Introduction
In high school, we listened to classical rock while we lifted weights or warmed up for a wrestling match. Even as an adult, I listen to different kinds of music depending on the task at hand. For yard work or cleaning, I need something fast-paced; for a beach trip, some Oldies; and for studying, something instrumental to help me focus. While the way we listen to music has changed throughout the years, playlists for certain trips or tasks have been around for a long while!
Psalm 131 is a short Psalm of David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel (2 Samuel 23:1-4). This chapter is number twelve of fifteen songs on the pilgrims’ playlist as they ascended to Jerusalem and the Temple. The Jews that made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Temple three times a year for the Feasts of the LORD would sing Psalm 120-134, known as the Songs of Accent, as they went up to the city and Temple.
Though we are unsure of the circumstances that led David to write this Psalm of three verses, scholars make two suggestions based on what we know about David’s life and the content of these three verses.
The first possibility is that David wrote this song when King Saul hunted him. Saul was convinced that David was conspiring against him because his eyes and heart were set on attaining the throne. In 1 Samuel 21 and 22, we have an instance where Saul voices his belief that David is out to kill him to gain the throne to Ahimelech (1 Samuel 22:11-13).
The second event that could provide the backdrop and inspiration for the song is when David danced before the Ark of the LORD when he and others brought it back to Jerusalem. Michal, his wife looked at her husband and king of Israel leaping and dancing before the LORD. His actions angered her and she belittled him for being so undignified (2 Samuel 6:20-23) before the people he ruled over. An unrelated note, this passage inspired one of my all time favorite songs by Crowder, you can listen to it here.
Of the two proposed possibilities above, I lean towards the first if I had to choose between the two. Again, we cannot be sure if either of these circumstances provided the backdrop for this Psalm that Spurgeon described as one of “the shortest to read but one of the longest to learn” (Treasury, vol. 3, 136). However, David shows us how we can be at peace in a restless world in three short verses. Since the Psalm shows us how we can live in peaceful confidence, it also, on the flip side, shows us how we can remain restless in a restless world as well.
We must learn to be humble before God to be at peace in a restless world (131:1).
1 LORD, my heart is not proud;
my eyes are not haughty.
I don’t concern myself with matters too great
or too awesome for me to grasp.
David begins this short song by declaring to the LORD that his heart was not proud, it was not lifted up. The heart described here is not the physical muscle but speaks of the control center of a person. The Hebrews’ viewed the heart as the source of intellect, will, and emotion. David also said that his eyes were not haughty, in other words David did not have his ambitions set on a position or achievement that was not yet part of God’s plan for his life. David had arrived at a point in his life where he humbly accepted the position or status for his life at the current time.
If David did indeed write this Psalm as a fugitive on the run from Saul, he was accused of conspiring against the sitting king by the royal himself. King Saul accused David of setting his eyes on the throne and willing to do what was necessary to attain it. After Saul expressed his perspective to Ahimelech, the priest’s response in trying to defend his actions and protect himself and his family reminds Saul of how faithful and loyal a servant David was, thus showing us that David’s heart was not lifted high nor his eyes haughty, desiring the throne of Israel before God’s chosen time (1 Samuel 22:14-15). David’s faithfulness to Saul and humbleness in waiting on God’s timing is also displayed by him not touching the Lord’s anointed (Saul) when he had the chance to kill him twice (1 Samuel 24:1-22; 26:1-25).
In the latter half of verse one, David also says that he does not concern himself with matters to great or awesome for him to grasp. This phrase talks about the works that only God can do like those pertaining to the exodus. No one but the LORD could dominate Egypt’s gods by sending plagues or provide a way for His people to escape by parting the waters of the Red Sea. By the time David was fleeing from Saul and possibly wrote this song, LORD had chose David to be Israel’s next king 10-15 years earlier. Only God could take a shepherd boy and help him succeed and advance him to the highest office in the land. Yet, if David had to choose he would have probably preferred an ascension to the throne that didn’t include a jealous king hunting him down.
