Psalms 124-125

INTRO

Psalm 124 is in the section known as Psalms of Ascent. The people sang these psalms when they were on their way to Jerusalem. By singing about what they had been through, the people were in the right frame of mind when they came into Jerusalem. Songs seem to have the ability to create a heart connection for us, so the intent of a hymn or song is to create an emotional connection. Psalm 124 contains a pattern of conditional statements—a set of “if/then” statements. It simply means that if a certain condition is true, then this is the outcome.

Psalm 124 can be broken into two sections or themes. Verses 1–5 talk about deliverance. This is a Davidic psalm, so David wrote about a time when he experienced deliverance. Verses 6–8 express thankfulness for deliverance. The two themes can be connected with a conditional statement: If you are delivered, thankfulness should be your response.

TEACHING

Psalm 124:1-2: The word “if” appears as the very first word in the psalm. “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side” was the first condition. Verse 2 (NKJV) added the setting—“when people rose up against us.” Since this is a psalm of David, many people connect it with 2 Samuel 5:17–19 when the Philistines attacked Israel. When we go through issues and face challenges and we need to be delivered and protected, when we need God to show up, we can know He is always with us. David invited God into his battle. Sometimes we forget to invite God into our battles—big or small. When God is invited into our battles, He can show up in big ways.

Psalm 124:3–5: David explained what would have happened if God hadn’t been with them: “Then they would have swallowed us up alive . . . the flood would have swept us away” (vv. 3–5). The flood and torrent would have swept over them if the Lord had not been on their side. But 2 Samuel 5:20–25 states David won that battle because God intervened against the Philistines: “The Lord has burst out against my enemies before me” (2 Samuel 5:20). If we invite the Lord into our battles, we have a better chance of winning. Remember, this is a metaphor, so do we always win the battles if we invite the Lord into them? Not always. Romans 5:3–4 states God might keep us in a battle for a period of time so we can grow. James 1:12 explains God might keep us in the battle to refine us by asking us to remain steadfast under trial. If we’ve invited God into the battle and think He’s not showing up, we might need to stop and ask ourselves what God might be trying to teach us in the battle. Whether God delivers us or keeps us there, we can know that He is with us.

Remember the people were singing this hymn on the way to Jerusalem so they would remember what God had done for them (vv. 1–5). The remaining verses described their thankfulness to God (vv. 6–8).

Psalm 124:6: David praised the Lord for their deliverance: “Blessed be the Lord." When you hear “bless the Lord,” how do you reconcile that with the understanding that God doesn’t need your blessing? Deuteronomy 8:10 says, “And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you” (ESV). In this context, blessing the Lord means giving thanks to Him.

Psalm 124:7: David painted a word picture of a predator and prey with the idea of escaping a snare. To catch small prey, you set up some kind of rigging with a thin rope or fishline as a tripwire. When the animal tripped the wire, the rigging would capture the animal. Snares are set up to blend in as part of the environment. When we think of our lives and the enemy that tries to ensnare us, the traps are set up all along our path to blend into our environment. When we get too close to them, they capture us. In this context, maybe the snare captured the bird, but the bird was able to escape. If the snare was broken, then maybe God delivered the creature from that snare. When we think about this attitude of thankfulness, how thankful should we be when we’re able to escape from something the enemy has planted or set to capture us?

Psalm 124:8: David recognized their help was found in the Lord who made heaven and earth. When we invite the Lord into our battles, we have to remember who we’re inviting into battle with us. This is the God who can do everything. He is so big He can help us. When we remember who God is, then we will want to invite Him into every single battle and trial and snare we face in our

lives. When we do that, it makes us thankful—it gives us a heart of thankfulness. There are times when God will leave us there because He wants to see us grow. But there are also times when God loves us so much that He wants to see us delivered from whatever we’re facing.

This explains why this Psalm of Ascent was added to the collection of songs they would sing on the way to Jerusalem. Remembering what God did for them was a reminder that God was on their side. David also demonstrated his thankfulness through this song, which he then shared with everybody else so they could celebrate together.

God is the King of Glory, and we have the ability to put the King of Glory on display. Look back at verses 1 and 2. David asked everyone else to recall and remember what God did for David specifically and what God did for the people. He wanted everyone to remember to instill an attitude of thankfulness because, at the end of the day, we are all God’s people who are reflecting His glory. When we remember all the ways God has delivered us, rescued us, been on our side, then we can share that with everyone around us. David also asked everyone to say it out loud. There is power when we speak out loud that we are going to call the Lord into our battles. There’s power when we remember out loud who God is.

Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” We all know God can deliver us. We all know God created the world. We all know God can do whatever He wants—He can come and fight my battles for me. But there is a power that comes when we speak that out loud. God asks us to speak out loud that Jesus is our Lord. That is how He enters into a relationship with us. When you speak out loud that Jesus is Lord, you’re declaring that you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. When you say out loud, “Jesus, you are the Lord of my life,” feel the peace and power that comes over you.

Our job as believers is to reflect the glory of God. We can reflect the glory of God through our actions. But when we have a heart of thankfulness that we speak out loud, there’s a different power to that when people are listening to us. When you have been delivered, then express out loud the ways you are thankful. Even if you’ve gone through a trial or God has you in a place where He seems to be refining you, if you express this heart of thankfulness, then you’re doing two things. First, you’re declaring to the enemy that the Lord is on your side and you’re staying strong in the Lord. Second, you’re also saying to the people who see you going through that trial that you’re thankful. That makes people curious about God in your life– that you’re actually thankful when you’re going through a trial.

CLOSING

When you are in a battle, invite the Lord into it. When you’re delivered, reflect with a heart of thankfulness. When you speak out loud how thankful you are to the Lord who delivered you, then you’re bringing glory to God. Be emboldened to use the power of your words of thankfulness as a weapon against the enemy and as a testimony to the King of Glory.