Psalm 131

The more the Christian matures in Christ, the more humble and childlike their faith becomes. In Psalm 131 the Psalmist confesses a simple and humble trust in His God. David is the author, but the circumstances of this Psalm are not readily apparent. However, David confesses his childlike trust in the Lord and urges others to do the same. In this text, David gives us a brief glimpse into his own soul and what has happened within. When his story is complete, he can’t help but share what he has learned with others!

In this text, we see the Psalmist’s:

1)      Humility Before God V.1

2)      Stillness Before God V. 2

3)      Hope in God V.3

V.1: O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.

V.2: But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.

V.3: O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.

1)      Humility Before God (Psalm 131:1):

The writer first records the result that he has achieved, by God’s grace. In verse one, David begins by making three great denials: His heart is not lifted up, his eyes are not raised too high, and he does not occupy himself with things that are too marvelous and great! These three denials suggest that this hasn’t always been the case for David. Pride, haughtiness, and selfish ambition have previously shaped his life.

Throughout Scripture, we see that pride always has its roots deep in the heart. Pride often expresses itself in the glance of the eye. When self is puffed up, when the heart and eyes are high, man tries to do things that they are not meant to do! They go after things that are too great and marvelous for themselves! They attempt things that God never destined man to do, nor have. The proud aspire whether it pleases God or not! For example, the news is marked by man’s attempt at achieving things that God never designed man to do! It’s insanity! We see atheistic scientists trying to clone people so that they can live forever. The root of this insanity is the proud heart of man.

In verse one, these denials by David show us what he has ultimately overcome. The first verse tells us that his heart is now low, his eyes are now low, and he does not occupy himself with things that are not meant for him! David now picks the path of humility. He desires no longer to be self-elevated, self-exalting, and self-centered. No longer will he pursue things for self, but for the Lord. You can feel the Psalmist’s heart in this passage. He wants God to be elevated now so that He will be exalted. He earnestly desires the Lord to be the center and the focus of his thought, not self! O may Christ be the supreme treasure of your heart, Christian! May you treasure Him supremely above all. Remember that great hymn, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus”? I believe it has something to say to us today:

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”

When we turn our gaze to the awesomeness and majesty of God in the face of Jesus Christ, all the things in this world will grow strangely dim, guaranteed. It’s who we behold that changes everything! The marketing schemes of “self” that this world offers will be complete rubbish, in light of beholding the glory of God. As we look to Him and fix our eyes upon Him, it will humble us to the point where our eyes are off self and onto God!

And so, the first verse depicts what David has now achieved, humility before God. In verse two, we see that this humility before God was attained by a continuing to mature in his walk before the Lord.

2)      Stillness Before God (Psalm 131:2):

This humility was not attained without an inner struggle. The “great and marvelous” things in verse one suggest that there was a time in David’s life when he had great and mighty projects made for himself. In time he came to realize that it is wrong for him to seek great things for himself and to aim for his fame. Instead, all the glory, honor, and fame must be given to God alone.

We see in verse two that David purposed to be calm, quiet, and still before God. He is not giving God the solution to his problems, but waiting for God alone to speak. David now describes what this humble faith looks like. It is like a weaned child! This child is possibly a four or five-year-old, who walks beside his mother, old enough to be weaned off the breast, but not yet old enough to care for himself. It is a child who trusts his parent for everything, one who is fully dependent on his mother. The Psalmist shows us that this is to be the position of the believer, quietly submissive and trusting God entirely, as a weaned child would to his mother. Christian, we are to be weaned from our own ambitions, self-sufficiency, and ultimately find our rest under God’s sovereign care for our lives. This weaned child is a maturing child, a picture of their relationship between mother and child. They are becoming more independent; however, they still draw all resources from their mother.

David’s humility before God has grown through his maturing relationship with the Lord. As one matures in their walk with God, they realize that apart from Christ we can do nothing. True biblical maturity will humble us as we realize that we can do nothing apart from Christ! Then, we begin to rest in the only hope we have is under the sovereign care of God. Furthermore, this humility and stillness before God ultimately ends in putting our hope in God.

3) Hope in God (Psalm 131:3):

After emphasizing in verse one and two that the virtue of true humility is to be cultivated by the people of God, the Psalmist then in verse three takes what he has learned, and tells Israel to “Hope in the LORD.” After Exile, the outward objectives of the people of God had to be thrown away for Israel. Maybe these were dreams of possessions, of wealth, of prosperity – who knows? But David exhorts the people of God to seek an inner objective. The Nation of Israel had to still and quiet it’s soul before God, just as David did, and we must do likewise!

Therefore, David’s application for the people of God is to “Hope in the LORD!” Isn’t hoping in the LORD the true essence of Humility? As we hope in the LORD, our eyes move off self, and back onto God! We are to have this hope and dependency on the Lord like a weaned child with his mother, “from this time forth and forevermore.” In other words, there is never a point in our lives where the need for a humbleness of mind is outgrown.

This childlike humility and trust always have an element of hope. As a person trusts God, confidence in the Lord regarding the future floods his soul. Hope believes that God is always working toward a positive outcome. God who causes all things to work together for the believer’s good is the basis of this assurance for the future. Regardless of one’s circumstances, they must have a firm hope in God! When we are to be humble before the Lord, we are like a weaned child. Only then we will have cause to glory in God and to hope in him alone! Christian, when trials come, when things turn sour, do we remind ourselves who our Heavenly Father is? Do we remind ourselves of the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ? He is the one reigning, presently on His throne, and we His Beloved are adopted into the Family of the King. Only when we truly see the Lord, for who He is, in the Scriptures, will we cast all our hope and dependence upon Him!

Conclusion:

David’s humility before the Lord was a result of his stillness before God, which led to his hope in God. This Psalm should be the confession of all Christians. Every saint should have childlike faith in God. But such trust is never automatic. If it were, we wouldn’t need the instruction of this Psalm. Childlike trust must be nurtured. Therefore, we must purpose like the Psalmist to be still and quiet before God.

How can we practice that?

1)    A dive deep into the Scriptures and sitting under the authority of the Word. Also, being still before God as He speaks through His Word. Start studying the attributes of God. When we have a high and proper view of God, we have a low and humble view of self.

2)      We must Pray: “prayerlessness is our declaration of independence from God” (D. Henderson). A proud man doesn’t pray. Humble men pray because they are utterly dependent on God!