Week 5
Day 5

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Psalms about the New Church

Safety in the Church

Psalm 125

A song of the ascents.

They who trust in Jehovah are as Mount Zion;

It shall not be moved;

To eternity it shall sit.

Jerusalem, mountains are all around her,

And Jehovah is all around His people,

From now, and even to eternity.

For the rod of wickedness shall not rest

Upon the lot of the just,

So that the just put not forth their hands into perversity.

Do good, O Jehovah,

To the good,

And to those who are upright in their hearts.

But those who go aside to their crookedness,

Jehovah shall make them go with the workers of the iniquity.

Peace be upon Israel.

Mount Zion (v. 1)

AR 612:4. By “Mount Zion” is signified heaven and the church, where the Lord alone is worshiped....

For the rod of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the just (v. 3).

AE 727:15. “The staff of wickedness” signifies the power of falsity from evil; “upon the lot of the just” signifies over truths from good, which the faithful have, and especially with those who are in love to the Lord, for these in the Word are called “the just.” “Lest the just put forth their hands to perversity” signifies lest they falsify truths.

Psalm 127

A song of the ascents, of Solomon.

If Jehovah build not the house,

In vain they labor who build it;

If Jehovah keep not the city,

In vain the keeper watches.

It is vain for you to arise, getting up early,

To delay, sitting up,

Eating the bread of grief;

So He gives to His beloved sleep.

Behold, sons are a heritage of Jehovah;

The fruit of the belly is His reward.

As arrows in the hand of a mighty man,

So are the sons of youth.

Happy is the mighty man

Who has filled his quiver from them;

They shall not be ashamed,

For they speak with the enemies in the gate.

Behold, sons are a heritage of Jehovah (v. 3).

AE 357:10. “Sons that are a heritage of Jehovah” signify truths by which there is intelligence. The “fruit of the belly” that is “His reward” signifies the goods, by which there is happiness. “The sons of youth” that are “as arrows in the hand of a mighty one,” signify the truths of the good of innocence; because nothing evil or false can resist these truths, it is said that they are “as arrows in the hand of a mighty one.” The good of innocence is the good of love to the Lord. Because these truths have such power it is said, “Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them,” “quiver” here having a like signification as “bow,” namely, the doctrine from the Word. “They shall not be ashamed when they speak with the enemies in the gate” signifies that there shall be no fear because of evils from the hells, “enemies” meaning evils, and “gate” hell.

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