The godly remnant prove the faithfulness of the Lord on their way to Zion.
Psalms 124 presents the Lord’s mercy in setting the godly free from captivity, calling forth their confiding trust in the Lord. Psalms 125 presents the security of those who thus trust in the Lord as they pursue their pilgrim way to Zion.
(vv. 1-2) In the presence of all opposition, and amidst all changes, those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion which cannot be moved and therefore abides forever. The ground of their security is that, even as Jerusalem is protected by the surrounding mountains, so the Lord is round about His people.
In captivity they had been assured that the Lord would keep them in going out and coming in, and for evermore (Psa. 121:88The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. (Psalm 121:8)). Having left the land of captivity, and on their way to Zion they find that the Lord is indeed their “keeper,” and “about His people from henceforth even forever.”
(vs. 3) Having experienced the deliverance of the Lord, the godly remnant express their confidence that the Lord will complete what His grace has begun. Thus they are assured that the city to which they are journeying will be delivered from the rule of the wicked. Their inheritance thus freed from the scepter of the wicked there will be no temptation to the righteous to enter into an unholy alliance with the wicked, and thus abandon their confidence in the Lord.
(vv. 4-5) The psalm closes with a prayer to the Lord, based on the known governmental ways of God (see Psa. 18:25-2625With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt show thyself upright; 26With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt show thyself froward. (Psalm 18:25‑26)). The Lord will do good to those who are good and upright in their hearts; while those who “turn aside unto their crooked ways” will at last find themselves in company with “workers of iniquity.” The psalmist closes with the desire, “Peace be upon Israel,” involving the confidence that Israel will be found at last to be those who trust in the Lord.