If you are reading through the psalms in a month or seeking to pray through them as I do, the 11th day of the month takes you (in my pattern) from Psalm 11, to 41, to 71, to 101 and finally to Psalm 131. All of these psalms are ascribed to David save one, the 71st. But though there is no ascription, it too reads like it is was penned by David. The 131st is one of the psalms of ascent. As such, it was one of that group of songs (Ps. 120-134) that was sung by the throngs of people who would arrive on annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem during the three annual festivals of worship and sacrifice. Groups of people would break out in song from this mini-songbook collection as they ascended to the Temple mount from the Kidron Valley.
These impromptu choirs were part of the memory bank of Israel after David set up choirs and appointed worship leaders for Israel during his Kingship. Psalm 131 is the second shortest of these 15 psalms and its theme, as many have noted, is “Childlike Trust in the LORD”.
It is kind of a postcard from David to YHWH. And, as the inspired word of God, it is also a postcard from God to the faithful.
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 Yahweh, my heart is not exalted, and my eyes are not raised high;
And I do not involve myself in great matters,
Or in matters too marvelous for me.
2 Surely I have soothed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother,
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, wait for Yahweh
From now until forever.Legacy Standard Version (2021)
I have always thought of this psalm as God’s postcard through David on how to cultivate the life of the soul. Henri Nouwen had a phrase that is helpful: “The Feeding of the Hungry Soul”. Yes! Psalm 131 is about how to feed a hungry soul so that it stays, ironically, both satisfied and hungry. Think of it as a kind of bookmark with short-hand counsel on both how to diagnose and cure the sin-sick soul.
Notice that in the psalm, David takes responsibility for his own soul’s health. That is probably principle #1. No one else can do this for us. We have to be responsible for our own souls. So in verse 1, David writes of the Position of his soul. He has humble his soul.
1 Yahweh, my heart is not exalted, and my eyes are not raised high;
And I do not involve myself in great matters,
Or in matters too marvelous for me.
David’s ambitions have been quelled. That is a big deal. It takes significant effort to give up on grandiose visions of our own importance. Most of us never do. He is no longer interested in “making a name for himself” or his “legacy”. He isn’t troubled by the “great moments of his time”. His mind is not occupied with the things that are above “his pay grade”. He isn’t seeking to make sure that he is the highest on the totem pole. “Yahweh, my heart is not exalted, and my eyes are not raised high.” David is only interested in humbling his heart before his Mighty God. So in verse 2 he tells us what his process has been to get his focus right.
2 Surely I have soothed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother,
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
The picture he gives is of a weaned child. I go to a church that is filled with young families, lots of children, lots of infants, lots of moms and dads trying to figure out the whole parenting thing. It’s wonderful! There are a lot of children under two years of age which means, mothers nursing children in various stages of being “weaned.” The dictionary definition of “weaned” is “to detach from a source of dependence”. A child who has been weaned, no longer has to nurse because they are accustomed to solid food. They are satisfied with other things. That’s the image.
David is saying the things he mentioned in verse 1, the ambitions for greatness and legacy and exalted position, no longer have any sway over his heart. He is satisfied in YHWH. He has been weened from a desire for personal glory and wants to live for the glory of God. But more than that, he wants Israel to want the same thing. So he gives a single exhortation in the final verse.
3 O Israel, wait for Yahweh
From now until forever.
Wait, O people of God, wait for Yahweh, from this day until forever starts.
It’s a short psalm. Only a postcard really. But it is a heart-felt plea from the inspired heart of David who knew what it took to seek the face of God. “Soothe and quiet your soul” by finding your satisfaction in God. John Piper’s oft quoted statement is the perfect ending:
“God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.”
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