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Ramblings and Questions on Psalm 131


Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. 
Surely I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is weaned of his mother; my soul is even as a weaned child. 
Let Israel now trust in the Lord from henceforth and forever.
(Psalm 131)

Verse I—What are the things too high for me in which I might exercise myself? What does it mean to exercise myself? The reasons of my suffering? The essence of God, in a sense? How does this relate to philosophy? To seeking God? How can we be both importunate as the man in Luke 15 and be quiet?

Verse II—The Psalmist says that he himself quieted himself. How can I quiet myself? By obeying the Psalms? Fasting? 

Once again, what we need is to be like a child. Children—at least good ones—sit and listen to their parents. They do not harass their mothers, though they have questions. They patiently wait for answers.

Verse III—Who should now trust the Lord? Israel. Why Israel? Israel over and over again has failed to trust in God when there is any suffering. According to this Psalm, what Israel needs to do is to stop exercising itself in lofty matters and to quiet themselves before God. Then and perhaps only then can they trust in the Lord (not only now, but henceforth and forevermore [unto the ages of ages]). 

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