalm 125:3 ESV Psalm 125:3 NASB Psalm 125:3 KJV Psalm 125:3 Bible Apps Psalm 125:3 Parallel Psalm 125:3 Biblia Paralela Psalm 125:3 Chinese Bible Psalm 125:3 French Bible Psalm 125:3 German Bible Psalm 125:3 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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