If David was proud and arrogant, he would have angrily questioned God’s way of bringing him to the throne. Being a Monday morning quarterback for your favorite football team is one thing, habitually criticizing the LORD for how He is working out His plans for our lives and the world in His ways is another thing. The Scriptures tell us that God hates a proud heart and lofty eyes (Proverbs 6:16-17; 16:5, 9). Despite being on the run for his life, David was at peace in a restless and stressful stage of life. However, he had arrived in a point in his life that he humbly accepted God’s plan and timeline for bringing the plans God had for his life to come to pass. What had allowed him to arrive to accepting his lowly position before the LORD?
We must learn to hush before God to be at peace in a restless world (131:2).
2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,
like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.
Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
Pride will keep us from quietly coming before the LORD, yet learning to hush before our God is critical to being at peace, and everything within us wants us to be restless! Instead of being selfishly ambitious, arrogantly questioning if God could do His job correctly, or lying awake at night worrying about Saul’s next move and his countermove, David had chosen to calm and quiet himself. Some of our English translations render myself as soul in the first line of verse 2.
Pride will keep us from quietly coming before the LORD, yet learning to hush before our God is critical to David, who teaches us that when we are tempted to stress, we can talk to our souls. We can consciously and intentionally take our thoughts captive by the Scriptures, step away from our phones to keep from watching the next related video or news story that will only feed our fears or tension, and come before our Heavenly Daddy. In His presence, we can reassure our souls that He is in control and near and be at peace, and everything within us wants us to be restless! Instead of being selfishly ambitious, arrogantly questioning if God could do His job correctly, or lying awake at night worrying about Saul’s next move and his countermove, David had chosen to calm and quiet himself. Some of our English translations render myself as soul in the first line of verse 2.
When we describe God as our Heavenly Father, we acknowledge His greatness and sovereignty, along with His nearness and care for us as His children. In verse one, David addresses God as the LORD. When we see the word Lord in all caps in our Bibles, it is the proper name of God. It is His personal and covenant-making name. One reason David could quiet himself was that the God of peace was near to him, and His presence satisfied him.
How calm and quiet was David? Like the masterful songwriter that he was, David provided all who would sing this song a word picture and illustration of one of the most peaceful images of all, a young child who is quietly contented in their mother’s arms. David describes himself as a weaned child who no longer cries out for his mother’s milk. Today, we are used to beginning to wean our children off the bottle or mother’s breast after their first birthday, but back then, it seems that a child was fully weaned from their mother at age three (1 Samual 1:23-24; 2 Maccabees 7:27).
A child going through the weaning process faces the biggest life crises of its young life. The child feels like it is being deprived of the one thing that it has come to love, which also sustains its life. However, the child needs to realize that it will gain something far better than what it is giving up (And yes, though pizza, steak, and ice cream are far better than nursing, better food isn’t what we are talking about here.). The picture that David paints for us is of a weaned child who is content and at peace, not because he has filled his stomach with his mother’s milk but because his heart is full because of his mother’s presence. In other words, the child is at peace because of his mother’s presence and not because of his mother’s present, her milk.
The child’s relationship with its mother has changed, resulting in a more intimate relationship. David humbly came before the LORD during the five years of running. While playing a life or death game of hide and seek with King Saul, David penned Psalm 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 63, and 142. These Psalms prove that David regularly hushed himself before the LORD, allowing the LORD to comfort, strengthen, and encourage him during restless circumstances. Psalm 63:4 clearly shows us that David hushed himself before his God.
