A Song of Ascents.

1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
from this time forth and forevermore.
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous stretch out
their hands to do wrong.
4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts!
5 But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
the Lord will lead away with evildoers!
Peace be upon Israel! (Psalm 125 ESV)

Mount Zion first appears in 2 Samuel 5:7 which says, “Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David.”  2 Kings 9:28 says, “And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David.” So we see that Zion, the City of David, and Jerusalem all name and represent the same city. This is the city we now ascend to as we take each successive step toward God.

We take these steps into the spiritual domains because we do trust in God. This song proclaims that we are like Mount Zion. In what ways, then, are we like Mount Zion?

First, we cannot be moved. Those who have come this far with God will not turn back ever again to obey and follow men. They have become like the one of whom Isaiah says,

The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he awakens morning by morning, he awakens my ear to hear as the learned. The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned backward. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked out the beard: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. (Isaiah 50:4-7 KJ2000)

At the end of his appointed time on earth Jesus determined to go to Jerusalem even though it meant his death. Concerning this Thomas said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (John 11:16) Thus it is with those willing to take this sixth step, sixth the number of man. Do we take the mark of the beast, 666, or do we take the mark of God and take the sixth step toward him? Of these shall it be said, “They cannot be moved!”

Second, these overcomers “abide forever.” How is this? Because “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore.” Notice two things here. First the psalmist replaces the word Zion with Jerusalem, showing again that the words designate the same thing. Second, now God has not only delivered us from the fowler’s snare, he has now established a barrier between us and our enemies, a barrier which lasts “from this time forth and forevermore.”

Our willingness to take this sixth step of trust in God somehow qualifies us for an eternal inheritance. By this point we have irrevocably decided to trust in God versus man for our deliverance. Our fifth step showed that we stopped trusting in man. Our sixth speaks only of trust in God. I will try to make this understandable by a personal example.

In the natural I am running for the position of county judge where I live. I have often considered how my political enemies might take my public writings and try to use them against me. For that reason I have considered taking my web postings off line. Often I will post a link to my writings on my Facebook page. I have considered not posting my links and I have even considered deleting my entire Facebook account. Why make myself an easy target for the popular sport of attacking Christians? But I am not going to do that, for then men will have won because I would have regarded them higher than I regard God who will do as he pleases with me and the particular protection he gives me.

I believe that the LORD has called and anointed me to write the things I write. When he gives me a new word or a new understanding that I believe is for others also, then I must write it. No one may read it, but that’s not up to me. Some may read it and use my words against me, and that’s not something for me to worry about either. The bottom line is that I must do the work God has called me to do so long as it is day and so long as he keeps me fit for doing the work. I must trust in him, not in man.

The time is nigh upon us when God will remove the scepter from evil men who currently rule this world. The scepter of wickedness is about to be broken. I choose to take my stand with those who will rule in righteousness even though they do not rule now. I believe and trust in a God who will soon restore the land to those for whom it was originally allotted. I have determined to continue the narrow way up the steps to New Mount Zion, New Jerusalem, where righteousness dwells. I choose not to trust in men and I will not turn aside to their crooked ways whereby I would ultimately be led away with all evildoers to the Lake of Fire.

I am climbing up the mountain, even if it costs me my life.