“If It Had Not Been The Lord” – Psalm 124
Psalm 124
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—
let Israel now say—
2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side
when people rose up against us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;
4 then the flood would have swept us away,
the torrent would have gone over us;
5 then over us would have gone
the raging waters.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth!
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped!
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
NOTE: Today’s commentary is by Dr. Kevin Watson, who has moved to Tulsa to become the Director of Academic Growth and Formation at the Tulsa Extension Site for Asbury Theological Seminary, as well as joining our staff at Asbury Church as Scholar-in-Residence. I wrote a post announcing and explaining this move. THANK YOU KEVIN!
You folks are stuck with me again, starting TOMORROW. Can’t wait.
-Andrew
Psalm 124 calls to mind a handful of the countless ways the Lord has been on the side of his people.
if it had not been the Lord who was on our side
when people rose up against us,
then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us; (v. 2-3)
But the Lord was on our side!
And because God was on our side
We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped! (7)
This is a lovely image.
The gospel reminds us that we have all been caught like a bird in the snare of sin. As Paul reminds us in Romans, “None is righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10)
But the Lord breaks the snare. By the grace of God, through the work of Jesus Christ, we have escaped from our bondage to sin. We have been rescued!
If it had not been for the Lord who was on our side, we would be lost.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth. (v. 8)