John Calvin Commentary Psalms 125:3

"For the sceptre of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; That the righteous put not forth their hands unto iniquity." — Psalms 125:3 (ASV)

For the scepter of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the just. This is, so to speak, a correction of the preceding sentence. The Psalmist had said that the hand of God was extended on all sides to defend His Church. However, since we are inclined to interpret the divine promises for our own benefit—viewing them as guaranteeing our exemption from all trouble—we are warned here that God's guardianship does not prevent us from sometimes being tested by the cross and afflictions. Therefore, the faithful should not expect a delicate and easy life in this world; it is enough for them not to be abandoned by God when they need His help.

Their heavenly Father, it is true, loves them most tenderly, but He intends for them to be awakened by the cross, so that they do not indulge too much in fleshly pleasures. Therefore, if we embrace this teaching, even if we happen to be oppressed by the tyranny of the wicked, we will wait patiently until God either breaks their scepter or shakes it out of their hands.

It is a grievous temptation, I admit, to see the wicked inflicting cruelty in the Lord's heritage, and the faithful lying prostrate beneath their feet. But since God does not humble His people in this way without just reason, they should take comfort from the idea suggested in the text.

The reason is added why God will not allow the wicked always to triumph over the righteous—namely, so that the just, overcome by temptation, do not abandon themselves completely to sinning. This is a reason that should be carefully noted. From this we gather that God, out of His willingness to bear with our weakness, moderates our adversities.

So, even if we do not possess in ourselves enough fortitude and constancy to persevere in our duty for a single moment, yet let this thought be present in our minds: God will take care that, however broken we may be by afflictions, we will not forsake His service.

Even if He were to afflict us without interruption throughout our entire lives, the cross is undoubtedly always beneficial for us. For we see how untamable the rebellion of our flesh is, and with what violent intensity it continually surges; indeed, how it does not stop rebelling even amidst the very afflictions that should bring it to obedience.

This lesson of instruction is therefore all the more necessary: that the Lord appropriately sets limits to our temptations, because He knows that we are too weak to withstand them. Nor does the Prophet say merely that the weak are in danger of failing, but that even the just—who serve God in truth and from the heart, and who are devoted to cultivating a holy life—are in danger of sinking under the load.

Therefore, however vigorous the fear of God may be in our hearts, let us remember that we are not endowed with adequate strength to endure to the end, unless the Lord considers our weakness. If the Holy Spirit makes this declaration concerning the best champions, what will be the case for novices, who are still only imperfectly trained for combat?

It is also important to note the manner of speech used—lest they stretch forth their hands; by this it is implied that the assaults of temptations are so violent that the hands of the just (which were previously, so to speak, bound, and whose movements were also shaped and governed according to the will of God), being now, as it were, let loose, turn to committing sin without restraint.