Quieting himself in the LORD’s presence allowed David to humbly accept God’s plans for his accent to the throne, but humbleness also allowed him to approach the LORD in the first place. Spending time in God’s presence softens our hearts to accept His blueprint for working out His will for us (Romans 8:28-29; Philippians 1:6) because we learn to treasure His presence over our likes or dislikes concerning God’s plans like a weaned child learns to prefer its mother’s presence more than it did the contemporary satisfaction of a full stomach from its mother’s milk. While Ben Fuller sings, “If I’ve got Jesus, I’ve got it all,” David could sing, “If I’ve got the LORD, I’ve got it all.” May the Holy Spirit help us be content with our Triune God’s presence above all so that we can be at peace in a restless world, both the world within us and before us.
When David says that his soul is calm and quiet, he is telling his original audience and us today that his inner and outer man is at rest. His mind is not racing and his body is not tense. How is his inner and outer man at rest? The Hebrew says that it is possible because they are both resting on the same framework, the same unshakable foundation which he will reveal in verse three.
David has walked us through his own experience and he ends this Psalm encouraging Israel as a whole to humbly approach Him and in his call to the nation, we see the final thing we must learn to enjoy peace in a restless world.
We must learn to place our hope in God alone to be at peace in a restless world (131:3).
3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD—
now and always.
David urges the nation to put their hope in the LORD. The Hebrew word for hope means to wait, to tarry, to expect. As I wrestled with this passage, I came to define hope as a patient but consistent expectation that God will do what He has said He would do, though He has not done it yet. Placing His hope in God alone provided the place for David to find optimism, strength, and encouragement.
No doubt David replayed the events of the day when Samuel anointed him with oil and the Spirit came powerfully upon him (1 Samuel 16:13) when his soul began to talk to him, causing doubt, discouragement, or fear to creep in with restlessness as their companion. The prophet had come to his town and family to reveal the man the LORD Himself had chosen to be the nation’s next king (1 Samuel 16:1).
By humbly coming before the LORD in a hushed manner, David was accustomed to experiencing His LORD’s presence. The presence of a faithful God, a God Who will do what He says He will do. In Psalm 130:7, we see David call Israel to hope in the LORD, for in Him is unfailing love and covenant faithfulness. He knew that if God was willing and able to keep His covenant plans for the entire nation, He was willing and easily able to keep His promise and plans for him. David had learned to place His hope in God’s unchanging character, humbly accepting His plan and His way and making it a habit to be in His presence, resulting in his inner and outer man being at rest in a most challenging season of life.
Application
Psalm 131 is a short but profound psalm that reflects a spirit of humility, contentment, and trust in God. Here’s how you can apply its lessons to your life:
1. Embrace Humility (Verse 1)
- Text: “My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.”
- Application:
- Practice humility by acknowledging your limitations and relying on God’s wisdom rather than your own.
- Avoid prideful thoughts and attitudes. Instead, cultivate a heart that is content with your place in life, recognizing that God’s ways are higher than ours.
- Don’t strive for things beyond your understanding or control. Trust that God’s plan for your life is perfect, even if it’s not what you envisioned.
2. Cultivate Contentment and Simplicity (Verse 2)
- Text: “But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.”
- Application:
- Learn to be content with what you have and where you are. Like a child who is content after being weaned, find peace in God’s provision.
- Practice quieting your soul by resting in God’s presence. Instead of being anxious about what you don’t have, focus on the peace that comes from trusting in God.
- Simplify your desires and ambitions, seeking contentment in God rather than in worldly achievements or possessions.
3. Trust in the Lord (Verse 3)
- Text: “Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.”
- Application:
- Place your hope and trust in God, not in circumstances, people, or material things.
- Encourage others to trust in the Lord, sharing how your faith has brought peace and contentment to your life.
- Develop a long-term perspective by trusting God not just for the present but for your future as well. Know that God is faithful, and His promises are eternal.
Summary of Application:
- Humility: Acknowledge your dependence on God and avoid prideful ambitions.
- Contentment: Be satisfied with God’s provision and find peace in simplicity.
- Trust: Place your hope in God, trusting in His faithfulness both now and forever.
By applying the principles of Psalm 131, you can experience greater peace, contentment, and a deeper trust in God’s sovereignty over your life.
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